Moisture damage in insulation layer above ground slab

Hello everyone,

I am writing here on behalf of an acquaintance who has been affected by the following fate:

The house construction was almost completed. The floor coverings (tiles, floorboards, etc.) have been installed. The move-out from the apartment is scheduled for November 1st, as the occupied condominium will be sold at that time.

The work for the exterior plaster was done 2 weeks ago. The company used the faucet connection in the newly built garage (currently standing only on the concrete slab). Here, the hose came loose and water splashed merrily from the faucet onto the concrete slab for a period of time X. Since the concrete slab for the house and garage was poured in one piece, the water flowed on the slab from the garage under the house. The insulation layer between the concrete slab and the heating loops/screed soaked up with water. This is the current situation. The plastering company offered to offset the damage costs against the outstanding invoice amount. They do not want to "burden the existing liability insurance any further" (!). Personally, I believe that the outstanding invoice amount is by far not sufficient to cover the costs for drying and possibly even a hotel room or similar.

Currently, various dryers are running in the house day and night.

At the moment, there are 2 scenarios for a solution:
1. To achieve drying of the insulation layer, X drillings will be made from above. That means the tiles, etc., will be destroyed and there is a risk that the heating pipes will be damaged during the drillings (by the heating company). Drying is achieved through the heating by allowing the water to escape through the holes. This attempt failed last week. The heating company came with a thermal imaging camera to locate the heating loops. However, since the heating turned on due to the cold weather, the company only saw one large warm area (probably because the water in the insulation layer warmed up to the same temperature as the pipes).

2. I was advised that the drillings be made from the outside. That is, drillings will be made all around the house directly above the concrete slab, which will penetrate to the insulation layer. This way, no tiles will be destroyed and the heating loops will not be hit. Drying can then take place through the side holes by heating. Once everything is dry again, there should be a sealing material (not foam) that is injected into the holes. Additionally, this drying process could be supported with a few drillings from above – but this would not require destroying large amounts of tiles.

What can be done in such a situation? How practical are the two solutions mentioned above? Does anyone have any other ideas for a solution? How would an expert (based purely on the description) assess the situation (I believe a mod works in such a field)?

Thank you very much for your support.

In cases like this, only an expert can fundamentally help. Everything else risks ending up as botched work.

I was the first to give this tip as well. I think our acquaintance will approach it the same way.
The information hoped for with the expert: How much will it cost? What time frame needs to be planned? What methods/alternatives are there?

The problem, however, is that the family has to move out of their already sold condominium in 2 weeks. So a solution has to be found quickly so that they don’t end up on the street. Whether the responsible company would/can pay for a hotel room/boarding house is uncertain.
I will talk to my wife this evening to see if we can offer our guest room temporarily from November onwards—as a temporary emergency solution. Next weekend, my daughter’s girlfriend (the 5-year-old child of the two) will already be staying overnight with us so that mom can organize the move while dad tries to keep the house dry.

The plastering company offered to offset the damage costs against the outstanding invoice amount. They don't want to "burden" the existing liability insurance any further (!). Personally, I believe that the outstanding invoice amount is by far not enough to cover the costs for drying and possibly even a hotel room or similar.

So he wants a flat-rate remission from your friend. I would give him a piece of my mind. Exactly the amount necessary to repair the damage will be paid. Whether it comes from an insurance company or Santa Claus doesn't matter to the injured party – the main thing is that the money comes. Regardless, I would have a legal advisor check whether withholding the outstanding invoice amount is possible – just to be on the safe side, in case there is still trouble.

Edit:
If possible, take the family in with you. It won't be forever. Friendships for life can arise from something like that.

I am firmly convinced that retaining payment will not cover the costs. On the other hand, I fear that if insistence is placed on "calls" from the insurance company or similar, the company will ultimately no longer exist and our acquaintances will be left empty-handed. In general, the statement about the insurance makes me very suspicious. There must have been a concentration of "construction defects" at the company if the insurance threatens to cancel upon the next damage. It is really a stupid situation.

Hello f-pNo,

I know who you mean; although he is (still) not a mod, I was also hoping for a response from him. Maybe it will still happen.

Basically, water in the insulation layer is a serious problem and a main cause of mold in the house. Regardless of the outstanding invoice amount, I strongly advise against going through with this deal! Eliminating water infiltration at this point is complex and, not least, expensive, including what concerns already completed trades. I know both options but do not want to make a recommendation because I do not know the other parameters; I am not an expert.

I would advise your friend to issue an immediate stop-work order and to hire an expert specializing in masonry. I am aware that this measure "may" push moving in far into the future. Just believe me, causing the damage behind a temporary stay with family and/or friends will backfire.