UKH

After the heating came on for the first time yesterday, we discovered a leaking pipe joint, resulting in damage to a ceiling.

Can anyone give me a guide on cost to replace it before we go through the insurance, please - might not be worth the excess?

Room is 3m x 3.6m, hopefully only need to replace about half of it. It's standard plasterboard, so replace, tape joints and skim.

Thanks,

About £50-100 in materials and a half to a whole day of work assuming you get the room cleared out, possibly including carpet. You'll probably end up paying for the whole day anyway unless it's slotted in around another job. More if you need floor protection. You'll probably spend the better part of £50-100 disposing of the old plasterboard and offcuts unless your council is somewhat more enlightened than mine (mine seem to prefer paying to pick it out of the ditches). Fair chance you'll get plaster splashes on the walls and whatever filth come down with the boards so budget for protecting or redecorating them too. I don't imagine it'll come in under the excess but you might not get much after it either!

I'd just see if you can get a quote or two, they're likely to be pretty variable with how much the individual wants odd jobs.

jk

I had a similar job done in 2019, cost £240 for the plasterer. Preparation and cleanup costs would be very dependent on your situation, so I can't be very helpful about that - I guess you'll need to estimate the work and apply a day rate, or get some quotes in, etc.

Edit: South-East England costs!

Thanks,

Further to earlier post, as the leak might have been going on for some time and gradually getting worse to the point of total failure we had last week, I'm unsure about the amount of damage to the plasterboard and/or the actual timber rafters. We're talking, I guess, maybe a very slow weep for about 18 month/2 years

Obviously, I'm going to give it some time to dry out thoroughly.

However, do I need to be asking a builder to asses the damage, or just get a plasterer in to quote for repairing the damaged section?

TIA

If joists are rotten a whole extra level of work is needed. If it's just the plasterboard it's not awful. Cut out the worst of it and have a look yourself

I replaced mine approx 2yrs ago. I removed all the old ceiling and disposed at Council site (no cost). I replaced all the plasterboard myself (4m x 5m). Prepped ceiling ready for plasterer. Total cost came below £200. However, very dusty and messy. Also took opportunity to improve insulation and do some rewiring. Be prepared to follow plasterer around to clean up splashes etc.

That's what I need to establish. I'm very much hoping not, as don't think it's been that much water.

Never seen them before, but the joists are a hybrid of 2x2 timber top and bottom with an OSB strip between.

Probably will when I get time (I'm in the middle of another DIY project at the moment!), as much to keep the costs down as anything, but I need to know how much to take down.

The OSB is the weak spot if it’s been wet or damp for a while. Take some of the ceiling down to check and let air circulate.

Any board that is damaged will be coming out at some point anyway so if it's 1x2m that will give you loads of scope to pull some down to check. Start at the most obvious worst bit.

Start with the bit that fell, peel and cut it back until you find clean dry board then stop at the centreline of the next joist. Stopping lengthways between the joists will be the same deal but without a timber to stop at,  just stop and square up the cut when the board you're taking down is undamaged. Watch for pipes and wires when cutting.

Give the joists a poke with a screwdriver, see if they've softened (compare a known good bit with the wet bits). I doubt you'll find rot and the glueline should be fine but the OSB shear web could have gone soft. It'll firm up as it dries out unless it's completely blown apart. If it has failed your least destructive option would probably be to have the damaged portion of the I-beam boxed in with new glued and screwed OSB webs in situ, turn it into a box beam.

jk

Looking at the exposed end of one joist, the OSB is glued into a slot cut in the timber, so water won't have got anywhere near that - it's just the lower timber bit that will have got wet.

Worst case, I could sandwich the OSB above that with some new timber.