What's The Damage?

First thing to do (after soaking up the water) was to determine the full extent of damage. Quick examination of the basement floor showed no ill effects, other than some bubbling of the paint layer in a couple of areas. No big deal. The water hadn't been there long.

With a utility knife I cut a vertical line down the vapour barrier, peeling it back like an orange. I felt the insulation inside. Dry on the surface, but digging deeper I could feel it was soaked. Not good. At this point I resolved that all insulation in the vicinity would have to come out. I don't want to risk inviting a mold colony into the basement. Something tells me they don't pay rent!

Pulling the insulation out from around the hose tap exit and getting my handheld light in there I could see where the water came from. The top of the foundation wall was soaked, and the wood support (anyone know what this is called?) looked pretty badly stained at its base. Water had been coming out the hole onto the top of the wall. A black scrim layer (again, anyone know the name of this?) separating the wood had been soaked pretty badly. I think its purpose is to keep the natural moisture in the concrete foundation from sitting against the wood frame of the house. Either way, no chance this was coming out. Tearing down the back half of the house is not an option.

The visible pipes looked okay. A little oxidized, but no leaks or bad joints. The problem had to be downstream. A nice little pipe chicane provided an easy location to cut. I could then pull the pipe out from outside the house without having to play with the hose valve (I've since learned these are called hose bibs).

Oh, did I forget to mention all the bugs? Probably 20 potato bugs were scurrying around, having a grand old time in the warmth and moisture. Despite that, all in all the damage didn't look that bad. My dad assured me that wood can handle short-term wetness. It doesn't look like the water roamed very far or wide. The job ahead was clear:

1. Kill the bugs
2. Fix the plumbing
3. Pull and replace the insulation
4. Seal up the area against moisture(that is: tape & patch the vapour barrier, and caulk the wall penetration)

Future posts will discuss the initial plumbing disassembly and repair. Hope you're enjoying!