Does Insurance Cover Water Damage Caused by a Bathtub Overflow?
Yes…. a Homeowner’s Insurance Policy does cover Water Damage Caused by a Bathtub Overflow.
A bathtub overflow is the not the most common type of water damage we see, but these accidents do happen. When a homeowner has a bathtub overflow, it is important to understand the reasons for the overflow.
When a bathtub overflows, it can be considered an Accidental Overflow, which provides insurance coverage up to the limit of the policy, or a Drain Backup, which normally has limited insurance coverage.
It is important we a homeowner is experiencing this type of water damage to get a professional water remediation contractor involved to inspect and assess the source of the water damage before you call your insurance company. It is also important to get a licensed plumber to evaluate the source and reason for the bath overflow.
We say this from experience. Many homeowners are in a panic when they are dealing with a water disaster and when they are talking to their insurance company, may not understand all in’s and outs of the claim process, coverages or what is actually happening in their home.
A professional water damage company can help them understand these details so they can properly relay the message.
They may say one wrong thing and the insurance representative could misunderstand the homeowner and deny them coverage unjustly.
Drain Back Up vs Accidental Overflow
A Drain backup is a common type of water damage found in basements or a lower level of a home. When heavy rains cause sewer systems to back up or if there is a clog in a main drain line, these are common drain back up scenarios. Flooded basements caused by sump pump backups also fall into this category.
A drain back up is normally limited in coverage. It is common to see $5000, $10000 or $25000 in coverage for a drain backup.
Accidental overflow is when a drain is broken or accidentally covered due to a mistake. This can cause a lot of water to flow out of a toilet, sink or bathtub resulting in significant water damage. An accidental overflow has coverage up to the limits of the policy. This is much better coverage than a Drain Backup.
The quick answer is Yes, a homeowners insurance policy will cover a flooded basement caused by a sump pump. But it depends…
Flooded basements are one of the most common water damage disasters homeowners face in Indianapolis. High water tables, mixed with seasonal rains and tired sump pumps can lead to an inch or two of water in a basement.
The 2 most important things to consider when making an insurance claim for a flooded basement are:
Do I have Coverage for Drain Backup or Sump Pump Backup?
What is my Insurance Coverage Limit?
Do I have Coverage for Drain Backup or Sump Pump Backup?
Many insurance companies require sump pump backup or drain backup to be added to their standard homeowners insurance policies.
It is up to your insurance agent to make sure you have the proper coverages and if you have a finished basement they need to know so they can add the coverage in case you have a flooded basement…
A sump pump is the most common cause for a flooded basement. If water flows through a window, wall or door this is considered flood water. This is not covered by a standard home owners policy.
I repeat….If water comes through a window, wall or door this is considered flood water. It is not covered by a standard homeowners insurance policy.
What is my Insurance Coverage Limit?
Most flooded basement insurance coverage is limited to $5000 or $10,000. So its good to check on your coverage and limit before you hire a water damage contractor to cleanup the damage. Depending on your coverage it may be best to have a plan before starting the work.
An insurance agent can be your best resource in some of these scenarios because they can give you the information you need to make an informed decision with a remediation company.
Good questions to ask are do I have a limit and how much is my deductible?
What a Homeowner Needs to Know about Sump Pumps and Basements
Basements are notorious for water damage and the cause of many headaches for lots of homeowners….But with a little “Know How” the average homeowner can maintain and protect their basement from substantial water damage.
Bottom Line Up Front – A Sump Pump is the most important piece of equipment in the modern day Basement.
The Sump Pump is what relieves the water pressure from the foundation walls when it rains, so they Do Not Leak. If the Sump Pump Fails, the water has no where to go except into the Basement…. Many professional plumbers recommend changing a sump pump every 3 to 5 years.
“This is the Best FREE advice you’ll get on protecting your basement.”
How Long Does a Sump Pump Last?
The sump pump can last longer that 3 to 5 years, but is it worth the risk? By paying for some preventative maintenance, you can save yourself the time and hassle of a Flooded Basement and Water Damage Insurance Claim.
We spend a lot of time in flooded basements and there are many of them that could have been prevented by changing the sump pump by a professional plumber.
Failed Sump Pumps Cause Basements to Flood
Flooded basements are a very common type of water damage homeowners experience. Most flooded basements are caused by sump pump back up or failure.
A sump pump will back up if it trying to run past its lifespan (3 to 5 years) or if the power is off due to extreme storms. A lot of homeowners will have a battery back up system in case of a power outage.
In our opinion these systems aren’t the best investment because a lot times when you really need them they either are not able to pump out the volume of water or the battery is not good after a few years and cannot power the secondary pump for very long after the power goes out.
Will My Insurance Company Pay for a Hotel during a Water Restoration Project at my Home?
Have you ever dealt with water damage in your home? If not, ask someone who has. They will tell you it can be a very invasive experience. The way Restorex Disaster Restoration dries out properties is by using a combination of heat and air movement, which can be uncomfortable if this is in your main living spaces.
Typically, rooms affected by water damage in a home can be as hot as 85 or 90 degrees, while 5 to 8 air movers blow loudly in the background. If that area is in your basement no sweat, pun intended. Just close the door and carry on with your daily routines. If the damage affects your main living area, (Like your kitchen…) it can be a lot more uncomfortable.
Insurance Company’s Point of View
Your insurance company understands that during a water damage mitigation you are inconvenienced. If our company foresees that conditions are going to be too uncomfortable, we will discuss getting a hotel room with our customer.
Some people don’t want to leave, and if they’re willing to ride out the hurricane-like conditions, more power to them.
However, if a customer would prefer to stay in a hotel during the dryout, that option is available to them. It’s as easy as reaching out to the insurance adjuster to explain the situation and get approval.
Hotel During Water Damage Bottom Line
To be honest it often works out better for both the homeowner and our company when the house is vacated. In those cases, Restorex can do the work necessary to cleanup and dryout the property without worrying about inconveniencing the occupants.
In turn, the customer can avoid the temperature and noise of our drying equipment slowly driving them toward a mental breakdown.
NOTE: The insurance company will not pay for you to stay at the Ritz Carlton if we have 4 fans and a dehumidifier in 1 of your bedrooms. Hotel stays are only approved during “significant” water damage situations.
As a water damage restoration contractor we see a lot of basements that experience water damage. In central Indiana we find ourselves standing in a lot of flooded basements.
Many times it is unavoidable but there can be steps a homeowner can take to help mitigate the damage. It is very important for a homeowner who has a finished basement to have the proper insurance coverage. Read our article on water damage insurance coverage.
HOW THE BASEMENT WALLS ARE BUILT
Basements are built deep into the ground and because they are built deep into the ground, they fight against water intrusion constantly. The foundation walls are concrete. Which is an excellent structural building product but is not a waterproof building product.
This is why a waterproofing system is installed on the outside of the wall, when the house it first built. The waterproofing membrane can be a peel and stick product or a liquid based product that is sprayed or rolled on the wall.
The contractor gets one chance to do this correctly. It is very hard and costly to dig up the dirt around the basement foundation walls to re-apply or fix the basement waterproofing if it goes bad.
The waterproofing membrane helps keep the water from coming into the basement, but it doesn’t pump the water away from the walls. This is why sump pump systems are installed.
SUMP PUMP SYSTEM
A sump pump system is a combination of drain pipes that are installed at the bottom of the basement foundation walls, a sump pit, and a pump.
The excess water that is exerting pressure on the basement walls after a heavy rain or snow melt needs to be pumped away so that the walls are not damaged because of the weight or pressure of the water.
In theory, a sump pump system is good because it helps maintain good foundation walls by removing the water pressure. The bad side of the system is that it relies entirely on one mechanical pump.
Sump pumps typically need to be changed every 3 – 5 years. The problem is most homeowners don’t know when the last pump was installed. The safest thing a homeowner can do is install a brand new sump pump and make sure it is sized and installed by a licensed plumber.
If the sump pump is undersized, it will not be able to pump the water fast enough and the water will back up into the basement.
Sump Pump
Basement Sump Pump
SUMP PUMP BATTERY BACKUP
In our opinion these systems are not worth the money. Number one reason we don’t recommend them because we are cleaning up a lot of flooded basements that have them installed.
Now from a technical standpoint, these systems are usually installed with a 12 Volt Lead Acid Battery, that operate a smaller pump than your traditional sump pump. These systems are installed just in case you lose power during a large storm.
Typically, during a large storm your basement is fighting against more water than normal and you need all the pump capacity that you can get. When the power is out, your sump pump battery backup system kicks on, but it is only able to pump water using the smaller pump that is installed with the battery backup. If the power is out too long the smaller pump will not be able to keep up with the volume of water.
The other limiting factor of the system is the 12 volt lead acid battery only has so much power to give. If the power is shut down for longer than a few hours you might have water backing up into the basement because your battery is out of electricity to power the pump.
BACKUP GENERATOR FOR SUMP PUMP
The best way to avoid a flooded basement during a large storm is to use a backup generator to run the sump pump. If you have a small 2500 to 3000 watt gas powered generator on standby, this should be enough to keep your pump running, until the utility power is turned back on.
DEHUMIDIFIER FOR BASEMENT
All basements should have a small dehumidifier running to keep the humidity down. Basements are generally cooler than the other areas of the home. Which means they are susceptible to moisture and mold growth.
When the humidity is high and the surfaces of your basement walls and floor are cool, the moisture can fall out of the air and absorb into your building materials (drywall, wood, carpet etc.). When this happens the excess moisture, organic materials, and no sunlight is a good breeding ground for mold.
BEST DEHUMIDIFIER FOR BASEMENT
Our recommendation is to buy a dehumidifier that has an automatic pump system.
The auto pump feature allows the water created from the dehumidifier to be pumped into a drain without the homeowner being involved.
A small, inexpensive dehumidifier, we recommend to our customers is a Soleus Air® 70-Pint Dehumidifier with Internal Pump. This is a good size dehumidifier that has an internal pump so you don’t have to empty the drain pan or manual operate the pump.
BASEMENT FLOORING
We have seen people install many different flooring products in basements. There are a few products we recommend but a lot that do not work well in a basement.
Do not install any wood based flooring products in a basement. This includes hardwoods, engineered hardwood, wood based laminate or any variation of wood based products.
Wood and water damage do not mix well. Basements are very prone to water damage. Therefore, it does not make sense to install wood based flooring products in a basement.
Carpet is affordable, compared to other flooring options. But carpet and pad also absorb a lot of water when affected by water damage. Usually a homeowner will need to hire a water restoration contractor if their basement floods and they have carpet installed.
Next we will talk about different waterproof and water resistant flooring.
WATERPROOF FLOORING OR WATER RESISTANT
The only flooring that is technically waterproof in our opinion is concrete and ceramic or stone based tiles. These products when installed on a concrete slab do not need to be removed when a basement floods.
Vinyl Laminate Plank or Waterproof Laminate Floors do need to be removed when a basement floods. Therefore, in our opinion these floors are not waterproof but water resistant.
They are great products to install in a basement when considering flooring options. But they should be removed if you experience a flooded basement. Read more about waterproof laminate flooring.
BASEMENT FINISHING
Finished basements usually take the form of wood walls, that are insulated with R-19 Batt insulation, covered with paper faced drywall, with wood baseboards and carpet and pad flooring.
Other amenities that can be installed are full bathrooms with sink, toilet and a shower. A partial or full kitchen installed with a sink, dishwasher and refrigerator. Or large TV rooms or theaters rooms for the family to enjoy movie night.
All of these amenities come with their difficulties if your basement floods. A homeowner should check with their insurance provider to ensure the limits on their sump pump backup or drain backup will cover everything in their basement if it floods.
BASEMENT BATHROOMS
If you are finishing a basement with a fully functioning bathroom, this will require a trash pump system to be installed. This trash pump is what takes the “sewage water” from your sinks and toilets up to the sewer system.
Much like a sump pump, the trash pump runs on electricity and has a limited life span. If the trash pump fails or backs up, you not only have water damage but you have sewage damage.
The standard operating procedure for a sewage cleanup is to remove all porous materials that the water touches. This includes drywall, baseboards, insulation and carpeting.
Most people who have bathrooms in their basements don’t know they own a trash pump, until it needs replaced.
These pumps don’t have to work has hard as the sump pump. But they do require oversight to make sure they are being changed within their lifespan.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
