Hello everyone,
I am quite new to the forum and unfortunately, a really unpleasant incident has brought me here.
We bought a house located in a newly developed area where a total of 160 houses were built by one company.
The interior finishing work was carried out by subcontractors, with whom we were still able to plan some final details.
In the main bathroom, we decided not to install a shower fitting and planned to install it ourselves instead of buying the expensive one from the bathroom company.
So, at the handover on Wednesday, the fitting was naturally not installed yet, and the pipes coming out of the wall were exposed but sealed off.
So far, so good! When I returned to the house for the first time since the handover yesterday, there was a large puddle in the living room on the ground floor, and on the ceiling, there was a big water stain around the cable intended for the dining table lamp.
I immediately called the construction company, who told me to contact the plumbing company. I did that, and a technician came to find and fix the cause.
The problem was with the pipes in the shower in the bathroom above. The plug that was supposed to seal them was not watertight, and water leaked behind the wall, traveling through the cable slot down into the living room.
For now, it is fixed and no longer dripping, which is good. But the bad feeling remains, and we don’t know how to handle this situation.
Neither of us knows anything about such issues, and the plumber just says, “No problem, it will dry out in a few days. The wall is made of calcium silicate brick, which absorbs and then dries the water, and the ceiling between the ground floor and the first floor is concrete, so nothing will happen!”
However, we are worried that water is now inside the ceiling cavity, which cannot dry properly. We are afraid of mold or other problems that might develop in our brand new house. We already expect that the construction and plumbing companies will downplay this. We would feel better if an independent building inspector could take a look. Who would have to pay for this if necessary? Can the plumbing company be held responsible since they caused the issue?
Thank you in advance, and I look forward to your helpful advice!
Best regards and have a foot-dry weekend
jessica
I am quite new to the forum and unfortunately, a really unpleasant incident has brought me here.
We bought a house located in a newly developed area where a total of 160 houses were built by one company.
The interior finishing work was carried out by subcontractors, with whom we were still able to plan some final details.
In the main bathroom, we decided not to install a shower fitting and planned to install it ourselves instead of buying the expensive one from the bathroom company.
So, at the handover on Wednesday, the fitting was naturally not installed yet, and the pipes coming out of the wall were exposed but sealed off.
So far, so good! When I returned to the house for the first time since the handover yesterday, there was a large puddle in the living room on the ground floor, and on the ceiling, there was a big water stain around the cable intended for the dining table lamp.
I immediately called the construction company, who told me to contact the plumbing company. I did that, and a technician came to find and fix the cause.
The problem was with the pipes in the shower in the bathroom above. The plug that was supposed to seal them was not watertight, and water leaked behind the wall, traveling through the cable slot down into the living room.
For now, it is fixed and no longer dripping, which is good. But the bad feeling remains, and we don’t know how to handle this situation.
Neither of us knows anything about such issues, and the plumber just says, “No problem, it will dry out in a few days. The wall is made of calcium silicate brick, which absorbs and then dries the water, and the ceiling between the ground floor and the first floor is concrete, so nothing will happen!”
However, we are worried that water is now inside the ceiling cavity, which cannot dry properly. We are afraid of mold or other problems that might develop in our brand new house. We already expect that the construction and plumbing companies will downplay this. We would feel better if an independent building inspector could take a look. Who would have to pay for this if necessary? Can the plumbing company be held responsible since they caused the issue?
Thank you in advance, and I look forward to your helpful advice!
Best regards and have a foot-dry weekend
jessica
J
Jessica85ber17 Oct 2020 10:36icandoit schrieb:
Has impact sound insulation and screed already been installed? Then you also have moisture in the insulation?
With a dehumidifier, it should be fine within a few days.Yes, everything is finished. I think the dryer is probably the most important thing now. And the tip about the building insurance from Ötzi Ötztal was also good. We will give that a try.
J
Jessica85ber17 Oct 2020 10:38icandoit schrieb:
If possible, dry the damp wall from the inside using a heater. Do not place any furniture in front of it.It is an exterior wall.Ötzi Ötztaler17 Oct 2020 10:40
Look at the bright side: the remaining damp new construction will be thoroughly dried out, hopefully entirely covered by insurance.
It’s a good question whether it’s better to keep the ventilation system running or turned off during professional building drying. Afterwards, the system is definitely very valuable, especially in this situation. And spending the time until Christmas with a comfortable indoor temperature—in a T-shirt or even a swimsuit—sounds better.
It’s a good question whether it’s better to keep the ventilation system running or turned off during professional building drying. Afterwards, the system is definitely very valuable, especially in this situation. And spending the time until Christmas with a comfortable indoor temperature—in a T-shirt or even a swimsuit—sounds better.
Ötzi Ötztaler schrieb:
Look on the bright side: the remaining moisture in the new building will dry out properly, hopefully fully covered by insurance.
Good question whether it’s better to keep the ventilation system running or switch it off during professional drying. Afterwards, the system is definitely invaluable, especially in this situation. And until Christmas, it’s more comfortable temperature-wise to stay in a T-shirt (or even a swimsuit) indoors. The dehumidifier works wonders.J
Jessica85ber17 Oct 2020 12:20icandoit schrieb:
What is the exterior wall construction?I was only told yesterday that it is made of sand-lime brick, and that is all that is listed in the building specification; unfortunately, I can’t provide more details at the moment.