ABOUT THE CLAIM
Recently, Guardian Group’s Property & Casualty experts were called in to consult on a small commercial claim in our nation’s southeast. The insured’s claim on her business property, currently in operation as a beauty salon, was in regard to floor tiles that had de-bonded. For safety reasons, she had already picked up four of the tiles, but she feared more of the floor would pop throughout the coming weeks.
ABOUT THE INVESTIGATION
Rapidly deploying at the request of the client, which in this case was a nationally recognized TPA firm, Guardian’s forensic expert performed a visual inspection of both the interior and exterior of the approximate 1,000 s/f property. Additionally, the owner reported that a decade prior a flooring contractor had been hired to install the current 18” square ceramic tiles over an existing floor comprised of 8” ceramic tiles.
ABOUT THE CAUSE & ORIGIN REPORT
Guardian’s forensic consultant swiftly issued a draft report that neatly documented the reported damage and provided photographic support. Having checked for cracks at the exterior and signs of moisture intrusion at the interior, and discovering neither, the report ruled out any weather events as precursors to the reported damage. Additionally, the report described both the installation protocol advised by the Tile Council of North America and the on-site testing proffered by the same. Checking the tiles for a hollow sound, as Guardian’s expert did, is one way to detect a loss of bond to the substrate. While installing tile over tile is an acceptable industry practice, the contractor must observe grout and mortar manufactures’ specs and perform bond tests to determine whether the foundational layer of tiles requires mechanical abrasion in order to assure a good bond. In this case, Guardian’s forensic property claims expert proved in his report that the salon’s tile issues were caused by installation defects.
ABOUT GUARDIAN GROUP, INC.
From the smallest of property claims to the largest and most complex, when your insureds file property claims, both they and you need to understand exactly what happened and why. That’s why Guardian’s Property & Casualty Group responds with diligence and issues timely forensic reports that clearly spell out the science involved. When your property claims require construction and engineering expertise, put your confidence in over 30 years’ experience. Kindly call on Guardian Group, Inc. today.