The Flood Saga

Did I mention that I had a flood? Oh, I did!
I came home from the gym several Wednesdays ago and as I opened the door from the garage to the sound of water pouring into my laundry room. I shrieked and ran into the basement. Then I shrieked some more.
I ran upstairs splashing all the way down the hall to see water pouring out of my toilet tank. I shrieked some more, tried to call people while turning off the water to the tank. I turned the knob every which way and water was still pouring out of it.
I ran into the dining room and pulled at my hair. The most productive thing I could think of doing was screaming at the top of my lungs, "I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO! SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" Turns out, that wasn't the most productive thing.
I tried calling my dad, but he hung up on me because he was in a meeting (which he does all the time because he's in the meeting so that was fine, except I was panicking)
I whipped open the back door crying and still shrieking and ran to my neighbors house. After forcing myself to calm down enough to tell them what was happening they came over and helped me figure out what was going on.

The toilet tank cracked. All day it emptied and refilled and spilled all over the bathroom floor.

See that teeny tiny crack on the back left side. Yep that's it. Allstate called it a spontaneous incident. They are not paying to replace the toilet, but they'll cover everything that it damaged. Which was a lot.
The walls in the laundry room were soaked, but have ended up drying very well

The basement drop ceiling collapsed in the downstairs bath and the parts of the living room area






Water had filled the light fixture in the basement bathroom and was pouring out of it when tipped or jostled.
The carpet in the basement was soaked. In the beginning when I stepped on the carpet in the corner by the bathroom water rose up to my ankles.


I can tell you that I was never more thankful that the previous owners were cheap and put up cheapo drop ceiling tiles and wood paneling. It dries well!

My super seester and my lovely friends Justin and Bobbie swooped into help. Well, Justin swooped, but Bobbie told him to swoop and she stayed with the kiddos.Within about two hours we had 2 dehumidifiers and several fans going. I had shop vacced my behind off and there was still just water everywhere. About midnight I finally gave up for the night and layed awake for another few hours just to wound up to sleep. Pete commented on my panicky Facebook status' about 1230 so I knew he was awake and called to talk to him for awhile just trying to calm down enough to sleep.

I got up about 6am the next morning and shop vacced some more, then called around for more dehumidifiers. Picked a few up from Jen and Lisa and some more fans. I called my agent at 9am when they opened and decided I obviously needed to file a claim. I was light headed and realized I hadn't eaten since about 3pm the day before, and with all the stress not to mention the working out I was starving.

After finally eating I started the claim, called a restoration company and took a shower. The restoration estimate guy was out in 45 minutes and their guys were out to start cleaning in another 45 minutes.
They ripped up the carpet in the upstairs hall and lo and behold beneath the carpet was...hardwood floors! So exciting, I had no idea they were there!



They pulled out the offending toiletI laughed really hard at the void in the paint left by the toilet tank. I can't tell you now why it was funny. I blame the stress and exhaustion.



They ripped up the laminate flooring in the upstairs and downstairs bath and the laundry room too.So where it stands: Allstate is covering the replacement of the basement carpet up through the basement hall, stairs and garage entry. They are paying for ripping up the carpet in the master bedroom, upstairs hall, living and dining room and refinishing the hardwood floors underneath. They are also paying for new vinyl tile in the upstairs and downstairs bathroom and the laundry room. They are paying for the drywall behind the offending toilet to be repaired, they are paying to replace the door and doorjam(b?) to the basement bath as well. Oh, and they paying to replace all the drop ceiling tile in the basement.
Of course, by they are paying for it I mean I am paying for it through insurance, but not all at the same time.

Phew. I'm tired.
In addition to all that Dad suggested that since they're replacing the floor and half the drywall in the bathroom that we might as well just redo that bath all over. So I am having a glazing company come out to re-glaze my hall bath and surround. Now a powdery blue, after it will be a lovely white. I'll get new fixtures and probably a new shower head too. We're tearing down all the dry wall and replacing it all so it's smooth instead of this bumpy crap that's all over the house. We're ripping out the sink vanity and mirror and buying new ones as well as a new exhaust fan/light.
Mom and Dad are coming this weekend to help with some of the demo and to hold my hand while I shop for all this stuff. Because even though it's my house I feel like I make wrong choices.

The basement carpet should be in this weekend, vinyl flooring next week and I'm hoping the hardwood will be the next week. I have to move out of my house for a week while they do the hardwood and Agnes and Gertrude have to move out too. Allstate will be putting us up in La Quinta for the week. Yes, I'm the creepy single 30 year old that stays in hotels with my cats.

La Quinta: Spanish for: My house flooded and I'm getting all new flooring in almost all my house for only my $500 deductible.

All this in time for some fabulous guests to come stay in my house the weekend of March 5th for a photo show!