Assessment After Water in the Basement

Updated on January 27, 2011
M.T. asks from Saint Paul, MN
6 answers

Hi, we had a waterline burst and had about 2 inches of water in about a quarter of the basement last week. We cleaned it up ourselves and everything seems to be fine on the surface that we can see. When we found out about the water, we called the insurance company right away and were told of companies that clean up the water and also assess for any water damages. We connected with these companies, but since it seemed like we can clean things up ourselves, we did not hire them. They also seemed to think if the water depth was about two inches, it was unlikely to do damage inside the walls.

Now, about a week later, the insurance agent called asking if we were filing any claims, and he strongly recommended we still have one of the companies come in and assess for any damages. It will cost about 125 dollars. I wonder if any of you have had such experience of having a company come and assess for damages (and pay for it) and thought it was worth it? Would they still be able to tell anything after 1 week? Please let me know. Thank you!

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A.C.

answers from Madison on

All I'm going to say is that I would be concerned about the issue of mold (since it happened in the basement). Not necessarily visible mold, but mold that would lurk behind drywall or particle board (if your basement was finished) or might grow on backed up/puddled water that is caught underneath stuff. If your basement isn't finished, you probably don't have anything to worry about. If it is finished, then I would think about having someone come out to specifically check for mold. Or any upcoming mold problems/damage.

G.T.

answers from Modesto on

You wont get any mold if you have been successful at removing the moisture. If you FEEL water soaked into the wood and is going to stay wet you might want to call someone out... but it may be too soon for an actual mold inspector. I'd run a fan down there to make sure the air circulates well enough and I doubt you will have any mold problems. I'd save my 125. You might want to ask your insurance company to keep that claim open for awhile, you will know by summer if there is going to be a residual moisture issue.

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J.L.

answers from Minneapolis on

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N.R.

answers from Des Moines on

Water damage companies are in business to make a profit. I'm not saying they are not reputable, etc., but YOU have to listen to what they say and not just let them tell you something HAS to be done or you'll get sick from mold inside the walls, etc. If you had any carpet that got wet then I would be concerned about future mold. If the floors were concrete then it's not as much of a problem. Listen to them but use your own common sense.

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S.W.

answers from Minneapolis on

Mold is a very bad problem to have. I would have them come look to be sure you won't have an ongoing problem.

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T.D.

answers from Bismarck on

We had a similar situation (long story) - and felt the damage was under control after working non-stop to remove all water as quickly as possible and used a carpet cleaner to help lift the excess from the carpets. We did lift up one carpet immediately and rested all equipment on blocks of wood - but knew the big picture was the cause (frozen sprinkler system + frozen hot tub, not winterized by former owner had burst, ruined both and leaked into the house). I did phone the cleaning company - YES the money spent was worth it. I was very frustrated at the time, remembering how little they actually did for the money - since we had worked so hard ourselves - however, it was and still is peace of mind. He removed baseboard that was still wet on the back side - which allowed us to fully dry it out vs. grow a creeping mold back there + cut out small sections of sheetrock right behind where base trim had been - showing where moisture still existed (had a moisture test thingee ?? hydrometer or ?? ) and he placed those big commercial fans right at the spots he cut out.

24 hours later, he assured us we'd kept mold away. In the process, we are comforted in knowing not only that, but we were able to point at all of the damage when presenting to the insurance company (this was a small part of that total) AND we know what to do if anything unfortunate like this happens again. Additionally, he convinced us to place a sump pump. So the effort was largely worth every penny !

Good luck with your decision!

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