Drying a High-Rise Condo Unit After Water Damage
A condo unit high above the city had water across its floors and into the bottom of the walls. We protected the furniture in place, removed the wet baseboard and drywall, and set up drying through the whole unit.
Project snapshot
- Client
- High-rise condo owner
- Location
- Greater Toronto Area
Scope of work
- Furniture wrapped and protected in place
- Baseboards and the bottom of the drywall removed where wet
- Rows of air movers along the walls
- Dehumidifiers in the living area and bedroom
- Moisture checked until the unit was dry
The challenge
In a condo, water rarely stays in one unit. It runs along the floor, under the walls and down to the suite below. The floors here had been wet across the living room and bedroom, and the bottom of the drywall had absorbed water along the walls.
The owner’s furniture had to stay in the unit, so it needed protecting while the drying equipment ran around it.
Our approach
Dry the unit quickly and evenly, without moving the furniture out of the building: wrap everything in place, open up the wet wall bases, and line the walls with air movers so air reaches every wet edge.
What we did
- Wrapped the furniture in protective sheeting where it stood.
- Removed the wet baseboards and cut out the bottom of the drywall where it had soaked up water.
- Lined the walls with air movers to push air along the floor and into the open wall bases.
- Added dehumidifiers in the living area and the bedroom to pull the moisture out of the air.
- Checked the walls and floors until they were dry.
The result
- Furniture protected without moving it out
- Wet wall bases opened so they could dry
- The whole unit dried evenly
- Ready for the repairs to the walls and baseboards
Know-how from our crew
Why the air movers line the walls
Water collects where the floor meets the wall and wicks up the drywall. Air movers set along the walls push dry air into that corner, which is the slowest part of a room to dry.
Who pays in a condo
It depends on where the water came from and what the condo corporation’s policy and by-laws say. Your unit insurance usually covers your improvements and contents. We document the loss so both insurers can see what happened.
Drying with furniture in place
Wrapping furniture where it stands avoids carrying it down a high-rise elevator and back up again, and keeps it clean while the work goes on around it.
The job in photos
