A wee damp issue...

David_Aldred

Hi Whistling Gypsy,
Hindsight is a great thing but hopefully you took date stamped digitial photographs of the pipe burst when it was opened up / and photos of the damage prior to you stripping things back, in addition to keeping receipts from contractors especially from a plumber regarding the leak that you could use in evidence to support any claim.

There is a considerable difference between the amount of moisture an industrial sized de-humidifier will pull out of a building and a domestic unit. Again such costs you have incurred should be documented. Be mindful of causing excessive shrinkage / warping etc during any drying down phase especially if heat is used to assist such process.

Timbers in contact with the dampness / wetness are at risk of decay including dry rot and increased risk of wood boring insect attack during the drying down phase.

Even under good conditions once a moisture source is resolved the best that can be hoped for is a natural rate of drying down of 25mm wall thickness / per calender month. This does not take into account forced drying.

Floor slabs especially if there is a damp proof membrane beneath them are often the last thing to dry down and may take well over a year to dry down. Those laying moisture sensitive floor finishes on top of such floors should be asked to confirm the solid floors are acceptably dry prior to laying their floor finishes so they have the liability if the floors are unsuitable.

Whilst tanking and major re-plastering may be appropriate for solid external walls in some circumstances, it should be appreciated that such will work will introduce a considerable amount of water into the property when you are really wanting to dry it down as soon as you can. Such construction moisture associated with these wet trades will also add to drying times and will not make the walls any more thermally efficient. Such systems also require a very high standard of workmanship in substrate preperation and application. This being the case you might want to consider alternative insulated waterproof dry lining systems with fully effective vapour barriers.

Be mindful that long standing plumbing leaks may have an adverse affect upon the structural stability of the house and surrounding services, if for instance fines from soil have been washed away.

You may need a competant loss adjuster to fight your case should you wish to attempt to recover costs from others. Hope this helps, kindest regards, David Aldred Independent damp and timber surveyor.