Theres water where ??

pwa

Hi to all, My wife called me at work 2 days ago and said after a severe thuunderstorm our basement had water in it.I have found the cause but after 2 days of having fans on the carpet it is still not dry.The carpet is very short pile kinda like indoor outdoor stuff with a rubber back and is on a cement slab.We sucked up as much as possible with a rug shampoo machine and I cut back a piece of carpet from the orgin of leak to find it quite wet including the baseboard.With water under the rubber backing will it ever dry?Should mold be my most urgent concern?What kinda of mess will I be in trying to scrap the rubber backing up? Thanks in advance for any help Pwa

oh'mike

First off---your insurance may cover this --sometimes without a deductible---they will send in a remediation outfit with big dehumidifiers and fans.

If that's not an option---pulling up the rug may be the best option. It will mold without equipment that you can not get.

Consider a ceramic tile floor with area rugs in the future---they can be sent out for cleaning and drying.

Good luck,Mike

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pwa

Thanks for tips,I live in a small town and would be surprised to find someone with the equipment so pulling it may be my best bet.Whats really bugging me is the rubber backing thats really stuck to the cement maybe even with adhesive.After looking through the archives it look like I am in for alot of scrapping.Would'nt my premiums go up if I turn it into my insurance?

oh'mike

Not always---talk to your agent and ask. Most agent are easy to talk to--the insurance companies them selves might not be as helpful.

Those pads do get stuck to the floor. A oing handled floor scraper makes the job go quickly.--Mike--

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pwa

ok,Ill talk to my agent tomorrow and see what she says,and I am located in grangeville idaho.Thanks, Oh yea, I dont have much head room to spare but would there be some kind of insulation pad and would there be any benifit being a basement

oh'mike

Sorry,no insulation pad for under tile----that's what the area rugs are for.

Electrical heating can be added under the tile,but the cost is very high.

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pwa

Well my insurance deductible is 1000 and it doesnt appear that its gonna dry so I pulled up a couple yards to check it out.The carpet comes right up but the backing.Its funny how you cant get something to stick like this when you try.Gotta go sharpen up some scrappers for tomorrow.Think I am going to go with carpet tiles.Thanks again for the help.Probably post for help when I get there

paradiseenviro

Did you find the leak source? Also, the problem most people get into when they opt out of turning in a claim to insurance is that they think they can get rid of water for under the deductible price and be ok..
Water goes into the drywall like a candlewick, baseboards and especially insulation. It will mold, or at least here in California humidity. It usually starts behind the drywall where you dont see it. It starts with the musty smell then the visible. You should at minimal call out a reputable restoration company like Servpro or someone and have them METER the walls and areas to see if its still wet and drying. They will advise you on what next, usually even help with the insurance dealing. If you still decide to not turn in a claim, here is what most of those companies do.
Meter moisture, fix moisture leakage, remove carpet, padding, wet drywall, insulation, add dehumidifiers as the basement will hold moisture in air, add air movers if no mold is present. If mold is present, your too late. Now you must move into plan B.(Thats a whole other story)
after all is dry, repair.

pwa

Yeah, the leak was from an over loaded downspout that was run into the ground with a gravel bed that was very close to foundation.The basement has always had the musty smell since I bought the house(8 yrs).I was thinking its because theres not a complete vapor barrier in the crawl space.Going by previous water stain maybe this has happen before,I thought maybe a water heater or pipe gave out in the past since this is the first time I have noticed a water problem.Hope it hasnt been going on less severe and unoticed,Think I will pull some base boards and maybe cut an inspection hole in drywall to whats back there? Thanks

oh'mike

Good luck! Take care of that outside drainage problem----Have fun. Consider ceramic and throw rugs,

Those carpet tiles do look nice and are not to costly---Have fun---Mike---

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pwa

Thanks mike, fun is a three letter word, I was thinking of a four

oh'mike

You're welcome---wet basements happen sometimes----I'm watching mine as the water table is up-up-up
and my pumps are running ----Mike----

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HarryJ

Its not too bad if you say it fast to scrape up the foam consider a shorter scraper 12-20" that uses 4" removable blades, pretty inexpensive at you local bldg supply and don't forget knee pads. They're pretty cheap and will make the job easier and safer. you can use 'olfa' blades as inexpensive replacement blades(to keep it sharp). ummmm maybe buy your buddy breakfast and then you can take turns

pwa

yeah the foams not to bad,I got a couple good chisels that hold thier edge pretty.I'm not gonna win any races but its easy.I got a good look at the water damage after pulling off the partical board(instead of drywall)that was used.There is a 2x4 frame in front of the cement basement wall and it looks pretty good to me.No mold but the wood is discolored kinda blackish,its kinda soft but its still wet.yeah the partical board held up great in the water seems pretty stupid to me.

oh'mike

Isn't that stuff amazing when it gets wet? Keep the fans going----punching holes in the drywall below the trim line will aid in drying. Some people just use a finishing hammer to make the holes.--Mike--

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