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| A Brief Guide to Carpet Claims |
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There has been a water leak
in my house with damage to carpets; how should I prevent further
damage? |
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You should always notify your insurers,
and insurance brokers, of any potential claim. Broadly speaking,
carpets can be divided into two separate categories, those made
of 100% man-made fibre; and those made either wholly, or partly,
of natural fibre. The appropriate remedial action which you
will need to take depends on whether the carpet is man-made
or contains an element of natural fibre. Why is this? Man-made
fibre will not shrink or discolour when immersed in water, whereas
natural fibre will always shrink when in the presence of moisture
– even a very damp atmosphere. It follows, therefore,
that if a carpet containing an element of natural fibre is in
contact with water, it will shrink. If there is only a little
water, the natural fibre carpet can sometimes still be saved
provided that it is left on it’s original gripper rods
and, therefore, retains it’s original shape and stretch.
Man-made fibre carpets are less susceptible to shrinkage. Nevertheless,
the following procedures still apply. Water extraction machines
can be obtained from local hire shops or dry cleaners or, even
better, immediate contact should be made with carpet restoration
experts. These companies will be able to extract the water,
cleaning the carpet at the same time, following which it can
be treated with an anti-fungicide. Once thoroughly dry, the
carpet can be uplifted since it will no longer be in danger
of shrinking. A decision then can be made as to whether the
original underlay should be cleaned and re-used or replaced.
Modern rubber based underlays are very resistant to water damage
and are chemically stable so that they do not always require
replacement. The more old fashioned felt underlay, which is
rarely used today, must always be replaced. Where the degree
of saturation is substantial the same procedures follow for
both natural fibre and man-made carpets. In all such instances,
the carpet should be uplifted and taken out of the house. Any
underlay should be uplifted and removed at the same time. In
an ideal situation, we would recommend that photographs be taken
of the floor coverings both before they are uplifted and once
they have been removed from the home. Small samples, (approximately
.5 metre by .5 metre) of both the floor covering and the underlay
must be retained. Why only a small sample? Once carpet is wet,
bacteria and mould quickly develop resulting in not only obnoxious
smells but also a potential health hazard. The sample will allow
you to show your insurer and/or their appointed representatives,
such as a loss adjuster, the quality and style of the original
floor coverings. |
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I have already thrown away the carpet
because I couldn’t stand the smell. |
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The smell of rotting and mouldy
carpet is not only unpleasant but is produced by the development
of bacteria and mould. It follows, therefore, that any such
health hazard should be removed from site as soon as is possible.
Before doing so, it is essential that you record photographic
evidence, either in for the form of still pictures or a video.
Ideally, this should show the floor covering in it’s original
situation as well as after removal from the home. In all cases,
you should make sure that you retain a small sample (.5 metre
x .5 metre) of both of the original floor covering and the underlay,
where appropriate. It is always useful if you are able to produce
the original receipt relating to the purchase. |
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Which insurer should I contact –
my buildings or contents? |
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The test that normally applies is
whether or not the item can be removed from your home if you
were to move, without permanently defacing the structure. Therefore,
if a close covered carpet can be taken up and removed from the
home, even if it’s size and shape is not suitable for
your new home, it follows that this is part of the contents
as it’s removal will not damage the fabric of the building.
Vinyl floor coverings, which are often permanently glued to
the floor of a house, cannot be removed in such an easy fashion
and will often suffer damage both to the vinyl covering as well
as to the underlying floor surfaces. Therefore, such permanently
fixed items are regarded as part of the buildings. If you are
living in a rented property, and do not own the floor coverings,
these will be the responsibility of your landlord, in normal
circumstances. However, check your tenancy agreement which will
outline your responsibilities. If the tenancy agreement states
that you are responsible for floor coverings, then your own
contents’ insurance will cover your liability as tenant
in most circumstances. |
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Not wanting to claim, I have tried to
clean the carpet but have only made the damage worse. |
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Don’t worry! As long as you
can satisfy your insurers that you were doing your best to avoid
or minimize any claim, you will not be penalised or criticised.
Very often, specialist carpet restoration contractors can undo
the “damage” caused by your attempts as they have
specialist methods and solvents which are not available to the
public. If your best endeavors cannot be undone, then your contents’
insurance policy will provide cover for a replacement subject
to any residual salvage value remaining in the original covering,
and the original cause of damage being covered by the terms
of the policy. |
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How will my insurance company settle
my claims? |
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In the first instance, you should
always refer to your policy booklet where there will be a specific
section outlining the basis of settlement. If it is possible
for the floor covering to be professionally restored, then the
cost of the restoration will be paid for by your insurers, subject
to any policy excess. If restoration is not possible, bearing
in mind that the coverings must be returned to a condition no
better and no worse than original, your insurers may request
that you obtain two or three alternative estimates for replacement.
Alternatively, they may ask a specialist company with whom they
have contractual arrangements to contact you and to provide
a quotation for replacement on a like for like basis. |
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Who decides what type of carpet I will
have? |
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Any quotation obtained either by
yourself or at the instigation of your insurance company should
allow for exactly similar size, style, and quality of floor
covering as the original. It is a fundamental of insurance that
you be put back in a position that you were in prior to the
event, i.e. no better or no worse. It may well be that you would
like to take the opportunity to change the type of floor covering
which you had originally, or even to upgrade. Usually, this
will not present any problem providing that you accept that
your insurance company will only contribute an amount which
represents the cost of replacing the original floor coverings
on a like-for-like basis with yourself being responsible for
any difference. |
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Although the carpet in only one room
was affected, I have the same floor covering throughout my entire
house. |
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In the first instance, check your
policy wording and consult with your insurance broker. Many
policies state that, irrespective of matching adjoining areas,
the policy will only cover the affected area. Some wordings
permit a degree of discretion where the insurer will pay 100%
of the cost of reinstating the affected area and will make a
contribution of up to 50% towards the replacement of the undamaged
areas. Often, there is a natural break formed by the design
of rooms, changes of levels or similar whereby new carpeting
can be installed to these areas so that any colour difference
against the original carpeting elsewhere will not be noticeable.
In the case of more expensive floor coverings, it is often possible
for a sample of the original carpeting to be sent to the manufacturer
with a view to obtaining a colour match to the original. This
can result in delays as it is necessary to wait until the manufacturer
next has a production run for an identical carpet to the original. |
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Will the sum insured on my policy be
reduced as a result of paying my claim? |
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The amount of your claim will not
reduce the sum insured on the contents since this is automatically
reinstated to it’s original level following a claim. However,
if you make a large number of claims during any one year of
insurance, this may affect the amount that you pay in premium
or, even, affect the insurance company’s decision to renew
your policy. |
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Will I lose my loyalty, or no claims,
discount because I have made a claim for carpets? |
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Discounts are often given because
you have not made any claim irrespective of what the claim may
be for. This is something which you should speak to your insurance
broker about prior to the renewal date of your household contents’
policy as they may be able to persuade the insurers not to take
any account of the claim although, clearly, this will depend
upon the amount which has been paid. |
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I know I have a copy of
my policy but I don’t know how to find what I am covered
for? |
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Normally there is an index at the
front of each policy booklet and you should find the section
which relates to “contents”.
Many policies are written in plain and easily understandable
English and you should make sure that you read the whole of
the section. This will not only tell you the types of damage
for which you are insured but also the basis on which any claim
will be dealt with including any restrictions or limitations
such as payment for undamaged but matching areas. You should
also refer to your policy schedule which will show the amount
for which you are insured as well as indicating the scope of
the insurance cover; for example, you may have accidental damage
cover in addition to the standard types of damage against which
you are insured. If you cannot find your insurance policy, you
can obtain a copy either through your insurance broker or direct
from your insurance company. It will help if you have a record
of your policy number but this is not always essential.
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