Had a similar experience a couple years back—installed a green roof on a commercial building, and everything seemed perfect until a heavy storm hit. Turns out the insurance had a sneaky clause about "non-standard roofing systems," and they tried to wiggle out of coverage. Took months of back-and-forth before they finally agreed to partial coverage. Definitely taught me to double-check the fine print before recommending these roofs to clients...
Yikes, that's exactly the kind of thing that makes me nervous about insurance. Did you ever find out what exactly counts as a "non-standard roofing system"? Seems like they could twist that definition pretty easily...
Yeah, that's the thing—insurance companies love their vague definitions. When we bought our place, the inspector casually mentioned our roof had "unusual materials," and I laughed it off thinking he meant it was just ugly or something. Turns out, nope... insurance flagged it as a "non-standard roofing system." Had to jump through hoops proving it wasn't some DIY disaster. Lesson learned: if your inspector raises an eyebrow, dig deeper.
Had something similar happen with our deck. Inspector mentioned it was "unconventional construction," and I figured he just meant it looked a bit quirky. Nope, insurance saw red flags everywhere. Had to get a structural engineer out to certify it wasn't about to collapse. Cost me extra time and money, but honestly, better safe than sorry. These vague terms are annoying, but they're usually a hint to dig deeper before signing anything.
Did the inspector clarify what exactly was "unconventional"? I've seen similar vague wording pop up in roofing inspections—usually means something wasn't built to standard practice or code, but not necessarily dangerous. Insurance companies love to err on the side of caution (and their bottom line), so getting an engineer involved was probably smart. Even if it's a hassle now, you'll sleep better knowing your deck isn't secretly plotting its collapse...right?
