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#1
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Aftermath of a leak
How long should it take the interior of a wall to fully dry out after a
leak? We had a leak behind our washing machine - duration unknown - and the water penetrated into a wall. (Studs and wallboard on a concrete slab; non-load-bearing.) It took more than a week for the surface of the wallboard to dry out. Now, 3 weeks later, I've removed some baseboards. Inside, the bottom inch of the wallboard has crumbled away, and the wood (the horizontal piece that the studs attach to) is black and some of it is still damp. I am of course alert to the possibility that there is another leak still leaking. But my questions a - Is it plausible that we're still dealing with water from the leak that stopped, and that leaving the baseboards off, we can get it to dry out completely? - If so, would it be reasonable to simply spray lots of Lysol or something on the wood and then install new baseboards? Or is more extensive work going to be needed? A toxic mold test is being conducted. I should add that this is my permanent home; I'm not just wanting to patch it up good enough to resell. Thanks! |
#2
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i noticed once in a house i looked at they had drywalled part of a damp
basement (duh) and along with the mold the house had a ongoing moisture problem. even though there was no standing water in the basement the inside of the windows upstairs had condensation. so i think it may be that drywall can hold water. if it were my house i'd rip the mess out and redo the wall, studs and drywall seem a better investment than a mold test. if you live in manhattan this probably costs 50000 or so, but to me in the midwest this seems like a cheap approach to put the matter to rest. the board is black, sounds like mold to me, probably not toxic though can be a legal issue if you try to sell. even if it's not toxic unless there's a complication i'd be inclined to reach for the crowbar. |
#3
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It turns out this is a matter for the homeowners' insurance. I'm going to
call the agent tomorrow. I'm doing a mold test. Rather to my surprise, in the first 30 hours of incubation, nothing has grown in the Petri dish. Maybe the generous amounts of Lysol that I applied a couple of weeks ago have actually killed it. But I understand about ripping out things if we don't know what's going on deep within them! The mold test costs only $10 for the culture medium and then, if mold grows, $30 for the analysis. wrote in message oups.com... i noticed once in a house i looked at they had drywalled part of a damp basement (duh) and along with the mold the house had a ongoing moisture problem. even though there was no standing water in the basement the inside of the windows upstairs had condensation. so i think it may be that drywall can hold water. if it were my house i'd rip the mess out and redo the wall, studs and drywall seem a better investment than a mold test. if you live in manhattan this probably costs 50000 or so, but to me in the midwest this seems like a cheap approach to put the matter to rest. the board is black, sounds like mold to me, probably not toxic though can be a legal issue if you try to sell. even if it's not toxic unless there's a complication i'd be inclined to reach for the crowbar. |
#4
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Ever notice that after a brief flood they tear out all the lower
drywall and replace it? You will have mold there. So much for the testing, but you need to replace all the area drywall behind where it was wet. |
#5
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Unfortunately since you have stated that the leak occurred over a period of
time, insurance will not cover the claim. I would recommend that you revise to just discovered that the washer was leaking and there is damage. You do need to be aware that water claims, depending on the state you live in, can lead to insurance cancellation. In CA the Ins Commissioner is going after "use it, lose it" insurance companies. If you have already called, it may be too late to stop. -- Claudia __________________________________ "Age is...wisdom, if one has lived one's life properly." --Miriam Makeba, singer "mc" wrote in message ... It turns out this is a matter for the homeowners' insurance. I'm going to call the agent tomorrow. I'm doing a mold test. Rather to my surprise, in the first 30 hours of incubation, nothing has grown in the Petri dish. Maybe the generous amounts of Lysol that I applied a couple of weeks ago have actually killed it. But I understand about ripping out things if we don't know what's going on deep within them! The mold test costs only $10 for the culture medium and then, if mold grows, $30 for the analysis. wrote in message oups.com... i noticed once in a house i looked at they had drywalled part of a damp basement (duh) and along with the mold the house had a ongoing moisture problem. even though there was no standing water in the basement the inside of the windows upstairs had condensation. so i think it may be that drywall can hold water. if it were my house i'd rip the mess out and redo the wall, studs and drywall seem a better investment than a mold test. if you live in manhattan this probably costs 50000 or so, but to me in the midwest this seems like a cheap approach to put the matter to rest. the board is black, sounds like mold to me, probably not toxic though can be a legal issue if you try to sell. even if it's not toxic unless there's a complication i'd be inclined to reach for the crowbar. |
#6
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"ClaudCar" wrote in message
news:_olVd.73034$uc.68314@trnddc04... Unfortunately since you have stated that the leak occurred over a period of time, insurance will not cover the claim. I would recommend that you revise to just discovered that the washer was leaking and there is damage. I don't want to mislead them. You do need to be aware that water claims, depending on the state you live in, can lead to insurance cancellation. In CA the Ins Commissioner is going after "use it, lose it" insurance companies. If you have already called, it may be too late to stop. Fortunately I don't live in Cali-La-La-Land. (Used to, but got tired of amateur government and the culture of constant mutual distrust.) Here in Georgia, the adjuster came out, looked, advised that they probably didn't cover it, and was able to tell me the approximate cost of the work and the effect it would have on my insurance (I'd lose a discount for not having had a claim for a long time). It turns out that even if they covered it, I'd come out ahead doing it out of my own pocket. There is no ongoing leakage and no mold detectable by mold culture. I'm going to cover it up temporarily with wood panels and get it fixed properly this summer. |
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