Insurance whoa's

[swampgator]

Thanks. I really like that and will try to get that instead of asphalt/fiberglass in the next few years when I have to replace this one.

Several years ago the wife and I needed to re-roof the house, gazebo and machine shed. After much research we settled on a metal roof that looks like shake shingles. Here is their web site:
http://www.classicmetalroofingsystems.com/

It was as expensive as a 50 yr asphalt roof, but better. It doen't deteriorate like asphalt, weighs much less reducung the weight on your foundation, reflects 90% of the sun's heat thus not absorbing heat like asphalt and radiating it into the attic thus reducing air conditioning bills. It is good up to 170 mph winds (many roofs in New Orleans survived Katrina) and because it is fireproof, reduces home insurance rates. It has an R10 insulation rating and a lifetime guarentee. The workmen who installed ours were true professionals. We love our roof, although it has made the asphalt roofs in our neighborhood look really cheap. I will never have to replace our roofs again.

[swampgator]

As promised, here are pictures of patchwork that passed code. On the lower corners of the window, you can see the patches.
[ATTACH]21081[/ATTACH]

All the wood on top of the door, on top of the windows, sides and bottoms of windows except one which you can tell from the professional installation in the extreme left.
[ATTACH]21082[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]21083[/ATTACH]
All patches made of non PT wood. Just painted with latex paint.

And, for these rotten spots, she was cited with a sign in the front yard until she got a building permit. I' ve been thinking that since we are 1.5 blocks out of the historical district, may have brought more attention or some of those owners may have called and complained. I don't know. All I know is what I witnessed.

[Ed in Tampa]

As promised, here are pictures of patchwork that passed code. On the lower corners of the window, you can see the patches.
[ATTACH]21081[/ATTACH]

All the wood on top of the door, on top of the windows, sides and bottoms of windows except one which you can tell from the professional installation in the extreme left.
[ATTACH]21082[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]21083[/ATTACH]
All patches made of non PT wood. Just painted with latex paint.

And, for these rotten spots, she was cited with a sign in the front yard until she got a building permit. I' ve been thinking that since we are 1.5 blocks out of the historical district, may have brought more attention or some of those owners may have called and complained. I don't know. All I know is what I witnessed.

I totally agree these are lousy fixes that won't last. I hope she didn't pay too much for them.
As for the sign and all I would check with the building dept and code enforcement. It sounds like someone is playing games. I have never heard of placing a sign in someone's yard until they get a permit.

I would think if the city government did it, if this woman hired a lawyer she would end up owning the town. Talk about cruel and unusual punishment.

Swampgator sounds like you need to run for office or at least get involved in the election process and run these bums out.

I had a door like the one pictured with the bottom of the frame rotted out. I repaired it with plastic wood which lasted about 3 or 4 years then I tore it all out and replaced it with PVC wood look alike trim pieces. They will never rot out.

The problem was it was a side door with a concrete pad poured about 3 inches below the threshold height. When it rained the water off the roof dripped on the concrete and splashed on to the wood, soaking it over and over.
After I put in the PVC I also put on a roof diverter that directs the water on the roof away from the area where the slab is poured. I also put one over my air conditioner condensor so the water off the roof doesn't pour on to it.
Made a remarkable change in both cases. No more water splashing on the door and frame and none running into the AC.

I could have installed reain gutters and down spouts but then I probably would have had to do they whole house and with nearly 2 feet overhangs (no longer legal) the water is directed away from the house and isn't a problem in most places.

[JPG]

WHY? are 2' overhangs 'illegal'? Poor structural design in the past?

Wind capture ability?

[beeg]

Wind capture ability. Ya know they get a hurricane that comes through every once in a while.

[fjimp]

Every time I think of an insurance company demanding a roof replacement on a property already insured, as a condition for continuing coverage. I ask myself two questions;
1. Is that company offering to pay for the roof.
2. Or have they already paid for it and it the property owner has not had the work done?

I post these comments as a retired agent who often feels he has heard it all and has reached that age where questions come easier than getting work done. No offense intended. Jim

[Ed in Tampa]

[quote="fjimp"]Every time I think of an insurance company demanding a roof replacement on a property already insured, as a condition for continuing coverage. I ask myself two questions]

Jim
The roof was installed in 92 I contracted and paid for it. The roof has never had a problem other than a nail pop in a ridge vent which I myself repaired and never reported to the insurance company.

In 2012 the insurance company demanded I have an inspection which I had to pay for. The inspector said the roof had 4-6 years of life left in it.
Later in 2012 the Insurance company had their own inspector look at the roof saying that so many of the independant inspectors lied to them. He agreed with the first inspection. My roof was good and he would say it would last 4-6 years or more. From my experience I would say the roof is good for another 10 years at least.

This year 2013 the insurance company said the roof was in the 3 year window and since it was I have to put a new roof on at my expense or have my policy non renewed. I called the state insurance commission and was told that insurance companies in Florida had the right to decline to insure an house where the roof had 3 years or less life expectancy on them.

No new company will write a policy on a house with a roof older than 15 years. So 20, 25 and 30 year roof warrantees are not even considered.

I have had no claims with this insurance company on his house ever.

They definitely did not replace the roof, pay for the roof or pay any claim on this property or ever offer to pay for a new roof.

That is the way the game is played in Florida.

[swampgator]

Ed,
You really have me curious about the overhang. I have gable ends and overhang of 18" With all the rain, I really want the water away from the foundation.

1. How much overhang are we allowed?
2. Are the older houses grandfathered in?
3. What to we do to get the water away from the foundations and walls of the house?

Thanks for keeping us updated.

[fjimp]

Jim
The roof was installed in 92 I contracted and paid for it. The roof has never had a problem other than a nail pop in a ridge vent which I myself repaired and never reported to the insurance company.

In 2012 the insurance company demanded I have an inspection which I had to pay for. The inspector said the roof had 4-6 years of life left in it.
Later in 2012 the Insurance company had their own inspector look at the roof saying that so many of the independant inspectors lied to them. He agreed with the first inspection. My roof was good and he would say it would last 4-6 years or more. From my experience I would say the roof is good for another 10 years at least.

This year 2013 the insurance company said the roof was in the 3 year window and since it was I have to put a new roof on at my expense or have my policy non renewed. I called the state insurance commission and was told that insurance companies in Florida had the right to decline to insure an house where the roof had 3 years or less life expectancy on them.

No new company will write a policy on a house with a roof older than 15 years. So 20, 25 and 30 year roof warrantees are not even considered.

I have had no claims with this insurance company on his house ever.

They definitely did not replace the roof, pay for the roof or pay any claim on this property or ever offer to pay for a new roof.

That is the way the game is played in Florida.

What a mess. I can't believe the way insurance and state/federal laws seem to become more unfriendly for the consumer every day.

We had an uncomfortable experience here last fall. Family of a gentleman who had passed on needed a place to store a late model pickup. I had space in my driveway and it was agreed that I would accept no responsibility for the vehicle. One day my agent asked me when I bought the truck. Upon learning I didn't own it was informed it had to go immediately or jeopardize my own coverage. The owners checked with their agent and received the same message. The experience caused me to "Carefully and Completely Review my coverage!" That process brought to light several law and coverage changes I was unaware of. I will no review my coverage every time it comes up for renewal or when I receive notice of amendments in coverage. I strongly suggest everyone do so. If your agent is uninterested in assisting you find a new one. The first agent and carrier we had upon returning to Colorado was unable to make the carrier software work and once policies were delivered we found numerous errors. That guy and his company lost our business rather quickly. Jim

[Ed in Tampa]

Ed,
You really have me curious about the overhang. I have gable ends and overhang of 18" With all the rain, I really want the water away from the foundation.

1. How much overhang are we allowed?
2. Are the older houses grandfathered in?
3. What to we do to get the water away from the foundations and walls of the house?

Thanks for keeping us updated.

Swampgator
I hope I got this all right it was my Son in Law that knew the law and I'm telling you what I know from memory of what it was 12 yeas ago.

First yes all existing houses are grandfathered in. This is why the insurance companies are playing their games, because the older houses do not meet existing wind codes.

On overhangs the answer isn't simply cut and dried it depends on construction, roof slope, whether we are talking windward or leeward side, height of the building, level ground or hilly, house location on the ground and etc.

But basically the max is around 6-12 inches. And even that can be problematic when all the other considerations are calculated in. That is why builders use certified plans to build.

As to gable roofs, well my son in law built one house with a gable roof under the new wind codes in 2001-2 at the time we resolved never to do that again, all our roofs would be hip without gables. However we didn't build anything after that.

On the gable end of the house there must be a bulwark built that ties the gable end back into the house structure 6 feet (I think). On a truss construction this required ceiling dry wall, on the top side of the ceiling trusses joist glued and nailed sheating, on the underside of the roof joist sheating glued and nailed and then the normal roof sheating.

So if you looked at a gable end cross section you would see, dry wall 2x stock for ceiling joist, sheating nailed and glued on top, then up at the roof you would see sheathing nailed and glued to the bottom of the roof joist and 2x roof joist and roof sheating and normal roof coating tar paper, shingles.

If you didn't want to use the ceiling and underside roof sheathing you could use 2x dead sisters 16 inches on center and they had to be in line from gable end to 6 foot back into house nailed and glued.

We went with dead sisters and I think it took over 260 pieces of 2x cut glued and nailed between the trusses at the roof and ceiling for a 32 foot wide gable. When inspected we had to add a few more where they weren't in perfect alignment do to stand pipes and things.

Thus the decision never to build a gable end house again.

Plus the wind code required all windows to be tapconed into the block wall every 6 or 12 inches (I don't remember exactly) and across the threshold of sliding glass doors the tapcons had to be stainless. My son in law and me always installed our own windows but on this last house it was cheaper to pay the installation than to buy the tapcons we needed at our price. The window manufacture was buying them by the thousands.

To keep water away from the house foundations use diverters (sheet metal L shaped pieces about 16 foot long that guide water on roof to place where natural drainage will carry it way or use gutters and down spouts that is about the only choices.