Now that temperatures are rising, Texans will start getting a handle on the crisis and start thinking about repairs to their homes and other buildings. How this plays out, how all natural disasters play out - there will be so many opportunities for people to get screwed over, so here are some tips based on my experience.
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All the burst pipes will have led to electrical shorts in the wiring, water damage to the drywall and wood framing of the houses (and lots of those walls will be load-bearing), flooding in the basements when it melts, among other things.
Wood can actually endure moisture pretty well, but the drywall, especially in areas that are hot year-round like Texas, is lined with paper on both sides. Add moisture, now you have mold. If the drywall is not replaced and the wood studs and basements allowed to dry, mold will grow in your house. The drywall has to go. Contractors* are already ordering shipments of drywall for Texas.
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*Contractors will scam you. Some houses will be considered a total loss, which means the insurance companies will pay out money equivalent to the house being rebuilt. Whether you’re doing a whole house, or just a repair/remodel, those homeowners will have to find their own contractors. Get a contract. If the contractor you like doesn’t want to provide you a signed contract for their work, don’t use them.
Pop-up contractors will be flooding the area. These are contractors who have never worked in your city before, or even in the state of Texas. They are coming for the work, and they will leave once they see the money drying up. These makes it especially hard to come after them if they do a bad job. Check into the companies - if they have a website, and it states on there their history of work in the area, with examples, they’re a much better bet than the guy who conveniently came around door to door and offered to fix your roof for cash.
A lot of contractors are good, and it will seem counterintuitive when they try to explain to you that a thing can’t be done, but sometimes it really just can’t be done. What does this mean?
People will naturally want their homes to be better than before in case this happens again. But insulation and winterizing is not a straight line. There is not just a “more” method you can do to achieve a perfect thermal barrier. You will try to research how homes are built in extremely cold areas and ask contractors to do that, but it just does not apply to Texas, even after what’s happened. Texas will still be a predominantly warm/hot climate, with humidity from the gulf. The houses need to be built for that. Hot climate = cool interiors = wall types built to protect against condensation from the outside. If you don’t do this, again, mold happens.
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Permits! You will almost certainly need construction permits from your city, county, the state, or a combination of the three. Unless your contractor says in the contract that they’re pulling the permit for you, you’re responsible for it, or you’ll face fines from the building departments, and if you refuse to get the permit, you could face legal action. You don’t want that. Get the permits. The cities know that lots of construction is coming, they will help you make the process go as fast as possible. It will still take 3 times longer than you think it should.
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Insurance rates will rise due to this event. The state is already set up to help you in the case of price gouging, but insurance rarely gets addressed.
Insurance companies will be setting the pace, because they will have different rates based on when and how houses were built, which they already do. Insurance rates will go up across the board in Texas, but you'll probably be able to apply for a discount if you can show your house has "x" insulation or treatment that they will arbitrarily ask for.
At the same time, they'll offer additional coverage plans for events like this, even though they're extremely rare. insurance companies will make money no matter what and try to get out of helping you at every turn. It will take a ton of energy, but you cannot give them peace, or they will vanish without ever paying out. Pop-up insurance companies will also be a thing.
Insurance is regulated by the states in almost all cases, so keeping the insurance companies honest has to be a state level solution right now.
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Building Codes are adopted at the state level. Insurance companies are very aware of what codes have been adopted and use that information to determine what rates to apply to a location. Encouraging your local cities and states to adopt newer codes with more current energy guidelines will lower your insurance rates. Check with your local jurisdiction about which codes they’re already using, so you know what to build your new work to.
Construction for energy and insulation is based on your climate zone. The codes are free online, but hard to understand if you’re not used to reading that kind of writing. Good contractors and good architects/engineers can help you, and sometimes will give recommendations for free.
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None of this should be considered legal advice, and I am not an expert.
Links will be in a reblog.
Good luck.
