Hello everyone,
I am writing here on behalf of an acquaintance who has encountered the following situation:
The house construction was nearly complete. The floor coverings (tiles, floorboards, etc.) have been installed. The move-out date from the apartment is set for November 1st, as at that time the occupied condominium will be sold.
The exterior plastering work was done two weeks ago. The company used the water tap connection in the newly built garage (which currently only stands on the concrete slab). The hose came loose there, and water flowed freely from the tap onto the slab for a certain period. Since the concrete slab for the house and garage was poured as one piece, the water on the slab flowed from the garage beneath the house. The insulation layer between the slab and the heating pipes/screed soaked up the water.
This is the current situation. The plastering company offered to offset the damage costs against the outstanding invoice amount. They do not want to further burden their existing liability insurance (!). Personally, I believe that the outstanding invoice amount is far from sufficient to cover the costs for drying and possibly even a hotel room or similar.
Currently, several dryers are running in the house around the clock.
There are two scenarios for a solution:
1. To achieve drying of the insulation layer, X drill holes will be made from above. This means that the tiles, etc., will be damaged, and there is a risk that the heating pipes could be damaged during the drilling (by the heating company). The heating system can then dry the area by allowing water to escape through the holes. This attempt failed last week. The heating company used a thermal imaging camera to locate the heating loops. However, due to the cold weather, the heating was running, so the company only saw one large warm area (likely because the water in the insulation layer warmed to the same temperature as the pipes).
2. I was advised that the drillings could be done from the outside. This means drilling holes all around the house directly above the slab, penetrating to the insulation layer. This way, no tiles are damaged and the heating loops are not affected. The drying can then occur through the side holes by heating. Once everything is dry again, a sealing material (not expanding foam) should be injected into the holes. Additionally, drying could be supported by a few holes from above—but this would not require destroying large areas of tiles.
What can be done in a situation like this?
How practical are the two solutions described above?
Does anyone have any other ideas for a solution?
How would an expert evaluate the situation (based solely on this description)? I believe a moderator here is active in this field.
Thank you very much for your support.
I am writing here on behalf of an acquaintance who has encountered the following situation:
The house construction was nearly complete. The floor coverings (tiles, floorboards, etc.) have been installed. The move-out date from the apartment is set for November 1st, as at that time the occupied condominium will be sold.
The exterior plastering work was done two weeks ago. The company used the water tap connection in the newly built garage (which currently only stands on the concrete slab). The hose came loose there, and water flowed freely from the tap onto the slab for a certain period. Since the concrete slab for the house and garage was poured as one piece, the water on the slab flowed from the garage beneath the house. The insulation layer between the slab and the heating pipes/screed soaked up the water.
This is the current situation. The plastering company offered to offset the damage costs against the outstanding invoice amount. They do not want to further burden their existing liability insurance (!). Personally, I believe that the outstanding invoice amount is far from sufficient to cover the costs for drying and possibly even a hotel room or similar.
Currently, several dryers are running in the house around the clock.
There are two scenarios for a solution:
1. To achieve drying of the insulation layer, X drill holes will be made from above. This means that the tiles, etc., will be damaged, and there is a risk that the heating pipes could be damaged during the drilling (by the heating company). The heating system can then dry the area by allowing water to escape through the holes. This attempt failed last week. The heating company used a thermal imaging camera to locate the heating loops. However, due to the cold weather, the heating was running, so the company only saw one large warm area (likely because the water in the insulation layer warmed to the same temperature as the pipes).
2. I was advised that the drillings could be done from the outside. This means drilling holes all around the house directly above the slab, penetrating to the insulation layer. This way, no tiles are damaged and the heating loops are not affected. The drying can then occur through the side holes by heating. Once everything is dry again, a sealing material (not expanding foam) should be injected into the holes. Additionally, drying could be supported by a few holes from above—but this would not require destroying large areas of tiles.
What can be done in a situation like this?
How practical are the two solutions described above?
Does anyone have any other ideas for a solution?
How would an expert evaluate the situation (based solely on this description)? I believe a moderator here is active in this field.
Thank you very much for your support.
@Payday
This was the first suggestion I also made. I believe our acquaintance will approach it in a similar way.
The information hoped to be obtained from the expert is: How much will it cost? What time frame needs to be planned? What methods or alternatives are available?
The problem is that the family has to move out of their already sold condominium in just two weeks. So a solution needs to be found quickly to prevent them from becoming homeless. Whether the responsible company would or could pay for a hotel room or boarding accommodation remains uncertain.
I will talk to my wife tonight about offering our guest room temporarily starting in November as an emergency solution. Next weekend, my daughter’s friend (the 5-year-old child of both) will already stay overnight with us so that the mother can organize the move while the father tries to continue drying out the house.
This was the first suggestion I also made. I believe our acquaintance will approach it in a similar way.
The information hoped to be obtained from the expert is: How much will it cost? What time frame needs to be planned? What methods or alternatives are available?
The problem is that the family has to move out of their already sold condominium in just two weeks. So a solution needs to be found quickly to prevent them from becoming homeless. Whether the responsible company would or could pay for a hotel room or boarding accommodation remains uncertain.
I will talk to my wife tonight about offering our guest room temporarily starting in November as an emergency solution. Next weekend, my daughter’s friend (the 5-year-old child of both) will already stay overnight with us so that the mother can organize the move while the father tries to continue drying out the house.
f-pNo schrieb:
The plastering company offered to offset the damage costs against the outstanding invoice amount. They don’t want to "further burden" their existing liability insurance (!). Personally, I believe the outstanding invoice amount is far from sufficient to cover the drying costs and possibly even a hotel room or similar.So he basically wants a flat settlement from your friend. I would stand my ground. The exact amount needed to cover the damage repair will be paid. It doesn’t matter to the affected party whether this comes from insurance or Santa Claus – the main thing is that it arrives. Regardless, I would have a legal advisor check whether withholding the unpaid invoice is possible – just to be safe, in case there are any complications.
Edit:
If possible, host the family at your place. It won’t be forever. Friendships for life can grow out of situations like this.
I firmly believe that withholding payment will not cover the costs. On the other hand, I am concerned that if the insurance company or similar parties are repeatedly involved, the company might no longer exist in the end, leaving our acquaintances with nothing.
Overall, the statement about the insurance raises doubts for me. There must have been a pattern of poor workmanship at the company if the insurance threatens to cancel the policy after the next claim.
It’s really an unfortunate situation.
Overall, the statement about the insurance raises doubts for me. There must have been a pattern of poor workmanship at the company if the insurance threatens to cancel the policy after the next claim.
It’s really an unfortunate situation.
B
Bauexperte18 Oct 2016 11:05Hello f-pNo,
I know who you mean; although he is not a moderator (yet), I was also hoping for a response from him. Maybe it will still come.
Basically, water in the insulation layer is a serious issue and one of the main causes of mold in a house. Regardless of the outstanding invoice amount, I strongly advise against going through with this deal! Fixing water intrusion at this point is complex and, not least, expensive, including work that has already been completed. I am familiar with both options but cannot make a recommendation since I do not know all the other parameters; I am not an expert.
I would advise your friend to issue an immediate work stoppage and hire a building inspector specializing in masonry. I am aware that this measure may significantly delay moving in. But please believe me, causing damage that leads to a temporary stay with family and/or friends will come back as a boomerang.
I know who you mean; although he is not a moderator (yet), I was also hoping for a response from him. Maybe it will still come.
Basically, water in the insulation layer is a serious issue and one of the main causes of mold in a house. Regardless of the outstanding invoice amount, I strongly advise against going through with this deal! Fixing water intrusion at this point is complex and, not least, expensive, including work that has already been completed. I am familiar with both options but cannot make a recommendation since I do not know all the other parameters; I am not an expert.
I would advise your friend to issue an immediate work stoppage and hire a building inspector specializing in masonry. I am aware that this measure may significantly delay moving in. But please believe me, causing damage that leads to a temporary stay with family and/or friends will come back as a boomerang.
Similar topics