BURST GEYSER AND RESULTANT DAMAGES CLAIM

ASSESSMENT

Black Bird Construction was contacted by the client’s insurance company to assess and conduct repair work. An assessment took place at the client’s property in Fresnaye, where various items were inspected and a quotation was then generated and accepted by the insurer and client. Below is a breakdown of what transpired during the claim and excerpts of the assessor’s findings have been included as a means to explain the various building work required to repair the damages. The scope of work has also been included along with photos of the damages before and after the repairs were completed. We hope you enjoy the post and if you would like to learn more about Black Bird Construction please feel free to contact us.

REPORT

Damage Report:

The damages affecting the property stem from the geyser cylinder failing. Water bled from the geyser and damaged multiple ceilings in the home due to its position in the roof cavity. The damaged ceilings affected include the main passageway through the home, toddler’s bedroom and the guest bathroom just off the passageway. All affected ceilings will need to be repaired to ensure the home is placed back in the condition it was prior to the incident occurring.

Other affected property includes the following; the laminated flooring boards, interior walls, skirting boards and trims. A door has also been affected and there is concern regarding the electrical work and the built-in cupboard units in the bedrooms.

I have provided a thorough breakdown of the required work needed to repair the ceilings and other resultant damages in the below SOW (Scope of works).

Ceilings (Passageway, bathroom and bedroom):

Sections of both affected ceilings will need to be removed and replaced with new rhino board.
The batons above will need to be replaced and the brandering re-instated.
The existing insulation will need to be replaced.
Skimming plasterwork to be applied to the newly installed ceilings.
Once all the above-mentioned repair work to the ceilings have been completed, priming and painting of the ceilings can commence.
The surrounding walls and door frames will also need to be attended to.
One of the doors in the passageway will need to be planed and resized due to swelling.
A thorough breakdown of the required repairs needed to the ceilings has been provided in the below SOW.

Walls (Passageway, bedrooms and dining room):

Due to the position of the geyser (Above the common-wall wallplate – Bedrooms and bathrooms) many of the room’s walls have been affected in either a major way or minimal way.
The passageway walls have been the worst affected with the bedroom walls also being affected as well, but not as badly.
These walls will need to be prepped thoroughly and repainted from end-to-end in order to achieve a quality finish as per the existing walls.

Flooring & Skirting (All affected areas):

Due to the water bleeding down the walls and pooling on the floor, the flooring boards positioned along the passageway have been very badly affected and have begun to peel and warp.
Large gaps gave developed between the joins meaning that the boards have begun to contract due to the moisture they have absorbed.
The flooring will need to be lifted and new boards fitted as there is no possible way to purchase the same type of board.
The screed will also need to be given time to dry.
The skirting boards and the trims at each door are re-usable and will be re-fitted once the new flooring has been installed.
The one bedroom has been slightly affected with only a couple of the flooring boards at the entranceway showing any visible issues. Thankfully we will be able to re-use the flooring boards lifted from the lounge and dining room areas as spares to repair the affected section of the floor in the bedroom.

Carpentry work:

The carpentry work required at the property includes the removal and re-fitting of the skirting boards and trims.
As mentioned above, the one door in the passageway will need to be planed and refitted.

Note: Unforeseeable damages – Electrical work | Built-in cupboards (BICs)

During my assessment, there did not seem to be any issues with the electrical works. However, due to the nature of the damages we may come across issues at a later stage.
Because of the position of the geyser and how the water bled out of the geyser, the BICs in the main bedrooms has become a concern. There did not seem to be any issues relating to the BICs but as per the electrical work, moisture related damages tend to only become visible at a later stage.
With the above said, it is advised that provisions be made for any contingencies in relation to the electrical work moving forward. This applies to the BICs units as well.

SCOPE OF WORKS

BELOW IS A BREAKDOWN OF THE REPAIR WORK CONDUCTED TO THE RESULTANT DAMAGES AT THE AFFECTED PROPERTY:

Repairs to ceiling (Brandering/repairs):

Remove existing ceilings boards.
Rework ceiling substructure and brandering.
Ensure that the ceiling is level before skimming.

Repairs to ceiling (Rhinoboard replacement):

Supply and fit new ceiling boards.

Repairs to ceiling (Skim plaster):

Apply skimplaster to newly installed ceilings.
Prep for paint application.

Supply and fit of cornices:

Supply all required materials.
Fit cornices where applicable.

Insulation (100mm):

Supply all required insulation.
Fit insulation to roofing cavity.

Repairs to trapdoor:

Repair trapdoor and prep for paintwork.

Paintwork to ceilings (Incl. trapdoor):

Fill, sand and prep ceilings thoroughly before paint application.
Supply and apply priming coat to newly skim-plastered ceiling and cornices.
Apply white PVA paint to the ceiling and cornices.
NOTE: Ceiling to be painted from end to end to ensure a uniform application.

Carpentry (Door):

Remove affected bathroom door.
Plane door to fit frame.
Paint door with matching paint.
Fit to frame.

Flooring | Laminate board:

Remove all skirting boards carefully.
Allow for dehumidifier/dryer to run for 2 days.
Remove all flooring, trims and affected materials.
Supply new laminate boards as per client’s selection.
Supply new underlay.
Price includes all trims – cover-strips, reducer-strips, quadrants, etc.
Price includes cuttings and all required labour.
Cuttings allowance at 10%

Additional flooring | Laminate boards | Bedrooms:

Remove all skirting boards carefully.
Remove all flooring, trims and affected materials.
Supply new laminate boards as per client’s selection.
Supply new underlay.
Price includes all trims – cover-strips, reducer-strips, quadrants, etc.
Price includes cuttings and all required labour.
Cuttings allowance at 10%

Skirting boards – Fitment | Prep | Paint:

Remove all affected/existing skirting boards.
Ensure no skirting boards are broken during the removal/stripping process.
Repair, fill, sand and prime skirting boards.
Re-fit and prep for painting.
Fill all fitment incisions with wood filler.
Apply white enamel as per the existing to the skirting boards.

Skirting boards – Fitment | Prep | Paint:

Remove all affected/existing skirting boards.
Ensure no skirting boards are broken during the removal/stripping process.
Repair, fill, sand and prime skirting boards.
Re-fit and prep for painting.
Fill all fitment incisions with wood filler.
Apply white enamel as per the existing to the skirting boards.

Paintwork to interior walls:

Fill, sand and prep interior walls thoroughly before paint application.
Supply and apply matching colour paint to all affected walls in the bathroom.
NOTE: End-to-end application to be conducted to ensure a high-quality finish.

Paintwork to interior walls:

Fill, sand and prep interior walls thoroughly before paint application.
Supply and apply matching colour paint to all affected walls in the bathroom.
NOTE: End-to-end application to be conducted to ensure a high-quality finish.

Additional interior paintwork – Feature wall 1

Fill, sand and prep interior walls thoroughly before paint application.
Supply and apply matching colour paint to all affected walls in the children’s bedroom.
NOTE: End-to-end application to be conducted to ensure a high-quality finish.

Additional interior paintwork – Feature wall 2

Fill, sand and prep interior walls thoroughly before paint application.
Supply and apply matching colour paint to all affected walls in the second children’s bedroom.
NOTE: End-to-end application to be conducted to ensure a high-quality finish.

Rubble removal | Site clearance: