Water damage to house | GTAMotorcycle.com

Water damage to house

DJM

DJM

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Got an outside wall of my house with water intrusion damage. Brick fascia, OSB on studs and pink fibreglass. Looks like a 20 foot section of complete wall will need to be replaced as OSB is rotten and studs are wet/soft. Looks like it's been going on for years, house is 18 years old so no warranty.

Guy at work built 2 of his own houses, says he can do it. I was thinking renovation company with permits but $$$. Thoughts?
 
As mentioned, you really need to understand the root cause, which should be done by a qualified person, such as a licensed engineer. Why? Liability.

Could Bill from work fix it? Maybe. If all goes well, you'll have a few beers and laugh at the quotes and money you saved beating the system. Now, what if it doesn't. Bill is a handy guy, but is not licensed for this work I am guessing. What does that contact look like? Does he promise there will be no issues, how long is the guarantee? Here is the kicker, it doesn't matter. For a contract to be enforceable in court, there are 5 requirements. One of those is capacity. A chemical engineer has no business stamping a bridge, nor does Bill likely have actual qualifications for this work. Anything you sign won't matter.

If it does go south, you could end off worse off than when you started and pay a heavy price for doing this correctly with no legal route to go. It always looks cheaper up front, but shortcuts rarely are. There is a reason this is a first world country with building standards, codes, and license requirements. At the very least, have a qualified person help you understand the problem, they do this for a living.
 
bummer
so something wasn't done right at construction
getting a buddy from work to rectify is maybe not the best plan

do you know how the water was getting into the wall?
mold I think would be a concern, maybe beyond what you can see
 
Has all of the damage been exposed and, as crankcall asks, the source of intrusion found? This sounds like a major budget item to start with and part way through the rebuild the contractor could find additional damage.

Are the studs rotted or just soft? 2X4's aren't hardwood. Can / will they dry out without mold problems?

I don't know the guy at your workplace and he may be excellent for the job. However I have an associate that makes similar claims and his workmanship isn't particularly good.

The hardest part of the job is finding someone who is capable and honest so you know what to expect.

I"m under the assumption that you've stripped the outside wall from the inside and hopefully done whatever you can to get the thing drying out to prevent mold. This includes fixing the source of intrusion.

I'm a cynic when it comes to small job contractors. To many get-rich-quick ones out there that talk well but sub things out to untrained people with little or no supervision.

How long can you live with a proper dry out of the section? Moisture meters for wood aren't that expensive.

Where is the house and are others experiencing the problem? Assuming a subdivision, was it a flawed design or did someone forget one flashing?

Where is the house?
 
Is this a foundation wall, above ground wall? OSB??
 
Sounds like an awesome place to knock out some wall and install a small solarium.
or just fix it yourself at a fraction of the cost.
 
Not that this is totally relevant but it might make you feel better:

Many years ago my buddy bought a house south of Montreal just before there was a historic flood. The army was called in, sandbags laid etc but there was still plenty of water damage. After the river receded they needed to address the problem....so the house got put up on giant jacks and stilts were put underneath. Hey presto, no more flood problems.
 
We are currently in the middle of re doing a siding job for a customer as he had similar issues to the OP. A lot of the time the leak is around the window or a separation band. Just a poor install. Our customer had 7 sheets of osb that needed to be replaced.
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Get a contractor that has references and experience with similar projects, check with your insurance company as some of that ma be covered as part of your home policy
 
mbroyda said:
Get a contractor that has references and experience with similar projects, check with your insurance company as some of that ma be covered as part of your home policy
Click to expand...

I don't like the concept of constantly picking contractors brains but if I didn't understand the process I wouldn't accept the first remedy suggested. I would ask a lot of people and manufactures a lot of questions. Sometimes a person comes up with what sounds like a good new idea but if they haven't depth in the field it could be another disaster. I don't buy into the "Trust me I know what I'm doing" song.

Trials makes an interesting point with making a change. If you put back what was there the money doesn't show. Could you and would you want to, on the same budget, have something new and better? If you're spending the coin why not try to get something to show for it?
 
;) excavate a few feet outside the problem area, lay in some drainage, footers, backfill it with a wall of greenhouse glass and a nice curved top glass. You can even get fancy roll down blinds and stuff, all it takes is money, except this is money invested into your enjoyment of the house and building its equity if you do it right so it's a pretty sound solution.
... never buy the glass with plastic film in the middle.

If it's on a north facing wall grow nice orchids, if it faces south get ready for some serious solar gain on sunny days.
 
Don't get a friend to do it, or you might not be friends after.
 
nobbie48 said:
I don't like the concept of constantly picking contractors brains but if I didn't understand the process I wouldn't accept the first remedy suggested. I would ask a lot of people and manufactures a lot of questions. Sometimes a person comes up with what sounds like a good new idea but if they haven't depth in the field it could be another disaster. I don't buy into the "Trust me I know what I'm doing" song.

Trials makes an interesting point with making a change. If you put back what was there the money doesn't show. Could you and would you want to, on the same budget, have something new and better? If you're spending the coin why not try to get something to show for it?
Click to expand...
references and experience with similar projects is key, but its very hard to find in the residential sector, as everyone pretends to be an expert in everything, like the guy that has "basements, plumbing, tile, drywall, electrical, hardwood, gas" written on the side of his van.
 
I’m not sure the rules here as far as this goes so.
I’m not soliciting I’m offering as a fellow member.
We’re are you located? If it is anywhere near Durham region I could come take a peak.
Licensed carpenter with 25 years experience. 10 self employed
9 with an insurance restoration company as carpenter and as supervisor
Currently own a construction company doing flood damage repairs for most of the top restoration franchises in gta, durham and kawarthas
With liability ins, wsib

If not me then find someone like me. Not a buddy
Your house is worth a lot more than your bike but you don’t let just anyone wrench on your bike right!

If this violates any rules please just delete and move on. I don’t need the work but was just trying to help.

Jeremy
 
Ok, so this is a job for professionals, I'll start calling around on Monday. So basically if I call a renovation expert, they should be able to handle all the other tasks like architectural advice and permits?
 
Hard to say :| we still haven't seen the problem yet.
I'm bias towards fixing things myself but that's because I've always been building stuff and no stranger to construction practices, but I totally understand that some people can't even hammer a nail so you have to choose your own comfort level when it comes to home repairs.

" if I call a renovation expert, they should be able to handle all the other tasks like architectural advice and permits?"
I'm a firm believer in hiring people to do what they do best and not burdening them with stuff that is outside their realm of expertise, a hands on builder is not necessarily a good architect and building permits are best obtained by the owner in my experience.

If you are just repairing an existing wall you don't need an architect to draw up something that already exists and if it is just repairing an existing wall I bet you could do that without significant permit requirements, depending on your neighbourhood.
 
Given that this is an exterior wall, it will be structural and should get a permit. In this case, I think that is a worthwhile investment as they gives another competent (theoretically) set of eyes to review the plans and temporary supports so you don't end up on he news with a collapsed house.
 
Most “competent” renovation contractors “should” be able to handle this without a drawing. Permit is required if there is structural damage, not if it’s just finishes.
Some reno contractors are only experienced in new construction or renovation.
Not necessarily experienced at locating leaks or identifying the extent of a problem.
Best to find someone who deals with this type of work.
You don’t hire a framing carpenter to install a kitchen. Some can do both but not all.

Post pics and I may be able to advise better
 
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