26 Mar Water Damage

Immediately after we posted the first Blog Post concerning flood I received a question from Cathy in Peabody. Cathy asked.

“I had huge ice dams’ form on my roof this winter and I have damages to my kitchen wall and my family room from the water that came in. Is this flooding?”

The quick answer is, “No it is not flooding, it is water damage”.

But, more importantly let’s talk about how your homeowners policy might respond. Let me start by defining Water Damage as it appears in most homeowners’ policies. I realize that when someone talks flood or water damage both terms sound very much alike.

Flood is defines as a general and temporary condition where two or more acres of normally dry land or two or more properties are inundated by water or mudflow. Flood is excluded and you must buy a separate policy.

Water Damage is defined as sudden and accidental water damage. Water damage insurance does not cover damage resulting from homeowner’s negligence or failure to maintain home repairs.

What the heck does the mean? Spontaneous exploding appliances, like a water heater or broken pipes or hoses in a washing machine or a dish washer.  Broken pipes as a result of freezing as long as the house is occupied.  A heavy rain soaks through the roof, or freezing and thawing creates ice dams just like this winter, allowing water to drip through your attic or ceiling. Cathy your homeowners’ policy will respond to the water damages in your home.

So if a pipe bursts and results in water escaping ruining the sheetrock in the room below it is covered. If you have a slow leak that you should have fixed but did not get around to it. That is maintenance and the damage is not covered.

One important issue to consider is that water damage can cause the growth of mold which often times does more damage than the leak itself. These claims need to be dealt with rapidly so that no health risks to your family result.

Townsend Insurance are here to help you understand and make informed choices. Call our office to speak to a Personal Insurance Advisor. 978-720-8005

Follow our guidance, Experience our care.