A different kind of housing for Lakewood
Most of Lakewood is single-family houses from the post-war decades. Belmar and the blocks around it break the pattern: multi-story buildings with shops on the street and homes above, rows of townhomes and apartment buildings, mostly built this century. The plumbing is newer, often PEX with plastic drains, so corroded steel pipe rarely causes the trouble.
What changes is how water moves. In a stacked building, a leak in one unit can travel down through several floors. Supply, drain and fire sprinkler lines may serve several units, and the association owns parts of the building outright. One loss can involve renters, owners, the association and sometimes a ground-floor commercial tenant.
Common sources in newer multi-unit buildings
- Washer in a closet
- Stacked laundry closets leak through the floor assembly into the unit below
- Fire sprinkler heads
- A damaged or frozen head releases a lot of water fast; only the building can shut the system down
- PEX fittings
- Crimp or expansion fittings can fail, usually at a joint
- Balcony and roof drains
- A clogged drain can push water under doors and through walls
- HVAC condensate
- A blocked condensate line overflows from air handlers in ceilings or closets
Questions for owners and renters in Belmar-area buildings
- Where is the water shutoff for my unit, and who controls the building's main and the fire sprinkler system?
- Who answers the building's or association's emergency line after hours?
- What does the association's master policy cover inside my unit?
- Does my lease or the association require me to carry my own insurance, and what must it include?
- If water comes from a commercial space above or below, who coordinates the response?
Who to contact first
- IfA fire sprinkler head is dischargingThenCall 911 and the building's emergency line. Don't try to shut the system off yourself.
- IfWater is coming from the unit aboveThenContact the neighbor and the building or association emergency line right away.
- IfThe leak is inside your unit and you can reach the shutoffThenClose it, then notify the association or landlord and your insurer.
- IfYou rentThenNotify your landlord or property manager in writing, then call your renter's insurer about your belongings.
General information for Lakewood, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.