SHOCKING footage shows the moment a water pipe exploded causing £10,000 worth of damage to a property.
Landlord Gary Gerrard’s three-bedroom terraced house suffered huge damage after it was sprayed for over an hour and a half when a burst mains pipe unleashed gallons.
SWNSA water pipe exploded causing £10,000 worth of damage to a property[/caption]
SWNSLandlord Gary Gerrard was left stunned after the incident[/caption]
SWNSThe house was sprayed for over an hour and a half by water from a burst mains water pipe[/caption]
SWNSThe explosion caused massive damages[/caption]
The explosion was so powerful that part of the road went through the front bedroom window and water seeped through the roof tiles into the house.
Gary, 58, from Yorkshire, said every room of the property in Wakefield, was damaged apart from the kitchen, upstairs bathroom, and one bedroom which all sit at the back of the property.
Footage showed the burst pipe wreaking havoc in the street for over an hour after the initial explosion.
It left Gary’s house and other properties badly damaged with water seeping through the roof tiles.
Gary, who runs trades company G E joinery and construction, said the damage totalled around £10,000, and he will have to replace ceilings, carpets, the electrics, and replaster walls.
He said: “The blast was so powerful the water actually went over the top of the house and got the washing wet in the back garden.
“I’d not seen something like it before. It was just like a big fountain of water spraying at the house.
“There is a row of five houses and, unfortunately, it was hitting mine directly in the middle. It was a bit of a shock.
“It lasted for an hour and a half. Because it was the water mains, it had to be turned off gradually at different sections so it didn’t cause damage to the road further down.”
Gary was alerted to the burst pipe by friends who live on the street in Crigglestone, on August 16, before rushing to the scene within the hour.
He said: “My friends rang me and said I needed to come and have a look at the house.
“I thought the water would just be hitting the front of the house and maybe wouldn’t get inside.
“But the blast was that powerful, it was getting under the roof tiles.
“It was going inside the loft and running down the cavities, before coming through to the bedroom ceilings and running down the light fittings.”
He is now missing out on £950 a month in rent and has had to pick up energy bills as the tenants have moved out while the house is being repaired.
The tradesman said: “Yorkshire Water sent a clean-up crew and I’ve got a claim form to fill in, but I don’t think I’ll get any compensation.
“I think it will only be to cover the loss of rent.”
SWNSWindows were left smashed from the powerful spray[/caption]
SWNSPart of the road went through the front bedroom window due to the explosion[/caption]
SWNSBedding was left soaked and ruined[/caption]
The damage caused by the burst pipe came two years after Gary carried out a major renovation on the property two years ago, installing a brand new kitchen and bathroom suite as well as fitting new windows and doors.
When new tenants moved in recently, he made improvements to the property at a cost of around £3,000.
Gary said: “The new tenants have only been in the property for around four months. I’d just redecorated every room and put in brand new carpets throughout.
“All of the furniture inside has been damaged and the tenants have been advised to contact Yorkshire Water about that.
“I felt sorry for the tenants, really, because they have had to come out straight away and go to live somewhere else until it gets sorted out.”
He said he has no idea what caused the burst water pipe and put it down to “wear and tear”.
Yorkshire Water was contacted for comment.
SWNSDamages totalled £10,000[/caption]
SWNSWater seeped through roof tiles into the house[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
