Recent Work
Commercial Condo, West End, Boston, MA
When a fourth floor water line burst in a commercial condo building during the early days of the COVID shutdown, it took days before anyone realized it. By the time the leak had been discovered, this second floor condo had been completely destroyed.
The tenant was actively trying to cancel the lease so it was imperative that it be rebuilt within about 60 days – which it was. Thirty of those days were spent waiting on the building department to approve the rebuild which left a tight window for construction.
Residential Condo, Beacon Hill, Boston, MA
Extensive damage originated from a tub overflow in the unit above this condo. Upon demolition of the damaged areas it was discovered that the building did not have the proper footings in place. They had to be repoured and the entire layout of the space had to be reconfigured to meet current building code.
The code update required that an egress window be added to the basement bedroom window. This involved relocating an entire stairwell to the opposite side of the unit.
Multifamily Residential, Salem, MA
A fire on the fourth floor of a residential community completely destroyed the original unit pictured. The sprinklers set off throughout the building which affected about 30 units.
Single Family Residence, Lincoln, MA
The insured was away during winter when the furnace in the home failed leading to many frozen and burst pipes throughout the home. While the entire kitchen had to be rebuilt, we were able to save the solid wood cabinets by bringing them to a local craftsman who refinished all the faces to restore them from the water damage.
Single Family Residence, Nahant, MA
A leak in the roof while the insured was away caused extensive damage throughout the entire home. This project was unique because the insured didn’t want any changes to the existing surround speaker system throughout the home which was installed sometime in the 80’s. There was no way to replace it so some parts had to be rebuilt by an audio specialist which was more difficult than replacing the whole system.
Multifamily Residential, Marlborough, MA
A frozen sprinkler pipe on the 3rd floor of an apartment building caused a loss that affected 23 units 6 of which had displaced tenants. The loss had major impacts to common hallways and stairwells so all tenants in the building were affected.
A project like this requires extensive communication and flexibility with all tenants. It is important to work around each tenant’s individual schedule with a focus on expediting tenants staying in hotels to minimize any hotel charges. From the date the permit was issued it took about 5 weeks to complete the project.
Restaurant, Hingham, MA
The simplicity of these before and after photos doesn’t do justice to the complexity of the project. This was a restaurant with complex finishes and required the organization of 10 different subtrades including, but not limited to, movers, flooring installers, framers, electricians, and commercial glass to complete the project.
There was a large staff that had to be kept on payroll during the shutdown so time was of the essence. We were able to keep the time the restaurant had to close down to about 3 weeks.
Hospital, South Shore, MA
An internal waterline rupture in the long term acute care wing of a hospital caused damage to over 23,000 square feet of space on two floors. This project required immediate make-safe of electrical and fire safety systems. Close coordination of working with the mitigation specialist was needed in order to complete the project by breaking it up into multiple zones to get the space back up and working as quickly as possible.
Fields Corner, Dorchester, MA
A faulty toilet valve on the third floor of this newly purchased three-family rental property caused damage to all three floors including two kitchens and three bathrooms. The Hamel Company assisted the landlord in rebuilding the property while working around existing tenant needs and new tenant move-in deadlines. The landlord was relatively hands-off while we helped to coordinate the schedules and restore the property to better than pre-loss condition.
Haggetts Pond, Andover MA
This customer experienced a leaking pipe in the concrete slab of their home’s foundation. After the affected areas had been thoroughly dried, The Hamel Company began work on the repairs. The leak was not detected right away and by the time it was discovered, it had rotted part of the base plate along one wall. The base plate was replaced and the flood cuts in the drywall were patched.
Due to continued signs of moisture in the concrete slab after the suspected primary culprit was repaired, we determined that the new flooring was installed using the severe moisture version of the Polyethylene Method from the National Oak Flooring Manufacturers Association’s Hardwood Installation Manual. The original pre-finished wood floors had been discontinued, so it was impossible to find a match for patching only the affected area. A new floor was chosen and the entire old flooring was replaced. The Hamel Company also repaired a paneled wall in the laundry room where the new water line was connected.
Charlestown, Boston, MA
This is a typical project that we see often at The Hamel Company, and one of many that we specialize in. Following a water damage incident, which was first dried by a mitigation specialist, the homeowner was referred to The Hamel Company to put everything back together. In the basement, there was damage in a closet and the laundry room. The Hamel Company replaced insulation, patched the drywall, replaced trim molding, installed new cabinetry and shelving, and painted the area back to its original color. A small half bath also sustained damage on the first floor. In that half bath, The Hamel Company replaced the tile floor, installed new baseboards and a custom vanity, and painted the walls.