Home water damage comes from many different sources, is classified in different ways, and falls under different areas of coverage.
For instance, natural flooding is considered to be very different from standard water damage and is covered under separate policies. When you're confronted with a claim, here are some of the things you need to look for to judge the matter correctly according to the policy.
|Gradual vs. sudden damage
This is by far the most important distinction. Homeowners insurance is meant to cover sudden unexpected damage to a home. The trouble with water damage is that it can hide for quite a long time before it becomes apparent. This leads to conflicts about whether or not the original cause of the damage was gradual or sudden.
For instance, discovering a crack in a foundation might be a cause for a claim. But if the crack wasn't found and water seeps into the basement and causes damage that might not be covered because it was gradual. Another example is a slow faucet leak under a sink. If the cabinet floor underneath the sink gets damaged, that's gradual.
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