My day started out as a normal Wednesday.
The alarm went off a little after 5 a.m. and I spent an hour at the gym with a friend.
Tyler was headed out of town for a business trip and so we had family scripture study, exchanged kisses, and he headed off to the airport. The kids and I had breakfast and got going for the day. I took them to school, dropping Matthew off first and then the middle three to their elementary school. Since it was raining and we were a few minutes early we sat in the car and I played them a story from Mormon Channel about Elder Christofferson's Dad being out of town and him having to care for their family lambs. We enjoyed a few minutes and they ran into their school buildings. Next, we were headed to Aubrey's school, again arriving a few minutes early she asked if we could just sit and talk in the car for about ten minutes until she went in. "Sure", I said. And we enjoyed a few minutes of quiet visiting. And so after being gone for 40 minutes I walked into my home only to find the downstairs completely under water!! I yelled out and ran looking for the loud source of water OVERFLOWING out of my washing machine. I turned off my machine and in a panic I called Tyler, still at the airport. What was I to do next? I know how fast wood warps and buckles, there was a crazy amount of water that I could quickly tell the towels I was throwing at it would not even touch the amount of water. I called my neighbor (the BEST neighbors ever) and at 75 years old, a retired insurance assessor he knew just what to do. He ran over and then knew just who to call. (His sweet wife had flooded their home, not once, but twice while watering a plant in the laundry room sink). He called the water damage restoration company, Serv Pro while I called my home owners insurance. He was a great help and listened to me while I cried at the overwhelming site. My floors were 17 months ago today! Tyler had just redone all of the baseboards. Ugh, the work, the time, the expense. But as the Serv Pro guys arrived, took a look around they quickly reminded me, it could have been worse..."sewer water is much less fun". And they were right. Sewer water would be horrible, our washing machine is downstairs, AND I had caught it quickly. There were things to be grateful for.
And so after walking in Wednesday to flood at 8:25 am, ServPro arrived at 9:25 am and were here for four hours, sucking up all water, removing furniture, carpet, and drapes, measuring water/saturation levels in walls and floor and set up 21 dryers and 5 dehumidifier.
And so after walking in Wednesday to flood at 8:25 am, ServPro arrived at 9:25 am and were here for four hours, sucking up all water, removing furniture, carpet, and drapes, measuring water/saturation levels in walls and floor and set up 21 dryers and 5 dehumidifier.
On Friday ServPro came and ripped out tile in laundry room (because linoleum underneath holding moisture) and more assessing of the moisture in walls
On Saturday, although loud and annoying the dryers and dehumidifiers were still running and home warranty company came out to assess washing machine (turns out to be a faulty water sensor - $80 part). Tyler went to the local laundromat and did six loads of laundry. All amongst a birthday party, friend's baptism, 11 year old scout campout for Tyler and Andrew, and Aubrey playing and the four of us girls attending our church Worldwide Women's Broadcast. Needless to say it was a long day.
The girls seem especially bothered by the mess, tearful and wanting it put back together.
On Monday ServPro was here measuring the concrete, walls, etc. and found the concrete to still be in the 800 range so they rearranged the dryers and dehumidifiers. Tyler happened to ask the appliance guy (while he was here Saturday looking at the washer) about a sound our fridge makes. He said he knew exactly what that was and would come back Monday to fix it. He did and shortly after (but of course after business hours) the fridge stopped working!! I couldn't believe it. We loaded all our food into our garage freezer and took the rest to the Salvatierra's (bless them - they gave us some breakfast bread and orange juice too) fridge. OH my!
On Tuesday our home owner's insurance adjuster arrived at 8:30 a.m.
She was here for a few hours, measuring and asking questions. I had been praying for her to be fair (and generous) in her estimate - hoping so! Serv Pro was again out measuring levels and removing the rest of the laminate tape from the laundry room floor, everything seems to be close to dry.
The home warranty man was also here for three hours working on our refrigerator. He changed a different sensor, checked out the fans, computer and who knows what else. I was just happy he stayed to see if it cooled nicely and didn't stop like the day before.
Wednesday - It's hard to believe it, but we are done with the water disaster clean up company. A week of dryers and dehumidifiers was a lot of noise (and even worse yelling to hear each other over the noise). They loaded all their machines up and off they went!
Now for the shopping, interviewing and scheduling contractors, etc.
Let's just list a few of the tender mercies (besides the obvious...it was NOT sewer water and my laundry room is NOT upstairs) a friend dropped off cookies, post it notes all over from Andrew reminding me it would work out and he loved me, a friend took me to breakfast, a friend called and checked on me several times, texts, calls and emails from out of state family, prayers for the insurance appraiser, flowers dropped off the night before to help "beautify" the new look, dinner invites, dinner offers, hugs from kids, shoulders to cry on).
After six weeks on concrete floors we were so grateful to get beautiful new hard wood floors that I love even more than the laminate I had.
The little water sensor cost my insurance $30,000 in damage.
All in all, it was a big headache, but not anything eternal. My family is safe and we feel grateful.
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