Water damage to fireboard

Joined
9 Aug 2021
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
Country
United Kingdom
Hi all,

Does anyone have expertise/experience of water damage to fireboard who could share some guidance?

I suffered a leak into my kitchen from upstairs neighbour. She's a difficult person and kept turning mains back on, so I had gallons pouring in for on/off 4 days. Ceiling was on brink of collapse. For context, it would fill 4 x 10L buckets in about 2 hours.

Buildings insurer is now making good damage to my flat. Great.

The ceiling make up is one layer plasterboard, metal stud framing, followed by 2 layers of fireboard, and then upstairs subfloor. I know this as I had another nasty leak years ago in bathroom.

Insurer sent contractor in last week who took down 1st layer plasterboard, but has said no need to remove fireboard as its not damaged as far as he can see from exposed underside and any risk of mould mitigated as it'll be trapped within the ceiling space.

When I had bathroom leak, the fireboard was taken down and it was in an ugly state, covered in mould, sandwiched between the two sheets.

The insurer has approved removal so I don't understand why they wouldn't replace it, but they're saying it just isn't necessary.

I'm planning to call Knauf / British Gypsum tomorrow for technical advice, but does anyone know if exposure to that much water would cause lasting damage? Would it warrant replacement? Is there a risk of mould or would it really be trapped?

I don't want to have the work done then start seeing mould in 6 months, and need to go through the process again.

Many thanks
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_20231004_231918_Gallery.jpg
    Screenshot_20231004_231918_Gallery.jpg
    265.2 KB · Views: 32
not damaged as far as he can see from exposed underside and any risk of mould mitigated as it'll be trapped within the ceiling space.

I don't think I would find that to be a satisfactory answer either unless he had his x-ray specs on, how can he possibly know that without seeing the other side. Any mould that forms will soon penetrate and stain new plaster board.
 
Back
Top