Flood & escape of water damage

“Being in the business of developing properties myself and dealing with builders on a daily basis it is not often that I feel compelled to write a letter of huge thanks for all the hard work that has been carried out on our property. Prior to the flooding this was a property I could call home and now, thanks to the team and their dedication, it is a property I can still call home. It looks fantastic and a process, which could have been gruelling to say the least, has been made far easier by all those involved, from project management, plumbing to decorating.”
Mrs Henley, London

An unprecedented increase in flood insurance claims took place in 2007 as tens of thousands of UK homes were devastated by flood waters. The result was much heartache and misery for thousands of householders. Coping with any escape of water in a property is stressful but detecting the route the water has taken and gauging the damage it has caused can be an arduous challenge.

Our fully trained surveyors will evaluate the situation and provide detailed reports of the damage and the root cause of any claim. Once the work has started, the team ensures the client is kept up-to-date with the progress made as we fully appreciate how important this contact is. Benning Brothers understands the importance of getting the client back into their property as quickly as possible ensuring the expectations of quality and high standards are met.

The last six years has seen Benning Brothers handle many major flood incidents. We have been directly involved in the restoration of both commercial and residential properties following the major floods in Hull in 2007.

Case Study: Escape of water damage, South London

Lounge Before In January 2009, the owner returned from holiday to find that a burst pipe had caused severe damage to their large detached 1950s property. The water damage covered large areas of the ground floor including the kitchen, hallway, dining room, conservatory and living room.

Due to the nature of the damage the appointed Loss Adjusters instructed the services of a Chartered Surveyor to oversee the investigation and remedial work. To begin with a specialist moisture survey was undertaken to establish the spread of water and the extent of controlled drying out works required to return the structure to its pre-loss condition. This was especially critical due to the property’s oak panelling and marble flooring in a number of the rooms.

Lounge After Benning Brothers were instructed to undertake this drying process and then to carry out the full reinstatement works. In such circumstances it would be advisable for the client to move out of the property whilst work is completed; however as the client conducted business from home a request was made to remain in the property whilst works were undertaken. Working closely with the client and surveyor a strategy was developed to allow the client to remain in the property for the duration of the works.

Due to the specialist nature of the works it was necessary to split the reinstatement works into three phases: - General building works which included plumbing and electrical. - Replacement of the marble floor and works to salvage marble worktops in the kitchen. - Replacement of bespoke wood panelling and hardwood flooring.

The reinstatement works were completed in a four month period on time and within budget. Both the client and surveyor were extremely happy with the work carried out given the unusual working arrangements and were most impressed with the high quality of workmanship throughout the property.

Kitchen before Kitchen after