9 March 2010

Safety First Vital in the Flood Clean Up
... quick fixes can be costly

Following the extensive flooding in south east Queensland over the weekend, home owners have been urged to put safety first when dealing with flooded or water damaged homes or leaky roofs by Archicentre, the building advisory service of the Australian Institute of Architects.


Angus Kell

Angus Kell, Archicentre Queensland spokesperson said with the changes in weather patterns towards increased severity of storms and heavy rainfall, ongoing maintenance of homes is vital, especially with leaking roofs and guttering which can cause major safety issues where water comes in contact with electrical wiring or causes ceiling collapses.

"With the heavy rainfall on the weekend, guttering and downpipes cannot cope with the sheer amount of rain during a downpour because the large volume of water can't drain away fast enough. Blocked downpipes and drains may also lead to water overflowing gutters. Overflow faults are worsened when the outside edge of the guttering is higher than the inside edge. In these cases, the backlogged water can flow over the inside edge of the gutter and into the adjacent eaves lining or ceiling space.

Archicentre recommends that all home owners check their roofs and guttering after storms and high winds, and on a regular basis. Deterioration faults can then be detected at an early stage so that repairs can be undertaken before more costly damage occurs. Home owners should involve professional tradespersons to undertake roof repairs because of the dangers of falling off slippery damaged roofs.

"Water damage in homes can be quite extensive requiring all particle board cupboards, doors and plaster work to be totally replaced, especially where water penetrates the house and insulation becomes water logged."

Mr Kell said it is also important to recognise water damaged buildings 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

Contact your insurer before authorizing repairs and check what you are covered for. But beware of finalising premature repair work as the problems may take a few weeks to fully present themselves and may include circumstances such as:

  •  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, Archicentre Queensland spokesperson Mobile: 0412 565 023
     Ron Smith Corporate Media Communications (03) 9818 5700 Mobile: 0417 329 201