4. We will make a thorough assessment
by Admin
Posted on 25-03-2023 10:23 AM
Transfer of high temperatures can lead to smouldering of timbers until combustion occurs. Insurance cover with adequate sums insured and proper assessment of the loss and damage can help. Otherwise the only option is lenghty and costly legal action against the installer. Assessor balcombes balcombes claims management brokers business interruption claim claims consumer protection code consumers expert insurance claims advice fire flood insurance insurance broker insurance claim insurance policy loss adjusters loss assessor loss assessors property claims public loss assessor
balcombes claims management is ireland’s longest established and leading firm of loss assessors. We have developed a systemised process that focuses our resources and attention on solving your insurance claim problem.
If you’ve experienced a chimney fire or have had major chimney damage due to a weather incident or earthquake, your repairs, restoration, or rebuild may be covered by your insurance. Most homeowner’s insurance policies will cover damage resulting from fire, wind, lightning or earthquakes. To determine the extent of your damage and whether or not your insurance will cover it, you’ll need to have a certified and licensed chimney technician inspect your system and report their findings. Mason’s chimney service technicians have decades of experience conducting thorough and well-documented inspections and can offer an honest, accurate assessment of your damage.
At first call claim we provide insurance claim assistance and loss assessments for houses that have been damaged in a fire. A house fire can result in serious structural and superficial damage. The superficial damage may be easy to see but the structural damage is usually harder to detect. In addition to the flames, smoke and soot can spread throughout the house and cause damage in places the fire did not even reach. This soot is particularly dangerous and when it breaks down it becomes corrosive and will result in further damage down the line. Damage may also be caused by the water used to put the fire out.
Depending on the nature of your home, the materials used, bespoke design features and its location, the rebuild cost could be more than its market value. This is particularly common with listed, historic or thatched properties. It is essential that you keep track of your rebuild cost, as being underinsured could leave you liable to pay part of, or the whole cost of a repair or rebuild, so it is vital that your home insurance is watertight. According to a study by rics registered surveyors barrett corp & harrington, who provide reinstatement cost assessments across the uk and europe, as much as 80% of the properties included in their research are underinsured by up to 55%, on average5.
What Does House Insurance Cover In A Fire?
If you are looking to get your chimney cleaned and any minor holes patched before real damages come along, you won’t be reimbursed by your home insurance.
Homeowners insurance sees chimney care as the homeowner’s responsibility as with all forms of house maintenance. Hiring a certified chimney sweep to find and fix any issues with your chimney will not be covered but might be your best choice. It’s better to fix the small issues now before they expand into great damages that your insurance company will not cover. Better to pay the small bills now for the chimney maintenance rather than the big bills later when your chimney begins to break down.
Over the years we have received calls from clients who recently had wood burning stoves installed. The flues were projecting through existing walls. The manufacturers of these stoves have guidelines on clearance distances between these flues and any combustible material. On one of the fires we acted on, the flues went through an existing stud wall and the flue was too close to a stud and hence the fire. In another situation a flue was installed into a wall with a plywood backing behind the plasterboard and the backing went on fire. The picture attached shows where the plywood went on fire.