Dry Rot damage & Fungicide

glasgow19 · 22 Apr 2009

Hi

Was wondering if anyone could help with the current problem Im having in my kitchen. Currently stay in a third floor flat and the neighbours pipes upstairs burst from the pressure of their new boiler leaving me with very damaged ceiling, walls and floors. The ceiling will need to be ripped down, floor replaced and the walls will need to be treated. The insurance company are paying for some of the damage, but the rot which has developed is not covered so this won't be paid for. Obviously the masonry needs treated with some sort of fungicide to deal with damage the rot has caused - would anyone be able to tell me A: where I could get this and B: what is the best kind to get?? Also the laminate flooring in that area now feels slightly spongey underfoot - any ideas??

Any advice or help anyone could give would be much appreciated, thanks.

gregers · 22 Apr 2009

i find this a bit strange that the insurance company will not pay for all the damage that has been caused,or have they come to the conclusion that the dry rot was there before the leak????.

also i dont think because the insurance company are invovled you will be able to carry out the treatment yourself because they will no doubt be expecting some kind of guarantee from a preservation company.

JohnD · 22 Apr 2009

a burst pipe will not cause dry rot. it would be due to long-term damp and usually a lack of sub-floor ventilation. So if you really do have dry rot, it will not have been caused by the recent burst, so is not the responsibility of your neighbours or their insurers.

Even wet rot takesa quite a long time to develop, and a burst pipe which is promptly mended, with carpets taken up so the floor can dry out, will not normally cause any rot.

Laminate flooring is made of a sort of cardboard with a picture of wood glued to it, and will normally not withstand damp. Chipboard flooring will fall apart if it gets wet.

gregers · 22 Apr 2009

if you can prove that the leak has been happening for a long time then you might be able to argue with them.

^woody^ · 23 Apr 2009

What does your lease say about ownership of the floor?

Typically your demised (ie what you have leased) will be to the ceiling. Then the landlord may have responsibility for the floor joists/beams, and the people above lease from the floorboards or screed upwards. The landlord would have responsibility for the walls.

IMO, then landlord should be claiming off his insurance for the rot repairs

glasgow19 · 23 Apr 2009

I own the property so don't have a landlord to deal with. The water has been coming through on and off for a period of 12 months - hence the long term damage. Had the loss adjuster out at the start of the week and he said the insurance company don't cover for incidents which occur over a period of time thats why the rot repairs wouldnt be covered.

Any ideas?!

JohnD · 23 Apr 2009

claim from the owners of the property that caused the damage.

whether they have insurance or pay out of their own pocket is their problem, not yours.

I might add that when you said

glasgow19 said:
the neighbours pipes upstairs burst from the pressure of their new boiler.

it did not sound like you were describing a slow problem that had gone un-noticed so you had no opportunity to take action earlier. If the problem had been addressed promptly the damage would have been far less serious.

^woody^ · 23 Apr 2009

glasgow19 said:
Had the loss adjuster out at the start of the week and he said the insurance company don't cover for incidents which occur over a period of time thats why the rot repairs wouldnt be covered.

Any ideas?!

Check your policy - the loss adjust may be trying it on and misinterpreting the policy

The damage has occurred from a single event - a leak, and this would normally be covered.

You are claiming for damage which as not easily visible, and resulting from a single event, and not for damage caused "over a period of time" such as gradual decay to external timber - which you would be expected to see.

The insurers should pay you out, and then they should try and recover their costs from the tenants above - that is what you are paying them for.

Alternatively do as JD says, and claim off the tenants above - if you own the property, then presumably your tenants tenancy agreement requires them to have insurance for such events

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Dry Rot damage & Fungicide

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