A common issue arises in property claims when a house has been recently re-plumbed and a leak occurs relating to a faulty fitting. Under the policy the insurance company must pay for the damage caused by a leaking pipe fitting. If that faulty fitting was installed in the last 6 years then Insurers have the right to recover the full pay-out from that fitting manufacturer. The policy wording also ensures

So more and more cracks are appearing in your home, what do you do about it? You are covered for subsidence under your home insurance policy. Subsidence is a downward movement of your foundations and walls. If you think your floor is dropping in a certain direction this can be confirmed by a spirit level or rolling a golf ball along the floor it will go towards the downward corner.

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

Recently we have been asked to assess numerous claims involving newly installed plumbing systems. The problems were specific to a push on ¾’’ fittings with a rubber insert onto qual-pex piping on the hot water heating system. The inserts perish over time (2-3 years). The heating systems were failing joint by joint, as each fitting was replaced the next downstream one would go next like a domino effect. In all

Potential policyholders (proposers) have a duty of disclosure when taking out an insurance policy. ‘It is an implied condition in all contracts of insurance that the proposer shall make a full and complete disclosure to the insurer of all material facts relating to the risk to be insured’. Anything concealed is considered fraud and you cannot escape the consequences by claiming you did not know what was material. On a

Last winter we assessed hundreds of properties with snow damage to the roofs. When a roof or gutters become over loaded with snow or ice it can do terrible damage. Most roofs wouldn’t be designed to take that excessive weight. Equally a build-up of ice in a gutter can collapse a gutter. Roofs can collapse with an excess of snow. Particularly roofs with large spans and low pitches and big

The public view of Property damage policies is that betterment cannot be claimed for and for the most part that is correct but there are instances where there is a form of betterment that is allowed. An example of what is not allowed is, if you have a standard laminate floor that is damaged beyond repair, then you can only claim for a similar standard laminate floor. You cannot claim

In 2009 when Ireland and the world was in recession, Insurance companies became concerned about the escalating number of property damage claims. To counter this, they decided to use their own builders to do the repairs and these builders would be paid directly by the insurance company. The excess on the policy is then paid by the policyholder (home owner) directly to the builder. These builder network schemes had worked

Every winter in Ireland we seem to get at least one storm. Even though your property insurance covers storm damage its equally important that you prepare your property for preventing same and keeping your family and belongings safe. Here are some tips: Clean all gutters, downpipes and drain cover. Leaves and debris can cause blockages and ultimately damage. Check the trees in close vicinity of your property. Dead or diseased

General advice The floodwater that entered your property may cause illness if you do not take a few simple precautions. Pervious items including soft furnishings, carpets, sofas, curtains and clothes should be discarded Wear rubber gloves when cleaning up floodwater damage and watch out for broken glass and nails Any cuts should be covered up with waterproof dressings Wash away surface debris, silt and mud with hot water and detergent