Velcrometer
Throwing stuff at the internet to see what sticks
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M. Giant's Velcrometer Throwing stuff at the internet to see what sticks |
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Tuesday, August 11, 2009 All Wet Considering how one of the primary functions of a house is to keep the rain off, it's kind of upsetting how much free-range water has been getting in here this summer. It started, appropriately enough, with the water heater back on Memorial Day weekend. As I've already written, my dad had that fixed up and squared away within a matter of hours. I should have just called him on all the other issues that have come up. Like when we got deluged with rain in June. Remember the bathroom ceiling? I never did get that finished, because threecap season hit and then I hurt my putty-knife arm and I just never got back to it. Which turned out to be just as well, because as much as I know you shouldn't ever repair water damage without having dealt with the source of the damage, I guess I didn't feel it way down deep in my duodenum where it really counts. Maybe I thought that rule didn't apply to me. I got straightened out on that in a hurry when I discovered that after that June rain, a lot of the drywall compound I had painstakingly spread on the ceiling in early January had flopped into the tub. At least now I knew where the water was coming in: the upstairs bathroom, where the top layer of the wall against the ceiling was coming off like the label of a mayonnaise jar, if you expose that jar to as much water as was apparently leaking in through the roof. Ever since I made this discovery, I've been trying to call the contractor that did our addition three years ago that includes this section of roof, but apparently he doesn't exist any more. One wonders why. Or like in July, when the main drainpipe that runs from both bathrooms down to our basement started leaking. Apparently this was an ongoing problem, but this whole time I'd been thinking that the dampness there was just seepage from external moisture, or maybe condensation from the deep freeze, or an extension of the leaking that was affecting the bathrooms upstairs or, given the proximity to the litter boxes, just "bad aim." But then we started noticing that the puddle got bigger every time one of us took a shower, and the conclusion was unavoidable. On the bright side, it was something we could call a plumber about, and sure enough, the "master plumber" plugged the leak. After the second visit, with a second plumber. The first visit only made the puddle grow faster. I don't know why that's the only visit we had to pay for. Anyway, the worst part was cleaning up the damp sludge that clumpable cat litter turns into when the cats kick it out onto the damp floor. That shit is nasty. In fact, I left the litter boxes over by the laundry tub, in case that leak ever comes back. I never want to have to clean that crap up again. Which brings us to August. Finally, last week I gave up on getting the contractor to come out and fix the roof (and the walls, and the ceiling) and started putting things in motion with our homeowners insurance (maybe they can get the guy on the phone). That night, we got the biggest rainstorm we've had all year. I discovered that not as much of my repair attempts had fallen into the tub as I had previously thought, because the next morning, that's where the rest of the them were. Fortunately, the next day, we discovered that the cause of the problem might be a lot simpler than we thought. Looking up at that section of roofline, our next door neighbor spotted what looks like some young plant life sprouting from the gutter. I may not be qualified to fix a leaky roof, but even I can remove the beginnings of a new-growth forest from a gutter. As soon as I rent a 26-foot ladder, that is. Oddly enough, with a check promised by the insurance company and a possible remedy on the horizon, it took a load off my mind. And then, Sunday morning, I was downstairs with M. Edium when he said, "Uh-oh." The washing machine was running and apparently the laundry tub drain was clogged. As I tried to clear it out, several dozen gallons of dirty water spilled onto the floor. Right where the litter boxes were moved to when the drainpipe was leaking. I don't think I've ever looked forward to Labor Day so much in my life. posted by M. Giant 7:01 AM 4 comments 4 Comments:Wow, this blog is a really excellent cure for that itch to go out and buy a house. Labor Day is comin', my friend.
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I'd tell you to move to a semi-arid climate, but considering the weather patterns this summer, god alone knows where that might be.
By Suggestion is very nice but m it does not sure what will happened on tomorrow.
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Really nice post about All Wet.
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