<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class="">All,<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">We are going to be featuring an article on insurance in the upcoming issue of TLS. We expect to be doing a series of articles because the amount of information on this topic is extensive. The more we dig into the insurance quandary, the more there is to share. Basically, we want to bring some more light on this subject and the article will set the stage for hopefully a larger discussion and some action on in the near future. Don’t miss out by subscribing if you haven’t already. </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Sorry for the shameless plug, but I think it’s appropriate here.<br class=""><div apple-content-edited="true" class="">
<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; orphans: auto; widows: auto;" class=""><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class="">Jeff Ruppert<br class="">Editor</span></p><p style="font-family: Times; orphans: auto; widows: auto;" class=""><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 100, 0);" class=""><strong class="">The Last Straw<br class=""></strong></span></span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 14px;" class="">The International Journal of Straw Bale and Natural Building</span></span><span style="font-size: 14px; font-family: georgia, serif;" class=""></span></p><p style="font-family: Times; orphans: auto; widows: auto;" class=""><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(128, 128, 128);" class="">P.O. Box 1809<br class="">Paonia, CO 81428<br class="">(970) 948-5744</span><br class=""><a _cke_saved_href="http://thelaststraw.org" class="">www.thelaststraw.org</a></span></p></div></div>
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<br class=""><div><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">On Sep 20, 2015, at 5:21 PM, Lance Kairl <<a href="mailto:sabale@bigpond.com" class="">sabale@bigpond.com</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div class=""><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" class=""><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)" class=""><style class=""><!--
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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--><div lang="EN-AU" link="blue" vlink="purple" class=""><div class="WordSection1"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">Greetings all.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">I have been having brief discussions with our Insurance industry association here in Australia.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">Some , suspect activities by brokers is emerging.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">Namely listing the build as “ brick veneer” in construction , mainly to sell the policy and / or give a good price for the policy.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class=""> later home owner inquiries about cover under such a policy<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">Fortunately just “ to make sure their strawbale home was covered” rather than for a claim,<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class=""> has seen the insurance company’s response as been “ you house is not listed as that, there fore it is not covered”.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">With some of our insurers “ equating “ strawbale construction” as a replacement cost equivalent to “ mud brick or Adobe”<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">Our insurers look at Replacement cost ( contractor built) for the value of the build,<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">Insuring for construction cost will leave the insured short , unless they are still young and fit and wish to self build again.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">Other considerations I feel insurance companies should look at to <b class="">ascertain a reduced risk </b>for insurance underwriters are,<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">Bales elevated off of floor level, , protects bales in times of internal flooding , as does floor waste drains, <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class=""> dishwasher and washing machine hose burst is a definable percentage of insurance pay out claims.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">Along with design for climate,,, rain screen in some locations ,<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">Documented render thickness , these things should make that build more desirable to insure.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">Any how in brief,<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">Our insurance policies here may be grouped under a “ building material “ other than strawbale,<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">it is important that the policy wording is for “Strawbale Construction”<o:p class=""></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class=""> </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">Regard Lance Kairl<o:p class=""></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">House of Bales.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div class=""><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p class=""> </o:p></div></div></div></div>_______________________________________________<br class="">Gsbn mailing list<br class=""><a href="mailto:Gsbn@sustainablesources.com" class="">Gsbn@sustainablesources.com</a><br class="">http://sustainablesources.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/gsbn<br class=""></div></blockquote></div><br class=""></div></body></html>