Check your insurance!

8 home issues your insurer doesn’t cover

By John F. Wasik (Reuters)

You won’t believe this, but my house was hit by lightning — twice.

I know this isn’t supposed to happen. Fortunately nobody was hurt and the house didn’t burn down. Yet I think a deity (maybe Thor or Zeus) was reminding me to check my insurance coverage and install lightning rods.

Checking your homeowner’s insurance is a matter of seeing 1) what they won’t cover and 2) your out-of-pocket expenses, based on your deductibles.

Since I carry a $1,000 deductible on my homeowner’s policy, which reduces my premium, I know anything under that threshold is on me.

It could have been worse. In the case of my dual lightning strikes, I only had to pay to replace (2) circuit boards from my garage-door opener, a sump pump and computer board in my stove. Those expenses totaled about $900. The garage-door opener repair service generously offered to send in a claim directly to my insurer, which was helpful, but it still wouldn’t exceed the threshold of my deductible.

I discovered in researching this subject that even if my lightning-related expenses had exceeded $1,000, my insurer may not have reimbursed me anyway since power-surge damages typically aren’t covered. I had bought a cheap surge protector to protect my garage door opener, which didn’t do much good against a million volts. (I noticed in the hardware store, though, that more expensive surge strips carried insurance in case any appliance got fried, so that was some reassurance).

Since I live in the Midwest, I’m most concerned with water and wind damage. In the winter, we get these gremlins called ice dams that back up on frozen gutters and leak into the house. Roof vents have also leaked in the past, which have caused extensive ceiling damage upstairs. Insurance covered that.

What gets tricky is that insurance rarely pays for water that accumulates from burst pipes, broken sump pumps or sewers. Tornadoes and hurricanes? Sure, but not minor floods and seepage.

Here are some other problem areas when it comes to homeowner’s insurance:

Roof damage
As I mentioned above, big storm damage is generally covered. If you’re hit by a hailstorm, then claim payment depends on the size of the hail and what it did to your roof and vehicles.

Termites and rodents
It’s amazing how much damage a critter can do, but insurance generally doesn’t cover pest destruction. Exterminators aren’t covered, either. You’ll need a trapper for skunks and other varmints.

Home office equipment
Most home policies don’t cover computers, copiers and fax machines, especially when it involves power surges. You may need a separate rider or business equipment policy. Surge protectors and uninterrupted power systems usually protect your key equipment.

Liability
What if someone is injured on your property and they sue you? Most policies have liability protection, but check on the limits. Generally $1 million is common, but you can always buy more coverage.

Flooding
As I mentioned above, this is generally not covered. If you live on a flood plain, buy low-cost government flood insurance separately.

Normal wear and tear
Don’t expect your insurer to pay to replace a 20-year-old roof that hasn’t been damaged by a storm, old siding or other items that just wear out.

Mold
Since this became a huge problem a few years ago, many insurers stopped covering this and added exemptions, except in rare cases. Check your policy “endorsements” to see if your insurer covers this. In insurance jargon, an endorsement or “rider” is a clause insurers add to your policy that says they will or won’t cover a certain kind of claim.

Earthquakes
Like flooding, this may require a special policy or coverage, depending upon where you live.

Keep in mind that, depending upon how much you want to spend, you can always buy more insurance. You can even get coverage to protect against identity theft. Generally, though, you can save the most amount of money by keeping deductibles high, which lowers premiums.

No matter what kind of policy you get, make sure you have inflation protection and replacement cost coverage. Even though the value of the contents of your home or apartment may have declined, the cost of replacing them hasn’t.