Earthquake Related Damage

meowsers on 04/11/2021 - 12:10
Last edited 04/11/2021 - 17:48

We have a melbourne house that during a routine inspection it was pointed out that there are now cracks in the ceiling and along one of the L shaped walls (exterior walls). The ceiling gyprock is actually slightly separated from its perpendicular wall.

The house is rendered and looking at where the render meets the front door jamb you can see where the wall has pulled away from the actual door frame because it's not that way on the other side (right side). Also the top where the eaves are are actually bowed outwards a bit. Maybe I'm imagining but it looks like the wall is leaning very slightly outward.

Assuming this was post earthquake as the whole house is built in the 1970s but totally renovated and none of that was there a couple months back, we even have photos!

Spoke to the insurance co. and they will send out a structural engineer etc. Has this happened to anyone else after the earthquake? How does this process work?

I feel bad putting a claim in if it's just like paintwork or gyprock cracks, but the distance that the render has separated from the doorjab and the wavy/bowy-ness of the eaves is concerning. Also wondering if they will just claim "pre-existing" or settling etc.

EDIT: (added photos)

Here's the photos sorry about the cobwebs. The render is not new but we have photos pre earthquake of the doors etc and def no gaps. One photo is the left side (no gap). The other photo is the right.

When you look down the wall it almost seems to lean very slightly which is scaring me.

https://ibb.co/KzGy4tn
https://ibb.co/LtCQZXY

Home & Garden

Comments

  • MS Paint on 04/11/2021 - 12:41
    +2

    but totally renovated and none of that was there a couple months back

    As in new timber frames / walls etc?

    Could be natural settling of new products. Timber can shrink, expand and warp etc.

    • stirlo on 04/11/2021 - 14:08

      This is actually far more likely than earthquake damage, cracks in render from settling happen all the time.

      That said insurance is sending out an engineer so all you can do is wait to see what their report says. I'd suggest if the report says it's not related to earthquake you'll have a rather hard time proving it is though.

    • meowsers on 04/11/2021 - 17:39

      No just like gyprock inside. No framing. No outdoor stuff.

      The troubling thing is the brick wall seems to actually be leaning. This was definitely not the case prior to the earthquake

      The render isn't cracked its just pulled away from the door and wall. There is some cracking at the corner. The other concerning thing is one of our windows on the that same wall has a half moon crack in the corner glass which would seem that it is unsquare.

  • pegaxs on 04/11/2021 - 12:48
    +2

    You mean damage from this earthquake??

    • markathome on 04/11/2021 - 14:20
      -3

      That is most definitely the one he means. The trouble is out-of-state folk make the mistake of comparing it to Dan Andrew's handling of the pandemic and, by comparison, every other Victorian disaster looks trivial. The earthquake was actually a fair rock for us in Melbourne.

  • AndyC1 on 04/11/2021 - 13:08
    +1

    Wait for the structural engineer and get their report. Make sure you ask for a copy. Until then google the process and ask the insurance company what the process is and get it in writing or make sure it's on their website some where and download it.

    Do not be afraid of asking the insurance company what the time lines of the investigation and repairs will be and if it seems too long see if they are adhering to the https://insurancecouncil.com.au/ code of practice and then if they are taking longer than the code states should happen then let them know and they should speed up. I had to do this for a fire claim and once I said they were taking longer than the code of practice said it should the next day they made a settlement offer that I was asking for all along (they took a month to get back when the code of conduct said 10 working days).

  • GG57 on 04/11/2021 - 13:38
    +1

    Seems reasonable to me that the insurance company tries to determine where the damage originated from. As MS Paint mentions above, it could just be an outcome of the reno, or common in the area of Melb that your house is; any number of reasons that may or may not be covered by insurance.

    • meowsers on 05/11/2021 - 00:26
      +2

      Oh I definitely want to find out too. I'm just more curious if anyone else has had this happen. I'm not expecting them to cover anything if it wasn't caused by a covered event.

      Just have never done this before.

  • pharkurnell on 04/11/2021 - 15:39

    Is earthquake damage covered on house insurance?

    • meowsers on 04/11/2021 - 17:39

      Yeah the company confirmed it is.

  • meowsers on 04/11/2021 - 17:45

    I'm adding photos above for reference.

    • MS Paint on 04/11/2021 - 19:11
      +2

      That's first photo is normal movement for sure.

      • meowsers on 05/11/2021 - 00:27

        Yeah I just put them up to compare, because the 2nd photo is the left side of the door jamb and the 1st is the right. They both used to be flush but it seems on the left the wall is actually leaning. Inside on the same wall the wall surface has pulled away from the ceiling gyprock at the top. I can stick my finger in.

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