I normally do Wordless Wednesday... with gorgeous pics and none of my rambling on and on, but not today. sorry.
So, Shawn and I ran away for last weekend and returned home on Sunday. We tried to park on the side of the house like usual but Savannah had parked her car in our spot. Shawn then parked at the front of the house. He loaded up his arms with our suitcases and strolled up to the porch and front door.
Shawn glanced up at the ceiling of the porch and gasped, dropped the suitcases and started banging on the front door for Christian to unlock the door!!!
I was still back at the car grabbing the other bags and my heart stopped.
Once I FORCED my feet to take me to the porch... I saw water pouring out of the ceiling of the porch.
My first thought was the roof had a leak somewhere.
But Shawn knew right what it was. Savannah's bathroom. We have had continuous problems with her plumbing since we have moved in, including once when it leaked into the walls and caused minor damage in the downstairs 1/2 bath and entry.
Minor damage was not our outcome this time. Major flooding was to be our trial this time.
We know the toilet is to blame, again. Savannah had laid down for a nap after church, she had no idea the toilet was flooding cause it did not make a sound. The boys were in the TV room watching a movie but because of the volume of the movie they did not hear the dripping coming through the ceiling in the entry. We estimate the plumbing broke an hour before we got home. Could have been so much worse if it had happened at night, or while the kids were at church... and been allowed to pour water for 3 hours straight.
The 'disaster' crews arrived immediately on Monday. We got tons and tons of bad news but there was some good news too.
Savannah's room was carpeted... that was a total loss, it all had to go. The subfloor will dry, be treated to prevent mold and should dry in a few days. Good news... the water poured out of her bathroom door but went down the walls... causing terrible drywall damage downstairs but at least it did not flow out into the hallway and then down the stairs which is all hardwood.
Her bathroom will be near gutted. I jokingly told Savannah if she wanted to completely change the decor of her bathroom... now is the time.
Honestly... tears have been shed for the condition of the entry. I've tried to scold myself. After all, we returned home to our kids that were safe and sound! Perspective! But to go through this for a second time, when we thought the problem was solved... and last time was not near this bad... well, I HAVE cried. But I think I have it out of my system. Sniffle.
Downstairs it seems that we only had drywall and baseboard damage. Again, the hardwoods seem fine. Not pictured, the 1/2 bath which was the most damaged last time again is damaged and lost drywall and baseboards. We are unclear as to if the porch ceiling which is beadboarded will have permanent damage. The crew that came in Monday was only focused on removing the 'contaminated' surfaces inside the home and getting fans and dehumidifiers going. Actual contractor will arrive Thursday to assess.
Since Monday we have had 5 of these gigantic fans and 3 commercial size dehumidifiers blowing non-stop in the house... they won't be removed until Thursday and only if the moisture levels are at a safe level. I have had a headache since Monday. I can not hear the phone ring... it is loud to say the least.
The very sweet contamination guys tried to drape off the openings to the entry once they started cutting drywall... but it was all for naught once the fans got turned on afterwards. There is drywall dust everywhere. I have been told it will only get worse once they start to replace the drywall and sanding that. whimper. Below is dust that is in one of the farthest corners of the house away from the damage. This dust is sure to be everywhere before it is over. Did I mention that I really, REALLY, don't function well in a messy house.
Funny tidbit:
Late Sunday night... with no less than 8 buckets in the entry catching dripping water from the ceiling, water upstairs all sopped up to the best of our ability, exhausted and tear stained faces, we gathered together to do a quick Family Counsel for the upcoming week and say prayers together.
Yes, we came home to a flooded house.
Yes, we were already seeing the damage in the drywall and knew it would only get worse overnight before the damage patrol arrived.
Yes, we were looking at weeks of contractors and plumbers traipsing in and out of the house.
BUT I had ONE really big gripe for the kids.
Why didn't they do dishes the whole time Shawn and I were gone. Seriously! I left them with a clean kitchen, not one dirty dish in it. I came home to... well, yes a flooded entry and upstairs... but I also came home to almost every dish/cup/pot in our entire kitchen dirty and heaped in the sink and counters and stove top. Oh NO they didn't!! Sensing that their mom was teetering on insanity for even mentioning the dirty kitchen at a time like that... my children corrected the dirty dishes fiasco post haste. smart kids.
And we all settled in for a long and LOUD nights rest.
"Home is an invention on which