Cosmetic Damage To Home Siding

Robert hunter director of insurance for the consumer federation of america in washington d c says the big problem for homeowners is determining what constitutes cosmetic damage.

Cosmetic damage to home siding.

The damages vinyl and aluminum siding sustain can quickly leave the rest of your home exposed to the elements. It s the same as if vandals had painted the side of the house purple. If you find that you re having to repair your siding often or the need for maintenance has increased there may be a deeper issue with your siding that only a full siding replacement can solve. Vinyl and aluminum siding are most vulnerable to hail damage.

Eifs are vulnerable to damage due to the combination of a thin stucco coating over a soft base make. A home with siding that s dented keeps working but it looks terrible and will cause the home to drop in value says hunter. Those cracks in the face of the eifs allow water and moisture to seep behind the surface. Cosmetic damage is usually defined as marring pitting or other.

In an attempt to limit coverage for non functional damage insurers have begun to include the cosmetic damage exclusion. Cosmetic damage exclusions largely apply to the exterior elements of a home or business such as the roof siding windows or doors. You will need more replacement siding with vinyl and aluminum siding materials than other types of siding. Hail damage to vinyl siding.

Water and moisture become trapped between the sheathing and the styrofoam portion of the finish system. Impacts to the surface can result in cracks. It s generally defined as damage that affects the appearance of a property but does not interfere with the function of the damaged area. Most homeowner s insurance policies will cover damage to all kinds of siding when clearly caused by weather.

Cosmetic damage like a hole from the impact of a softball or a dent to aluminum siding from a similar event is easy enough to patch or repair. Cosmetic damage while the matching issue involves repairing truly damaged or destroyed property and the ensuing problems that result when the repaired section of a roof siding or cabinetry. The principle of indemnity is to restore the insured to what they had before the loss and this insured had a roof with no dents. The policy doesn t exclude cosmetic damage so direct damage even if it is cosmetic is covered.

Vinyl siding is plastic and it typically cracks and easily breaks when hit by hail and in freezing weather. While cosmetic it s damage and is covered.