Does Insurance Cover Concrete Flaking?

Learn about construction defect insurance and how it covers concrete flaking caused by concrete cancer.

Does Insurance Cover Concrete Flaking?

Construction defect insurance is designed to protect you against any issues that arise from construction defects. If the concrete cancer is so severe that it affects the safety and carrying capacity of the structure, then you may be covered by your insurance policy. Concrete cancer is classified as a construction defect and must be disclosed to insurers as part of the homeowner corporation's duty of disclosure. Failure to inform an insurer of a pre-existing defect, such as concrete cancer, may mean that the insurer has the right to avoid the contract altogether or reduce liability for a claim to the amount that would place the insurer in a position they would have been in if the default had not occurred or the misrepresentation had not occurred.

If you have experienced a leak in the slab, insurance coverage may take effect, especially if it was caused by a covered hazard. However, if the leak was due to poor maintenance on your part, you may have to pay for repairs yourself. Even if you have more bedrooms, concrete cancer repairs can fill the lot with fine dust that is a health hazard. If the damage to your foundation is due to a covered risk, such as a tornado, explosion, or fire, your homeowners policy can reimburse you for repairs up to the limits of your coverage.

It will be the owners' corporation (amortization fund) or the owner of the lot that covers the cost depending on who is responsible for maintaining the property that has concrete cancer.

Husking

tends to be more common in cold climates when defrosting chemicals are applied or when seasonal freeze-thaw cycles damage concrete. For more information about specific strata cancer schemes, information specific to strata insurance, or information about strata that live in your state or territory, visit Common Property and Maintenance Information Pages, Strata or Strata Insurance by State. We have reached out to several insurers to get their views on how they address concrete cancer when it is revealed to them. To prevent concrete cancer from occurring in the first place, use concrete coating so that water does not sink into it.

If you have concrete roofs, try to keep them dry. If you want to know how to prevent concrete cancer, then you need to protect your concrete from extreme weather conditions. So what does concrete cancer look like? Usually, when you look at concrete structures, it is a healthy gray surface without rust. And as for your concern, does that mean that all units will have this problem? Once again, it would be very rare for two units to have this particular serious cancer. Concrete fixing products with polymer fiber have become more common and some of them can handle corrosion without any additional products.

Each disclosure circumstance will differ on a case-by-case basis depending on the circumstances and level of knowledge of the problem; for example, there is a big difference between a proprietary corporation having a defect report reporting defects such as cancer by a qualified professional and an owner who can only suspect that there is concrete cancer. There are suggestions that some Corporate Bodies may be hiding tell-tale signs of concrete cancer by simply painting over it because they fear it will reduce the value of their properties.