How screwed am I?

[jseyfert3]

Found out my dishwasher has been leaking yesterday. Was in the basement and noticed a small spot of water on the floor. Looked up and a joint between subfloor panels was wet. I had run the dishwasher twice that day. This morning removed the kickplate and signs of water leaking for a while (dry minerals), ran a load and got an immediate drip of a drop every few seconds. Pulled out the dishwasher just now.

Drywall was soft so I poked a hole to look inside the wall. It’s obviously gotten wet on the other sideI also recently noticed some flooring on the other side of the wall was bulging upwards, but I wasn’t sure if I had never noticed that before or it was new. Apparently it was new...

So...anyone have similar things happen? Obviously mold is probably the biggest concern here. Not sure the best course of action to go forward. Suppose a mold test to figure out if and what types of mold may be present? (I know only a few are a big concern)

The wall behind is luckily not load bearing, it’s a 7’ wall dividing a kitchen from a dining room with cathedral ceilings, but it’d suck if I had to rip it out due to cabinets and granite countertops.

Also I think when this is all done I’ll put a water sensor under the dishwasher, hopefully catch any future leaks much earlier. Unfortunately it didn’t leak out onto the kitchen floor as the tile in the kitchen is apparently put on top of old tile, and not under the dishwasher, so there is like a 3/8”rise from under the dishwasher to the kitchen floor.

 

[JJ_Tex]

We had something similar happen a few years ago where we discovered a leak in our dishwasher (on an island in the middle of the kitchen). It had been leaking for a while, but woke up one morning with the kitchen flooded. Water was a good inch in the kitchen floor (tile) but was exiting the house through the baseboards in a few spots and ultimately through the weep holes. We put fans on everything for a good week just to let everything dry out including the baseboards.

Our cabinets were fine as were the wood floors in the living room, but the baseboards were hosed and swelled up. We replaced the dishwasher and baseboards and everything seems to be okay 2 years later.

I would try renting one of the big air mover fans from home depot to get everything good and dry, then figure out what needs to be replaced. Good luck.

 

[Texas Splash]

Me too, but not as bad as your though. Take your time. Get out all the wet sheetrock and go from there. Amazing how much damage water can do. Best of luck.

 

[kimkats]

Had that happen in the bathroom........found the bedroom carpet wet. Traced it back to the bathroom. Tiny pin hole in a pipe. Had to replace the dry wall in the bathroom. Was able to dry out everything else with fans. The drying out is the first step. Once it is try then look around to see what is what and go from there.

 

[JJ_Tex]

A neighbor had one of these that we borrowed, but I think you can rent them as well. They are much better than the fans you might have at home.

RIDGID 1625 CFM 3-Speed Portable Blower Fan Air Mover with Collapsible Handle and Rear Wheels for Water Damage Restoration AM2560 - The Home Depot

The RIDGID AM2560 Air Mover with Handle and Wheels is designed for pros and DIYers who want high volume air movement. The 3-speed, heavy-duty induction motor provides 1,625 CFM with less vibration and

www.homedepot.com

 

[Andrew_D]

Fans and dehumidifiers to get rid of the moisture. Open up the drywall under the cabinet, where the dishwasher goes, to check for any mold. The dishwasher will hide it after it is put back together. Get everything dried out. I doubt you'll have to do anything else.

Our dishwasher is in the island and has leaked a few times. 3rd dishwasher in 15 years. Under the dishwasher, the floor and cabinet bottoms are showing signs of staining, but from around the island looking at it, you'd never know.

Andrew

 

[Mdragger88]

That sucks but it’s fixable- don’t worry about what “kind” as all mold indoors is unwanted. Just rip out what got wet like drywall & air out the rest. Can you pull the cabinets away to inspect behind/ under them? Pro tip - remove the dishwasher drain from the plumbing under your sink/disposal- if it’s connected to the disposal there’s a knockout / plug you can put there. You don’t want any more unwanted h2o to go along w/ hand washing dishes. Also get u some simple green d to spray/ clean everything that remains. Studs, cabinets etc. then use a fan to dry it out.

Simple Green Pro 3 Plus 1 Gal. Herbal Scent Antibacterial Cleaner and Disinfectant 3310100401128 - The Home Depot

Simple Green dPRO3 PLUS kills 99.9% of germs. Cleans, disinfects, and eliminates odors, leaving surfaces residue-free and smelling clean and fresh. Sanitizes non-food contact hard, surfaces and floors.

www.homedepot.com

 

[JoyfulNoise]

A mix of trisodium phosphate (TSP) and bleach will destroy any mold on wooden studs and flooring. Apply, scrub and wipe it clean. Then spray any wood with a mixture of boric acid and water and let it dry into the wood. The borates will act as a fungicide to prevent any further mold growth. There are commercial products to do all that but is basically nothing more than an aqueous boric acid solution with surfactant.

Then repair the drywall.

Don’t worry about mold testing ... it’s academic at best and, at worst, the restoration companies that do it will tell you your entire house is infested with mold to scare-sell you expensive services. Just clean the mess yourself.

Finally, ditch the washing machine and hand wash your dishes ... the planet will thank you. (And you’ll be stuck washing dishes for the rest of your life ... )

 

[Arizonarob]

And finally.......

When you have finished all the repairs, invest in a few of These and place them under all sinks, on the floor next to your clothes washer and dishwasher, and your water heater. You can buy them online or at any hardware store. It’s a cheap alternative to costly water damage!

 

[jseyfert3]

Pulled off a piece of drywall and there were little bugs crawling around on the backside.

The drywall was soaked to the subfloor, as is the base stud and the subfloor itself. The wood is somewhat soft on the side facing the drywall but I don’t think it needs to be replaced. It’s obviously been leaking for quite some time though.

The particle board cabinet wall was soaked and damaged (particle board gets damaged quick though), ripped out the soft stuff and there were all these really tiny white bugs in the wood. Not sure what they were, not certain I want to know...

Under the sink cabinets to the left of the dishwasher.

What I’ve torn out so far.

What I suspect I need to do is tear out the thin particle board under the sink back by the drywall and pull out the wet drywall so I can reach all the wet wood and spray it/let it dry, then rebuild things. This is obviously been leaking for a while. Ugh.

A mix of trisodium phosphate (TSP) and bleach will destroy any mold on wooden studs and flooring. Apply, scrub and wipe it clean. Then spray any wood with a mixture of boric acid and water and let it dry into the wood. The borates will act as a fungicide to prevent any further mold growth. There are commercial products to do all that but is basically nothing more than an aqueous boric acid solution with surfactant.

Then repair the drywall.

Ah yes, forgot borates were an anti-fungal. Do I need to use boric acid or can I use Botox instead? Suppose getting boric acid wouldn’t be bad considering I’ve wanted to experiment with borates in our hot tub.

Don’t worry about mold testing ... it’s academic at best and, at worst, the restoration companies that do it will tell you your entire house is infested with mold to scare-sell you expensive services. Just clean the mess yourself.

Hmm, I suppose I do remember an article saying only a few types of mold are known to actually be bad, most aren’t that bad. It also said mold cannot grow without water, so if the source of the water is fixed the mold will eventually die by itself from lack of water. Killing and spraying borates would make sure it’s gone immediately though.

Finally, ditch the washing machine and hand wash your dishes ... the planet will thank you. (And you’ll be stuck washing dishes for the rest of your life ... )

But what about those studies that show how much water they save? Seriously though, I don’t understand the mind boggling amounts of water they quote in those studies for hand washing. Must be from the people that leave the tap running and scrub with a soapy sponge. I’ve always used a sink full of soapy water and a rag for washing, then rinse in clean running tap water (running only when I have a sink of dishes cleaned and ready to rinse).

But skip the dishwasher? No way...I think getting rid of our hot tub would be better for the planet but that’s not happening! I grew up in a family of 8 kids, and guess who got to wash dishes? Us kids, obviously. So now I’m an adult dishwasher all the way. I don’t pre-rinse or anything. Scrap off any big food bits and in they go!

And finally.......

When you have finished all the repairs, invest in a few of These and place them under all sinks, on the floor next to your clothes washer and dishwasher, and your water heater. You can buy them online or at any hardware store. It’s a cheap alternative to costly water damage!
View attachment 173718

Luckily the washing machine and heater are in the unfinished basement, so any leaks would be obvious and cause no damage. But I definitely will get one to go under the new dishwasher! Probably a second one for under the kitchen sink too.

 

[Andrew_D]

But skip the dishwasher? No way...I think getting rid of our hot tub would be better for the planet but that’s not happening! I grew up in a family of 8 kids, and guess who got to wash dishes? Us kids, obviously. So now I’m an adult dishwasher all the way. I don’t pre-rinse or anything. Scrap off any big food bits and in they go!

I hear ya! We are a household of 6 and almost everything goes in the dishwasher. 2-3 loads per day.

Andrew

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Ah yes, forgot borates were an anti-fungal. Do I need to use boric acid or can I use Botox instead?

You can use Botox if you want but you seem like a young fellow that wouldn’t need it. Perhaps the money spent on Botox might be better put to use on some self-help/self-esteem counseling ? Stop selling yourself short, you don’t need those cosmetic procedures to love who you are ... I bet you have a great “personality” and there are plenty of people , aside from the ones your mom pays each month, who like you for who you are .... @Arizonarob can help you with your esteem issues.


As for those “white bugs”, they are highly likely termites. You’ll need to either hire a pest control company to come kill them or DIY. You’ll need to inspect all wood for termite damage and cut-out & replace anything that is heavily infested

 

[Newdude]

As for those “white bugs”, they are highly likely termites. You’ll need to either hire a pest control company to come kill them or DIY. You’ll need to inspect all wood for termite damage and cut-out & replace anything that is heavily infested

+1. Some sorta larva for sure. Whether they grow into termites or carpenter ants is kinda a moot point. The good news is they only want the compromised wood for the most part. The bad news is you probably already had them if they moved in that quickly.

 

[Newdude]

Also, I had a coworker that went to work for a National chain pest removal after retiring for spending money and something to keep busy. I happened to run into him one day when I was having similar problems and got to pick his brain. He said the national chain was just like any other, full of sales pushes that did nothing for the customer and their ‘ironclad garauntee’ had so many loop holes that it was useless.

If you do hire somebody, get somebody local who needs to rely on their good name. The big company will send the Leslies kid who needed a job in the off season, or a part time retiree, both of whom will only care about the monthly sales goals.

 

[wireform]

Today's dishwashers are actually not bad for the planet. The less you rinse the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher the better. Today's water sensors actually know when the dishes are clean and can shorten the cycle automatically. By rinsing first just confuses the sensors and it can't figure out when to advance the cycle. Water usage is also down to a minimum usually less then most human dishwashers. Our energy company urges us to use these type of appliances after a certain hour when the electricity is priced lower. The new washing machines and dishwashers have an optional delay setting to automatically run in middle of the the night need to be.

 

[Arizonarob]

@Arizonarob can help you with your esteem issues.

Classes are 3rd Saturday of every month.

 

[jseyfert3]

Termites? Gah!

 

[Mdragger88]

We had a pin hole in our washer supply pipe in the wall. Never saw any water - our living room floor (laminate) started buckling- my hubby tried to blame the POOL! Because of kids & wet feet coming through the patio door but I wasn’t convinced so I investigated...
We have friends who had just went through “mold remediation” due to a window unit leaking in the wall & it was a mess! After all the expensive Cleaning the company provided ($18k worth) they were still left to clean everything they owned & were instructed to use the simple green D by the company (because its a mildewstat & can pretty much be used on anything). They are still fighting w/ their mold problems due to the moisture in their home as they don’t have central heat & air & we live in the humid south to boot. Luckily my house is quite dry & i am on a slab - I already had the simple green d because I use it for my cleaning business. Thank goodness we had a few boxes of extra flooring in our attic so our repairs cost us only sweat equity.

Thankfully we didn’t have to cut out any sheetrock as funk was mostly wiped off & the rest faded after being sprayed & dried out & were able to clean/ dry out the paneling & baseboards in the living room- the floor under the washer & dryer as well as that part of the living room had to be replaced as moisture wrecks laminate.

 

[jseyfert3]

Ugh! That looks terrible!. Luckily I don't have what appears to be much visible mold, but termites or ants are a different matter!

As for those “white bugs”, they are highly likely termites. You’ll need to either hire a pest control company to come kill them or DIY. You’ll need to inspect all wood for termite damage and cut-out & replace anything that is heavily infested

Also, I had a coworker that went to work for a National chain pest removal after retiring for spending money and something to keep busy. I happened to run into him one day when I was having similar problems and got to pick his brain. He said the national chain was just like any other, full of sales pushes that did nothing for the customer and their ‘ironclad garauntee’ had so many loop holes that it was useless.

If you do hire somebody, get somebody local who needs to rely on their good name. The big company will send the Leslies kid who needed a job in the off season, or a part time retiree, both of whom will only care about the monthly sales goals.

Mold from a leak is one thing, critters that destroy my house is another. I looked on Google for a well rated local company, called them up and they will be out this evening to look at this with me after I get home from work.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Document everything with lots of pictures and keep receipts of everything you purchase. If the costs get high enough, you may want to put a claim in with your homeowners insurance.