If your home was flooded you may be facing critical decisions about which structural components in your home can be saved and which should be replaced.
Not sure where to start?
That’s ok. At Design Tech Homes we’ve dealt with plenty of flood-damaged homes and we’re here to help you get back to normal.
In order to help answer many of these questions, we have compiled information that addresses a list of eight specific items in your home
Ready to go? Let’s get started!
1. Replacing Flood Damaged Wiring
If your home was built between 1965 and 1972, there is a possibility that aluminum wiring was used throughout the home. Aluminum is no longer used for general wring today because it was deemed a fire hazard. If your home contains aluminum wiring and the floodwater reached the electrical outlets you will be required by the city to replace the wiring in the whole house.
However, if your home had copper wiring you will only need to replace the outlet or switches that were affected by the water.
Homes built between the mid-1950 to 1980’s were most likely built with Gypsum and a water resistant coated paper to wrap the exterior of the home. Both of these must be removed if your home was affected by floodwaters. We have developed a solution that will not require you to remove the brick or siding on the exterior of your home.
2. Do Pipes Affected By A Flood Have To Be Replaced?
Homes built between 1945 and 1980 might contain galvanized piping. You can tell because it will not be the color of copper. The serviceable life of galvanized piping is 40 years.
If the flood affected your home and you had to open up the walls, now is a great time to address this issue. You need to replace these pipes before closing up the wall because they will start to fail soon.
In other words:
The pipes probably don’t have to be replaced because of the flood. But if you accessing the pipes to fix other damaged areas, it’s well worth your time to replaced galvanized piping.
3. Flood Damaged Windows
Windows affected by floodwaters can be tricky to deal with.
If you have double paned windows that have been under water for more than 24 hours you have a high likelihood that the seal will fail and glass will fog between the panes.
However, this damage may not be immediately apparent. It’s best to get an expert to examine the windows – and if you are insured please address this with your adjuster.
4. What To Do With Moisture In Walls
Bad news: if your walls are wet, you have to open them up.
Before closing back up your walls you need to check the moisture reading on the studs. The reading should be below 15% before you insulate and close up your walls. Be aware that it may take up to 3-6 weeks to get your home to this level of dryness.
Anything more than 15% moisture level may result in mildew in your walls. This is a problem, but if you find yourself there we have solutions! IF your home has been affected by flooding you may want to read our blog: Cleaning And Removing Mildew From Exterior Walls And Siding
Thankfully, there is no rush to close your walls back up. Other materials that need replacing like cabinets likely won’t arrive for 6-8 weeks, so please wait for the proper moisture levels before closing your walls in again.
5. Replacing Flood Damaged Tile Flooring
How do you know if you should keep or remove tile floors that have been affected by flooding?
If your home was underwater for more than 3 days water can soak below the tiles. The best course of action, in this case, is replacing the tiles.
If you have to keep the tile due to budget restrictions we suggest using epoxy grout stain to seal the grout joint.
Beware: Don’t do this for several months as there may be moisture trapped under the tile. Before sealing any grout joints we recommend testing the tile with a moisture meter.
6. Natural Stone
Homes containing natural stone, like mud-set marble will have to bid goodbye to this beautiful material.
Marble and travertine are soft and porous. Many times after drying a film will permanently remain on the surface, which is caused by effervescence. This is caused because minerals leach out of the stone.
7. Fireplaces Damaged By Floodwaters
According to a bulletin released by Hearth and Home, if your fireplace unit is not a masonry fireplace then it most likely has to be replaced if it was affected by floodwaters.
8. Replacing A/C Units That Got Flooded
You will have to replace the whole A/C unit if it went underwater. Otherwise you will have to replace the condenser motor, contactors, capacitors and electrical components on the units. If your water heater was submerged it needs to be replaced.
Conclusion
It seems as though we’ve had to break a lot of bad news in this article! Our goal is not to be unsympathetic, but rather to help you preserve the long term quality of your home.
At times, the best option for a home damaged by floodwaters is to start over.
If you find yourself in those shoes, you may find some of our other blogs helpful:
As a custom home builder in Central Texas, Design Tech Homes is ready to offer our services to those suffering from flood damage.
We offer remodeling services and new construction in the Houston, San Antonio, and Waterfront Properties areas.
Take a look at our floor plans and contact us today. We look forward to hearing from you!
DTH Restoration & Remodeling
281-825-4469
DTH.com/restoration
