Illustrative content written for a fictional insurer: the advice is general and replaces neither your policy nor a professional.
Where the water that damages a home comes from
Water rarely bursts into a home all at once. It gets in through a tired seal, a hose that has aged behind the washing machine, a terrace whose waterproofing has failed, or a tank that overflows because its float valve has stuck. The damage tends to show up somewhere else, often on the ceiling of the flat below.
Two very local habits add to the risk. Many households store water in a tank on the roof or in a cistern on the ground floor to get through supply cuts. And the first autumn rains often come down hard, after a summer that has dried out the seals and filled the gutters with dust.
Water damage usually builds up quietly. A few minutes of checking each season is cheaper than a ceiling to redo.
The tank, the terrace and the gutters
- Check that the float valve shuts off the supply when the tank is full. If it sticks, water spills onto the terrace and then into the walls.
- Check the fittings and valves at the tank outlet: a constant drip will mark the slab in time.
- Keep the overflow clear and pointed at a drain, never at the neighbour’s wall.
Before the autumn rains, go up on the terrace. Clear the drains and gutters, look for cracks in the waterproof coating, and check that water runs towards the downpipes. In a block of flats the terrace is usually shared, so tell the people who manage the building what you have seen.
Bathroom, kitchen and appliances
- The seals around the bath, shower, basin and sink: once black, split or loose, they let water through at every use.
- The hoses on the washing machine and the dishwasher harden with age and can burst. Replace them as soon as they look cracked or swollen.
- The traps under the sink and the water heater’s connections, which a hand run underneath now and then will check.
Try not to run a machine while you are out or overnight. A leak nobody sees can run for hours.
Condensation is a different matter. A poorly ventilated room, laundry drying indoors and cold walls in winter produce mould that looks very much like a leak. Air the home every day, even briefly.
The main stopcock, and going away
Find the main stopcock the week you move in, under the sink, near the meter or on the landing, and show it to the whole household. Turn it two or three times a year: a valve that has seized is no use on the day the water is pouring out.
Before going away for several days, turn the water off at the main, and at the tank as well if you can, then unplug the washing machine. Leave a key with someone you trust and tell them where the stopcock is.
Turning the water off before you leave takes a minute, and it is what stops you coming home from holiday to a flooded flat.
The day the water gets through: what to do, in order
- Turn the water off at the stopcock, or at the tank valve if that is where the leak is.
- Switch off the power to the affected room at the electrical panel before you touch anything wet.
- Photograph and film where the water is coming from, the walls, the ceilings and anything damaged.
- Tell the neighbour upstairs or downstairs, depending on which way the water is going, and the building’s managers if a shared part is involved.
- Mop up, raise the furniture, and move papers and electronics somewhere dry.
- Keep damaged items and replaced parts until the insurer has seen them or lets you dispose of them.
- Report the claim to your insurer straight away, within the deadline your contract sets.
When a leak affects two homes, a written account, dated and signed by both neighbours, describing where the water came from and what each of them lost, makes settling between the insurers much easier.
Owner or tenant: who insures what
As a general rule, the owner insures the building: walls, floors, ceilings, the pipes built into them and the fixed fittings. The tenant insures their furniture, appliances and personal effects, together with their liability towards the owner and the neighbours if the water starts in their home.
The shared parts of a building, such as the terrace and the rising mains, normally fall under the building’s own insurance. Exactly where the line sits depends on the lease, the building’s rules and your policy, so read them before you need them.
What water-damage cover usually includes
In a home policy, this guarantee generally covers sudden and accidental events:
- leaking and burst pipes;
- overflowing appliances, baths and tanks;
- water coming in through the roof or the terrace, on the contract’s terms;
- damage caused in a neighbour’s home, under your liability cover.
It generally excludes a lack of maintenance: a seal left split for months, a slow leak that was known about and never fixed, a neglected terrace, mould caused by condensation alone. An excess may remain yours to pay. Your policy, not this article, is what says what is covered and how long you have to report a claim.
