Did I say "competent homeowner"??
 

Remember how I was feeling all awesome about fixing my refrigerator that caused the leak into my basement? Last week, I had out here my insurance adjuster and my carpenter friend who is going to do the repair work for the damage caused by the leak. We went around and looked at everything, which had been all dried out with blowers and a dehumidifier.

So this morning, my carpenter friend came out to start some of the demolition work in preparation for preparing the insurance claim. He goes downstairs, and yells for me to come down--the leak apparently started AGAIN, and there's another HUGE pool of water in the basement. Everything we had dried out was all wet again.

We shut off the water supply, and he removed the replacement part. There was a rubber washer that had split in two that apparently caused it to start leaking again. He ran out and bought another new replacement part (he was able to find it at Lowe's), and fixed what I fixed before. The new replacement part has a much thicker rubber washer.

So now I am needing to get the blowers and dehumidifiers back out here, and start drying it out all over again. I guess the only good thing is that it gave out before he started doing the actual carpentry repair.

Not to mention the fact that I am still recovering from a cold that kept me home two days this week, and I have a big work project I am working on all weekend.

I swear my house hates me.

You should go over the the whiner's anonymous thread. We love stuff like that there! :tongue:

Trust me, the whining is getting on my OWN nerves.

I have now nicknamed my carpenter friend (who has discovered something new and awful every time he sets foot in my house) "The Harbinger of Doom" ("Harb," for short).

Hey, our motto is....Whiners are winners! :c031:

Lexie, thank you for posting this today. I just got back from Home Depot with a new toilet flapper since the new one I replaced 6 days ago is not functioning (that's what I get for buying parts at Wal-Mart). I read up on flappers and got one that seemed perfect...guess what...doesn't fit. Damnit!

*SIGH* sometimes we get it right and it feels awesome! Sometimes, the universe just laughs at our attempts.

"There is no try."

Except for home repairs.

Plumbing is the worst! I can never do a plumbing repair without a leak or at least three trips to Lowes! And cuss words. Always cuss words.

I feel your pain.

I've found that I have much more extensive stuff to work myself into a froth over...that's why I would rather not try...but leave it for the professionals....

Hope your basement dries out and work continues with no more problems.

I am dreading the first real home repair I have to tackle.. I know something is just lurking around the corner. You willing to loan out Harb? LOL

"Harb" has already done a lovely job on my co-worker's enclosure for her hot tub. He's very reliable, does great work, will talk AA while working (not with my co-worker, presumably). And, amazingly, he didn't discover any disasters at HER house.

A wonderful book that you might want to look up and get is


'The Complete Do It Yourself Manual'. The copy I had was put out by Better Homes and Gardens (I think)
May have been Reader's Digest.

It was the size of a coffee table book
but it was a wonderful thing to have.

This was back in the early nineties,
so there's probably many more out by now.

here's something like it:

http://www.amazon.com/New-Complete-D.../dp/0895773783

I've also learned over the years
to buy a book about whatever car I own also
by a company called 'Chilton's'.

It is just the 'Chiltons Book' then you tell the store guy what year and model car you have. I'm pretty sure you can get those at Wal mart, as well.

I've got the do-it-yourself manuals (and the Home Depot books on plumbing, electrical work, and painting) (not to mention the internet), and I have owned several Chilton's (there isn't so much you can do for yourself on today's cars, though--too high-tech).

I'm afraid I inherited my dad's mechanical aptitude. Sucks.

Although I live in a rental house, I do take care of the yard and was like "Jason" from the Friday the 13th movies with my hedge trimmer-I was pretty impressed with my efforts with all of the bushes and was looking around the yard for other things to trim!!

Hope all works out, Lexie, leaks and basements are not nice, having endured them back where I used to live-I called that house "The Money Pit."

So, I go out on my back porch after dinner-what do I see-a freakin' mouse. :wild

The dog is useless-he looks at the mouse and heads for the neighbour's for his nightly biscuit.

"I hates meeses to peeces" is my mantra because when I lived in "The Money Pit", I had to call in exterminators to rid that place of the damned critters.....TWICE! They're not cheap. :tapping

Ugggghhhhh.....the joys of a house.

That's one of my big fears. That something will happen to the house and I wont know what to do. I was very dependent on my AH to deal with stuff like that. He is a plumber and quite talented. At this point I rather pay someone to do it.

It must be a theme. I've battled three different plumbers and the city over a huge leak at our meter. We've had to depend on nice neighbors for water this week since we've had no running water in the house.

It's working ok now and I hope your issue is resolved quickly.

Now, THAT is a DRINKING PROBLEM. (As well as a flushing problem, a washing problem, etc.).

Home ownership is, I'm convinced, one endless lesson in powerlessness (since, of course, the power is likely to go out, too...).

I am so very fortunate to have my brother (who is manager for a construction company owned by his wife's family...he has been there 30 years and knows everyone who is reliable)...to advise me and send the cavalry....and my very own "Harb", (actually his name is Santa)...He is the BF of my neighbor/BFF across the street...he is a stone mason by trade, but he also his excellent to do plumbing, electric and additions. He has done 3 rooms for me since 2005 and a new front door and storm door....He also always UNDERCHARGES me....I feel guilty and buy him lots of his favorite chocolates and gift certificate to a fancy restaurant for his birthday.

Mr. Fandy was totally useless except for cleaning the stove and the high places...however he excelled at cleaning the closets and organizing, vacuuming and he liked to paint...but only if I remained out of the house.

I just came inside from digging holes in my new gardens....I finally found the Zebra grass I was looking for all weekend..(it is 5' tall spikey green/gold stripes)...came in gallon buckets, so i got the hoe out and dug deep down, (sweating and cursing too at the roots and rocks)....the plants look good, deer resistant....I had admired some I saw when walking the dog...

If I did this kind of physical work all the time, I would NOT need Weight Watchers.

Every time I toy with the idea of buying a house, I read stuff like this and I am quite content to pay rent until I die.

I have to say, it was a lesson in powerlessness and in patience. I must confess a few of the words and the tone I used to one of the first plumbers (the one hired a month ago to fix this to begin with) were not the 'class act' I like to be. The 2nd set of plumbers I ran off for blatantly trying to overcharge and they didn't look like they ever broke a sweat a day in their lives.:react My brother said they overbid so they wouldn't have to do it.

My neighbors and BIL got out there and worked their tails off for hours trying to fix it, purely gratis. What good hearts we have around us.

I'm a do-it-yourself kind of girl, but lately with the blood pressure and heart issue, I've been reluctant to try too much outside in this heat.

The 3rd and final plumber came out, finished the job in 20 minutes and charged me a fair price. I now know who to call! (after having owned this house for quite a long time)

I also have learned that lesson that I am certainly not in control of much but can manage my little corner of the world quite well when I need to.