Posted: September 2, 2016

QUESTION:

Does water damaged Celotex have to be removed after flood?  I have tried to do research and finding conflicting information. My home in Louisiana flooded several days ago and I received about 28-30 inches of water. I was able to get back in the home within 36 hours and began using a dehumidifier and several fans after gutting the sheetrock and insulation back to 4 ft. Most of the home is dry, but there are still some stains on the celotex and it appears to be blown away from the stud in several areas. There is brick and vinyl siding on the exterior. I spoke with our insurance adjuster, and he says it may have to be replaced but he advised I speak with a contractor. I have tried calling several contractors, but not having much luck since everyone is undoubtedly busy. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

ANSWER:

Mark, all wet items, including Celotex sheathing, need to be removed from your home. This is not an easy task because the Celotex was originally installed to the outside of the wall framing before the brick and vinyl siding were installed. The Celotex sheathing is 4×8′ sheets and usually is installed in a vertical position from the bottom plate of the wall framing all the way up to the top plate. I realize that only the lower portion of the Celotex is wet due to the floods but I would recommend removing the entire sheet. The need to establish a continuous drainage plane, air control layer and vapor retarder on the outside of the wall framing with new sheathing and weather resistant barriers is paramount to your home’s durability, comfort, and efficiency. Contact us when you are ready to begin this phase of repairs so that we can share how to properly execute these steps.

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