Water damaged plasterboard

In an instant. Water damaged plasterboard is never the same and is a health hazard if not treated immediately.

Since there is mold developing it needs immediate treatment and you need to watch out for any coughs or a runny nose.

 

If it that bad that the electrics are out then they will have to strip a lot back. It will be easier (and cheaper) to remove and replace, than treat the damage.

Sorry for your loss and hope you aren't inconvenienced too much and get your life back together soon. Let us know if you get any problems with the assessor

 

The whole lot of plasterboard will need to be replaced, once wet plasterboard is NEVER the same, & it's probably cheaper to have a complete rewire than trying to dry out electrics.
Need to strip back to stud, joists & let place throughly dry out, otherwise you will get mould developing very quickly on all damp wood.

 

I suspect - hope - that Micro is jumping the gun a bit. Almost certainly the Loss Adjuster will be recommending complete replacement.

 

Yep...rip it out. Cheaper, easier and done right. Hope all goes well...

 

Nonsense to that. On the inside face of the plasterboard there will already be lots of black spores and mould developed. They are trying to weasel out of sorting it out properly.

 

Remember this is a bit like car insurance, you can contact your own insurance company and they will sort it out for you and deal with the other party. You are under no obligation to use their insurers unless this is a rented property.

 

Plasterboard is a total loss.

 

What a PITA, Micro.

As Sos says, it ain't writ in stone, and - like a car write-off insurance offer - you can negotiate. With a car, you need to show that the equivalent cars are worth more. With building damage, it may well require a second professional opinion.

First Q - do you have 'Legal Protection' included in your own buildings/contens insurance? If so, give them a bell and ask their helpline for advice on how to proceed.

If you don't, then - as you say - you'll likely need your own Loss Assessor/ Surveyor.

How long was the plasterboard soaked by the leak? Can you feel/see and swelling in any of the boards? Any softness?

How long has it already been like this - when did the leak occur? I'm guessing it must have been at least a week ago if there's mould forming? So they'll expect you'll have put up with their 'repair' for effectively a month?! Jeepers.

Might be worth looking at a different angle to put pressure on them, not just that the plasterboard is likely to be permanently damaged.

Let's look at the significant inconvenience to you if you accept their 'repair' method. They really expect you to have a dehumidifier running in your flat for 3 weeks?! Who the hell is expected to put up with that - unless it's their choice to do so (eg - if the leak was from inside your flat and you decided for cost reasons to go the dehumidifier route)? I think that's unreasonable of them. Especially as there's no guarantee that 3 weeks will sort it (who knows how much water is trapped - soaked in the timbers/insulation etc - behind the walls?) And then you'll have to suffer the decorators for more time after this.


And, even if it looks ok after it's dried out, will it really be? Say you wanna hang a picture on that wall - are they going to cover you if the picture hook falls out due to the p'board not being as strong as it should be?


Now, what can you use as an added 'lever'... . Who is living in your flat with you - any kids? Anyone elderly? Anyone with asthma?! Can you feel a wheezing cough start to build in your throat when you wake up in the morn? Are you sure you can't...?

Tell you what, if you'd started a hacking cough whilst talking to the Loss Assessor, adding "Strange - this only started a few days ago, and my wife/kids/dawg/cat are the same...", I bet the colour would drain from his face...

 

Blimey - you cannot even live in your flat because of the damage?!

And their insurance will pay for your hotel? Then surely to goodness they'll want to fix the walls as quickly as they can? And they reckon taking a 3-week gamble with a dehumidifier is the way to go...! Jeepers.

Keep us posted on this one, please, Micro. It's a beaut...