See what the Financial Ombudsman decided when laminate wooden flooring was accidentally damaged Have you checked your cover?
“After Mr K’s shower leaked, damaging his laminate wooden flooring, he put in a claim to the firm. Mr K had both buildings and contents cover with the firm, but it said it was unable to meet his claim. It told him the damage would only be covered under the buildings section of his policy if he had taken out “extended accidental damage cover”. Mr K only had this for the contents part of his policy. When the firm refused his request that it should meet the claim under the contents part of the policy instead, Mr K came to us.
complaint rejected
We agreed with the firm that Mr K’s laminate flooring could not properly be described as part of the “contents”. It was glued together and fixed under beading to the skirting board. It would be very difficult to lift and relocate the flooring without substantially damaging it. In our view, the flooring had effectively become part of the fabric of the building. Mr K did not have accidental damage cover in the buildings section of the policy, so the firm was not liable to pay the claim.
However, we suggested that Mr K might have a valid claim under the buildings section for damage caused by “escape of water”. The firm acknowledged this and subsequently settled the claim.”
