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Two nights ago the lights tripped and noticed there was a small pool of water in the hall under the light fitting. Took the bulb out and reset the trip and all was fine. Nothing major yesterday so just assumed it was one of those things, wrongly I admit. This morning the pool was a bit bigger and there was a few drips coming through a crack in the ceiling that wasn't there 2 nights ago. Rang the housing agency straight away to get it sorted. Had a phone call from a plumber earlier saying he'd be around at 9 in the morning, brilliant.
Because of where its coming through I thought I'd empty the little cupboard next to the bathroom so he could have a look a lot easier to see what's going on. As I was about to do that I thought I'd quickly check the very large cupboard underneath incase he'd need to get in there too. Really wish I hadn't but it's a good job I did.
That cupboard is about 3' wide, 8' long and about 6' high, holds many things and is pretty full. Pictures, a lot of my late wife's things, bike stuff, winter jackets and stuff, Xmas decorations, Xmas and birthday presents I've got through the year for them all whenever I see something on offer etc. You know, like a drawer of many things but on a much larger scale. Havent needed to go in there since my youngests birthday in May. Would have opened it in a couple of weeks for my eldests birthday at the beginning of September.
Every single thing is drenched. And I mean everything. There's water dripping all over the place and everything in there is drenched through. It stinks, there's mould everywhere, it's all absolutely ruined. Don't know how long it's been leaking for to be this bad. After sorting out their uniforms today, I didn't really need or want this hassle too, knowing I now have to start from scratch with everything.
I've retreated outside for the time being with an absolutely banging headache because of the stress of it all. Will be getting them all upstairs in a minute so I can get on and sort it all. Not looking forward to doing this at all but I know I have to.
Just another day in the 'what can we do to make my life more unbearable than it is now' saga. Just needed to vent, I'm sorry for doing this again.
Nothing worse than leaks - hope you can get it sorted and some stuff salvaged.
That's nothing like a good water leak Alan 🙁 I really feel for you, it must seem like the world is against you. But it's not its just one of those things that happens to most of us, it seems like its just you but trust me we all get it. I'm on wk4 of a road trip and managed to take most of the skin off my right shin on the begining of wk2 its been a royal PITA as I have had to buy loads of bandages and a shower protector for the leg and its stopped me enjoying something I've planned for ages & now I think its infected as it smells of ripe French Brie 😮
Try not to hide it all from the kids as from what I can tell they know how hard it is for you.
Alan, I feel for you. Please realise that stuff happens all the time to people, I know it can feel like it’s just you, and it’s very tough but at least you have friends on here that you can talk to. From what you’ve told me you have lovely children, talk to them, tell them what’s happened and they might surprise you. Perhaps try and rescue the sentimental things first and see what the children want to do about the other things? They’ll be touched that you’ve planned ahead. Then distract them by building the bikes up and go for a family ride!
You’ve got my email. x
No need to apologise gnusmas, we all need to vent else we go a bit Bill Foster.
Keep talking to us.
Oh Crap mate. Does the HA have any kind of insurance scheme for the damage caused?
Sorry to hear this, it's not nice when you have water damage, we had it a few years back and as with you, it ended up with lots of stuff ruined, you just have to replace it over time, hopefully insurance is available as well?
As others have said this sounds like a contents insurance job - make sure you list everything well so you can get the replacement value.
I hate water leaks!
Balls
You knocked the water off?
Can anything be put in the washing machine and cleaned up once your waters on?
Agreed it does sound like a prime candidate for an insurance.
If it's dry and warn get some windows and a fan on it.
Eh up mate, how you doing? Problem shared etc…
Thanks for the replies, really appreciate them. Plumber came out yesterday morning at just gone 9 and tracked down what the problem was. A washer on the inlet for the toilet had split and was constantly releasing water. A bloody washer caused all of this. The dripping finally stopped last night so don't think there's anything else but he said he'd be back tomorrow or Friday to double check and make sure all is OK.
6 black bags and 10 recycling bags worth of stuff gone. Managed to salvage a handful of things but that was it. Really disheartening when you try to get ahead by getting Xmas and birthday stuff on and off when it's in offer throughout the year to ease the pressure at the time.
A load of pictures gone, hoping I can replace some of them if I can get them off the old hard drives. But prints are all lost, completely water damaged, ripped and frames split apart. Things that can't be replaced are a limited number print of a mk1 escort my mum and dad got me for my 21st birthday, the signed jennride one from a few years back and a few canvases too. Also lost a lot of Lyanda's things that were in there for safe keeping. Curtains, rugs, winter coats, bike stuff all properly mouldy so just binned them, I just got so emotionally frustrated with it all by that point I just gave up.
I did use this as a lesson for the kids though when I showed them, they couldn't believe what caused all the damage. I told them to always remember that something very small can cause a massive impact. And if its not a good thing it can create a lot of damage. Tried to get them to understand that it applies to everything they'll do throughout their life.
Alan see you are an amazing person, your kids probably won't show it now but they will have learnt a good life lesson.
I know how much it must hurt at the moment having lost some of these things to water damage, somewhere along the way in hospital we lost Carolyn's silver locket she wore all the time, it even had a picture of me in it! At the time I was so angry but in the end I still had pictures of her wearing it and the memory as well.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/91742158@N04/48925333671/in/album-72157711410805923/