It looked as though New Wife and I would be able to move back into our apartment around next Monday (March 8), but that was before we went back there yesterday evening to get a few things. Here’s what greeted us, firstly the living room:
…and the laminate flooring has gone bye-bye too. Next, the entrance hall:
And finally, the master bedroom:
…but amazingly, the carpet (which was soaked) is being covered up to protect it from the carnage — which means they don’t plan on replacing it. Uh huh. Time for a little explanation of the facts of life to Management…
But it looks as though month-end will be a more realistic move-in time, now.
And once again, folks: Thank you all so much for your unbelievable generosity. It has made all the difference, by enabling us to order replacement furniture and such before the insurance company made its final settlement offer — the excellent news being that we’ll be getting a full settlement of our stated replacement value, and the funds will arrive either tomorrow or the next day. But having that little bit of financial security immediately after the catastrophe made all the difference to our mental well-being, and we are eternally grateful.
No fire blocks in those frame walls. If this is a multi-family building that is most likely a building code violation. The exception would be if fire sprinklers are installed in each unit.
The fire sprinklers are ubiquitous. As it happens, it was the sprinkler system’s pipes which burst on the top floor… and the sprinkler heads (and the holes they make in the ceilings) were the main source of the water pouring into our apartment.
Hopefully the repair will include high pressure PEX single source lines with manifolds located so that leakage damage is minimized.
The existing wooden studs and plates need to be encapsulated on all sides so as to stunt or limit mold growth, up to a height of 48″ above finished floor.
Suspended ? What do the astronauts call it ? Hell its just a mid course correction.
Oh, and make sure mgmt knows you will be installing a floor level DRAIN in the apt !! Lol
God Bless…
Now ‘suggest’ to your landlord that now is the perfect time to install ethernet to every room. You want Cat 6 ethernet and NOT copper-clad aluminium (CCA). At least 2 ports per room, four behind the TV, and some in key ceiling points for wifi (depending upon the size of your flat). You may not need so many but your children and grandchildren will appreciate it.
Glad to hear things are moving along – not nearly as fast as you would like, I’m sure, but you ARE making progress.
As to the carpet, personal experience has been –
If the all that happened is the carpet got wet, very wet, but just wet, no grease, paint, burns, stains, permanent damage then they usually just dry it an put it back in place.
You can challenge them but ……………………………..
If it starts to smell or mold, that would be an easy lease-breaker in most places.
Mgmt: Kim, these carpets are made of the finest woven petrochemical products and are therefore impervious to mold.
Agreed about the carpet. I had a similar experience. But don’t put up with ANY mold in the walls or ceiling.
Usually the carpet must be peeled back to expose the under mat/padding to dry it. In flooded conditions, that pad will not dry if left under the carpet. (Carpet tends to be nearly waterproof in the backing, so once the pad gets wet it can’t evaporate.) It will go moldy before it gets dry. And, it must be dried with fans to beat the mold. Probably should have a mold killer applied after drying. Might have to pull up the padding to get it totally dry, but ISTR that it is too delicate normally to handle wet. Depends on the type.
Make DAMN SURE the walls/insulation are dry before they put up wallboard. There is testing gear to check this. Don’t rush the drying situation. You REALLY don’t want black mold growing inside or under anything. Check how well your neighbors are doing. If a building gets black mold established inside the structure, they tend to condemn/bulldoze it to fix it.
Poster above are correct about mold and I should have made clear what was done in my case.
The carpet and the padding was removed. Both were taken to what can only be described as a warehouse, set up for the purpose.
The carper and the padding were hung up on a mechanism similar to large laundry clothes lines and dried with fans blowing on them – quite an interesting set up actually !