8
January 2008
Flooded Houses
to Take Months to Dry Out
... quick fixes can be costly
Flooded houses in Queensland will take months to recover and home owners have been advised to allow their homes to completely dry out and delay renovation and redecoration until the building is substantially dry before replacing carpets and fittings to avoid future problems.
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Archicentre, the building advisory service of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects said water damage in homes can be quite extensive requiring all chipboard cupboards, doors and plaster work to be totally replaced. Ron Tanton Archicentre's
Queensland State Manager said that a flood damaged building could take
months to dry out and the natural tendency for people to renovate and
redecorate as quickly as possible can lead to mould growth and the work
having to be repeated. The
first phone call following a flood is usually to an insurance company.
But beware of finalising a premature claim. In the circumstances described
below, the full realisation of the problems may take a few weeks. |
* Water can penetrate gas stoves and other appliances, flooding pilot lights and causing damage to interior pipes. A flooded house full of fumes is extremely volatile. Natural gas, compressed natural gas and propane gas should be checked by a licensed registered plumber.
* Applied
floor finishes like vinyl tiles, cork flooring and timber strip laid over
concrete slabs may severely buckle and this could take a few weeks to recover.
For instance, with cork flooring the glue delaminates and when wet, it bubbles
up.
* Additionally, particle board cabinets will expand and collapse after too
long underwater. Don't waste money repairing cabinets that need replacing.
* Following floods, large pools typically form under the house. These areas
need to be re-graded to prevent long-term structural damage like rotted floor
framing.
* Keep the under floor space well-ventilated. Timber floors could otherwise
dry unevenly, and result in twisting and warping.
* Flooded concrete slabs need to be dried out thoroughly before laying carpet.
This can take several weeks. New carpet on a wet slab will ultimately rot.
* Sub-floor central heating ducts can fill with water. Ducts may need to be
cleaned or replaced if they are full of mud.
* Plasterboard walls require time and patience before repainting. The outside
walls probably feel dry, but inside the walls are wet and invite mould. If
there's mould on the walls, use hypochlorite bleach to kill it. Then wait
at least a week before painting
* Brick veneer walls may contain fibreglass insulation batts that absorb large
amounts of water and can spread more serious damage. Remove part of the plaster
and take the batts out. If left untouched, it could destroy repaired wall
and floor finishes.
www.archicentre.com.au
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