The Flood of 2012

Normally, I'm a girl that likes water.  I like rain, swimming, splashing in puddles, looking at waterfalls,  finding rivers, and playing in lakes.  Normally, those activities are outside.  Normally.

Not on the morning of  Monday, April 23, 2012.  I heard a strange rushing sound and came downstairs to investigate.  Water sprayed with great force out from a pipe under the sink, careened directly off the fridge, and blasted sideways into the cabinets and the living area.  A half-inch deep lake had filled the living room, soaked the carpet, and was making a nice river out my front and back doors.  

My first impulse was to climb back in bed and cry, but I decided we had plenty of  waterworks already.  I shut off the water main, and I was then at a loss- what does one do when you have acquired enough water to fill a backyard pool, but have neglected to build such a structure first?

Call the landlord? Nope, I am the landlord.  

Call the insurance company?  Yes, that sounds right.  

The latest thing- a self-filling watering can!
Now if only it came with an automatic shut off valve.

Except I have a little problem.  I am in a desperate refi-or-die situation, and the refi required a different kind of Home Owner's insurance than what I previously had.  After jumping through many hoops, I had acquired the new insurance.  On Thursday night.  As in, one working day before said flood.  I didn't even have the paperwork yet.  I checked, and my policy wasn't available online yet.  This was not going to go over well with my new liability partners.  And if the policy were cancelled, and the re-fi fell through, I would lose the carpets for sure- along with the rest of the house.

2nd choice:  Call in "Flood" to work.  Call the plumber.  Move all the furniture out.  Check with my DIY consultant, Google.  Rent a carpet extractor (it's a carpet cleaner with no soap put in).  Start sucking.  Set up fans.  Keep at it for the next four days.

I estimate that I pulled 35-40 gallons of water out of the carpets.  Most of it was on the first day, but I repeated the process before and after work for several days as the carpet wicked moisture up from the pad.  Handy tip:  You can rent carpet fans and rug cleaners at Home Depot, which opens a lot earlier than the grocery store and is cheaper.  Also, you can rent for one day, one week, or 4 hours, and the 4 hours does not include time the store is closed.  However, the grocery store may be a better choice if you have no access to food because of the water and furniture in your kitchen!

I recently bought a box of Partylite candles to sponsor a fieldtrip.  When I found them, I was probably happier than the kid that sold them to me. I lit them everywhere.  Spice Market:  the scent of redemption!

 

Of course, on Wednesday, it rained.  All the furniture I put outside to dry, was now outside getting wet.  Boo!  But good weather returned, and with the windows open and the fans going 24/7, it doesn't smell so musty.  I think I have, at least temporarily, saved the carpets, which are now exceptionally clean.  The baseboards are not any uglier than their previous hideous state.  There does not appear to be any permanent damage, provided mildew doesn't set in.  And fortunately, neither of the computers were drenched in the deluge.  My dear friend Michelle brought over every fan in Arden Arcade.  My home teachers helped put all the furniture back.  The grand total:  $423 dollars, less than my deductible would have been and without blowing my cover as a responsible, non-complaining home owner.  And just to prove that someone up there has a sense of humor:  This is the only book ruined in the flood!