Water Damage during Course of Construction Phase

The construction phase of a building is long – often lasting anywhere from months to years. It’s an extremely vulnerable time for builders, where damage can be not only costly to repair, but have the potential to cause expensive and unprofitable delays. Builders may be surprised to hear that water damage during the construction stage of a building is one of their largest risks to delivering a completed building on time and on budget.
In fact, water damage is the second most common cause of loss during the course of a building’s construction, and a single incident can be incredibly costly. When water damage repairs need to be made, some builders may find the losses uninsurable. Ultimately, whether insurable or not, these damages inevitably cause delays that negatively impact their overall bottom line.
A recent article from XL Catlin highlights:
“A week before an 18-story apartment building under construction in the suburbs of a large city in the Northeast was to be occupied, a three-inch water pipe on the 18th floor failed. Water flowed overnight and for an undetermined period of time before drainage was noticed on the 5th floor. Damaged areas of the building included the elevators, cabinetry, drywall, ceiling fixtures, flooring and the fire alarm system. In addition to the direct physical losses that were incurred, there were extensive loss mitigation and debris removal expenses as well as soft costs and loss of rental income because of the delay.
The investigation of the claim determined that the three-inch water pipe that failed was not defective. The failure was the result of poor workmanship, as the pipe had not been sealed properly. Further complicating the situation, there was no quality control program in place, thus the poor workmanship wasn’t discovered until it was too late.” (Source)
Water damage is common during construction for Condominium/apartment (multi-family) buildings, as well as institutional buildings. Water damage often happens during some of the last stages of the building completion, when water systems are activated and tested. Losses are often experienced when the building is unoccupied and detected only after extreme damage is experienced.
How IoT Leak Protection Helps During Course of Construction
In the construction phase, water is typically used in the main feed, a temporary feed, and in hoist suites. Water monitoring technology helps builders take control of their construction projects with eyes on the water situation, including when the building is unoccupied. Leak sensors are paired with shutoff valves on the temporary and main feed so that if the presence of water is detected, the system communicates to the shutoff to mitigate damage. Building operators are notified of the situation so they can investigate the cause of the leak.
This results in a protected building during Course of Construction – with real time information and real-time control.
About Eddy Solutions
Eddy Solutions is an industry leader in leak protection and water monitoring solutions. Our suite of smart products offers a comprehensive water management system for building operators and homeowners that protects, controls, and conserves water. Our products have saved thousands of customers millions of dollars in damages and millions of litres of water waste by continuously monitoring water usage in their properties. For more details, please contact us at 1 877 388 3339 or email info@eddysolutions.com.