In the beginning...
I noticed our ceiling was discolored in a certain area one day in our kitchen. I tried to ignore it, but my eye kept coming back to the spot. A few weeks later as I was dutifully cleaning my toilet, I noticed water on our kitchen table that was directly below the toilet. Sure enough, the ceiling was damp and spongy. We called our home warranty company who sent out a plumber. The news, he told us, was that the former owners did not put the correct flange on the toilet when they put in our Pergo floors. Instead they put down two wax rings....and the wax seals had broken. The damage? No one would know until we ripped up our floors. Side note: our home warranty would not cover any damage since it was pre-existing.
Part 2
We ripped up the Pergo and the linoleum was underneath. We could see mold growing in the corners, but had no idea what to expect. The next night T ripped up the linoleum and we were greeted by the sight and smell of mold surrounding our shower and toilet. It smells bad.
Part 3
The plumber came back today. He was supposed to do some things, but by the sight of our bathroom he shook his head and called for re-enforcement. When we called T told them we found mold and a hole in our floor/wall, but apparently they needed to see for themselves. So now I wait for another company to call me. They are water, fire, and smoke damage control. They are supposed to tell me the extent of the water damage. The worse part of this whole thing...the former owners did all THREE bathrooms the same way.
Thoughts...
1) Oh crap.
2) I want to do things right in fixing these issues. Sounds cheesy...but I want to be a good steward of our home.
3) I will not lie...the potential cost makes me a little nervous.
4) I think I am taking this pretty calmly for the most part.
5) Note to self...I will never buy another home from the former owners.
6) I wonder what things we will screw up in the house? I'm sure there will be something that make the next owners scratch their heads.
7) I think I need to do some more caulking today. It'll make me feel like I am taking care of our home properly.
8) I think we might just re-do our bathrooom while we're at it. Wish we knew what we were doing. Loews? Home Depot? Can anyone help us? How do I know if we can trust the companies we are using?
9) I have a feeling there will be more blogs about experience in the future.
8 comments:
friend....all i can say is "i'm sorry". i think home depot's tagline is, "you can do it, we can help". feels reassuring.....go ahead and give them a ring. even though it should be "you've got to spend money on home reairs, we will take your money".
;) hang in there and i'm glad you are handling things this calmly.
now our camping facilities will feel like luxury!!
OH, my dear friend.
You can SO do this. We will help you through it.
:-(
OH. MY. GOSH.
Shouldn't the home inspector have seen this BEFORE you bought the house?
This SUCKS.
I am so sorry!!
If we can find wall nipples, you can certainly redo a bathroom. :)
Oh the joys of home ownership! IT seems like you always have fun repairs in mind but have difficulty getting to them because of the nessesary repairs that life sends your way. I know a faulty ceiling fan this month has definately set back my attached two car garage/kitchen expansion with dining room and an upstairs master suite plan by at least two months. Ha Ha. Maybe if you can afford a bathroom remodel now it won't feel like you are just fixing someone else's mess but creating something new that you would enjoy as well.
-cuz
SUCKS, DUDE!!
I have a few answers to the numbered points you've posed.
NEVER, and I mean never, underestimate the value of doing something the right way. It often takes longer or is a little more expensive, but it's worth it for the peace of mind you'll have and you won't be putting dollars into it in the future. And, really, the people after you won't be pissed at you when they have repairs to make :)
Ask a broad range of people who they've used or would recommend for folks that do clean up/kitchen bath renovation. Unless you have the time to DIY, then read up at someplace like DIYnet.com and buy from Lowes or Home Depot. If you don't have the time, energy, or whatever use someone that has a good reputation, perhaps checking with the local homebuilders association.
I'm with Queen Pretzels, you guys can do it!!
Hey babes. I agree with Tony's hero. Do it right. Chances are you will be there for a while until you buy that estate along the Olentangy. Get the bathroom you want while you are doing it. You remember that response of one of your grandfathers when one of his children came and told him there was a "bad problem." He said: "Is anyone dead?" If the answer was no, then he asked "Is anyone badly injured?" If the answer was no, then he said "Well, we can deal with." These problems are a minor blip in your life (with T) that is filled with love, meaning, family, friends and the promise of more to come.
Take care.
Da
I agree with Tony about asking coworkers about people they have used or who they would recommend.
If your going to have to spend a lot of money, might as well make it the way you want. I will make all the trouble feel worth it.
Everything will workout.
sis-in-law
Thank you all for your encouragement. I will soon update on the progress.
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