Paint Particles Throughout House

March 7, 2011

The insured had a painter performing some interior spray painting on the stair railings. Based on the type of paint the painter shut off the furnace so the residue from the paint would not be circulated through the house. Apparently, unknown to the painter, the homeowner turned the furnace on while he was painting and apparently the paint residue spread through the house leaving a black residue on most of the surfaces. The insurance company is denying coverage based on defective/negligent workmanship. I disagree. The painter was not negligent in that he took reasonable precautions to prevent damage. The homeowner may have been negligent but that is not excluded. Is there coverage?

Ohio Subscriber

The homeowner made the wrong move, not the painter. We agree there's no faulty workmanship here, just a lack of knowledge on the insured's part. The walls and dwelling are covered, however the personal property is not since that's named peril, and there's no named peril for what happened.