re: Leak caused floor damage

quote:

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I'm not going to be able to get by with replacing a few boards. She's already talking about replacing cabinets...

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Insurance most likely will not pay for cabinet replacement if it is not severely damaged FYI. Even if they do they don't have to ensure the new cabinet matches the rest.

They will pay to dry out that small section of the house and that includes the lower half of the wall in the damaged area.

They will also not pay for new countertops if they say you could have removed yours safely even if yours get damaged while removing them. They will only pay for remove and reset.

You are going to make a claim for a small amount of water damage and in the long run could cost yourself thousands in deductibles and higher premiums.

Again, most mold is not toxic. The media scares people about mold and most people think it is all toxic. Cladsporium is pretty benign compared to Stachybotrys, and they are both "black mold."


It's not bad to handle non-toxic mold yourself

Remove all affected drywall and insulation if any. If there is any mold in the framing, expose it, clean it, and treat it with an anti-microbial but do not use bleach no matter what people tell you. After treating it, dry it using any air circulation you can. You can also get a cheap moisture meter to monitor it to make sure it is at an acceptable level. Next cover with an oil-based or shellac primer. Do not use latex primers as they are not nearly as effective. Zinsser makes a primer that has an antimicrobial built into it for just this type of issue.

Once all of that is done you can proceed with repairing the drywall

You can also run a dehumidifier for a few days with a HEPA filter to help remove any spores. There are places that will rent these out.



Zinsser primer