flood damage - are insurers looking after me?

dolly74_2

My house was flooded waist deep with water after flash flooding that affected many residents in my town last month. My insurance company TESCO are saying that my walls do not need replastering. This is despite the kitchen base units and floor tiles being removed. Others we know in our position have had at least some plaster removed. There are salt crystals visible. They are saying they are to do with a pre exisiting problem but i dont remember them being there before. I don't know what to do because if a poor job is done i know it will result in future problems. Any suggestions?

inoutnotsure

If your property has just been affect by water, then normally this can be left in place and does not need to be removed, just needs to dry out properly before decoration. Generally, plastering is removed 1m above the floor level.

If the plaster has been affect by external water, arguably this will contain contaminates and could increase the presence of salts, which then needs to be removed.

If the insurers have sent someone out and considered there to be pre-existing problem, as you intimated, then you are generally not covered as this problem existed before the incident. I suspect this to be related to your damp proof course (DPC)? If so, how long ago was this work completed? Check if there are any guarantees.

If the problem is related to the DPC, then you need to removed the affected plaster (up to 1m), dry the walls out, then get a damp proofing company to either inject resin dpc or fit a bitumous felt type above the 2 course of brickwork above the external path level.

There is quite a good article here for related rising damp, which I think is what you have:
www .buildingconservation.com/articles/risingdamp/risingdamp.htm

dolly74_2

you say it is normally removed 1 metre above. Well they havent removed any of it and the water came in from outside containing sewerage and god only knows what else.