Have you been looking at a damaged sliding glass door and have been thinking about how much a repair or replacement will cost? Most people tend to stress about this because sliding glass doors are a prominent feature in many homes, and leaving them broken is a security risk and an open door to higher energy bills.
Get In Touch For Same Day Help In Naples, FL
Recognizing Homeowners Insurance
Before we go into detail about sliding glass doors, we should first cover what homeowners insurance covers. Homeowners insurance is a safety net that covers damages to the home, damaged personal property, liability claims, and additional living expenses.
Structual Coverage
One aspect of this insurance policy is the coverage of the home itself. In this case, the home includes a wooden framed structure and external walls, as well as the roof, floors, doors, and windows (including sliding glass doors). This insurace policy will aid in coverig the repair costs if a covered peril, such as a fire or hurricane, causes damages..
Personal Property Coverage
Your insurance policy covers more than just the house itself. Property coverage insures your belongings, including your furniture, clothes, and electronics. For instance, if there was a covered peril that damaged your sliding glass door and over a couple of interior items, that loss would be covered under this portion of the policy.
Liability Protection
Liability coverage protects against unforeseen incidents that may happen. For example, if a guest slips and injures themselves while they’re over, liability can help cover the medical costs or any legal fees. It’s not a direct cover for sliding glass doors, but it’s great to know that your policy will be there for you.
Additional Living Expenses
Your insurance policy includes coverage for additional living expenses if your home becomes unlivable due to a covered reason. This includes costs related to temporary accommodation, food, and other living expenses. Again, this would cover you in a tough situation regardless of the sliding doors.
Request a Quick Service Appointment in Naples, FL
When Is a Broken Sliding Glass Door Covered?
Getting a claims experience fully under control requires understanding what kind of situations an insurer might cover vs. not cover. Insurers cover damages caused by “named perils,” which means they cover damages caused by very specific events written in your policy.
Covered Perils
Standard homeowners’ insurance policies cover the following perils (but not limited to what is down below):
- Fire or Lightning
- Windstorms or Hail
- Explosions
- Criminal Mischief or Theft
- Falling Objects
- Weight of snow, ice, or sleet
Sliding glass doors that break due to events caused by the above listed perils stand a good chance of an insurance company covering the damage. Like, during a storm, a tree branch falling down and breaking your sliding glass door would most likely be a reimbursable repair or replacement.
Criminal Mischief and Theft
Unfortunately, sliding glass doors are often very vulnerable points when it comes to criminal mischief and theft. Your door would most likely be covered by homeowners insurance if someone were to break it on purpose in the misguided attempt to gain unauthorized access to your home. It is always recommended for damage to be documented with photos and a police report for an easier claims process.
What is your homeowners policy NOT going to cover?
There is going to be gaps in coverage with homeowners insurance and it is important to be aware and prepared to absorb some costs on your own.
Wear and Tear
Majority of the time, insurance claims cannot be made for for damages because of neglect, lack of upkeep or just general breakage of sliding glass doors over time. These damages are due to wear and tear which insurance policies will not cover.
Flood and Earthquake Damage
Earthquake and flood damages are typically not included in most homeowners insurance policies as they are often viewed as ‘disasters’ and require separate coverage. Likewise, hurricane related sliding glass door damages will also not be included in standard policies. However, if you have insurance specifically for flood or earthquake damages, then it will be beneficial to check if that’s the case.
Intentional Damage
Again, insurance claims also cannot be made for damages that are caused by some real person’s actions. Such as if during a family gathering a person breaks the glass door or disrupts the equipment in some way through avoidable actions. It is then most likely you as the homeowner will have to cover the glass door damages since most policies do not cover the so-called intentional vandalism.
What do I have to do to file a claim for a broken sliding glass door? What to do if the door breaks
If you have a sliding glass door in the house and it breaks and it is due to covered insurance claim, there are certain actions that you can take in order to make the claim as smooth as possible.
Assessment and Documentation
Check first if the insurance policy you have covers the broken sliding glass door in the first instance. You have to be sure to have good quality photos from every angle if possible because in order to add value to your claim with samples, you have to have pictures of the damages.
Contact Your Insurance Provider
You should reach out to your insurance company as soon as possible. Provide details of the occurrence and your policy number, as well as documentation that you have gathered.
Claim Adjuster Visit
You might have an insurance adjuster come to your house to look at the damage. Be sure that you are present to answer any questions they might have, and give them any other information they may need.
Get Repair Estimates
It is a good idea to obtain estimates from at least two repair companies. This not only helps you figure out how much you will need to spend to repair the damage, but also provides your insurer with a number to work with to evaluate your claim.
Reducing the Risk of Sliding Glass Door Damage
Sliding glass doors may incur damage. However, there are steps you can take to potentially save yourself an insurance claim hassle. Be proactive.
Regular Maintenance
Check the doors tracks, rollers, and glass frequently. If you notice any dirt or debris, clean them out before they interfere with your slide doors functioning properly. Make sure to oil moving parts. If you see any minor issues, fix them before they become a major head ache.
Installing Reinforcements
If you live in high risk areas and are able to, you may want to invest in storm shutters and reinforced glass. This cuts down on the chance of damage and can sometimes get you a discount on insurance for protecting your home.
Alarm Systems
With the installation of alarm systems or simply security bars, some of the risks you face also get reduced as break ins and vandalism get steered clear of.
Conclusion
Homes insurance can get complicated at times, and so can knowing the ins and outs of it, like whether or not a broken sliding glass door will be covered. When your home insurance comes into play with a stressful situation, it will help put your mind at ease if you know what your home insurance covers. With some good use, preventative maintenance, and care of your door you will be able to smooth out any bumps you may face when it comes to filing a claim, and also be able to lower the risks. You should always do a thorough review of your policy, or even better, have a conversation with your agent to get a sense of your coverage and what you would like it to cover. This is even more important when you have special inclusions like sliding glass doors. If you have any problems, remember you can get in contact with people like South Florida Sliding Doors who are pros at what they do.