Lesson For Today!
@RawBill1 (8531)
Gold Coast, Australia
February 6, 2010 5:06pm CST
Lesson For Today. (I learned this the hard way) 
DO NOT EVER put your sons basketball ring across the top of the spoon drain at the bottom of the driveway as it will form a dam and flood the garage!
This is what I found out this morning after a night of consistent heavy rain flooded my garage. I have been here for over 8 years and never seen the garage flood like this. I wondered why and then went out into the driveway to see the lake that had formed due to the base of the basketball ring being across the top of the drain and the water could not get away quick enough. The water then flowed up and over the top of the drain and under the roller doors.
The worst thing is that this is where I run my business from and lots of cardboard boxes containing stock are soaked. The stock inside is fine, but the boxes are really bad. Might have to sell those at a discount! These are in my packing area, but my adjoining office is also wet. The water has gone under the walls and into the carpet. 
We have been mopping the whole area up for the last three hours and now are at the stage where we have a small fan heater blowing across the carpet trying to get some heat into the room.
This is not how I planned spending Sunday! It is still raining too and most likely will continue all day! Luckily it is still only 9am and we have the whole day to try and dry the room.
DO NOT EVER put your sons basketball ring across the top of the spoon drain at the bottom of the driveway as it will form a dam and flood the garage!
This is what I found out this morning after a night of consistent heavy rain flooded my garage. I have been here for over 8 years and never seen the garage flood like this. I wondered why and then went out into the driveway to see the lake that had formed due to the base of the basketball ring being across the top of the drain and the water could not get away quick enough. The water then flowed up and over the top of the drain and under the roller doors.
The worst thing is that this is where I run my business from and lots of cardboard boxes containing stock are soaked. The stock inside is fine, but the boxes are really bad. Might have to sell those at a discount! These are in my packing area, but my adjoining office is also wet. The water has gone under the walls and into the carpet.
We have been mopping the whole area up for the last three hours and now are at the stage where we have a small fan heater blowing across the carpet trying to get some heat into the room.
This is not how I planned spending Sunday! It is still raining too and most likely will continue all day! Luckily it is still only 9am and we have the whole day to try and dry the room.1 person likes this
5 responses
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
6 Feb 10
Oh dear, you sound quite upbeat about it considering! We'd be tearing our hair out if it had been us lol. It must be that lifestyle of yours; too laidback for your own good! I hope you can sort it out my friend. Are you covered by insurance? That might be an idea if some of your stock ends up ruined. Good luck!
1 person likes this
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
6 Feb 10
Thanks for your thoughts. 
I am a little upbeat now, but I was definitely stressed earlier this morning when I discovered it and started to move all the wet boxes only to discover more areas of wetness!
We are not insured, but the stock will definitely be fine and luckily it is only a few boxes that were at ground level. Everything stacked above that is fine. There are only 13 pieces of kitchen equipment whose boxes are damaged. once they have dried out and regained some strength we will open the boxes and check inside them at the equipment.
I am a little upbeat now, but I was definitely stressed earlier this morning when I discovered it and started to move all the wet boxes only to discover more areas of wetness!
We are not insured, but the stock will definitely be fine and luckily it is only a few boxes that were at ground level. Everything stacked above that is fine. There are only 13 pieces of kitchen equipment whose boxes are damaged. once they have dried out and regained some strength we will open the boxes and check inside them at the equipment.1 person likes this
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
7 Feb 10
You are very welcome my friend. Glad that not everything has been affected. Water damage is NOT good, as you will know now.
Wow..I hate to hear that. None of us need any extra work..that's for sure. We have enough of that. Good luck getting it done. We need to figure you out an irrigation system and quick if it's going to be raining much longer. Take care.@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
7 Feb 10
Hi Jen, thanks for your comments. I know, as if I did not have enough to do already! LOL 
Normally the irrigation is sufficient here as it is all designed to withstand the heavy tropical rain that we get here in summer. But blocking it with basketball rings is not advised! All is good with the flow of water now and the next challenge is trying to dry everything! 
We have used 15 towels to soak up the moisture in the carpet and they are now hanging up and attempting to dry in this damp air as well!
Normally the irrigation is sufficient here as it is all designed to withstand the heavy tropical rain that we get here in summer. But blocking it with basketball rings is not advised! All is good with the flow of water now and the next challenge is trying to dry everything!
We have used 15 towels to soak up the moisture in the carpet and they are now hanging up and attempting to dry in this damp air as well! @Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
8 Feb 10
hi rawbill wow talk about raining and flooding. You did have your hands full or should I say your poor garage full. We had one whole week of rain here several weeks ago, and one idiot surfer refused to listen to the life quards and went out in tremendous surf, and he is still missing. why wont people learn when told something is really very dangerous not to do t hat, or not to go there?I am glad you did manage to save your stock. but getting your flooring dry is going to be a real job. I did not remember where you are from, but my sympathies to you during this rainy weather. I remember having to use a large fan to dry carpeting after the fire men had put out a fire started in the downstairs apartment right below us in the wall if you please, the new owner
tried to solder some plumbing joints with a blow torch and set the wall studs on fire. the fire men had to tear a hole in our closet to put out the fire and got water all over our bedroom floor and the smoke stench took days to get it out from our apartment.,
tried to solder some plumbing joints with a blow torch and set the wall studs on fire. the fire men had to tear a hole in our closet to put out the fire and got water all over our bedroom floor and the smoke stench took days to get it out from our apartment.,
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
8 Feb 10
Oh dear! Don’t you hate all that unexpected work? I bet you never imagined something like that could happen when you put the basketball ring up! They are disasters that can do more than ruin your day! You seem to be handling it very well, I would have fallen apart and cried before I got off my backside and looked at rectifying the situation which is what I did when we had renovations at our house and the bricklayers came and moved a window in the spare room while I was out and because they had to cut the wall where the new window was to go, there was fine white dust all over everything including all the clothes inside the wardrobe which was full of course! If only the builder had bothered to let me know when they were coming I would have emptied the room and the wardrobe! When I came home from work tired and grumpy it was just what I needed...I know how you felt...
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
8 Feb 10
Hi Paula, thanks for sharing your unfortunate story. That was pretty inconsiderate of the builders to do that. They should have let you know or at least put up some plastic or a sheet or something. Surely they would have come across the situation before and you think they would know better!
There were no tears shed by me but there were a few nasty words that came out of my mouth!
It had been a busy day and a late night the night before and I was pretty tired, but awake early and looking forward to getting into the office and getting some myLot discussions out of the way early, but it did not exactly work out like that!
There were no tears shed by me but there were a few nasty words that came out of my mouth!
It had been a busy day and a late night the night before and I was pretty tired, but awake early and looking forward to getting into the office and getting some myLot discussions out of the way early, but it did not exactly work out like that! 1 person likes this
@RawBill1 (8531)
• Gold Coast, Australia
7 Feb 10
I have definitely learned a lesson here. It is still pouring heavily.but at least the drain is getting rid of the water as it is supposed to now. It would not surprise me if there were quite a few people in this region struggling with flooding today!
My biggest concern now is trying to get the carpet dry before it goes mouldy!
1 person likes this
