For all the handymen/women out there....

dlyeates
dlyeates Posts: 875 Member
edited January 11 in Chit-Chat
We found water pooling in our furnace/water heater room and also saw water stains on the ceiling and walls. Further investigation found that my daughter's closet, along the wall and about 2-ish feet out is soaked (carpet, padding, etc). We know that our upstairs neighbor's water heater was leaking--water in her furnace/water heater room too and she's getting it replaced. Question is.....what do we replace? Should we replace the carpeting, do we need to see about replacing the drywall, etc? Who do we even call to look at it to make this determination?

Replies

  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
    There are companies that deal exclusively in water damage repair and restoration. Consult one before moving forward. It's hard to say what needs to be replaced without seeing it.
  • Kerri_is_so_very
    Kerri_is_so_very Posts: 999 Member
    Be sure you identify the source before repairing anything!! You don't want to repair and then find the cause still has not been remedied. Also find out what insurance will and will not cover.
  • Tiggerrick
    Tiggerrick Posts: 1,078 Member
    You might need to make a claim against your upstairs neighbor insurance.
  • BeachGingerOnTheRocks
    BeachGingerOnTheRocks Posts: 3,927 Member
    If a neighbor damaged your property, that neighbor's insurance may cover it, so you should check into it.

    You MUST make sure everything is dry. Otherwise you could end up with black mold. As for the ceiling, if it is dry and there is no odor of mold, and the insulation isn't wet (EVERYTHING must be dry), you can paint it over with Kilz primer and repaint. Use Kilz because the water stain will penetrate paint and often other types of primer.

    Drywall swells with water damage, so it has to come out. But if you know how to hang drywall, it isn't an expensive DIY job. Just make sure you get all the necessary supplies.

    If you're able to shop-vac the carpet sufficiently, then you might be able to salvage it. You have to be able to get all the water up and and the area has to be ventilated because of risk of black mold.
  • BurtHuttz
    BurtHuttz Posts: 3,653 Member
    Get a pro.
  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
    Get a pro.

    Yup, this. Especially if insurance is going to be involved.
  • Synapze
    Synapze Posts: 499
    Get a pro.

    Yup, this. Especially if insurance is going to be involved.

    + 1.
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