Water damage is never good. Water damage on the 2nd floor of a commercial building is even worse. Water damage on the 2nd floor of a commercial building when the 2nd floor deck inexplicably has plastic under all the plywood is a nightmare.
This is just what we encountered last week in Stockton, CA.
There Are Good Surprises, Then There Are These Surprises
We’ve yet to determine why this building was constructed with a vapor barrier (plastic) between floors. What we do know is that while this vapor barrier saved damage to the 1st floor (by retaining the water), it caused extensive damage to the 2nd floor sub floor because it was immersed in water for hours. Our main concern is ensuring the floor is dried out as quickly as possible to prevent mold growth.
Pictures
A few pictures of the damage:
Here you can see the plastic under the 2nd floor sub floor. (After water was removed)
Water naturally spreads to the lowest point and then begins "wicking" up Sheetrock paper, creating bubbles like this.
Undulation in the carpeting is another sign of extensive damage below.
Conclusion
We’ll be sure to post pictures of this job when it’s complete. To see other examples of water, fire and mold repair, click here!
