Anyone had to do this?

Reading terms of policy doesn’t sound like its excluded.

We had a leak / burst roofing felt over xmas which soaked through into the newly decorated bathroom. Initially I thought it might just be a slipped tile beacuse of the weather and an easy fix, but the more I’ve looked around in the loft the worse I think it might be.

There are several damp timbers which look like they are a bit moudly and 4 or 5 bricks in a course and the surface crumbling badly – they feel like wet sand and are very fragile. This is in the shared wall with next door and under the shared apex of the extension (2 bed victorian terrace)

So, it looks like the water might have been getting in for a while and it only came to a head in the storms. Next door probably have similar damage I would have thought.

Any one had the same? Do the bricks need replacing as well as sorting whatever is wrong with the roof (I’m hoping its a ridge tile slipped).

Insurer was changed in Nov, so concerned they may say some of the damage predates the policy though there is nothign about that in the exclusions?

I’d be surprised if they paid out for a leaking roof.
If the felt was torn away by the wind & it leaked fair enough, but just a leak through old age…hmmm.

My neighbours felt roof was torn away, & his insurer paid out.

My garage leaks badly but theres nowt I can do whilst the weather is still bad. Come spring its getting an EPDM membrane on it.

Most if not all home policies will include water damage.

It is worth claiming however, I’d first get a roofer to have a look/quote. If less than £400-£500 pounds you may want to consider paying yourself as they increased in premiums/Excess over a few years will probably mean you end up paying that back.

it looks like the water might have been getting in for a while

I’d be surprised if the insurance would pay out as that would be down to a lack of maintenance, which they don’t generally pay out for

Your policy will cover storm damage, is damage attributable to a specific event or time.

What you’ve described sounds like a more general longterm problem with the property to cause that kind of damage, and so possibly not covered by your insurance. You can always check with your insurers and this “may” be a good time to get a potentially invalid claim through under the radar while they are busy.

What they said, doubt they will pay unless the wind blew the flat roof off…so you will need to get up there and made it look like the wind did it 😆

Hmmm, the damage to the bathroom / the reason I went up there was definitley due to the storm(s) we’ve been having. It is a really inaccessable part of the loft (have to crawl sideways through beams) hence why I’ve not noticed the damaged bricks before – in fact I only noticed on the 5th time I’d been to check the repaired felt.

Repairing those bricks will be a huge pita as it is so hard to get to.

Excess is £250 so it sounds like it probably will be worth it. I’ve got no idea how much to expect and I’m 100 on the local roofers waiting list….(nice to know we aren’t alone!)

Had exactly the same problem, called the insurers and all they would cover was the damage to the ceiling to a max of £400. Asked a local roofing firm to come and inspect the roof, and they contacted insurers and managed to secure £3500 for damage to the roof as he said it was storm damage and not normal wear and tear. The assesor came to look at the roof in tha snows of last year, the roof was thick with the stuff so I have no idea how he came to that figure, he didnt even look in the loft!

Had to have the whole roof replaced though, to the tune of £7100!

An expense we werent prepared for, but if it wasnt for the roofing company we would have had to fork out for the lot!