Latent Defects

Latent Defects are officially classed as faults and issues in a property that are difficult/ not possible to detect during even a thorough inspection of a property that has recently been built.

These latent defects most commonly do not affect a property in the first few years of its final construction and are ‘growing pains’ as they are linked to the age of the property. These property defects cover a wide range of issues in properties. Damp, subsidence, heave and faulty foundations are all classified as latent defects.

Latent defects have a wide range of causes and factors that affect how much they can damage a property. Each latent defect has different negative effects to a property such as damp increasing the risk of illness in a home while subsidence results in a shift in the property and weakened structural integrity.

If your property is suffering the effects of Latent Defects this website may be able to offer help=.

Subsidence

Property subsidence is another latent defect. This latent defect Subsidence is the downwards shift of a properties foundation. These latent defects are caused by the change in the soil around the foundation most commonly attributed to hot weather. Extreme hot weather or increased standard temperature in a region can cause the soil to contract naturally to retain moisture.

Contracting soil slightly changes the volume of soil which causes the subsidence. A severe effect of subsidence is that it causes weakened structural integrity in a property. Weak structural integrity results in cracks throughout the walls of a property.

Damp

Damp, more specifically structural dampness, is extra unwanted moisture residing in the structure of a building.

Structural damp is a severe latent defect due to the health effects surrounding it. Damp in a structure can increase the rate of bacteria growth leading to more risk of bacterial infections. Damp can increase the chance of infections and disease for the properties occupants.

Structural Damp is caused by several factors like excess moisture in a home from faulty insulation and underground drainage failure. Drainage failure another latent defect has yet another set of factors such as rainfall level, pipe pressure and damage to drainage systems.

Heave

Heave is the opposite of subsidence as instead of being caused by dry soil it is caused by wet soil. If the ground around the foundation of a property is made of a substance such as clay it will expand from the additional moisture moving the properties foundation upwards.

Heave just like subsidence can cause cracks throughout a property as well as weakened structural integrity. Like many latent defects, heave can affect the utilities of a property by changing the position of utility piping both inside and underneath a property potentially leading to damage. These utility damages could include loss of electricity, dangerous gas leaks and burst water pipes leading to water damage.

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Public Loss Adjusters

Do you need an insurance claims management company who specialise in property claims. If you home or business has suffered damage from a fire or flood and you need to submit an insurance claim then Public Loss Adjusters can help.

Your property may have suffered from water damage caused by a water leak or even hit by a vehicle resulting in structural damage. As long as you have a valid insurance policy in place they may be able to help.

It is not widely known that when you have to submit an insurance claim there is help available to the policy holder. Most people just assume that once you go to your insurer, they will put everything right for you.

I Pay My Policy Every Year So Shouldn’t My Insurer Be Looking After Me?

Now as you pay your insurance company a premium every year, you would generally expect them to be there for you in your time of need. Once you submit a claim, your insurer will usually send out one of their loss adjusters. They will report back and recommend the how much it will cost to repair your property.

Now one thing we must stress here is that the loss adjuster is appointed by your insurer. In other words, they are paying for the services of that loss adjuster. The question we ask is how can that loss adjuster be impartial when in the employment of the insurance company?

As nice as insurance companies like to portray themselves, they are still a business and the more they pay out on your settlement, the more it may dent their own profits. We are not suggesting that they would cut costs to protect their profit margin at all. All we are saying is how would you know if they did?

For example, have you had your car written off only to find that your insurers valuation of a replacement is way below your own expectations? Public Loss Adjusters are different because they are loss adjusters who work on behalf of the public instead of the insurer.

As they manage insurance claims on a daily basis, they will know exactly how much the policyholder should be entitled to based on the amount covered on your policy and the amount of damage that has occurred.

There May Be More To A Property Claim Than You Think!

It  worth considering, the average property claim will not just be about the amount of damage caused to your property. There will be many other factors for a loss adjuster to consider that could include, dependent of the amount of cover you have and whether it is a domestic or commercial claim:

• Damage or loss of personal possessions
• Damage to furniture, fixtures and fittings
• Loss of income if you are a business
• Alternative accommodation arrangements
• Appointing a suitable builder to restore and repair your property
• Finding building quotes and negotiating a fair price
• Loss of rent if you have tenants
• Loss of stock
• Drying out a water damaged property
• Arranging the security of your property whilst it is uninhabitable

You can see from our list above, there is far more to an insurance claim than you may have thought.… Continue Reading