A Fine Mess

A month ago, I stepped into the hallway between the kitchen and laundry room and squished as my toes submerged in carpeting soaked by more than 50 gallons of water. The water heater had failed!  I yelled to Andy, who quickly shut off the water and I called the insurance company. The guest room, kids room, hallway, bathroom and laundry room had been flooded. Our plumber recommended a water mitigation company who pulled up soaked padding and baseboards.  it was like living on a jet runway for five days while a dozen big fans dried out the rooms,

Then the insurance adjuster came and took a look, toting up all the things that could be claimed. Our homeowner's warranty covered the cost of the new water heater, but not the additional parts to bring it up to Rowlett building code, although the insurance eventually covered that, too. 

Next step, putting things back together. We were getting nowhere fast with the rebuild company and couldn't settle on costs, so we fired them, becoming our own general contractors. First, we visited a huge carpet showroom and chose samples to bring home. Then we hired Tony to replace baseboards, repair drywall in the garage and do some painting. When I had the estimates pulled together, we realized we'd be able to replace the carpeting in our family room and master bedroom. When all was said and done, we came out within a few bucks of the insurance settlement!

After baseboards were in place, new vinyl flooring was put in the laundry room, because water had seeped underneath. Now the biggest part of the project began, replacing the carpet and pad. Our kids helped move everything into the living room and my office. After the carpeting is in, we'll have to put it all back!

Between dealing with the water mitigation guys, insurance company, the home warranty folks, assembling estimates, hiring contractors and choosing new carpeting and flooring, it was a time-consuming, often stressful process. But soon, our little abode will be looking better than ever. 

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