Water leak under floorboards

[ADringer]

Hi,

Woke up this morning to a squishing sound underneath my floorboards - turns out the water inlet for the washing machine was leaking.

I have laminate floor boards -> underlay boards (5mm I think) -> membrane -> tiles (I believe it's tiled in this area, not concrete).

From what I can see, the water has gone underneath the membrane. How concerned about this should I be? Will it dry out or cause more issues if I leave it? It's a pain to pull up the floor to get to it as it's right in the middle of the room along the longest stretch of flooring (tongue and groove so I'd have to pull all of them up).

Thanks

 

[KenGMac]

ADringer, good evening.

You could consider an Insurance Claim?

You have had what the Insurer calls an Escape of Water from a Fixed Domestic Installation, a clear area in which you can make a claim.

If you do go down this route? the Insurer will either offer a Cash Settlement [easiest for Insurer] but make sure the Insurer pays VAT on any materials you purchase?? one Insurance "Trick" is NOT to pay VAT unless you press them to pay same, the insurers rational is that if they pay you VAT the Insurer cannot guarantee to HMRC that VAT has been paid.
Or offer to send in a Contractor [well known to the insurer] to undertake repairs.

Choise is yours, but if you accept cash, you are on your own, you will have to chase u your Contractor if things go wrong? the insurer will not want to know, the Contractor is yours not anything to do with the Insurer.

If you opt to go with the Insurers "Preferred" contractor, the situation changes dramatically, in that you will get a MINIMUM of 6 months or some Insurers will give a one year guarantee on the work of their Contractor? plus, if the Contractor "Appointed by the Insurer " makes a cods ear of the work you simply contact the Insurer and Complain, it is then up to the Insurer to get things sorted out, even dare I say it on a relatively simple repair.

Now for the DOWNSIDE? of an Insurance Claim, there are two, first is that the Excess can be anything between £100 to £ 500 dependent on your Insurer. Secondly your premium WILL increase, by how much depends on the different Insurer?

Now you need to find you Abacus and work out if indeed you would be better of making an insurance Claim or not??

Having laid bare some of the shenanigans ALL Insurers get up to I will leave it at that, but I may loose some work out of this?? if any Insurer is monitoring this site [I do not think so?]

Ken.