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Post by Geranium on Dec 3, 2012 7:03:21 GMT
Thanks, Carol. i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/smiley.gif He sounded friendly on the phone, so OH said, so fingers crossed. OH has lifted a floorboard in the dining room. Underneath it's a cavity and bare earth which is very soggy. I knew that old houses like ours don't have foundations, so it was interesting peering down the hole! I'll report back about what he advises and says. |
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Post by Missredhead on Dec 3, 2012 22:13:50 GMT
Hope it all goes ok Geranium.....
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Post by Ladygardener on Dec 4, 2012 5:00:17 GMT
How did it all go Geranium?
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Post by Geranium on Dec 4, 2012 7:39:39 GMT
In one word, SCARY! i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/shocked.gif He spent almost 5 hours here, and poked and prodded, put damp monitors in all the rooms, asked lots of questions, took photos and looked at the ones I took, too - he has copies of some of them. Then the bombshells started. He can only advise the Insurers, but he reckons they'll agree with his recommendations. All the floors will have to come up, including the carpet we'd hoped to save. i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/cry.gif There is such a lot of damp underneath the house that his meter went off scale. i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/shocked.gif The damp plaster will have to be removed, which means chaos - the walls underneath must dry out before replastering and redecoration - that could be three months away. He complimented us on what we'd managed to save and our 'quick thinking', which has stopped a lot of additional damage.  If I hadn't thought to move the extension sockets upwards, the electrics might have been damaged too. He's going to suggest that some of our furniture should go into storage while the work is carried out, and even asked if we wanted to move out! Well, we'd rather be here and keep an eye on what's happening. Where could we go, anyway, with Henry? Then he brought in a huge industrial fan which is incredibly noisy. i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/sad.gif It's aimed down under the floor in the dining room to dry out the joists. On Thursday, after the Insurance company agree with all this, he'll bring in 5 more fans and 6 dehumidifiers. The fans must be on all day and evening. I shall need earplugs! i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/shocked.gif He said we must think if anything else has been damaged - I can't lie, which apparently some people do, to get more money off the Insurers. Apart from the carpets, we only lost trivial things like magazines and old stuff that doesn't matter. In the next three months life will be very, very difficult, but we've got to look ahead and after that, we'll have our home back. |
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Post by Barbara on Dec 4, 2012 8:14:28 GMT
I don't know what to say Geranium, except it doesn't sound like a healthy place to be right now, and not very homely for christmas either, we have a spare room, and your dog can come too.
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Post by Ladygardener on Dec 4, 2012 8:20:20 GMT
Oh dear Geranium when you see it all written like that it really brings home just how much damage the water has done. Could you not go and stay with one of your children while all this work takes place? Or even if there is somewhere nearby you could rent perhaps?  |
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Post by Dutchy on Dec 4, 2012 8:39:34 GMT
Oh no Geranium. As if things are not over but only just starting. As for more damage, did you not have a shed? Should the insurers know about that? And I agree with LG. Do not stay in the house when the work is done as you will go bonkers. Find a hidey hole if need be by renting a winter caravan ( do you have things like that ? They use them in the Alps when things are cold and the likes ) and plonking it in your garden. You'll be near enough to keep an eye on things but have a place away for hiding from the worst. |
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Post by Tig on Dec 4, 2012 10:47:33 GMT
The sooner work starts on drying the place out the sooner you'll be back to normal Geranium. Think Dutchys idea about the winter caravan is a great one, it would mean you can get some respite from the noise and still be on site to protect your property and oversee the work that needs doing. It would be like a camping holiday for Henry  Fingers crossed that the insurers accept his recommendations. x Tig |
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Post by MamIDdau on Dec 4, 2012 13:57:29 GMT
The insurance company may be able to find somewhere for you to rent temporarily (with Henry) while your house is sorted. Just because you're not there 24/7, doesn't mean you can't come back and "keep an eye on things" whenever you like. I really don't think it's healthy with all the damp and you also don't know what was in the water. Besides, the drying out will be noisy and take months so you might as well be comfortable in that time  Perhaps the caravan type idea isn't such a bad idea tbh... |
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Post by Jasmine on Dec 4, 2012 19:34:33 GMT
My In-laws moved into an apartment round the corner from their house while their flood damaged house was repaired Geranium. Their house was stripped back to the bone - if the same happens to yours it isn't somewhere you will want to be. There furnituire was moved into storage and the fans and dehumidifiers did their thing without disturbing anyone. They could have rented like for like but chose somewhere smaller to be close to home so they could keep a daily eye. There must be lots of holiday rentals round you that would take a dog too. They were out for 9 months. I don't want to sound depressing but they were told 6 to start off with. You pay insurance for this sort of thing.
I couldn't have lived in their house while the work was done, it was such a shock to see (and smell) the place while it was drying out.
Now the house is amazing but you will have to be strong with the insurance company too.
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Post by isabella on Dec 5, 2012 6:31:08 GMT
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Post by Geranium on Dec 5, 2012 7:16:40 GMT
You are all being so kind and thoughtful! Barbara - what an amazingly generous offer! Thank you all.  If there were anywhere available nearby to rent, we might - but don't forget how rural this area is. It isn't in the 'holiday belt'. That begins about 15 miles along the coast towards Minehead. We did think about a caravan, but the only place to get one in is outside the garage, and there will be a skip there. Our children live too far away to be of help...one in Surrey and the other even further, in north Essex. Jan(in Surrey) has offered us a refuge to stay for respites - and we'll do that. If the men aren't working over New Year, we'll go down then, and we're already going there for Christmas. Boo hoo - no Christmas tree here this year! i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/cry.gif In the meantime, we've started moving upstairs. OH moved the desk and PC into one of the bedrooms, and we'll keep the 'library' room as a sitting room. (Sounds posh - only called that because of the bookshelves in here! i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/wink.gif ) We will still be able to use the kitchen. Dutchy, yes, we have a shed, but it's away from the flooded area, as are my greenhouses. The logshed and OH's workshop are up steps, so they were unaffected too. My friend in the village suggested keeping a sort of 'log book' of everything that happens or is said, and we both think that's a good idea. We can list things in there, like what is in storage, what's being done, and what is where in the house, too. It's all too easy to move things and then lose track. Unless it's totally unbearable, we want to stay put - to keep an eye on what's being done as much as anything else! i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/rolleyes.gif |
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Post by lonewolf on Dec 5, 2012 14:45:33 GMT
I'm new here, so just now seeing these pictures.
How awful! Such a once beautiful house and gardens, all flooded.
So sorry this is happening.
Any updates on how your friend Geranium is managing?
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Post by Geranium on Dec 6, 2012 4:50:07 GMT
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Post by Amber on Dec 6, 2012 15:18:21 GMT
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Post by Geranium on Dec 7, 2012 7:44:37 GMT
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Post by Ladygardener on Dec 7, 2012 7:45:53 GMT
Did you get in touch with them again Geranium? If not I'd give them a ring today. You should'nt have to keep at them 'tho you have enough to worry about.
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Post by Geranium on Dec 8, 2012 7:39:39 GMT
Well, that's what Andy's doing. He and his son arrived with a high pressure water jet and a Vac, after we had spent the morning clearing out the sideboard. They cleared the room of furniture and cleaned the floor, then moved on to the Garden Room - same treatment.Then they sprayed everywhere downstairs with anti-bacterial 'stuff'. We are now living upstairs. Poor Henry doesn't know where he wants to be. i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/rolleyes.gif Later we had a call from a loss adjuster who is coming on Monday...he'll check up on Andy's report and make decisions as to what and when things can be done. Apparently, he's also checking on us - to decide if we've been honest with our claim! i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/shocked.gif The removal van is still provisionally booked for Tuesday. They did take the sitting room rug away, and it will be cleaned before it's brought back. Andy can't do anything else without authorisation, but he says it's always like this - red tape rules! i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/angry.gif |
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Post by Geranium on Dec 11, 2012 6:56:44 GMT
Update...the Loss Adjustor came yesterday (Andy did too...). He was an astute but fair man. He asked lots of questions about what had happened and what we'd done. We definitely got a few brownie points there! i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/smiley.gif He basically accepted all Andy's recommendations, so any work is now officially authorised. i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/smiley.gif The removal van is coming this morning to take away all the furniture from downstairs, then the carpets and flooring will be ripped up. There might be damage under the hall carpet...we'll see. Andy took away all the loose covers off the sofas to get them cleaned. He'll be back tomorrow to start on the flooring, and to take up the kick-boards in the kitchen.. I really hope the ktchen is OK. I found my Kenwood Chef in the bottom of the cupboard. That's going to be replaced as it's not working properly. We were advised to take all the pictures and photos off the walls, as they could be affected by damp - so there's even more 'stuff' upstairs! It's good that things can now move forward officially, though. We were told we were wise to stay put as it isn't a good idea to leave a house unoccupied unless you just have to. |
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Post by Ladygardener on Dec 11, 2012 8:09:41 GMT
That's good news Geranium. I can't help thinking 'tho that they think it's a good idea to stay put because then they won't have to pay for other accomodation. Still I can see your reasoning about staying there but I hope it's not too noisy and uncomfortable for you.
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Post by Barbara on Dec 11, 2012 8:30:03 GMT
I'm glad things are moving along for you Geranium, it will be a long job by the sound of things, can I ask who is Andy, is he the estate manager or something around there. ?  |
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Post by Geranium on Dec 11, 2012 17:34:55 GMT
Oh, sorry - his company deals with disasters on behalf of the Insurance Company. He is an expert on drying out properties... and liaising with the Insurers, assessing the damage, getting in touch with anyone who might be needed. He writes the initial report to the Insurers too. He's very competent and approachable, luckily for us, and is on the end of a phone if we have any queries. Well - all the furniture etc from downstairs is on its way into storage. They came at 9 this morning, with a small-ish van, and a large one parked in layby about a mile away. (That was Andy again - because he knew how narrow our lane is!) They ferried four loads to the big vehicle. They were helpful, thoughtful and efficient. It looks very bleak and bare downstairs.   Let's hope it all dries out very soon! |
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Post by Essexgirl on Dec 12, 2012 9:09:34 GMT
:oHow awful for you, hope you manage to get back to normality soon without any more rain and not too much damage  |
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Post by Geranium on Dec 13, 2012 7:51:36 GMT
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Post by Geranium on Dec 15, 2012 7:43:46 GMT
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Post by Geranium on Dec 24, 2012 7:20:19 GMT
Just an up-date. I met our local builder and decorator (a one-man band) on my way back fom church yesterday, and invited him in to see if he'd be interested in the renovation and redecoration. He is a 'can-do' person, and will be free in late January when we hope we'll get the OK from Andy to go ahead. In the meantime, we'll have to choose wallpaper etc and get quotes for the carpets. If the house is dried out enough, we could be all spruced up by late February! i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/grin.gif I can't wait! Oh, and Richard also knows someone who can sand two of the floors down and refurbish them. That just leaves the wooden floor in the Garden Room to be relaid. The people who did it originally aren't answering their phone, so we suspect they're no longer there. i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/rolleyes.gif More research needed! |
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Post by carolann on Dec 24, 2012 10:35:15 GMT
Just thought I would pop in and see how things where going for you Geranium this is for henry poor love bet he is really confused at the moment, so glad you have had no more flooding everytime I see it on the TV I think of you and your OH so you can have as well, just keeping my fingers crossed for you all down there at this wet time and I hope you are all back to normal very soon. |
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Post by Geranium on Dec 24, 2012 22:09:02 GMT
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Post by Geranium on Jan 10, 2013 17:49:06 GMT
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Post by Tig on Jan 10, 2013 20:25:20 GMT
I'm sure you would like it all done and dusted now Geranium! Must be very inconvenient living in your house, which doesn't feel quite like 'home' - but I'm sure it will be lovelier than ever when you do get it all sorted, and with every passing day that is getting closer x Tig |
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