Hello,
We have noticed that parts of our upstairs flooring has been becoming springy! On closer inspection it appears we have chip board flooring laid upstairs and this has started collapsing at the joints, it has all been laid poorly and does not appear to be water treated. To add to that it appears the previous owner was aware and we have found huge areas he has covered up with a thin piece of chipboard over a large crack! We now have had to move our 3 year old out of his room as we have to replace the whole floor, we have been told that there is a possability our joist has twisted and our kitchen ceiling has cracked under the strain!
Does anyone know if we can claim for this on our house insurance? Or is there a possiblity of bringing it up with the sellers solicitors or the chaps that did our homebuyer survey??
Thank you!

excon

Hello n:

Ultimately, the cause of the problem will have to be determined to see who dropped the ball, if anyone did. Your insurance company might be a good place to start. If they don't fix it, they'll tell you why, and then you'll know where to turn next.

And, if they don't, you'll probably need your own solicitor for the next step.

excon

nikosmom

Unfortunately this is not something that your homeowner's insurance will cover. The reason is that homeowner's insurance is meant to cover sudden occurrences and here it just sounds like shotty workmanship. Since the floor was laid before you purchased the home, then as the new owner you're responsible for fixing it. If you were the purchaser of the flooring, you could go back to the vendor and have them make the necessary repairs. This is not the type of thing that home inspectors are looking for since they'd have to tear the floor up to have seen that repairs were done improperly.

ScottGem

Depending on how long ago you purchased the house, you may have a cause of action against the seller and/or the home inspector. But insurance will not cover this.