Water Damage... what to do?

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by zukes

Stop acting like you know what you are talking about.

http://www.waterdamageout.com/



Talk to any contractor who knows what they are talking about and they will tell you the same. If they don't, they are either not educated properly or are trying to make more money.

I find quite the opposite problem with contractors hired by condo associations. You get guys like you coming in and saying "oh its fine, it'll dry and be better than ever" (which happened to me) without even cutting a bit out and taking a proper look. Just because what you can see looks fine doesn't mean anything. If there was a slow leak behind there before the burst, you could have all sorts of damage and not know it. In my case, when I brought in my own people, they found the entire ceiling space covered in Stachybotrys (black mould) and I was told to not re-enter the premises, and didn't get back in there for 6 months while my entire bathroom was ripped out for $20,000.

There were no symptoms besides a tiny water stain.

I don't disagree if it's a sudden release of water and it's dealt with immediately you aren't going to have a problem (such as when I drilled through a pipe mounting a cabinet... whoops... everything was actually fine after). The problem is you don't know that unless you actually pull things up and take a look, which it sounds like this guy is trying to shortcut out of.

[zukes]

Originally Posted by wooohooo

Thanks man for all the help. Really appreciate it.

Would you believe that I am in Edmonton right now? haha.

There's absolutely no communication of what's happening to my place. I don't know what they're going to do, the people working on my condo don't know what to do. So insurance is sending their own contractor to access the damage and they'll do what they think instead of the condo/handiman (conflict of interest I think).

Would I need to replace the vinyl flooring in your opinion?

In short, yes. It sounds like the drying didn't start right away, if at all. You definitely should be using your insurance's contractor, or one that you feel comfortable with. I haven't read your condo docs obviously, but I suspect that the walls in are your responsibility, so you want someone that you or your company chooses.

[zukes]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

I find quite the opposite problem with contractors hired by condo associations. You get guys like you coming in and saying "oh its fine, it'll dry and be better than ever" (which happened to me) without even cutting a bit out and taking a proper look. Just because what you can see looks fine doesn't mean anything. If there was a slow leak behind there before the burst, you could have all sorts of damage and not know it. In my case, when I brought in my own people, they found the entire ceiling space covered in Stachybotrys (black mould) and I was told to not re-enter the premises, and didn't get back in there for 6 months while my entire bathroom was ripped out for $20,000.

There were no symptoms besides a tiny water stain.

I don't disagree if it's a sudden release of water and it's dealt with immediately you aren't going to have a problem (such as when I drilled through a pipe mounting a cabinet... whoops... everything was actually fine after). The problem is you don't know that unless you actually pull things up and take a look, which it sounds like this guy is trying to shortcut out of.

Yeah, a moisture meter can tell if there has been an ongoing problem and obviously if it something that has been going on for a while, then you replace. Sorry if I came off as a jerk.

[zukes]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

The majority of the population has no idea how much mould is in their house before a clean water loss. Everyhouse, barring brand new, has mould.

Oversimplification, but you there is mould in the air at all times, everywhere. Every house does not have visable mould, or even harmful mould.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by zukes

Oversimplification, but you there is mould in the air at all times, everywhere. Every house does not have visable mould, or even harmful mould.

When the environmental guys test they take an outdoor air sample to compare the indoor air sample too. They said in spring when the snow is melting off there is very high levels of certain types of mould in outdoor air, and that can lead to higher indoor levels, but its absolutely nothing most people worry about unless you have a weird allergy. Even Stachybotrys doesn't do a ton to some people as it doesn't trigger an immune response in them. Others it obviously causes severe responses.

[normtwofinger]

zukes is right, to a degree. Drywall that can properly dry will not develop mold. But...in most cases the inside of the wall will never dry. There needs to be air flow for drywall to dry. Always best to rip it out and start over. And this is coming from a drywall guy.