We are proud to be this year’s recipient of the STAR Award for Best Insurance Renovation given by the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County’s Remodelers Council.
The project for which we were recognized was a basement renovation. The home owner came to notice a pinhole leak in the hot water supply line. Because the line is located in a rarely accessed part of the basement, by the time the leak was noticed the damage was done. The leak had been spraying steamy mist throughout the area, which ultimately caused a 100% moisture content in the walls and ceiling.
Moist areas are a breeding ground for mold spores, and this basement’s moisture level allowed the mold colonies to cover all exposed surfaces. This was exacerbated by the HVAC system’s return and supply line, which circulated the spores.
The home owner had to remove everything from the location, cleaning what was salvageable and storing the rest. Then came the deconstruction phase, including the excavation of the entire front wall of the basement. New drains had to be installed and expert mold remediation had to be done.
Once that was complete, we were able to go in and start our rebuilding process. We created a new large bedroom adjoining the full bath and redesigned and updated the wet bar/kitchenette. We also enlarged the bathroom and updated it to include a lovely walk-in tiled shower with frameless shower glass and soap niches, a carefully designed and coordinated vanity with a granite top, new lighting and a wall-hung mirror, as well as tile flooring.
The new living spaces functioned and looked so much better than the original areas. Many energy and water efficiencies, as well as the vastly improved indoor air quality, helped transform the basement into a bright, warm, rich, and inviting sanctuary.
Water Damage Restoration Covered by Insurance
A small pinhole in the coupling of the hot water supply line from the hot water heater developed and began leaking and spraying hot steamy mist. Because of its location in the seldom used finished full basement, it initially went unnoticed.
By the time the homeowners noticed the leaking water, the moisture content in the ceiling sheet rock and well down the walls read 100%. The moist, warm environment proved to be ideal for colonies of mold spores to spread throughout the basement, aided by the HVAC system's return and supply lines circulating the mold spores. It didn’t take long before mold patches eventually covered all of the exposed materials and surfaces, furniture included.
The homeowners had protection from their insurance policy and were able to have repairs done after this unfortunate disaster.
Construction ensued. The ceiling, floors, and all of the interior and exterior walls were stripped down to the wood framing and masonry and disposed of. The first and second floor HVAC duct work was removed, and the entire existing full bath was gutted.
The remodeling included increasing the size of the full bath and removing the shower/tub as well as installing a large and comfortable tile shower. We added a small towel closet, and a separate entry into the adjoining room, which would now be reconfigured into a bedroom. A new EPA water sense-rated commode, a vanity cabinet with a natural granite countertop and an under-mount sink, a wall-hung mirror, and new sconce lights rounded out the update.
We turned the adjoining room next to the full bath into a bedroom. We added generous closet storage space and new lighting.
We finally turned our attention to the old kitchenette/wet bar. We took away some of the footprint to add to the full bath and designed an efficient and handsome wet bar/kitchenette.
Porcelain tile, no VOC interior paints, a complete replacement of the basement and first floor HVAC ducting, air handler equipment cleaning, and green-certified carpet and pad combined to create a healthy and light-filled living environment.
