1 April 2009

Flooded New South Wales Homes to take Months to Dry Out
... quick fixes can be costly

Flooded homes in New South Wales 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.

Angus Kell

More than 100,000 buildings are at risk of flooding in New South Wales. The average damage from flooding in coastal New South Wales and inland urban centres is around $200 million a year according to government sources. Archicentre, the building advisory service of the Australian Institute of Architects said that water damage in homes can be quite extensive requiring all chipboard cupboards, doors and plaster work to be totally replaced. Angus Kell, Archicentre's ACT & NSW 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 ARCHICENTRE POST-FLOOD PROTECTION CHECKLIST The first telephone 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.

•  Be careful of power points and switches that collect mud and impurities. Ensure a licensed electrician checks these before reconnection.
  
  
•  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

Media Enquiries:
Angus Kell ACT & NSW State Manager Archicentre (02) 9555 5111 Mobile: 0412 565 023
Ron Smith Corporate Media Communications (03) 9818 5700 Mobile: 0417 329 201