When a plumbing issue affects a large residential property, a small leak can quickly become a large-scale restoration project. Water can migrate through flooring systems, walls, ceilings, shafts and other building materials, affecting units and common areas across multiple levels.
A burst pipe on the fifth floor of a Charlotte, North Carolina, apartment community sent water through the building, affecting more than 40 units, common areas and hallways down to the first floor.
For a loss of this scale, success required more than removing water. It required rapid mobilization, experienced manpower, technical assessment, constant monitoring, clear communication with property management and residents, and a plan that considered both ongoing property operations and eventual reconstruction from the beginning.
The property was partially occupied, so minimizing disruption to existing residents was a major priority. The management team also needed to continue operating and leasing the building while restoration was underway.
The Challenge: Extensive Water Damage Across Multiple Floors
Rumsey received the loss notification at 6:40 a.m. on July 2. Because of the size and complexity of the loss, resources from both the Charlotte and Rock Hill offices were mobilized to help scale the response.
The team was on site by 7:14 a.m. and immediately began assessing affected areas and extracting water. Additional equipment began arriving by 9:54 a.m.
Within the first 24 hours, the property was fully stabilized.
That early stabilization was critical. On a multi-story water loss, the longer water remains in the building, the greater the opportunity for it to migrate into additional materials and spaces. Rapid extraction and deployment of drying equipment helped control the loss and begin moving the property toward recovery.
Within 48 hours, Rumsey also provided the property team with a Rough Order of Magnitude, or ROM, giving them an early understanding of the anticipated scope and cost of the project while mitigation was still underway.
On a large commercial loss, that kind of early information can help ownership and property management begin making decisions, planning for repairs and communicating internally without waiting until the entire mitigation process is complete.
The Response: Rapid Restoration With a Plan for the Entire Property
Large commercial water losses require a coordinated progression of work: Stop the source → Assess the extent of the loss → Extract the water → Establish containment where needed → Set drying and air-quality equipment → Monitor moisture and adjust equipment → Perform necessary demolition → Complete structural drying → Reconstruct affected areas.
The team began by assessing affected areas and extracting water throughout the building. The project involved occupied and unoccupied spaces, along with areas progressing through drying and demolition at different rates. Each area had its own materials, moisture levels, access requirements and restoration needs.
At the height of the initial drying effort, approximately 81 dehumidifiers, 22 air filtration devices and 187 air movers were operating throughout the property.
Because water can travel into walls, flooring, concrete and other areas that are not immediately visible, a thorough approach was essential. Acting quickly helped reduce the potential for additional property damage, but the team also had to continually evaluate what was happening beneath the surface.
Working Around Residents and Property Operations
Because the building was partially occupied, restoration could not simply move through every affected area at once.
The property management company wanted to minimize the impact on residents as much as possible, so Rumsey used a systematic, selective demolition approach. Rather than opening every affected area simultaneously, demolition was sequenced based on drying progress, access, occupancy and the needs of the property.
Containment and critical barriers helped isolate active work areas, control dust and debris, and protect unaffected portions of the property so other areas of the building could continue operating.
The team also documented the materials that needed to be removed throughout the affected areas. This provided a clear record of the demolition scope and helped create a smoother transition from mitigation into repairs and reconstruction.
Coordination and communication were essential throughout the process. The Rumsey team worked closely with property management to coordinate access, communicate with affected residents, manage mitigation and demolition, relocate equipment as conditions changed and prepare completed areas for the next phase of work.
Drying More Than What You Can See
Drying a building after a major water loss involves more than removing moisture from drywall, flooring and other finished materials.
The Rumsey team monitored moisture levels throughout the property every day using moisture meters and other testing methods, moving and adjusting equipment as conditions changed.
Water had also affected the concrete slab beneath finished flooring in portions of the property. That meant the team needed to address moisture within the concrete itself before new flooring could be installed.
In addition to routine moisture readings, Rumsey performed calcium chloride moisture testing on the concrete to evaluate moisture-vapor conditions within the slab. This testing helped ensure that the concrete had reached appropriate conditions for the planned flooring system before moving forward with installation.
Taking this additional step is important because installing new flooring over a slab that still contains excessive moisture can contribute to flooring and adhesive failures later.
Selective Demolition and Reconstruction Planning
Demolition began on July 10 and was completed by July 21.
While that phase extended over several days, the timeline was intentional. Because residents were living in portions of the property, demolition was performed systematically and selectively rather than opening every affected area at once.
This approach allowed the team to minimize disruption to residents, continue drying where necessary and move individual areas forward as conditions allowed.
Approximately 80% of the drying equipment was removed by the end of the demolition phase, with the remaining equipment removed on July 22.
Equipment was strategically concentrated where it was needed most. As individual areas reached their drying goals, equipment was removed or relocated to avoid unnecessary runtime and help control costs throughout the project.
On a large commercial project, that level of monitoring is important for both drying performance and cost control.
Throughout mitigation, the team was also planning for reconstruction. Documenting removed materials and identifying finishes, specifications and potential lead times early helped create a smoother transition into repairs and reduce the potential for unnecessary delays.
For Rumsey, success is not simply getting a building dry. It is creating a clear path from the initial emergency through mitigation, reconstruction and a return to normal operations.
The Result: Relief Without The Runaround
Within 24 hours of the initial call, the property had been stabilized. Within 48 hours, the property team had a Rough Order of Magnitude to help them understand the anticipated scope of the project.
From there, Rumsey continued systematically drying, testing, documenting and selectively removing affected materials while working around the needs of residents and ongoing property operations.
The result was a coordinated restoration process designed not only to address the immediate water damage, but also to prepare the property for a smooth transition into repairs.
Major commercial losses are difficult enough without trying to determine who to call, what happens next or how to keep a property operating while restoration is underway.
That is also why Rumsey offers complimentary emergency response planning for commercial property owners and managers. Establishing a plan before a loss occurs can help teams understand emergency contacts, property priorities and response procedures before they are making those decisions in the middle of an emergency.
Rumsey Construction & Restoration’s approach is built around the entire recovery process: respond quickly, understand the full extent of the loss, stabilize the property, monitor conditions, communicate with stakeholders, protect ongoing operations and plan ahead for reconstruction.
Our team is available 24/7 to respond, no matter the size or scale of the loss.
