Another question about floor replacement experience.

[roycebluebill]

I just asked about water heater leak and what to expect from insurance adjuster.

Another question is about the floor and if there is anyone who has repaired the floor all around the water heater if the water heater is direct vent. Ours sits right next to the furnace and also has the well pump sitting on top of it because the heater itself is sitting in a closed closet space about 2 feet deep and is about 4 inches from furnace next to it. Should I be concerned about floor underneath furnace too? I guess I should ask, "How long does the floor have to be wet before it is unstable and mushy and needs to be replaced"? I am guessing that it has been that way for at least 2 weeks as the leak was from the bottom where the cold water line goes into the WH. The rate that it was leaking, I would guess at a gallon per 6 hours because we were soaking it up with towels until we drained it. UNderneath the house there was a puddle that was quite big and it was dripping at the same rate of the leak, now that I think about it. When a fellow came and looked underneath with me Friday morning I could see the drip and when I seen the rate that it was coming from the WH, it makes sense to me. That was the only leak from the WH. I am confident that it is not the pipes or connections.

Can anyone give a quick estimate for cost if the floor has to be replaced all around the water heater in a 8 foot diameter circle? The moisture actually goes about a 10 foot circle and climbed up the wall nearest the the WH about 6 inches.

Thanks, Royce

[Brenda OH]

Royce,

I wonder if you can reinforce the floor under the furnace from underneath by opening up the underbelly, putting a piece of plywood between the joists, put slight pressure on it with a jack or brace to push it up tight to the existing floor and fasten 2 x2 onto the joists to hold the plywood? other wise, if the furnace has to come out, the ducts have to be disconnected, electric disconnected, gas line? disconnected, and the flue, the furnace has to be moved out of its closet, the floor repaired from above, and the furnace reinstalled. but I would love to wrong about that, and hear that the repair from below would work out lol.

the water heater is being replaced, right? the floor repair can happen when the old water heater is out, you can even precut the flooring piece and precut the hole the pipes go through ahead of time. I used a hole saw for pipes, spade bits work well for smaller holes... have extra 2 x4 pieces ready, I added an extra bracing piece between the joists when I had the last one done. remember to spray foam around the pipes, mice love them as a way into the home...

the floor repair went very quickly because of having the floor piece ready, two of us had it done in 1/2 to 1 hour, wood part only.. the insulation and underbelly repair was done the next day..... If it had been one of the first floor repairs I had had to do, it probably would have taken 2 to 4 hours to do, figuring out how to get the bracing in, get all the edges where they needed to be, learn that predrilling the holes is very helpful if you are putting a deck screw in at an angle, etc.... not hard to do, just easier when I had been through it a few times....grins

if any closets are near the leak, check their floors too,... had a bathroom leak go into the closet floor next door, and 2 foot across that floor...

Brenda (OH)