How to ensure that your water damage insurance claim is not rejected

Water damage is regarded as the most common cause of property and household insurance claims. Homeowners often tend to get confused between damage arising gradually over time from poor maintenance or no maintenance at all with a once-off unforeseen catastrophic event like a storm or flood. To avoid a situation where your insurance company refuses to pay out for your claim , you should ensure that your home is well-maintained and ready for the winter season.

You will surprised to know how many claims that involve storm damage are submitted every year in South Africa. In most cases the insurer needs to ensure that they have properly maintain and made an effort to protect their homes from extreme weather, if the insurer fails to do these thing it will put them at risk of having their claim rejected.

Here are a few tips on how you can maintain your home to avoid a water damage insurance claim being rejected

• If you have discovered that there is a leak in your home, contact a reliable maintenance company to repair the leak immediately. Small leaks can cause major damage to your home if it is ignored.
• Regularly check and maintain the structural integrity of you building. Make sure that your door frames, window frames and roof are waterproofed.
• Clear the drains and gutters of all dirt and run some water down them to make sure that they are still balanced to flow in the right direction and be sure to check that they are secured to the roof and that they will not come loose in heavy rain or wind.
• Inspect the screws on fiber cement and iron roofs regularly. Screws on these roofs loosen over time and need to be repaired, replaced or re-sealed when needed.
• If you are going on holiday then turn off your water at home the last thing you need is a leaking pipe to destroy your home or contents.
• Have a maintenance company check the seals and valves on your geyser at-least twice a year as they do eventually wear away.
• Any loose tiles on your roof or any leaks should be repaired as soon as possible.

If you have any disputed, fraudulent or suspected fraudulent insurance claims get in-touch with Uphando.