Quincy Condo Rebuild: New Floors, Walls, and Trim After Water Came In Along the Window Wall

We just wrapped a condo rebuild in Quincy that started as someone else's stalled job. Water had gotten into the subfloor along the exterior wall under the windows, the flooring had been pulled, and the unit sat open. Here is what we did and what the owner got back.

What we walked into

The old flooring was stacked in the living room, the hallway drywall had been cut at the base, and a section of subfloor along the window wall had been opened by a previous crew and left. The subfloor in that strip was stained black and soft. The kitchen was intact but the floor transition to it was gone.

What we did

• Photographed and metered the whole unit before touching anything, so the claim file showed exactly where the previous work stopped and ours started.
• Removed the rest of the damaged flooring and cut out the stained subfloor along the window wall back to solid material.
• Treated the framing, dried the area to a normal reading, and installed new subfloor flush with the existing.
• Repaired the drywall at the base of the walls, then laid new light wood-look plank flooring through the living room, hallway, and bedroom with a clean transition at the kitchen tile.
• New baseboard and door casing throughout, caulked and painted, and fresh paint on the walls and ceilings.

What the owner got back

A unit that reads as new: one continuous floor from the front door through the living room and into the bedroom, crisp white trim, and walls with no patch lines. More importantly, a subfloor that reads dry on the meter along the wall that caused the problem, so the next cold, wet winter is not going to bring the stain back.

Why this one is worth showing

A lot of water damage work is invisible when it is done well. This unit is a good example of the part that matters: the fix under the floor along the window wall. Anyone can lay new planks. The job is what goes under them.