Sooner:
So sorry to hear about this! Your home is so beautiful it is sad to think of it being damaged. I would definately want a 'second opinion' on the necessary steps to be taken, even if I trusted my builder totally. Even honest, reliable people can make mistakes about what is necessary in a situation like this. Some people are leary of reporting problems to their insurance unless they are sure to make a claim, but it might be necessary. If (God forbid) something else were to happen that you did need to claim, you would want to be sure to have documentation that this problem was resolved so as not to create a conflict on who is responsible for what. Having said that, your insurance agent would likely be a good resource for finding someone to assess the situation for you. I wish you the best-that there is minimal damage and that it is all taken care of quickly and easily.
Good Luck!

Any walls or ceilings that have insulation such as standard fiberglass batts or cellulose that got wet might be checked.

very sorry this happened.

i would insist they remove the entire ceiling in teh room(s) that water poured from the fixtures. once sheetrock gets wet it will start to buckle. and if not dried out thoroughly, mold can form. i am not a big subscriber to the mold scares, not all mold is harmful and every house has mold in it. but it should be checked to be sure.

if the laundry is upstairs, why was the room not water proof with a drain in the floor? this is a MUST for an upstairs laundry.

Thanks for the suggestions. I stopped by my insurance agent's office today for another errand that I've been putting off and casually asked the *hypothetical* question of whether I would need to report to insurance any damage that might occur that is fully covered under the builder's warranty for the first year that we live in the house. I received an unequivocable, "No, if it's fully covered by warranty, no need to report to insurance." So, that answers that question, to my relief.

Insulation - now that you mention it, I'm certain the insulation surrounding the hvac closet (first floor) got wet, as we had water pooling on the floor in that closet. No other interior walls are insulated, but we do need to check that insulation. Had not thought of that, so thanks.

The room where the water caming pouring from the fixtures is our main living space and is a combined living, dining, kitchen space. It seems excessive to tear out the ceiling in that entire space, but that very well may be necessary. Ugh! That seems very disruptive!

This was *not* a laundry room (that's on the first floor). It was the hot water heater and/or whole house water filtration system that leaked. They share a closet on the second floor. No drain in the closet and we passed all plumbing inspections (eventually and before moving in).

I would want the insulation and drywall pulled out and replaced. I am not sure about the lights. I would check on whether they are safe to use once they've been wet like that. I would call the manufacturer.

Just an aside, having a water heater and filtration system on the second level, especially not in a pan with a drain, really makes no sense. While the work is being done I would add a pan with a drain. Our air handler in the attic has a pan with drain and that is much less likely to leak than a water heater. I realize it wasn't your water heater, but the connection, that broke. But water heater catastrophically fail pretty frequently.

We had a similar problem but it happened during the build.

If the insulation is wet, it is best to replace it.

If it is covered under the builder's warranty, then you do not need to turn it into your insurance. The builder would be responsible for correcting it.

We have not had a mold problem from our leaks.

The drywall dried and kilz was used an it was repainted.

After three years I have not noticed a problem. The hardwoods will need to be replaced. Make sure the plywood underneath the hardwood is replaced, too.

Place box fans in the area ro help it dry out faster.

I hope the builder is going to pay to house you elsewhere while the entire ceiling and insulantion are torn out and replaced. Do you have wood floors, trim, whatever? It's *possible* they can be dried out.

I'm a little surprised that you are so calm about this. To me it would be a BIG deal. I don't understand why anyone would build this way -- with all this water on the second level, let alone without a drain. (OH! Is this a tankless water heater?)

Some clarifications. There *is* a pan and a drain under both the hot water heater and the water filter. When the line broke though, it spewed water haphazardly in the closet, in and out of the pans and at such a rapid rate that the pans could not keep up. I wish the option of putting a drain in the entire closet would have been presented to me. That makes sense.

It is a HUGE deal to me. My hubby is in the middle of his first set of law school exams. I can't let him get more stressed than necessary, so for the next two weeks, I'm putting on a "no sweat" face, we'll get this resolved. And, we went through so many ups and downs during the build that I know I can trust the builder to do what is right. It was a little disconcerting that he didn't come to the house today to assess any damage. By the way, we found wet carpet in the bedroom adjacent to and behind the hot water closet. The damage is mounting and the second floor is taking on a gross musty smell.

Thank you for all of the thoughts and the words of encouragement.

This might seem like a huge issue but in reality, itÂs minor. This repair is very simple if done properly so make sure a water restoration contractor does it tomorrow. After 72 hours, the water problem escalates and mold can become a problem. DonÂt let the builder or one of his regular subcontractors do the drying because they donÂt know the proper procedures nor do they have the proper equipment. The builderÂs subs will do any plumbing, drywall, painting and flooring repairs but donÂt let them dry the house.

DonÂt go crazy and ask the builder for unrealistic demands because they will just circle the wagons and you will have the headaches. The goal is to have your home repaired properly, not get into a dispute with your builder. You may have other warranty issues down the road and you donÂt want to be on bad terms with them.

If you need further information about this process, let me know as I have been involved with these issues for almost 25 years.

I'd go with mepop on this one. have a company that specializes in this check it out and dry the house, get their recommendations in writing, and push the builder to do as they advise. See to it that this takes place immediately or the repair will be worse, and the builder should respond well if he realizes that this incident could haunt him down the road if not handled properly. Keep copies of all that is done filed away for further use if needed, and ask your insurance this: What happens down the road if I have a problem and you believe it to be directly related to this incident? Remember, insurance agents have two jobs; 1) to make you believe you need all the insurance they have to sell, and to make you believe you can trust them to take care of you. All the while the insurance company is looking for ways out of any claims, and the agents have no responsibility to teach you how to avoid this. If possible try to get the agents response in writing, if he will not deliver, you can not trust it. You may also want to ask this same question to your builder of his insurance company. Most likely this problem will cause you no further problems, and every thing will be fine from here on, but it's never bad to be safe and prepared. I know it's a lot easier to type this than to do it, and maybe some others will add to this, as to it's necessity, it may very well be a foolish suggestion, I couldn't say because I'm fairly stupid.

"My hubby is in the middle of his first set of law school exams."

I admit, that got more of a "gulp" out of me than the water damage. Having experienced both, I can attest that law school exams are more stressful than a house leak. It's great you are trying to reduce his stress.

I would rip that carpet out ASAP (well, have the builder do it). Pop of the baseboard in the bedroom and check to see if the drywall is wet on the bottom. Drywall usually doesn't go right to the floor, so it may be ok (it may have gone under the plate and was then wicked by the carpet). I assume the drywall is still up? They need to get everything wet out of there so it can dry.

I had the water mitigation guys out to my house three times in the first year after I moved in, so I'm pretty familiar with the drill. If your builder hasn't called them already, call them first thing in the morning and get them out there that same day. If the builder wasn't planning on doing it, do it yourself and present him with the bill afterwards.

They have moisture sensors which they'll use to test the drywall (walls and ceilings). Moisture over a certain level means they'll rip it out so the framing behind can dry out. Within a certain range, they'll just put some fans on it. They may also put fans on the wet framing after ripping out the drywall. In some areas they may just pull the baseboards but leave the drywall alone, depending on how high the water has soaked in. They might also treat some of the wet framing to prevent mold.

The carpet you can lift yourself now. Begin where it's wet, and pull back until you reach a dry spot. Pull up the wet pad as well. Drape the carpet and pad over things like chairs and such to allow air to circulate on both sides. You can actually save the carpet if only a bit is wet and you act immediately to air it out and get fans blowing on the pad and carpet.

The water mitigation crews I worked with really knew their business and were very professional. Once you put yourself in the hands of a competent crew you'll feel much better. But it's more important to get them in and doing their thing now, than worrying about who's going to pay for what. Worry about money and repairs later, do the damage control now.

Good suggestion. I'm going to insist on a water extraction company coming out tomorrow. I'm first going to suggest that the builder get one here, but if he won't I'll do it.

Sue, I know! I'm a practicing lawyer of 6 years now. Though it's been nine years since my 1-L exams, I certainly remember! That's why I'm trying so hard to keep things in perspective for us.

At least it's not summertime! Got low humidity levels?

Am I wrong, thinking these homeowners should be moved out in temp housing until this gets remediated?

I had a water restoration/repair/etc company to the house today and everything seems to be drying out perfectly. There was NO moisture detected in any of the drywall, the baseboards, the insulated walls or the ceiling. I couldn't believe it! We do have damaged hardwood floors, but that is it. The company that I had come out to the house was recommended by a colleague of mine, who had used them in the past and raved about their honesty. (This was not a "friend" of the builder, in other words). I was with the owner of the company as he walked through the house with his moisture detection meters.
The plumber resolved the line that had caused the problem and the builder will replace the floors and subfloor to the extent it needs it. We are so crazy lucky that we were home when this happened. Otherwise, it would have been disaster. Thanks for all of the responses. It certainly makes me feel much better having had a specialist out here.