People ask me what the leading cause for claims on homeowners insurance. Earthquake? Nope. Fire? Nope. Theft/burglary/vandalism? Nope. Water? Yep. Water. That life giving element leaks in, pours out, spouts up, floods through and can cause gobs of damage to your home and inconvenience to you.
The losses due to water come in many forms, each causing more damage than the other and putting your largest investment in peril.
From the outside:
• Rain, moss on roof, general roof disrepair, gutter damage that causes foundation leaks, ill fitting/old windows that allow leaks, old chimneys that allow rain to drip in.
• Flooding around your home due to poor drainage, clogged ditch drainage.
• Break in water main from street to house
From the inside:
• Hot water tank rupture, leak
• Toilet bowl/tank cracking allowing water to leak, mechanism in toilet tank breaks allowing water to overflow
• Mechanism in refrigerator ice maker breaks and water doesn’t shut off when tray fills.
• Break/leak in internal water pipes+
• Break/leak in the connections of the dish washer+
• Rupture of the hoses to the clothes washer
• Cracked tile around or crack in tub or shower stall allowing water to leak+
This isn’t a full list, but you could use it as a starter “Honey Do” list to check on every “watery” thing before the winter (in this area the spring/summer and fall) rains come.
+ This water could also result in a “slow leak” scenario that could cause an ongoing maintenance problem (such as dry rot, etc) that might not be covered by insurance.