Opinions welcome but particularly keen to hear people's expertise or experience from either an insurance or builder's pov.
We have a vaulted style (non-flat) gyprock ceiling over the living areas in our house (which is about 20yrs old). Recently the tape began to lift at the highest apex and within a month or two one side of the joint now gapes open about 150mm.
We have home (not contents) insurance through comminsure and they sent an assessor out to inspect today. They are going to do a free 'make-safe' repair to prevent any collapse but the inspector cites defective or poor workmanship as the cause of the problem (i.e. gyprock sheets poorly/improperly fitted/glued etc). I agree - there is no leak or water damage etc. His feeling is that my insurance company won't be obligated to pay to properly repair this issue because it isn't specifically storm-related.
I've heard (anecdotal only) of others who had similar experience. Most copped the claim-rejection but a small number of others apparently fought the bank and won by discovering that the secret fine-print on the "we don't cover defective or poor workmanship" stance is that it only applies if you could reasonably have known about the poor workmanship. In other words, a ceiling collapsing suddenly (which was not identified in building inspections etc at the time of mortgaging & insuring) is precisely the kind of issue insurance should cover.
What do you think?
You need to read your product guide/PDS. My ceiling collapsed and it was covered by insurance but that was when my roof was destroyed by a hail storm. In other words it needs to be the result of an insured event in most cases.