I installed a Jotul wood burning stove back in 2006 and we use it a lot during the winter months. Wood is getting expensive to burn now with true cords of wood costing near $250 if I pick it up but we still enjoy it.
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We renewed our homeowners insurance a few months ago and I'll be honest to say that I never read the policy. For some reason I glanced over something while I was flipping through it and noticed something about wood burning stoves. Basically it states that any damage caused by them will not be covered. I contacted my insurance agent and they told me that it is true. Nobody is covered unless it is added on to their policy along with (here in Georgia) a 2 page report to be completed by a certified chimney company. I asked them about fireplaces because just about every house I see built today has a shitty prefab fireplace installed and I feel that a fireplace is 10 times more dangerous than a wood burner. They told me that they are covered automatically at no extra cost but not a wood burner.
I contacted a certified company and they were scheduled to come out on Wednesday but after he read the form he had to fill out he told me he wasn't interested. Here was his reply.
Hi Todd.
As soon as I saw "Auto Owners Insurance" and the form to be completed red flags appeared. I have a bad taste in my mouth from Auto Owners Ins. One of my customers who I swept eight years in a row had a fire under their hearth - due to a hidden construction defect, undetectable by me during a normal sweep and inspection, - resulting in a $40,000+ fire - but I was forced to cancel a day's worth of work to attend the fire investigation, which resulted in my pointing out to their Certified Fire Investigator and an Engineer that it was improper installation of the fireplace - and which I was found to not be held liable.
As such, knowing (should something bad happen due to your use of the wood stove) they are happy to pursue anyone who has ever looked at or touched your wood stove, not having done the installation myself, and upon viewing their inspection form and participating in the completing of it, $325 is not worth it to me to assume such a magnitude of liability for your entire house. I like to sleep well at night, and walking away from this job is the choice I'm going to make over a potential headache down the road.
I will be taking you off the schedule for next week and I wish you luck in finding a company that will help you with your wood stove and insurance company.
I bring this up because I know a lot of members heat with wood and want to know what you or your insurance companies say.
IMG_8376.jpg
We renewed our homeowners insurance a few months ago and I'll be honest to say that I never read the policy. For some reason I glanced over something while I was flipping through it and noticed something about wood burning stoves. Basically it states that any damage caused by them will not be covered. I contacted my insurance agent and they told me that it is true. Nobody is covered unless it is added on to their policy along with (here in Georgia) a 2 page report to be completed by a certified chimney company. I asked them about fireplaces because just about every house I see built today has a shitty prefab fireplace installed and I feel that a fireplace is 10 times more dangerous than a wood burner. They told me that they are covered automatically at no extra cost but not a wood burner.
I contacted a certified company and they were scheduled to come out on Wednesday but after he read the form he had to fill out he told me he wasn't interested. Here was his reply.
Hi Todd.
As soon as I saw "Auto Owners Insurance" and the form to be completed red flags appeared. I have a bad taste in my mouth from Auto Owners Ins. One of my customers who I swept eight years in a row had a fire under their hearth - due to a hidden construction defect, undetectable by me during a normal sweep and inspection, - resulting in a $40,000+ fire - but I was forced to cancel a day's worth of work to attend the fire investigation, which resulted in my pointing out to their Certified Fire Investigator and an Engineer that it was improper installation of the fireplace - and which I was found to not be held liable.
As such, knowing (should something bad happen due to your use of the wood stove) they are happy to pursue anyone who has ever looked at or touched your wood stove, not having done the installation myself, and upon viewing their inspection form and participating in the completing of it, $325 is not worth it to me to assume such a magnitude of liability for your entire house. I like to sleep well at night, and walking away from this job is the choice I'm going to make over a potential headache down the road.
I will be taking you off the schedule for next week and I wish you luck in finding a company that will help you with your wood stove and insurance company.
I bring this up because I know a lot of members heat with wood and want to know what you or your insurance companies say.
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