Water intrusion defects can result in costly property damage and health complications.

Water intrusion into a home or commercial property can result from several causes. Regardless of the cause however, water intrusion is a serious problem that can cause permanent damage to structures and have long lasting health implications for occupants.

Evidence of water instrusion

When moisture finds its way into a structure from a leaking roof, leaking plumbing, leaking doors or windows, poorly draining landscape, or other cause, it can result in immediate damage to floors, walls, furniture, and other property. In the most extreme cases, water intrusion is obvious and easy to spot where water is standing or a section of wall or ceiling actually collapses. In other cases, the evidence of water intrusion may be more subtle, appearing as stains on a ceiling, wall or floor, damp carpet, swollen wood trim, or rust stains. These symptoms suggest the presence of water intrusion, but the cause of a leak may still not be apparent.

Causes of water intrusion

Causes of water intrusion can be as wide ranging as the use of defective materials in a roof, to poor workmanship in the installation of doors and windows, or poor planning and design of landscaping and drainage. Whatever the cause, when water finds its way into a new house or commercial property it may be a construction defect that the builder or their contractors can and should be held accountable for.

Risk of mold growth

The immediate impact of water intrusion is apparent in its impact on structures and materials. But anytime moisture is present in building materials, there is also the possiblity for the outbreak and growth of dangerous molds. Unfortunately, damage from mold growth is often hidden behind walls, in insulation, and beneath floor coverings.

Mold damage can be extensive because microscopic mold spores are easily distributed throughout the structure via the air handling systems. Anywhere there is adequate moisture to support mold growth, the spores can germinate and reproduce leading to unsafe mold levels that can threaten the health of occupants.

Toxic mold threatens occupant health

Some types of mold can be toxic to humans even in extremely small quantities. For this reason, water intrusion defects must be taken very seriously and repaired as soon as possible after they are identified. If the water intrusion defect has resulted in mold growth, immediate remediation measures should be taken. In severe mold cases, remediation may require constructive eviction from the property until the health threat is contained and the property is again safe to occupy.

Visible mold is easily identified, but mold growth that is hidden behind walls and beneath flooring, in AC ducts and other out of sight places can be impossible to identify without the assistance of expert technicians such as an industrial hygenist. An industrial hygenist can take surface and air samples throughout the structure, analyze them in a lab, and can quantify the levels of mold in the structure. If unsafe mold levels are detected, costly remediation will be necessary.

Contact a Construction Defect Attorney

If you have suffered a financial loss from property damage caused by a water intrusion defect in your home or commercial property, you may be entitled to claim compensation from those responsible. Contact an experienced construction defect attorney to learn more about your options.

A construction defect attorney can help you build a strong case against a construction company, architect, contractor, engineering firm, or manufacturer who is responsible for losses you incur from a water intrusion defect.

The experienced attorneys at Arnold & Itkin LLP aggressively represent our clients and can help you in litigation or arbitration of water intrusion defect claims.