NEW VICTIMS OF THE FLOODS ... FOUR MONTHS ON

08:00 - 19 October 2007

Homeowners in Hull who thought they had escaped the floods were today warned they could still have suffered thousands of pounds of damage.

Jamie and Victoria Conlaund thought their home escaped the floods unscathed on June 25, but last month they discovered water had risen up under their home.

Builders have pulled up the floors downstairs and the couple and their children Cobey, three, and Finley, 15 months, are now living in one room in a hotel.
 

Now, surveyors and Hull City Council say even those whose homes did not appear affected by the floods could be living in a damaged house.

Signs to look for include:

Standing water or dampness

A musty smell

Warped floorboards, doors and door frames

Peeling wallpaper

Mr Conlaund, of Chancewaters, Kingswood, Hull, said: "During the floods, the water stopped a few metres away from our house, so we never thought there was any damage.

"But then a couple of months down the line, a family member who found water under their house suggested we get ours checked out.

"When a surveyor came down and did tests at the end of September, he found the water had got underneath our house."

The water soaking upwards into the floors and all downstairs flooring has had to be taken up, including laminate, carpets and the tiled floor of the conservatory. It had also damaged the kitchen.

Mr Conlaund, 31, said: "It has been a nightmare living in a hotel with two young children. We don't have a clue how long we will be out, but it could be six months.

"If people's homes were even remotely near the floodwater, they should get their insurance company down and get it checked out."

Dave Cook, of the specialist Hull-based surveyors the Cook Group Ltd, said he had been called out to see many properties showing the signs of flooding, despite not having been under water.

Mr Cook said areas along Wold Road, Willerby Road and Holderness Road were the most affected in Hull.

He said: "People think if it didn't come into the air brick, then they are safe. But when areas are flooded, the water table naturally rises and it comes up through the ground into the foundations of the house."

Mr Cook said many of the properties starting to show signs of water damage would need stripping out.

He said if people were worried about their property they should inform their insurer, but he warned the problem could persist in the area for months to come.

An East Yorkshire chartered surveyor, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "Anyone in an affected area should be lifting carpets and floor boards to see if any water got in.

"If the floor joists don't dry out, you have the potential for dry rot, which is serious."

A city council spokeswoman said: "Anyone living in an area affected by floods, even if they haven't been flooded themselves, should check out whether damage has been caused.

"Although we don't have figures of how many people could be affected in this way, we are aware there may be problems caused by the floods that emerge several months later."

Have you only recently discovered flood damage? If so, call the Mail on (01482) 315261.