Blog
Flood damage to shop
Friday 3rd February 2023
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
We at Tayross chartered building surveyors located in Pinner, Middlesex were recently requested by a client to carry out an insurance check claim against an insurance loss assessors claim on his property, which he felt was unfair and in effect was short-changing him.
The shop had been damaged by a leaking loose pipe connection to a tank in the attic of the first floor flat. When the business users arrived at his shop; the suspended ceiling had collapsed and very expensive equipment electronic/water, sensitive, and the finishers to the property were all extensively damaged.
Initially, insurance company accepted all responsibility for all damage.
Then they sent subsequently a second assessor who claimed that the extent of damages was not as extensive as first thought and a lot of the damage without providing any proof state it was pre-existing.
It's important to realise in insurance damage claims there is no such thing as betterment to your premises should be reinstated to comply with modern building regulations and to enable you to conduct your business.
Items raised by the assessor included the following- the vinyl tiles to the floor of the shop did not need to be replaced. We disputed this as the water had got underneath the tiles and it would be impossible to dry out the screed(which had trapped water) unless they were removed. Also, the insurance assessor disputed the need to replace skirting boards and plaster finishes. We carried out a damp survey and found underlying damp all the way around the perimeter of the shop, even though the insurance company had . Therefore it is recommended the Joinery needed to come off the wall and the wall needed to be stripped back to the brickwork and allowed to dry and then to be re-rendered and replastered.
Insurance companies these days tend to be very strict on what they will or will not allow. It's important that you have a surveyor in your corner. Otherwise, you could be left with a Defective Building which may not come to light until several years later and be very difficult to resolve. With Insurance companies you normally only get one bite at the cherry!
Carl O'Boyle is an experienced chartered building surveyor and chartered builder who has over 30 years of experience in dealing in these matters.
Please feel free to contact Carl on his email address: carl@tayross.com or on his mobile: 079 7682 0628
