Water Damage and Dry Rot

The restoration and rebuilding from water damage and dry rot can be a large project that an experienced contractor can help make things easier than you first thought.

If you are a home owner, you probably have experienced water damage. The drain leaks, you catch it early and clean it up. Sometimes the damage and rot from water is not as obvious or the water damage is hidden until it is more severe. Water damage and dry rot can come from many sources, we will focus on a plumbing leak. Water related damage from a water heater. The water heater has been leaking and caused dry rot under the home. The home owner was not aware of the extent of the rot damage.

The owner of the home had a water heater that was leaking within the appliance. The water ran down the inside, and into the pan below. The metal pan had small holes due to electrolysis. The small holes allowed the water to seep out and under the pan. The pan never filled with water because of the holes, so the owners never notice the start of the water damage to the floor and walls. Once it became apparent that the water was leaking water damage and dry rot was severe. Here are some picture of the damage caused by the leaking appliance.

The water heater was replaced to stop the leaking. An insurance claim was made after this discovery and an experienced contractor, Tromler Construction, was asked to make recommendations. The project will start soon after the insurance issues are done. Tromler Construction will post the water damage findings in a later post.

Laminate Counter Replacement - Kitchen

I recently installed new laminate counters in an apartment unit. After 20 years, the old plastic laminate counters get chipped, cracked, scrapped, and burnt. Here is a quick look at the before and after. The colors were order the same, to match the existing color. Counters take a few weeks to receive. Here are some examples of the work done.

Kitchen Drain Pipe Repair

While working on a different job at an apartment complex, management called me to look at a problem they were having in one of the units. The downstairs resident could hear water dripping inside the wall. We checked the plumbing in both units, the upstairs unit had a problem.

The plastic drain pipe (ABS) had cracked just below the tee. Water was leaking down the wall when the upstairs unit ran the kitchen plumbing. I've included a video discribing how we fixed the problem. It may be helpful to you. The wall was dried out before closing the wall. No dry rot was found.

Gutter Cleaning

It's getting to be that season again. Leaves are falling, weather is changing, and the rains will be here soon. It's time to start planning your gutter cleaning for this season. Gutters leaking? I found a site that describes "How to patch a gutter Leak". Let Tromler Construction know if we can help.

Rebuilding a Lightweight Concrete Deck

A lot of damage was found in the decking, rails, and structural framing. It took some time to get everything removed and rebuilt. I've included some pictures here.

Unexpected Water Damage!

I got a call from an apartment manager regarding some loose concrete on a balcony to one of the units in the community. I checked it out. The concrete had some movement in it, probably some moisture damage to the sheathing below. I explained it to the manager and we agreed that the concrete and water damage needed to be replaced for safety reasons. Since the unit was vacant, now seemed like a good time to do the work. Here is what the decking looked like before the demolition started.

The very first blow of the sledge hammer revealed that the damge was pretty extensive. The sledge hammer went through the concrete, the sheathing,l past the joists, and through the siding below. Removal of the rest of the concrete decking exposed damaged joists and the 4x12 header. This was clearly a safety issue that needed the approval of management. Everyone agrreed that all the damaged wood needed to be replaced.

None of this could have been known until the decking was opened up.

Who gets the job?

I resently waited a full day for the warranty repair man to come fix my television that was under warranty. He didn't show up and had to reschedule for another day. As a contractor I thought about how I treat my customers. How do I rate in the eyes of my customers.



Do I show up when I said I would? Do I call if I'm running late or can't get there at all? Am I more concerned about catching up on ESPN scores in the morning than being where I said I would be. This can also run into other areas; courtesy, cleanliness, and knowledge of work, to name a few.


I do a lot of work in apartment communities throughout Sacramento, El Dorado, and Placer counties. I have met countless managers, assistants, and maintenance personnel. The staff at these communities do not want any additional frustation in their day. My television going out was a problem that I needed to deal with, the repair man left a bad impression about that company. So I think it is very important that a contractor reduce any unnecessary stress and frustration at all time.





What if I treated my customers the same way that I would like to be treated? What a concept! If the repair man comes into my house late smelling of liquer, dirty, and impolite. I'm not calling him again. In fact I would probably take steps to have him terminated. He hasn't met my reasonable demands, so I get frustrated. He becomes a part of the problem and NOT the solution. Well Tom, that's just the way it is in the trade. I don't think so.


There are plenty of qualified contractors out there who get to the job on time, dressed for the job in clean clothes, they say "hello" and "thank you", and maybe even smile while on the job. That is the contractor I want to be, because he is the one that gets the job.


I want to be the contractor who is genuinely concerned about the owners' project. Usually the project is a problem that needs to be fixed. If I'm qualified to do the work, I can make the customer want to work with me again. I can make their life a lot easier today.





If I were given a choice between working with someone who can fix my problem, or someone who only raises my blood pressure, I'm going to take the less stressful route. In fact, I would probably be willing to spend a little more to get that person. If the repair man burns up most of my day, creates more frustrating phone calls and scheduling, this is costing me more time and money. When the right person for the job is charging a little more, he may be saving me money in the long run.