Roof maintenance affects your insurance claim
Roof maintenance affects your insurance claim, with the result which means that maintaining your roof is vital for your claims for damages. Don’t get caught with water damage to your property with the insurance claim being rejected due to technical difficulties. Water damage claims for leaking roof often depends on the repairs and maintenance done to the building.
Water causes damages to buildings, it’s very common and a large number of insurance claims come from water damages. It is best to get information from you insurance provider about what your insurance policy covers around your home.
General insurance information regarding water damage to buildings
When you choose an insurance provider, make sure that they have an FSP (Financial Service Provider) number. After receiving a contract from your insurance provider, read and understand the fine print and ask questions to ensure that you have all the information that you require and you know what the insurance provider covers and which damages you get claims paid on.
Insurance policies cover damages from sudden and accidental incidents. Insurance providers don’t cover gradual damages to the property caused by the owners lack of maintenance. It’s essential to do an inspection of your house to minimise damages to your house and your possessions. If you don’t do regular inspections then you won’t get claims paid by the insurance provider. Do an inspection on the roof for any wear and tear.
Insurance providers have experts who come and check the property once a claim is submitted, to ascertain whether the claim is valid or not. A valid claim means that the claim is specified on your contract, and that effective maintenance was carried out.When a roof leak claim has been registered, an insurance provider then contacts a certified or approved contractor who specialises in waterproofing, to draw up an invoice on the repairs needed.
What items could be damaged should your roof leak
Carpets, furniture, electrical appliances and books are a few of the items that can be affected due to water damage. Ceiling damage, mould, laminate or real wooden flooring and items can be very expensive to replace, and really frustrating to fix should there be damage. Claiming for damages to any items damaged, due to lack of roof maintenance could result in a claim being rejected.
Preventing and repairing water damage for roofs:
Understand the causes and be proactive in maintenance.
What is the most likely roof to leak:
- cracked tiles
- unmaintained roofs
- poorly built roofs
- metal roof with loose screws
- roofs with blocked valleys
- tiled roofs with broken tiles
- unsealed flashing
- flat roofs
Causes of roof damage:
- sun damage,
- heavy rains, and
- drastic fluctuations in temperature.
Following through on roof repair and maintenance
Repairs and maintenance that need to be done
Roofs need to be sealed and painted regularly as part of the maintenance
Tiled roof repair and painting
– roof is washed to remove dirt, leaves, bird droppings and loose paint
– gutters and valleys cleaned of leaves and loose paint
– check for broken or chipped roof tiles, which are then repaired or replaced
– flashings are inspected and cleaned, they are sealed with latex compound or fibre glass membrane
– cracked and loose mortar is removed from the ridging, a patching compound is used to seal and repair the ridging
– sealer coat is applied after the preparation process
Metal roof repair and maintenance
– metal roof is washed of dirt, leaves, loose paint and bird droppings
– gutters and valleys are cleaned to remove leaves and loose paint
– inspect that screws are not loose, loose screws are replaced with new ones
– flashings and protrusions are inspected and cleaned, they are sealed with latex compound or fibre glass membrane
– pop rivet roof sheets if necessary
– rust is cleaned and treated with a rust converter
– red oxide primer is applied where necessary
Bitumen is a waterproofing material, which is a glue or binding material. As an oil-based hydrocarbon, it repels water from roofs, is highly impermeable to water, creating a waterproof layer over surfaces it is applied to. Bitumen. Bitumen needs to be repaired over time.
Who to contact for roof repairs
Prevention is better than cure.
Roof painting as prevention: You can repair your roof yourself, however you need to prove that the work has been done properly and you need a detailed document on what repairs have been done to ensure that you get claims paid by the insurance provider – remember to check all details when you take out the insurance, including the fine print.
For a quality paint job, which will last longer it is better to rather use a professional paint contractor to seal and paint your roof to prevent roof damage.
Roof painting as a cure: When there is a roof damage, it’s always the best choice to contact a professional contractor who specialises in waterproofing. Painting contractors are qualified, have the knowledge in repair and maintenance of all types roofs and will save you the hassle of project managing.
Look at our before and after painted roofs and walls pictures.