"The Big Drip" :Plumbing Problems

United States
January 25, 2023 9:33pm CST
I wasn't on myLot for a couple of weeks because I discovered a leak in our downstairs kitchen ceiling. I could see the outline of the upstairs tub and shower, and saw areas in the ceiling starting to bubble. That was not good. The first plumber we called couldn't come for 10 days. So we found another one who came out the next day. The news was not good. There was a leak in the upstairs Master bathroom under one of the sinks, and it leaked downstairs onto the ceiling and even one wall which we hadn't even noticed. When the plumber cut a hole in the ceiling and looked through the hole, he said there was a "river" of water under there. There was some soundproofing insulation and it had been soaking up a lot of the water but it was now waterlogged and the water leaked through that into the ceiling. He had to call a remediation service for us. They came out that day and within 4 hours had half of that ceiling taken away, the carpet that was wet and gotten damaged in 3 rooms pulled up, and part of one wet wall cut away. For 4 days we had 7 huge fans and 2 dehumidifiers going and it was so loud my husband and I had to yell if we wanted to hear each other. At night we closed the bathroom door, but it was still loud. After 4 days everything was dry so they came and took the equipment away. We really appreciate the quiet now. The next step is to get 2 new faucets ordered for that bathroom so the plumber can come back and fix them before the restoration work begins. We had someone from a restoration company come out last week and write up an estimate for our insurance company. We think he was way overpriced and spent time on the phone with him this morning going over what we wanted rather than what he wrote up. We could go with the restoration company the insurance recommended but I spent most of last week playing phone tag with them and that was getting us nowhere so we went with the company the remediation company recommended. This whole process is supposed to take 2 to 3 months because a lot of people in this area had freezing pipes burst just before Christmas and most of the companies are backed up. After the plumber comes, we will need a pack-out company to come to get all of our furniture and move it out of the 3 affected rooms, and put it in a pod in our driveway. Then the sheetrock people will come in and fix the ceiling and wall that was wet. The carpenter will come in and fix the sink cabinet and the baseboard downstairs. The painters will come in and paint the affected walls and ceiling, and the carpeting guys will come in and replace the carpets. Ugh. I couldn't deal with writing all of that out until now, but that's why I wasn't on myLot. It all seemed so overwhelming. And now that I wrote it all out, it still seems overwhelming. My husband is a fanatic and likes things neat and organized so he is having a hard time dealing with all of this. I am trying to go with the flow. My guess is that it will take longer than 2 to 3 months until our home is back to normal. Have you ever had any issues with leaks like this and did it take a long time to get it all repaired?
6 people like this
7 responses
@RebeccasFarm (86757)
• United States
26 Jan 23
All I can say is my God Karen!! I can only imagine the level of devastation this is causing to you and husband. Wow..and now is there a way that can ensure that this won't be happening again? This is unthinkable not to mention the expense of it all. I am so very sorry this happened I have had things happen in rentals, but nothing on this scale.
1 person likes this
• United States
27 Jan 23
@Kouponkaren You are a great trooper Karen, both of you. It is a lot to bear that is for sure. I would be done in myself, gone mad. I admire you for your patience. Please keep us updated when you can.
• United States
27 Jan 23
@RebeccasFarm Aw, thanks, your sympathy for our situation made me feel better. :0) I am dealing with it okay. I just think it is going to take a lot longer to get this done than what they projected and my husband won't deal with that also.
1 person likes this
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
26 Jan 23
Plumbing issues are a pain! We had a pipe bust. It was not fun. Luckily that's part of our wheelhouse and we know how to do most things.
1 person likes this
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
27 Jan 23
@Kouponkaren I was the oldest granddaughter by 7 years, and the only grandchild for those 7 years. So I learned a lot from my grandpa.
• United States
27 Jan 23
@thislittlepennyearns Oh you are very fortunate to know what to do. We have NO idea at all so we are relying on professionals.
@jstory07 (134422)
• Roseburg, Oregon
26 Jan 23
No I have never had a problem like that before. That is going to cost you a lot of money.
1 person likes this
• United States
27 Jan 23
@jstory07 We are hoping not. The plumbing was a result of wear and tear on the pipe, so the insurance company won't take care of that, BUT they will take care of the repairs, or at least most of them...we hope!
@wolfgirl569 (95134)
• Marion, Ohio
26 Jan 23
Never one that bad. Hope it don't take too long to fix
1 person likes this
• United States
27 Jan 23
@wolfgirl569 Thanks. I hope the same but I am not very optimistic.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325693)
• Rockingham, Australia
26 Jan 23
Oh my, what a total disaster - and it all happens when you're not really aware of it.
1 person likes this
• United States
27 Jan 23
@JudyEv Yes, we have no idea how long it had been dripping like that.
1 person likes this
@Rimps85 (1085)
• India
26 Jan 23
that's so annoying....
1 person likes this
• United States
27 Jan 23
@Rimps85 Yes, that's a good word to describe what we are going through! :0)
1 person likes this
• Eugene, Oregon
27 Jan 23
What terrible thing to happen! I hope that it comes together as quickly as possible. I can't imagine living with the mess and all that noise.