June 03, 2017
I moved in here 17 years ago the first of the month. Time flies as I am always raving about. Here we are. Celebrations now are low key affairs now. I climbed to have a bath in the second floor bathroom, before the guest arrived. I stepped on a little floor covering, outside the bathroom. It flashed thru my brain, “its wet.”
“NO!” my response to myself, “ its outside the bathroom.” Stepped on it again for verification. It was squashy. “ How can that be?”
After pausing to think, and some quick-eared listening. OFF across the hallway to the 4th bedroom. I stepped in more water, a BROBDINGNAGIAN puddle of water. Divisive thoughts, did not stop me. OFF to the linen closet ran I and quick as a bunny, threw guest towels down. Just a load or two of towels down. The pillows which should have been on the bed, and somehow had stayed in the closet were not were dripping that hard. I looked up and there was black streaks of black on the room’s robes. (Not the same black streaks as the weekend before btw)
I have to tell you that I would miss boot camp however I ran the stairs, at least 3476 times. Upstairs and down, discovered that the third floor water tank leaking and quickly, I might add. Threw many more towels down onto the hardwood up there. I called my fix it guy. Did what I was told, for the first time in my life, followed the instructions issued. Called the electricity people who were in fact helpful in how to shut the water off to the tank. They called the plumbers who were the last of the men to arrive to replace the 40 gallon, 26 year old tank. In fact two tanks would be replaced as they both needed it. I called my insurance company, whom I just paid,(hurrah!) They sent two men, in turn, three more men were sent “certified fire and water restorers” and general contractors characters.
The claims adjuster adjusted, the restorers brought industrial dehumidifiers and blue-collar fans. If you watch the tubing, that is snaking all over the house, and into sinks, the plastic tubes show that in fact the stridently noisy machines are taking the water out of the walls. Water went from the third floor to the basement. Whole sections of the house are sectioned off with plastic sheeting. They worked very hard and at high-velocity to save the original 125 year old hardwood floors. There are mats that draw water out of the floor. All plugged into my electricity bill.
The insurance will remove the wall paper and it is 60 year old vinyl wallpaper that is buckling, but only one floor, the paper covers two floors. Under that is lathe and plaster, which was steadfast to the walls on the second floor hall. The lathe and plaster will be replaced apparently, either by putting drywall on top of it or cutting it out.. I am in remediation for mold at the same time.
Further inspection of the heritage house reveals that the dining room ceiling is showing the affects of water. There were puddles in the built in china cabinet. Down into the basement, still as of this morning, puddles of water. The ceiling in the dining room will have to be replaced. Painting just recently concluded will be done again, as my “fromage frais” just finished last week, will be done, again, once everything dries, along with replacing the ceiling. They had to empty the china cabinet and the table clothes were taken to be cleaned.
So many men, so little time. They all arrived in record time. The plumbers, the insurance and the restorers and the partridge in a pear tree, and that bugger left fast. There were two adjusters, and they started taking pictures of the oil tanks, while in the basement, mumbling they needed to be replaced while assessing for current water damages. There were three restorers. The two water tanks were replaced and took two plumbers. I tried not to scream as they thumped one tank up the hardwood stairs. It took two to get it into the attic. The plumbers that replaced the two tanks, charged me for a value, to turn the water off to one of the tanks, in the basement. The price of which is not covered under the insurance.
I had to turn off the two industrial fans in the dining room to get to sleep, however the dehumidifiers are roaring away, just not as badly. They are going on all four floors. I have one guest who opted to stay. (Bless him, he said he could sleep thru anything and proved it.) I was left with the towels, as I put them down, and not from the original damage, you can’t say they are not precise. I have three rooms on Monday of course
Plastic is in place so I am not able to use the dining room nor the fourth bedroom, Sun-room and there is a tight getting into the bathroom. The sink has tubing in it. There are hazmat mats all over, very attractive. I have turned off the reservation systems and found a lukewarm review that was left recently. I have reservations and guests supposed to be coming on Monday night, hopefully the fans will be gone. Two rooms and the dining room are down for the count. Not sure if this will work.
Te insurance company informed MOI, that they will not pay the sale tax on the work done by anybody. The restorers services, and remember, is a goods and services tax remember, is taxable. (It will cost me money to have my accountant confirm this and I just paid him! HOORAY.) An emergency call to my accountant will be on Monday as this all happened at 3 pm or so on a fried afternoon. A good thing is it is not a holiday weekend. The immense, huge, big, kicker is, I am a tax registrant, I have a sales tax number. I have to charge sales tax on the rooms I sell, but airbnb persons do not, am I bitter? To make a sad long story into a mini series. I have to pay the HST on all the work done, by anybody while re mediating the mold, who says I cannot multi task, as I am a registrant. . I have to pay the sale tax on all the work the restorer is doing, and then claim it back. One has to have to make money to claim it back. I have pay the deductible, to the restorer. Its complicated, but basically that is a lot of money
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The noise is incredible. OFF to make breakfast, the sink in the kitchen has hoses from the dehumidifier in it. I need more tea. My horrorscope for today CANCER (June 22 – July 23):
What’s done is done and cannot be undone, so stop wishing things had been different. Where you are now and where you intend to be in the future are the only things that matter – and Mars moving into your sign will give you the courage to be bold.
Lucy P got fed but not walked. I am about to take her. Xox to all