Q

An insured has a very large two story deck off the front of his home. He lives on the Oregon Coast so the wood has a tendency to rot and decay faster than in other regions. The underside of the deck is open which is clearly visible from the ground floor. It was found that one of the 6×6 wooden support posts along with other parts of the deck has started to rot and needs to be replaced. The insured believes coverage should be extended under the wet or dry rot endorsement. Your thoughts?

Minnesota Subscriber

A

The policy ( HO 00 03 02 00 with HO 04 05 12 02) has the usual wear and tear exclusion, as well as the mold, wet or dry rot exclusion. The endorsement provides coverage for fungi, wet or dry rot when the loss is caused by a peril insured against. The insured's damage to the deck is simply wear and tear and is not covered, even by the endorsement.

The endorsement excludes the presence of condensation, humidity, moisture or vapor over a number of weeks unless the damage is unknown to the insured and hidden. As the deck is readily visible, and the insured knows he's in an area that is prone to faster decay due to being on the coast, the damage to the deck was not hidden.