How Remodeling Mistakes Can Cause Water Damage to Your Home

8/27/2020 (Permalink)

When homes are being remodeled, there are a lot of moving parts happening, especially if the project involves multiple professionals such as plumbers, electricians, painters, etc. Even with the best intentions and most professional contractors, mistakes can happen. These remodeling mistakes can cause water damage to your home which can undermine all your remodeling efforts if it requires a substantial repair.

Plumbing mistakes during remodeling

Even the most experienced plumbing professionals make mistakes that result in water damage in unexpected places. A bathroom remodel that results in leaking or poor drainage requires another look at the plumbing renovation and restoration of damage done to your home should a leak occur. SERVPRO of Phoenix technicians can detect where the water leak is coming from as well as how to return your home to preloss condition. Water damage after a remodeling of your Phoenix bathroom is a frustrating outcome for the homeowner and the remodeling professional.

Common plumbing errors during remodeling and reconstruction

There are several errors that can happen during remodeling that can result in water damage. A decision to use a diverter spout to add a handheld shower in your bathroom causes a blowback issue resulting in water spraying inside your wall as well as through the showerhead. Even a small amount of blowback results in significant harm over time. A desire to retain the character of the original bathroom, or a desire to save a little money, drives the decision to add to existing plumbing rather than tear out and replace can cause issues. Unfortunately, the older pipes need help to connect with modern fixtures. If the connections added fail to seal and balance water pressure correctly, leakage occurs. Significant plumbing upgrades such as adding a bathtub or shower where one didn’t exist before can cause potential issues too if not done right. Slab leaks, misaligned pipes, or insufficient plumbing can all occur if a plumbing professional isn’t careful. These types of leaks often go unnoticed until significant damage occurs.

What to do if you have water damage during remodeling

If you or your contractor notice a leak, the first issue is to address the cause of the leak immediately, While the responsible plumbing contractor will likely address this, it’s a good idea to contact SERVPRO. They can find and address the leak, and then address the water damage caused by the leak to prevent further issues such as mold growth. SERVPRO can locate the problem and take steps to dry out the saturated areas. An older bathroom, for example, has a large access panel in an adjacent room, closet, or hallway that our technician can open to find the leak and then keep open to direct airflow that removes the moisture. We work with plumbing contractors to resolve the blowback problem as we dry out the area behind the bathtub and shower. We’ll follow the source of the water to discover any migrating moisture causing damage to the walls or ceilings below. SERVPRO water damage technicians still develop drying goals to ensure any leaks behind the plaster avoid secondary damage like mold growth or disintegration. Air movers and dehumidifiers do a thorough job of removing the moisture once the source of the leak is fixed. Damaged paint or staining can restore to the pre-leak condition when touched-up after drying is complete so the remodeling job can continue to move forward.
 
If a remodeling project takes an unexpected turn, SERVPRO of Phoenix has the staff, experience, and equipment to get things back on track. Call for an appointment at (480) 503-2090.