Help! Need opinions ASAP - Just found this hole in plaster wall & what may be water damage

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Azflower1

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Hi,

A friend was staying in one of my bedrooms and upon move out, he sent me these photos from inside the closet in the bedroom - (I am out of town right now)

The wall is shared with the bathroom wall - it looks like there are drips coming down and water damage to the floor.

There are no stains on the ceiling - should I call a roofer or plumber? - any help you can give would be most appreciated!
 

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If it hasn’t rained and it’s dripping I would call a plumber or possibly the HVAC unit is leaking in the attic if it’s up there.
 
It HAS rained recently but how could a hole develop in the middle of the wall? Thanks
 
It HAS rained recently but how could a hole develop in the middle of the wall? Thanks

Running down the outside of a vent pipe from a bad roof connection then soaking into the wall. I’ve seen it many times.
 
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OK - thank you so much! Is this usually covered by insurance?
 
OK - thank you so much! Is this usually covered by insurance?

That would depend on your policy and if it’s worth the deductible if you have a deductible. Most people do have a deductible.

For example, if you had wall damage from a leaking pipe they would pay for the wall repair but not the plumbing repair.
 
Thanks - do you know what part of the policy it would be under?
 
Running down the outside of a vent pipe from a bad roof connection then soaking into the wall. I’ve seen it many times.
Hi! YOU were exactly correct, it was the vent pipe! I just had it replaced along with some shingles and deck boards.... ok - here is the upcoming "nightmare"..... apparently, in my state, if you have a home older than let's say 1970ish, you have to remediate the asbestos and/or lead... this tiny hole is becoming very expensive - supposedly, I have to zip the bedroom off and a damage company wants to use an air scrubber, whatever that is.... have you ever heard of this or am I getting taken? Thanks!
 
Depends on your state and what the rules are, and whether you are talking about lead paint or asbestos (where?), and what the remediation rules are. We have no idea. I thought you could cover those things in some cases so as not to release them, but Lead Abatement, Inspection and Risk Assessment | US EPA seems to have a lot of details. Asbestos abatement - Wikipedia talks about encapsulating, as it may be worse to try to remove it.

If you call an abatement company and tell them you want to sand off the old paint, they'll probably need an air scrubber, but again, without more details, we have no idea.
 
Depends on your state and what the rules are, and whether you are talking about lead paint or asbestos (where?), and what the remediation rules are. We have no idea. I thought you could cover those things in some cases so as not to release them, but Lead Abatement, Inspection and Risk Assessment | US EPA seems to have a lot of details. Asbestos abatement - Wikipedia talks about encapsulating, as it may be worse to try to remove it.

If you call an abatement company and tell them you want to sand off the old paint, they'll probably need an air scrubber, but again, without more details, we have no idea.

Hi - What additional details do you need? - I posted pics of the closet, I just can't believe that a small hole/chipping paint would cost thousands of dollars due to "potential" asbestos?
 
Well, is it lead or asbestos that you are trying to abate? And is there actually asbestos there, and how do you know?

I was told by the "water damage" companies that because my home was built in the mid 1950s - that they have to TEST the materials first to see if it contains asbestos or lead... if it does, then another company has to abate those materials.
 
OK, so you won't know if you are being taken until you know if you have lead and/or asbestos, and actually get a price quote to fix whatever the real problem is, so I wouldn't panic about it until you take step one, getting it tested. Also, check with your insurance company to see what they cover.
 
Have you contacted your homeowners insurance. We had water damage in a previous house we owned and the insurance took care of the drying out and replacing what needed to be replaced. We did have to pay the deductible. It may be a state regulation before they can do any repair that a test is required
 
Hi! YOU were exactly correct, it was the vent pipe! I just had it replaced along with some shingles and deck boards.... ok - here is the upcoming "nightmare"..... apparently, in my state, if you have a home older than let's say 1970ish, you have to remediate the asbestos and/or lead... this tiny hole is becoming very expensive - supposedly, I have to zip the bedroom off and a damage company wants to use an air scrubber, whatever that is.... have you ever heard of this or am I getting taken? Thanks!

Find someone else to do the job. That’s what I suggest.
 
In MN and maybe nationally, paint can be used to encapsulate the asbestos, if it affords complete coverage, say on walls or ducting. In my home, I have linoleum containing asbestos. If I opt to remove it, it is highly regulated; else, I can simply lay another flooring over it and be done with it. If it is a construction/demolition site, that's another matter.
 
In MN and maybe nationally, paint can be used to encapsulate the asbestos, if it affords complete coverage, say on walls or ducting. In my home, I have linoleum containing asbestos. If I opt to remove it, it is highly regulated; else, I can simply lay another flooring over it and be done with it. If it is a construction/demolition site, that's another matter.
Thanks so much!
 
Have you contacted your homeowners insurance. We had water damage in a previous house we owned and the insurance took care of the drying out and replacing what needed to be replaced. We did have to pay the deductible. It may be a state regulation before they can do any repair that a test is required
Hi, yes, I have had to get them involved since this is getting bigger than I originally expected... they are covering the interior damage but I had to mitigate the roof
 

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