Leak in kitchen behind plasterboard - insurance claim?

MrBrindle

Surprise surprise, plumber hasn't been in touch and didn't turn up today. Text him the details and picture after speaking with him yesterday morning, and sent a polite text after lunch today asking if he was still available to do the repair. Nothing.

This is why I get so stressed when house issues arise because it's nigh on impossible to get things repaired.

stuart45

If you fancy having a go yourself, speedfit are really easy to use. Access seems the main problem, so it would be better to take a bit more plasterboard away. You might have to cut that stud away. When it's  done let the timber dry out a bit, and try and get the vapour check back as much as possible.

MrBrindle

I am toying with it, although I'm not full of confidence. If I balls it up, or can't do it, that's our water supply gone until a plumber can come out - and I know how difficult that is!

Regarding the vapour barrier, how would I make good of the wall when I cut more plasterboard off (or if the plumber does it)?  Obviously the neater it's done the easier it will be to repair. But how would I attach the new vapour barrier to the existing barrier?

Finally, is it really safe to cut that stud away? I'm quite cautious about that idea tbh!

stuart45

It's fine to cut the stud. You can fix it back later, maybe cut a bit more out to give the pipe a bit more room. For the vapour check, be careful how cut the plasterboard without going through the VC and then you will have enough to tape a new piece to.

MrBrindle

stuart45 said:

It's fine to cut the stud. You can fix it back later, maybe cut a bit more out to give the pipe a bit more room. For the vapour check, be careful how cut the plasterboard without going through the VC and then you will have enough to tape a new piece to.

Sorry, I'm not quite following. When you say fix back later, how exactly? And do you mean cutting the stud entirely in half or just   cut it out so there's a notch in it instead of a hole?

Found this regarding the vapour barrier, decent tutorial? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV3Hu7wBer0

(Sorry for all the questions btw)

stuart45

That guy knows his stuff.
Cut the stud well above the pipe and well below or down to the sole plate.
Then take it out.

MrBrindle

stuart45 said:

That guy knows his stuff.
Cut the stud well above the pipe and well below or down to the sole plate.
Then take it out.

Okedoke. Won't it weaken the structure of the wall though??

stuart45

No. As I said you can put it back later by screwing at an angle to the stud above and back into the sole plate. These things often seem like you are wrecking the house, but once you get started it will fall into place. Don't worry about taking too much plasterboard out.
How old is the house? Is there any insulation?

MrBrindle

stuart45 said:

No. As I said you can put it back later by screwing at an angle to the stud above and back into the sole plate. These things often seem like you are wrecking the house, but once you get started it will fall into place. Don't worry about taking too much plasterboard out.
How old is the house? Is there any insulation?

Ok thanks. 15 year old house, and yes there's insulation  - rockwool or something similar. Which I know isn't ideal because most modern builds now use insulation boards like Celotex!

Bendy_House

MrBrindle said:

.

The bad news is that access is awkward in there. The good is that the final repair doesn't have to be perfect as it's pretty much hidden.

If you fancy tackling this, I'll suggest a procedure. If you don't, have you at least done something to catch the water so it stops causing further damage?

Do you have a saw? Hand, jig or - ideally - tenon? You might wish to remove a further couple of inches of p'board above and below the currently exposed part, and then choose places on that stud - an inch or two above and below the pipe - where to make your cuts. Ie, make sure there are no wires or other pipes there.

Now cut horizontally through the stud, holding the saw at a slight downwards angle for the cut above the pipe, and slightly upwards for the one below.

Take it easy - access is awkward, so allow the saw to do the cutting. Don't force it - it'll likely just stick.

Once you've cut through, that piece of stud should hopefully either lift clean away (if there's been a slot cut for the pipe) or will at least slide sideways to allow you to examine that joint.

Once the pipe repair has been carried out, just give the cut piece of stud a smear of Polyurethane ('Gorilla') glue on each cut surface and reposition it, holding it in place until set - this stull will foam up and fill the saw cut gaps. Jobbie jobbed.

If you get this far, please come back with a new photo of the joint. At the very least, this will allow you access to the leak so you can catch the drips.

As an alternative to saws - if access it really awkward - you can get 'rasp' bits for drills with a serrated edge. You'll need to be able to hold the drill steady, but you can grind your way through the timber stud with this.

Or, treat yourself to a 'multitool' since you are about to become a bona-fide DIYer :-) .