The act of "demolition" is something I was hoping to never hear in reference to my house, but today, that is what is going on. The guys came bright and early and, as I write this, are in the process of removing several surfaces/walls in my garage in an attempt to repair the aforementioned water damage incurred on New Year's Eve. For what it's worth, I think that I seem more concerned than they are -- they're pros, after all. I just see my house getting torn up, wondering how on earth they'll ever get it back together. Magic, I'm guessing.
What I am asking for is nothing short of a miracle. Over the last few days, my house has gotten gradually smellier. Since the burst pipe occurred behind a wall, there's no telling the extent of the water damage without tearing apart my house piece by piece. And I'm not fully convinced this demolition will find all those places. After all, the leak occurred on the main floor, and only collected in the garage because of gravity. Keep the faith, I keep telling myself. At least most of it is covered by insurance (on that note: I'm so happy to finally be using some of this insurance that I've been dutifully been paying for!)
So, after these guys leave today, I've got to schedule a time with the drywall contractor to fix everything they're breaking, and then hope that everything goes smoothly with the insurance, and THEN I could worry about converting all my old plumbing from galvanized steel to copper. Home projects are much more fun when they are done voluntarily!
2 comments:
Adam- Geek talk here. You might already know, but word of caution from someone who used to do inspections on moldy houses after water events for insurance companies. Make sure they tear out all the wet drywall and dry out all the wood framing before they button it back up. Ask if they used their moisture meter to determine the extent of moisture in the walls or framing so they can chase the moisture and prevent mold growth (and hopefully they know what a moisture meter is). Beware if they're just going by "feel" because your suspicions on other moisture may be founded. Remember my friend Michelle you met once? She does moisture/mold inspections in Seattle if you need any help! Good luck!
Oh also. The restoration contractor (Servicemaster or the like?) should at least have a handle on best practices for what to do with water events. Those types of guys will definitely have moisture meters and know something about what they are *supposed* to be doing. And, they should definitely be putting up plastic barriers to prevent construction dust, debris, and possibly mold spores from getting into the living space.
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