Strata Managers and Owners Corporations

The most common cause of water ingress to a property is through the roof. 

Most Home Owners rarely get onto their roof to inspect for maintenance issues such as loose pointing, brittle or broken tiles due to fallen trees, failing flashings, debris in gutters and valleys. 

Most Insurance Policies will only cover storm created openings ie: impact damages by fallen tree branches, wind uplift to tiles, roof sheets or flashings. 

Structural movement can appear in concrete drive ways, brick walls, plasterboard walls and ceilings. 

There are many possible causes for structural movement and the common causes are: damaged plumbing pipes, poor drainage, tree roots, excessive water in one location. 

Structural repairs can be costly due to the cause of the movement needs to be addressed first such as the drainage, damaged plumbing etc before the structural components can be repaired. 

Repairs like these can cost thousands of dollars and most Insurance Policies will only cover an escape of liquid or water that is sudden and immediate or that has escaped slowly over time that you couldn't be reasonably aware of. It does not mean something gradual that you were well aware of.

Bathrooms and Balconies are failing more often these days due to poorly installed waterproof membranes. 

Most Builders will not patch a failed membrane as a repair, they will recommend stripping the entire bathroom/balcony and starting again to ensure they can warrant the repairs. 

Repairs like these can cost thousands of dollars to the Home Owner and if you own in a Strata Scheme and there are no available funds the Body Corporate may impose a special levy or try and raise the funds, therefore, allowing the damages to get worse. 

Most Insurance Policies will not cover failed Waterproof membranes.