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After posting about needing to recognize that it’s okay to take a breather every now and then, my house decided to test my patience and see just how much it could throw at me to force me to take a break.
- I found a leaking gallon jug of water in the pantry, which warped one section of flooring a little bit. To repair it would mean ripping up the entire kitchen and hallway to get to the damage to replace the two boards that didn’t look perfect. Since it was the pantry, I told myself that it really wasn’t that big of a deal and to leave it be.
- Then I got my water bill. It was twice what it was last month and three times what it normally is. I discovered that the problem was my running toilet in the guest bath (which I have been using since the primary bath is currently under remodel). Had to turn off the water until I can get the rubber valve replaced (to prevent next month’s bill reflecting the constant draining and refilling of the tank).
- Then I discovered another water problem: my pedestal vanity in the powder room was also leaking. Only this time, the pipe was dripping when the faucet was turned on. The little bit of dripping would splash onto the floor from the ceramic pedestal and over time, warped the floor directly in front of the bottom piece of the pedestal. Replacing the board that is ruined would require taking out the toilet, taking the pedestal out, replacing the floor, and putting it all back together. I shut off the water to this sink just in case it wasn’t leaking only when the water was running. Also, since it’s so tight to get back there, I have to wait until I have a helper who can lift and hold the basin so I can move the pedestal out, tighten the pipe that I suspect is the culprit, and put it back together.
- So without two fully functioning bathrooms, I turned the water back on to the primary bathroom toilet (I’d had it turned off during the remodel) since I decided it was the best opportunity to have a working bathroom. The work had been postponed while I worked on the exterior of the house anyway, so I thought I might as well clean it up and make it functioning again until I can get back to it. Then I heard that toilet running (though not nearly as bad as the guest bath) as I was cleaning up. Suspecting it could be the same issue with the guest bath toilet (the rubber flap that stops water flow looks like it’s allowing the water flow back out of the back part of the toilet, which causes the valve to trigger constant filling of the tank), I checked. Only thanks to the excess drywall dust everywhere, it was instantly visible where the water was leaking: out of the tank, and onto the floor. Drip, drip, drip.
- It looks like all three bathrooms are out to get me. But then, I noticed that the top and lower rung of the front stoop rails were peeling, even though I’d just painted them. Frick. Turns out, with these particular areas getting so much exposure to the hot Georgia sun (the posts themselves appear to be okay, but the horizontal pieces get more wear and tear from rain and sun), I should have scraped them down completely before caulking and painting. So after already having done the work, I spent my Sunday afternoon scraping off these two areas and re-caulking them. They now need to be painted again, but they are in much better shape.
Really, I ask you, how much crap can happen in only one week? I think it goes without saying that things completely broke down for me. I found myself on the verge of tears more than once, but I chose to fixate on just getting the week over with instead of doing the usual blog posts. And really, it was probably for the best so you didn’t have to read an article that was made entirely of four letter words.
Cross your fingers for me that this week allows me to get back to normal. I have so many plans to beautify that front stoop before my Labor Day vacation (which after last week I desperately need!). If all goes as planned, it will be ready for a reveal very soon.
I’m serious. Cross those fingers. I can use all the good luck I can scrape together :)
I could go on and on about what I've had to do with the condo I bought. My Mom kept telling me just to rent, and not buy. But noooo…I knew more than she did. My friend at work says my house is the “Money Pit” because it's always something that's draining my pocketbook. Always. Good luck with your issues. My heart goes out to you.
I am sending good DIY vibes to you this week. Sometimes it all happens at once, and all you can do is just take things one at a time. Good luck!
Sarah, have your water pressure regulator checked. it's the thingy that controls the water pressure that comes in from the street. You shouldn't have this many leaks at once. I've renovated a ton of 1980's houses and I know about these things.–I probably sound like your mother or dad. This isn't an expensive thing but it's a serious one. Best of luck and hang in there girl.
I was looking for home improvement blogs that I could study for ideas for my blog. I like yours alot. It is much like a friends blog, http://www.allthingsheartandhome.com
@Patti Thanks Patti, I'll check that out. The toilets are both 30 years old and seem to be unrelated problems to each other, and I think the downstairs pedestal problem is due to a pipe that needs to be tightened. Even so, it can't hurt to check the water pressure thingy anyway!