Understanding the specifics of your home insurance coverage can be daunting, especially when unexpected accidents occur. One crucial question you may ask as a homeowners is whether building insurance will cover windows and damage, such as those requiring emergency glazing repairs. Insurance policies tend to be detailed and selective about what they cover, potentially leaving significant areas of your home unprotected.
Emergency glazing is not only a specific term within insurance policies but also a critical factor in maintaining the safety and integrity of your home. The urgency of repairing glazing breakages and blown windows becomes particularly time-sensitive during the colder months. Understanding whether these repairs are likely to be an out-of-pocket expense is essential for any homeowner looking to protect their property without unwelcome financial surprises.
Many homeowners will be familiar with contents insurance since it is what a lot of us use to protect certain parts of our home. Similarly, many homeowners will also know that contents insurance doesn’t tend to cover windows. Therefore, if the only insurance you have for your home is contents insurance, it likely won’t pay out for an emergency glazing repair.
However, building insurance is an entirely different matter. Building insurance covers the entire building, from the walls and ceilings to the windows and doors. Therefore, if there is an accident that causes damage to your window and you have building insurance, it should pay out.
The only stipulation for things like this is if the damage is determined to be self-inflicted then the insurance won’t way out. Different insurance companies will likely have different ways of uncovering this information, so be cautious of that.
If you want to ensure that your insurance is more likely to pay out in a window-related incident, there are a few things you can to do help you along the way.
CCTV – Almost expectantly, insurance companies are more likely to pay out on your windows if you have proof of the type of damage that caused them. CCTV provides a sure-fire way to showcase exactly what caused the damage, and that it wasn’t self-inflicted.
Internal locks – Internal locks on the inside of your windows help to prove that they are secure and that the damage hasn’t been caused by your own negligence. They’re also a great inclusion anyway from a safety point of view.
Take care of your windows – The best way to manage the insurance concerns of your windows is to not need that insurance in the first place. Ensuring that your windows are well looked after is a great way to limit the possibility of damage to things that are completely out of your control.
Take a photo of the damage – Certain types of damage are unmistakable, and taking photos of that damage is a great way to showcase that. Exterior damage to windows is often less likely to be considered self-inflicted, and specific details just like this are easier to claim on if you take photos.
First of all, not having home insurance could mean that you’re in violation of your mortgage contract, so you need to make sure that you’ve got home insurance to cover what you own on your property, otherwise, windows might not be your primary concern. If that isn’t the case then you’ll have to consider outsourcing the job to ensure it is done properly.