If the creek don't rise

Got a surprise this morning. The water refused to warm up for my morning shower. That made for a cold session. No, it could not be delayed. Once dressed I went to the basement to see what was wrong with the water heater. That's when I found the surprise -- over two inches of water throughout the basement. And it didn't look clean.

No time to deal with it then. Mom and Dad soon showed up for a ride to the airport (my driveway serves as an auxiliary airport parking lot) and that was followed immediately by a church-sponsored tour of the recycling center my city used. I couldn't skip that because I was the organizer. I did decide I had better skip my usual session at Ruth Ellis Center today.

I called Charlie, my home improvement guy (the one who did my bathroom rebuild last January). He took a look and said to start with my insurance company. I called them and opened a claim. They suggested I call a water-damage restoration company. Another call. The guy was reluctant to take the job because he had doubts the insurance company would pay the claim. Perhaps, he said, I should call a plumber. I asked Charlie to talk to him. Charlie soon called back, saying he and his plumber friend Larry would soon be over. Larry snaked the sewer drain and reported the problem was tree roots that had grown through the drain. Then we got three inches of rain the night before last (which means it was a whole day before I found it). Charlie says it is rain water, not sewage.

Once the basement dries out Charlie and I will discuss what must be ripped out, what can be salvaged, and how much restoration should to be done. Parts of the basement are "finished" (if that's what you call cardboard paneling), but I don't go down there except to run the washer/dryer and to store stuff so it may not be worth a fancy redo.

I'm sure the saga is only beginning and it will only lighten my wallet. It looks like the insurance company has a limit on what they'll pay for. Charlie says that will barely cover ripping out the damaged stuff.