Water Damage... what to do?

[wooohooo]

I live in a Condo and one of the pipes burst about a month or two ago and they 'fixed' it by putting a piece of cloth and taping it. No problems for those few months, but today they come in (without notice) to fix the pipes.

I wasn't home when they did the repair, but when I came home today after work around 7, there was steam everywhere. I looked in the closet about 6x8' it was over an inch full of water on the floor with the pipe supposedly 'fixed' spewing water like old faithful. The ceiling now has water damage from both the steam and water hitting it and the drywall is all soaked. The water got high enough that it seeped through the drywall and into my kitchen about 15 feet away.

We called the plumber who 'fixed' it and he brought his shop vac to suck up all the water. He's now sucking water out of the downstairs unit.

Problem is I have a few things in my closet that are now wet.

We own the condo, and this pipe is the feeder for the entire condo. Since the water got all our things wet/documents etc. do we get restitution money from this? How about the drywall, flooring, baseboards etc? Is sucking up the water with a shop vac good enough?

Thanks!

[burn_this_city]

Sounds like whoever is overseeing maintenance on behalf of the condo board is incompetent. You should have been notified that they were coming into the unit. Take pictures of everything and document everything that has occured. I'd call servpro in the morning and have them come in a do a clean up job. They will probably give you an idea how extensive the damage is. I would also get a reputable contractor to put an estimate for the repair bill together. Tell the condo board they either pay for the repairs with insurance or you'll lawyer up.

[frinkprof]

Sounds to me like the condo corporation's insurance should pick it up if it isn't your pipe.

You should get a dehumidifier or two in your unit and possibly a few fans going. The dehumidifiers should run for a couple days. The condo corporation should pick up the tab for this as well, and I'd imagine that the property management company would have to arrange this by ordering them from a cleaning company.

[Bill Bumface]

Oh man, that sucks, you're in for a not fun time.

The condo board will try screw you, FYI. You'll have to kick and scream to get things fixed properly. If there was that much water, there is also water behind the drywall, and you need the drywall ripped out and things properly dried and treated for mould if present.

The drywall needs to be replaced if it was soaked, it will be wavy after it dries. You should get money for all your stuff, they will just try and tell you otherwise. Good luck!

[Slava]

If you have insurance and damages to your contents then get them involved. They can then go after the condo corp (their insurer) for the damages.

[mykalberta]

Yah, after living in a condo for 7 years the only advice I can give with this kind of situation is now is not the time to be "nice".

No matter what you think of the board or individual board members there will always be a cheap fk on the board that will try to screw you. Dont let it happen. I wouldnt even bother getting an estimate.

I would go through your own insurance company and have them fix the damage inside your condo (not the pipe) and the associated loss (check all electronics and the clothes, if you have some your dont like or done wear claim them and insurance will give you a % pay out) and then they can go after your condo board. Its better to have someone deal with your condo board that has lawyers on their side than you who does not.

This happened to my cousin in Edmonton (pipes burst in her condo) they tried to lay the blame on her. It ended up being a 2 year nightmare for her. The rise in condo prices up to 2007 is the only thing that saved her and she sold and got out of that building.

[93Hound]

Originally Posted by wooohooo

I live in a Condo and one of the pipes burst about a month or two ago and they 'fixed' it by putting a piece of cloth and taping it. No problems for those few months, but today they come in (without notice) to fix the pipes.

I wasn't home when they did the repair, but when I came home today after work around 7, there was steam everywhere. I looked in the closet about 6x8' it was over an inch full of water on the floor with the pipe supposedly 'fixed' spewing water like old faithful. The ceiling now has water damage from both the steam and water hitting it and the drywall is all soaked. The water got high enough that it seeped through the drywall and into my kitchen about 15 feet away.

We called the plumber who 'fixed' it and he brought his shop vac to suck up all the water. He's now sucking water out of the downstairs unit.

Problem is I have a few things in my closet that are now wet.

We own the condo, and this pipe is the feeder for the entire condo. Since the water got all our things wet/documents etc. do we get restitution money from this? How about the drywall, flooring, baseboards etc? Is sucking up the water with a shop vac good enough?

Thanks!

Here is what you can expect to happen.
Your insurance company will pay for all contents damage. The condo association witll get the pipe fixed and when it is all complete they will hand you, as the owner of the condo, a bill for the repair on the pipe as it happend in your unit.......now this bill can also be sumbitted to your insurance company and they will take care of it as well.
That is assuming you have Condo insurance.
I hope this helps.
I am a broker for home and auto so I know this to be fact.

[wooohooo]

I don't have too many things that were damaged (I hope). My biggest concern is the potential of mold growth and whether the lino in the closet will peel and if the laminate will start to buckle from moisture problems. The baseboard started to peel up.

Absolutely crazy... they had to dump out 3 I think 24L shop vac buckets and there's still water in the corners. Also an adjacent wall has bubbling from all the water and the popcorn ceiling has come off in a huge patch and it's soaked around it.

The plumber/handiman that does the condo maintenance said there's no worry about needing to rip out the drywall or the floors because he's getting a dehumidifier. Any truth to that?

[wooohooo]

But to your guy's advice, I'll try to call a restoration company to give me a quote tonight.

Thanks for the advice so far!!

[hmmhmmcamo]

Originally Posted by wooohooo

The plumber/handiman that does the condo maintenance said there's no worry about needing to rip out the drywall or the floors because he's getting a dehumidifier. Any truth to that?

I'm guessing the plumber/not so handiman wants this to go away as quickly and quietly as possible. Can you post some photos?

[wooohooo]

Originally Posted by hmmhmmcamo

I'm guessing the plumber/not so handiman wants this to go away as quickly and quietly as possible. Can you post some photos?

I have some at home, I'll try to upload it when I'm home later tonight.

[wooohooo]

Originally Posted by 93Hound

Here is what you can expect to happen.
Your insurance company will pay for all contents damage. The condo association witll get the pipe fixed and when it is all complete they will hand you, as the owner of the condo, a bill for the repair on the pipe as it happend in your unit.......now this bill can also be sumbitted to your insurance company and they will take care of it as well.
That is assuming you have Condo insurance.
I hope this helps.
I am a broker for home and auto so I know this to be fact.

My insurance will take care of it even if it's not a pipe specifically for my unit? It's the feeder pipe for all the units. I was told by someone (not sure if reliable) that due to that, I'm not liable for any of the repairs. So I don't know if I want my premiums to go up due to that? I'm not very versed in these areas so pardon my ignorance.

[93Hound]

Originally Posted by wooohooo

My insurance will take care of it even if it's not a pipe specifically for my unit? It's the feeder pipe for all the units. I was told by someone (not sure if reliable) that due to that, I'm not liable for any of the repairs. So I don't know if I want my premiums to go up due to that? I'm not very versed in these areas so pardon my ignorance.

Think of it this way. If the pipe burst 10 doors away would you expect to pay for the repair?..... NO. When it is in your unit you will be given a bill for the repair to the pipe. The insurance company you are with will cover the repair costs. That the difference in a condo policy vs a home policy.
I woul;d document everything right down to the water damage to eh baseboards and the drywall. Call your insurance copmany and see what they have to say about it. The adjuster will be the one making the call on your unit.... not the repairman.

[DFO]

Who is the property manager? This sounds very amateur.

Had this happen at my old condo - a copper hot water main in my entrance closet. They sent a plumbing co. to patch the pipe immediately then replace the piping a week later. A restoration company followed up to dry it out and replace the drywall (much less water than your situation by the sounds of it). I didn't put up a cent for any of the fixes - the mechanical is your building's responsibility.

[Hockeyguy15]

Originally Posted by fotze

The most important thing to do is to keep us up to date. Also, if someone comes to this thread recommending you do not discuss details on apotential legal matter, ignore him.

In the event you don't keep us up to date we will start a new thread asking where you have gone.

Do not string us along.

[zukes]

People who say the drywall needs to be cut are wrong.

You can soak drywall forever and if it is dried properly, will come back stronger than it was. You will probably need to paint though.

Report it to your insurance company so that hte proper drying procedures are done by a qualified contractor. They will go after the maintenence people, providing that you are responsible for the damage in your condo unit by-laws. (In Ontario the page which says who is responsible is called the "Schedule B: Standard UNit definitions"). If they don't accept liability right away, you will need to pay your deductible, but you will be the first to get money back if/when the insurance company recovers any.

If there was carpet, it will also be fine, but the underpad should be replaced. If it is another type of flooring it will depend on how quickly it is dried.

I have been an insurance adjuster for over 12 years, feel free to ask me questions if you like.

[zukes]

Also, your insurance will not pay for the pipe damage. Insurance covers resulting damage, not the cause, but likely in the standard unit definitions the pipe would be the condo's responsibility anyway.

[zukes]

Originally Posted by 93Hound

Here is what you can expect to happen.
Your insurance company will pay for all contents damage. The condo association witll get the pipe fixed and when it is all complete they will hand you, as the owner of the condo, a bill for the repair on the pipe as it happend in your unit.......now this bill can also be sumbitted to your insurance company and they will take care of it as well.
That is assuming you have Condo insurance.
I hope this helps.
I am a broker for home and auto so I know this to be fact.

If you are a broker, you should not be giving claims advice that is worng then. His/her insurance company will not pay for the damaged pipe (unless policies are diffferent in Alberta than in Ontario, though I was in Edmonton this summer heloing out and I did not notice many differences property-wise) insurance covers resulting damage, not the cause. If it is covered, it is done for customer service only.

[zukes]

Should have read the whole thread first, linoleum and baseboard should go, same with laminate flooring. Mould takes 72 hours to even start, and even then conditions have to be right. So if you have a restoration contractor out right away, you will not have to worry about mould.

i am not sure who has the best reputation in Calgary, but at least for the emergency services (tear out and drying) use a company like Winmar or Belfor, or basically one of your insurance company's preferred vendors. For the rebuild, that is when you can use your buddy down the street or continue on with the same vendor.

[wooohooo]

Originally Posted by zukes

Should have read the whole thread first, linoleum and baseboard should go, same with laminate flooring. Mould takes 72 hours to even start, and even then conditions have to be right. So if you have a restoration contractor out right away, you will not have to worry about mould.

i am not sure who has the best reputation in Calgary, but at least for the emergency services (tear out and drying) use a company like Winmar or Belfor, or basically one of your insurance company's preferred vendors. For the rebuild, that is when you can use your buddy down the street or continue on with the same vendor.

Thanks for the help!

If they dry out the place where I don't need to worry about the mould... do I still need to rip out all the flooring baseboards and lino? I'd essentially need to re-do the whole apartment if I start that or else everything will look different. That'd be a huge expense...