Why I hate home repairs. Minor repair turns into major trouble.

[BillSears]

OK I started out with wanting to replace my carpeting in my dining room. It was a light brown carpet that was there when I bought the house 14 years ago.

I decided this was a job I could probably do myself but with a bit of trouble. But hey it would be fun to do...right????

So here we are light brown carpeting and the ominous corner. I moved all of the furniture out of the room and I notice the discoloring on the floor molding in the corner.

Ok I spend some time getting all of the carpeting up. The layers of padding. The tacking strips, etc... I can see the discoloration clearly now. I wonder what that is?

I start shopping for flooring and I decide on a laminate. Then it rains!!! WTH!!!! There's water on my dining room floor!!!! OK I can deal with this. But the puddle was the night before I left for vacation so it'll have to wait.

When I got back from vacation I sprayed the side of my house with the hose. I eventually find out that the leak is at the bottom of my window or maybe the top of my brick siding. OK I need to get the widows replaced anyway so they can fix that leak when they replace it. But the floor will have to wait until the leak is fixed.

And so it brings us to today. It was pouring tonight and I saw the water again. I figure it's time for me to track down the leak. So I go over to the wall and try to figure it out. I can't see a thing except water on the floor.

Well I've always hated that paneling. Since the leak is behind the paneling anyway I might as well take down the paneling to make sure I've found the leak.

What the heck is that. The paneling is sitting on the sheetrock underneath it and the sheetrock doesn't look good. I go over and look close and I can see the stud in the wall has rotted away at the bottom!!!!

I start taking away more paneling and I see cracks and MOLD!!!

OK I'm screwed! But at least I'm going to find that leak. That sheetorck has to come down!

So there it is. The leak is coming from the bottom of the window area. It still could be the window or maybe the top of the brick or who the heck knows for sure. But it's alot worse then I thought. I'm going to have to replace multiple studs in an outside wall. Along with the windows, the sheetrock and who know what else. It's probably been leaking for 15+ years. Maybe since the previous owner replaced the windows.

I hated that carpeting but maybe I should have just left it there.

So do you have any suggestions?

 

[Snow_White]

BE CAREFUL. Black mold is serious, serious stuff. At the very least, wear a high quality mask while dealing with it....do your research before you start to clean it. My husband is extremely ill due to toxic mold exposure.

 

[RNMOM]

Bill, this sounds like countless projects we have done. Why is it you start out with good intentions and it ends up costing you many more hours and lots more $$$ than you have?

I hope you have an easy time doing these repairs. At our house this would definitely be a hired out job. I have a good guy that does this kinda stuff for us. I can't do it anymore due to my arthritis and DH is an engineer...that means he can't do it at all. He knows WHAT needs to be done and why but not how. (disclaimer...He is a really great guy and worth his weight in gold, just not handy.)

Just think of how proud of yourself you will be when it is all repaired and new flooring down.

 

[It's A Happy Day]

No advice but I will offer a

I came home from work on a Sunday evening expecting my clogged kitchen sink to be fixed and found 1/2 of my counter, 1/2 of my cabinets, and 2 walls ripped out The sink is in the middle and DH, DFIL, and DBIL had to remove a pipe than ran from the sink along the wall to the main junction in the wall about 9-10 feet away so guess we're renovating the kitchen alot sooner than I expected But no worries right, it will pay for itself

 

[BillSears]

BE CAREFUL. Black mold is serious, serious stuff. At the very least, wear a high quality mask while dealing with it....do your research before you start to clean it. My husband is extremely ill due to toxic mold exposure.

Thanks! That mold really worried me. I've been staying away from it.

Bill, this sounds like countless projects we have done. Why is it you start out with good intentions and it ends up costing you many more hours and lots more $$$ than you have?

I hope you have an easy time doing these repairs. At our house this would definitely be a hired out job. I have a good guy that does this kinda stuff for us. I can't do it anymore due to my arthritis and DH is an engineer...that means he can't do it at all. He knows WHAT needs to be done and why but not how. (disclaimer...He is a really great guy and worth his weight in gold, just not handy.)

Just think of how proud of yourself you will be when it is all repaired and new flooring down.

Well I can handle small things and maybe some demolishion. But this repair is way beyond me. I'll have to start looking for a contractor? Carpenter? Home repair guy? I have no idea who to go to but I'll have to find someone.

No advice but I will offer a

I came home from work on a Sunday evening expecting my clogged kitchen sink to be fixed and found 1/2 of my counter, 1/2 of my cabinets, and 2 walls ripped out The sink is in the middle and DH, DFIL, and DBIL had to remove a pipe than ran from the sink along the wall to the main junction in the wall about 9-10 feet away so guess we're renovating the kitchen alot sooner than I expected But no worries right, it will pay for itself

Thanks. I suspect I'm going to get some more improvements done while I'm getting this done. I might as well get it all taken care of while I can.

 

[JR6ooo4]

We had a leaking bathtub fawcett. It was loud enough to hear downstairs. So I get the tools and start to turn the cartidge out, and the whole fixture turns wrinklig the 1/4 inch copper pipe they used. SO out comes the wall of tile to get at the original galvanized pipe. Then the whole repair...
but we get that big discount on taxes, right? And, for marcie and I, we can now have a dog and a place for it to run, so its worth it.

Mikeeee

 

[RitaZ.]

That's terrible! I understand how you feel. Home repairs are like the book If You Give A Mouse a Cookie. It starts out small, but then it gets bigger and bigger. One repair leads to another...

I know it's a pain, but at least you know about the mold now and can have the problem taken care of. Good luck.

 

[Charade]

Oooo... that's bad!! I'd be calling my insurance company. I think that would be covered.

 

[I'mNoPrince]

Bill all the houses here in B-more leak it's part of our charm.

Just re put the sheetrock up and put the carpet back down or a fish pond in the corner would work.with a pump to suck the water from the floor.

But it does look like a contractor is needed maybe even a place that does sealents can save some of the studs if they are just wet and not rotten.

Good Luck We use to just call Sears but lately thats not been that good either. Home Depot and Lowes will have a contrctors list that could fix you up.

 

[jfulcer]

I actually think you should be looking at it the other way around. If that's been that way since before you moved in you've been living in there with the mold for quite some time. It may have been affecting your health.

While it's a bummer that while it's a small project that turned big - in the long run your house will be healthier for it.

 

[BillSears]

but we get that big discount on taxes, right?

Taxes? Oh you mean the interest deduction. I was thinking there might be a tax break for home repairs too.

Home repairs are like the book If You Give A Mouse a Cookie. It starts out small, but then it gets bigger and bigger. One repair leads to another...

I keep thinking that since I'm redoing the dining room now I really ought to remodle the kitchen at the same time... This could get dangerous.

Oooo... that's bad!! I'd be calling my insurance company. I think that would be covered.

I was thinking this wouldn't be covered because it's been a long over time problem. Plus it may have started long before I even bought the house or had insurance on it.

Bill all the houses here in B-more leak it's part of our charm.

Just re put the sheetrock up and put the carpet back down or a fish pond in the corner would work.with a pump to suck the water from the floor.

But it does look like a contractor is needed maybe even a place that does sealents can save some of the studs if they are just wet and not rotten.

Good Luck We use to just call Sears but lately thats not been that good either. Home Depot and Lowes will have a contrctors list that could fix you up.

Baltimore houses leak!?!?!?! Now you tell me!!! I'll just go with the fish pond. If I build up rocks in the corner I can have a nice waterfall.

I decided to join Angie's List. Hopefully they'll have some nice general contractors or home repair people listed.

While it's a bummer that while it's a small project that turned big - in the long run your house will be healthier for it.

Yea, I really should look at it as something that needed to be done anyway. Now I know about it and I can get it fixed.

 

[Patch'sD]

Look at the Bright Side, You could have had new carpet installed that would have been ruined by the leak.

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

Yikes, Bill! I'm sorry you have such a mess on your hands!

DW Lauri ran into the same thing recently. She was ripping out a stockroom in a store (not hers, she was doing it as a favor for another manager. She's pretty good at construction) and she came about one wall that when she ripped out the shelving it was covered in that black mold! She said she threw her hands up in the air and told them she wasn't going one step further until someone came out to look at it. The company sent out mold experts and long story short, they are now 2 months into the removal of that mold. It's a long, drawn out process. And dangerous. Make sure you wear some type of breathing protection when you work around it. The spores can wreak havoc with your health.

Good luck!

 

[dennis99ss]

I know people wont like this, but, before you report it, see if you can't take care of the mold. Bleach, etc. mold will nearly make you uninsurable.

Once the mold is addressed, i.e killed, it appears that you need a sealer on the brick. Then, you ne3ed to address the leak. I didn't see where it was in the pic. Once the leak is addressed, and there is no seepage, address the wood. You can likely install new studs adjecent to the old studs. side by side. That way, you can have new supports in order to remove the old supports. Then, I would seal the wood with an anti mold agent.

good luck

 

[iloveboardwalk]

Oooo... that's bad!! I'd be calling my insurance company. I think that would be covered.

Only if he doesn;t plan on selling for at least the next 5 years. The mold will be on the CLUE report which may make it impossible for a new buyer to get homeowner's insurance therefore making it impossible for new buyers to get financing.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

oh no! that stinks!!! good luck getting it all done!!!