What Type of Water Damage is Covered by Insurance
TYPES OF WATER DAMAGE CLAIMS
Are you experiencing water damage in your home? If so, it’s easy to become frustrated or confused by the various types of water damage insurance claims. If you’ve been following our blog, you have seen previous articles intended to help you differentiate between water and flood damage. In this article, we take a closer look at water damage and the different ways it may be classified by your insurance.
THE THREE TYPES OF WATER: CLEAN WATER, GREY WATER, AND BLACK WATER
Several factors will influence the payout issued by your insurance company. Your insurance company may want to look at what type of water has caused the damages. There are three types of water that may be responsible for the damages – “clean water,” “grey water,” “black water.” These types of water range from the water running through your home for washing machines and showers to bacteria-laden waters that should not enter the home.
WATER QUANTITY
In addition to water type, your insurance might also want to know how much water is in your home. Some water damage can be dried quickly and won’t result in serious losses. But some damage is more widespread, affecting multiple rooms and seeping into hardwood floors and carpeting.
CAUSE
Finally, your insurance might want to determine the cause of the water damage. Some water damage results from sewer backups, which happen when water is pushed into your home through the pipes from sewer or drainage systems. If dirty water from the sewers comes into your home, it can be particularly difficult to fix the damage because unsanitary water has the potential to harm your health as well as your personal property. Tree roots, city-related pipeline issues, and blockages of city sanitary mains are common causes of sewer backups. Your insurance may also classify the damage as the result of overflow and discharge water damage. Overflow involves water overflowing from pipes, appliances, or water outlets in your home.
If you’d like help with understanding your water damage insurance claim, don’t hesitate to contact us. At Avner Gat, Inc., we represent your interests in talks with the insurance company. Give us a call to learn more about how we can assist you with your claim!
