"abhi" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi all,

Yesterday the flush tank on the second floor overflowed and caused a
little bit of flooding. About 40 square feet of tiled area and 10
square feet of carpeted area was covered in water. Water leaked through
the floor and damaged the ceiling on the first floor.

I managed to shut off the leak before it did much damage. Water
probably leaked for about 15-20 minutes. The ceiling is intact, with
very little water marks.

Today we had a restoration expert come in and he plans to
- remove the wet carpet
- put a large fan to dry carpet padding
- Put a large fan to dry the tiles
- Cut the sheet rock on the first floor ceiling
- Put a large fan to dry the ceiling

I talked with a few other people (not in water damage restoration
business) and they claim, we don't have to do all this. Every thing
will dry out and it is unlikely for mold to appear with this little
amount of water. According to them, I should dry out the carpet with a
fan.
Ceiling will be ok, sheet rock is supposed to absorb water.

Now, I am considering whether to let the professional do the job or
wait for the carpet to dry?

What have been your experiences? Any suggestions on what is the right
thing to do?

TIA

Abhi

As I noted in another post--your homeowner's insurance will cover any damage
and restoration costs associated with this type of appliance failure. In
the course of any restoration if new code requirements lead to increased
costs your insurance will (or should, if you have proper coverage) pay for
that too. Don't take any short cuts---most restoration companies will pull
everything thing out that has been water damaged. I had the same type of
toilet failure and even had the tile floors (two of them) ripped up and
replaced. I was away for the two or three days the water must have been
running and had extensive water damage. Insurance company covered all but
$200 deductible including about $2000 to 3000 in required code upgrades (new
vent pipe(s). drain line, exhaust fan, GFI's, electrical service box etc.).
It wasn't easy fighting the insurance company but when finally challenged to
get a contractor who would do the job for what they offered, they gave in.
MLD