A picture is worth 1000 words

[swissair81]

A small part of the damage from my house flood.

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll241/chanaroch/403675_2900510472964_1266507139_33120327_170388164 8_n.jpg

Awesome, isn't it?

[elektra]

Oh no swissair!!!
I am so sorry!

[happymom]

Omg! How did that happen?? I'm so sorry!!!

[HonoluluMom]

Oh no - And that's only small part! I'm so sorry!

[swissair81]

We're thinking a pipe burst in my master bath. My bedroom is soaked, the bedroom next door is marginally less soaked, and everything below my bedroom is in dreadful condition (main floor- kitchen and dining room and basement). I might just get a chance to be a minimalist, because they are trashing about 3/4 of my belongings (plus the house siding, windows, walls, floors, you name it). So we're currently homeless, and staying in a hotel. Like I said, it's totally awesome.

[JustMe]

Oh wow. I'm so sorry.

[JTsMom]

Oh no! I am so sorry! :hug:

[arivecchi]

Unbelievable! How does that even happen? It has not even been that cold, so no frozen pipe right?

[Beth24]

Oh no. I had no idea. When did this happen?

[malphy]

wow!! I am so sorry this has happened to you. you and your family are in my prayers!

[KrisM]

Oh no!

Please let me know if you need anything. We aren't far apart. I'm happy to help you out, if there is something I can do.

[Roleysmom]

I'm so sorry!

[Green_Tea]

Oh no, swissair :(. I am so sorry!

[almostamom]

I'm so, so sorry. I know I can't even begin to imagine what you are dealing with. Is there anything we can do to help?

:hug:
Linda

[swissair81]

Oh no. I had no idea. When did this happen?

We're not sure. We drove to Chicago on Sunday around noonish and everything was fine. It looked like this when we came back Wednesday morning.

[swissair81]

Oh no!

Please let me know if you need anything. We aren't far apart. I'm happy to help you out, if there is something I can do.


Do you have some sanity to lend me ;)?

Thanks so much for the offer. I will let you know if I need anything.

[artvandalay]

Oh no, I'm so sorry

[SnuggleBuggles]

I am so sorry!!!!

[swissair81]

Unbelievable! How does that even happen? It has not even been that cold, so no frozen pipe right?

The coldest it got this week was 25 degrees.

[pinkmomagain]

Oh my goodness. So sorry that you are having to deal with something like this!

[MamaMolly]

oh no!!!!! I'm so sorry! That totally stinks! :(

[baymom]

Wow...that's awful! I'm so sorry you have to deal with this right now...or at all!

[MichelleRC]

Ugh, that really sucks. I am so sorry!

[MMMommy]

:hug: That is terrible. I am so sorry this happened to you.

[crl]

Oh no!

Catherine

[noodle]

Oh, no!
What a nightmare -- I'm so sorry.

[c&j04]

House floods are terrible! Sorry you are dealing with this.

[Twoboos]

OMG, that's awful!! I hope you can be back home soon. :hug:

[swissair81]

OMG, that's awful!! I hope you can be back home soon. :hug:

The estimation of my contractor/adjustor is about 4-8 months before we can move back home.

[elizabethkott]

I am so, so sorry.
You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.
Please let us know if there's anything we can do for you... I don't know where you're located, but I'm happy to help in whatever way I can.
(((((hugs)))))

[amandabea]

The estimation of my contractor/adjustor is about 4-8 months before we can move back home.

OMG! I'm so sorry. I will be sending you P&PT and any spare sanity.

[arivecchi]

The estimation of my contractor/adjustor is about 4-8 months before we can move back home.What?! :47:

[SkyrMommy]

So, so sorry... what an awful thing to come home to. I'll add to the you ask us BBBer's if you need anything. Especially as you start to think of things that need to be replaced & are hard to find. Send us on searches for you!!!

:hug:

[brittone2]

Oh my goodness. I'm so, so sorry. That's absolutely jaw droppingly horrible.

Please let us know if there's anything we can do. Do you need kid clothing? Toys? Games? Something to make life easier for the kids while you are living elsewhere? Please shoot me a PM if there's anything we can do.

[infomama]

Oh my goodness....4-6 months??!! Sending PT your way. I'm so sorry.

[LMPC]

I am so sorry this happened! I will keep you in my thoughts! And keep the BBB in yours -- let us know if there's anything you need!

[goldenpig]

Oh my goodness. I'm so, so sorry. That's absolutely jaw droppingly horrible.

Please let us know if there's anything we can do. Do you need kid clothing? Toys? Games? Something to make life easier for the kids while you are living elsewhere? Please shoot me a PM if there's anything we can do.

:yeahthat: What brittone said. I'm so sorry! Let us know what you need and we'd be happy to help!

[mikeys_mom]

Oh my, what a horrible sight to come home to. I am so sorry for you. 4-8 months is crazy long to be out of your house unexpectedly. Wow. :hug:

[maylips]

That is horrible. I am so, so sorry for you!

[Tondi G]

OH MAN..... BUMMER! I am so sorry. What a nightmare PITA!

[Seitvonzu]

omgoodness! your poor family! :(

[swissair81]

Oh my goodness. I'm so, so sorry. That's absolutely jaw droppingly horrible.

Please let us know if there's anything we can do. Do you need kid clothing? Toys? Games? Something to make life easier for the kids while you are living elsewhere? Please shoot me a PM if there's anything we can do.

I think I'll know better when the entire house is assessed. So far I've been advised that they will likely trash the entire contents of my basement, including all my baby equipment, baby clothes and hand me downs, and just about all their toys. All my dining room furniture and bedroom furniture will also likely be dumped. On the bright side, all our clothes that we currently wear are okay, and most importantly of all- they have cleared me to keep all 5 of my strollers (although, I would have been happy to sacrifice one or two to keep some other more important items). I don't know that we need anything right now. My brain is kind of on sluggish.

[maestramommy]

YIKES!!!!!

I'm so sorry :hug: Will insurance cover it at all?

[swissair81]

YIKES!!!!!

I'm so sorry :hug: Will insurance cover it at all?

They're still assessing. I know they will cover living expenses and replacement items for things that got trashed. I know they cover structure, but I'm nervous because the tally of the damage is more than my house would have gone for if I had sold it last week. There is damage even outside of the house (the siding is peeling, and the windows are popping out of their frames). In short, it's really very bad. I keep wondering if they will pay us market value for the house and demolish it. It basically has to be rebuilt.

[Momit]

Oh my gosh, that is awful. Thinking of your family.

[ZeeBaby]

Very sorry this happened to you.

[WatchingThemGrow]

OH NO!!! Just curious, was your house built in the 80's with that PEX plumbing? My friend's house just had a pipe in the shower break too and they have that kind that was in a class-action lawsuit.

[vludmilla]

I am so sorry. PT for you that insurance covers it all and you get back in your house on the shorter end of that timeframe.

[swissair81]

OH NO!!! Just curious, was your house built in the 80's with that PEX plumbing? My friend's house just had a pipe in the shower break too and they have that kind that was in a class-action lawsuit.

All the houses in our area were built in the 60s. However, my house was originally a ranch and the owners before us added on a second floor. So the pipes upstairs are circa mid 90s (1995?)

[twowhat?]

Holy CRAP. I'm so sorry:(

[pb&j]

I'm so sorry. I hope that you're able to get back to normal ASAP. Big hugs.

[trales]

Keep us all up to date with what you need for help. I hope you can find a short term rental in your area.

[brittone2]

I think I'll know better when the entire house is assessed. So far I've been advised that they will likely trash the entire contents of my basement, including all my baby equipment, baby clothes and hand me downs, and just about all their toys. All my dining room furniture and bedroom furniture will also likely be dumped. On the bright side, all our clothes that we currently wear are okay, and most importantly of all- they have cleared me to keep all 5 of my strollers (although, I would have been happy to sacrifice one or two to keep some other more important items). I don't know that we need anything right now. My brain is kind of on sluggish.

Well, when you have some mental bandwidth freed up, please, please don't hesitate to get in touch if there's anything you can think of that we can help with, okay? I mean it :hug:

[Kymberley]

Wow. I am so sorry! I'll echo everyone else- if you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask! You're in my thoughts and prayers.

[Kindra178]

So sorry.

[plusbellelavie]

I am so sorry....just a terrible way to end 2011! Please if you need anything at all let me know...I would love to help in anyway!

I hope 2012 only gets better for you and your family very fast!!

:hug5:

[wimama]

What a horrible mess to come home to. I am so sorry!:hug:

[mom2binsd]

That is just awful!!! No other words other than I'm sorry. I hope your insurance agent is quick and helpful and that you find a good contractor who can hopefully speed things up!

Maybe you'll be able to salvage some of the stuff, can clothing not be washed/sanitized? I hope pictures and other irreplaceable stuff is ok.

[mommylamb]

This is such a nightmare! I'm so sorry!!

[MontrealMum]

Oh my goodness, I'm so very sorry :grouphug: What an awful thing to happen during the holiday. Sending you lots of P&PT.

[boogiemomz]

So very sorry, swissair. Hugs and prayers. :hug:

[Nu_mama]

Thinking of you and your family. Hope some good news turns up for you soon!

[swissair81]

That is just awful!!! No other words other than I'm sorry. I hope your insurance agent is quick and helpful and that you find a good contractor who can hopefully speed things up!

Maybe you'll be able to salvage some of the stuff, can clothing not be washed/sanitized? I hope pictures and other irreplaceable stuff is ok.

I'll admit I was surprised about the clothing. I also thought they could be washed. They said that anything that got wet in the basement is soaked in contaminated water and should be dumped. Since the water rained down from the ceiling, just about everything is soaked. Also a lot of the colored clothes are bleeding into the other clothes. I don't think that kind of damage is reversible.

Most of our family pictures were in other rooms, and are safely out of the house. My wedding pictures may not be okay, but we own the rights to the proofs, which are safely stored on my hard drive, so that's not a huge issue.

[oneplustwo]

Oh my goodness!! How unbelievably awful for you, the kids, the whole family. I'm sure you must be in shock. Take things a step at a time. You will get through this. We're all here for you!

[Melbel]

Oh no! What a mess! Sending lots of positive thoughts for a speedy restoration and smooth negotiation with the insurance company. We would be happy to help out in any way possible too. :grouphug:

[liamsmom]

I'm so sorry this happened to you! My thoughts are with you and your family.

[katydid1971]

So sorry.:hug:

[cairo06]

So sorry you are going through such a difficult time. :hug:

[gibas23]

oh you poor thing. Please count me in as well if you need anything. If anyone want to organize something, please pm me. Toys, gc, food, etc. Please let me know if I can help in any way.

[waitingforgrace]

Goodness, what a terrible surprise to come home to. I hope the salvage and clean up go as smoothly as possible for your family.

[TwinFoxes]

Ok, not the kind of picture I was expecting! I'm so very sorry. What a horrible blow on top of other tough times. :hug:

[WatchingThemGrow]

OP, I had my info wrong about the class action lawsuit - it was polybutylene and it did go through the mid-90's. http://www.polybutylenelawsuit.com/
Does anyone have any experience/legal knowledge about it? When I was looking at homes 8-9 years ago, I saw a similar situation in a townhouse.

Still, huge hugs to your family. :hug:

[Melaine]

OH NO!!! This is unbelieavable....and that long for repairs....I'm horrified for you guys! Praying somehow they can get you back in there much sooner!!!

[KrisM]

Oh, wow, that's a long time to be out of the house. I can't imagine dealing with all of this. I wish I could send you sanity!

[swissair81]

I'm so touched by the response here. I really feel like a part of a family. I'm so lucky to have all of you. To all those who offered to help, you are all awesome! Really. I'll admit that I feel really uncomfortable asking for things. That is really not my style, and it has never been. Frankly, I'd rather just go without. I also have the small problem of having nowhere to put anything at the moment. I'm thinking if anyone really wants to help, gift cards would probably be the way to go. You could then give what you want, and I don't feel quite so bad for asking. Anyone who is interested can PM me.

[mytwosons]

Friends had this happen to them, but it sounds like it wasn't as bad as what you are experiencing. It started in their second floor master and went down to the basement, taking out the ceilings and floors along the way. They were originally given a very long timeline, but were able to move back into their house after three weeks. They had to deal with all the construction, but they were in their home.

Their insurance put them up in a nice extended stay hotel (1500 sq ft total). Everything that wasn't ruined was put into pods for storage. Even their food was reimbursed by insurance while they were out of the house or didn't have their kitchen available. The insurance company also covered their utility bills over the amount they were the previous year. (The construction and flood work used a lot of energy and heat.)

They are also in MI, so suffered through the downturn. They bought their house for $250k, put another $50k into it and might have been able to sell it for $100-$120k. The repairs totaled $75k. I'm not sure what the final expense to insurance was.

I'm hoping everything will work out for you like it did our friends.

[pb&j]

I have a little experience with this - the condo I lived in pre kids had pb pipes and I had a leak. I was unsuccessful at getting any $$ from the class action, but I also had not a great attorney. Apparently you had to have two documented leaks to receive any payout and despite the fact that my one caused 10k in damage, I wasn't eligible for anything. Truthfully I think a better attorney could have gotten me something, but insurance took care of everything (including the lawsuit from my downstairs neighbor, boy was that fun) so I didn't pursue it.

[infocrazy]

Oh no!

Please let me know if you need anything. We aren't far apart. I'm happy to help you out, if there is something I can do.

:yeahthat: I live on the opposite side of town from Kris but me too!

[carolinamama]

I am so sorry you are dealing with this. Positive thoughts that the reconstruction and the associated inconvenience (putting it very mildly) go as well as possible.

[elephantmeg]

oh wow. Not a happy holiday surprise. I am so, so sorry. Please let me know if there is anything I can do!

[sste]

Swiss, so sorry to hear this. Stay strong!

[gatorsmom]

Oh my goodness. I'm so, so sorry. That's absolutely jaw droppingly horrible.

Please let us know if there's anything we can do. Do you need kid clothing? Toys? Games? Something to make life easier for the kids while you are living elsewhere? Please shoot me a PM if there's anything we can do.

:yeahthat: I'll be happy to prepare a box (or boxes) of stuff to send you. We have lots of baby stuff in storage meant for my brother's baby when he adopts but that looks years off and we have WAYYYY more than he'll need. PLEASE PM ME AND DONT BE AFRAID TO ASK!

I have some other things I think could help you too, but I think I'll pm you about them.

Saying prayers for you guys.

[Fairy]

Holy jeez, man! I am so so very sorry. We flooded almost a year ago. Terrible, wretched stuff, and we had alot less damage than you. Alot less damage and still ahd to gut the finished basement and start all the frak over. I cannot even imagine what you are going thru. Oh dear lord. I'm sending you lots and lots of P&PT and House Fairies and Magical Helper Bots. Been there. Barely comparatively. Oy vey!

[swissair81]

Friends had this happen to them, but it sounds like it wasn't as bad as what you are experiencing. It started in their second floor master and went down to the basement, taking out the ceilings and floors along the way. They were originally given a very long timeline, but were able to move back into their house after three weeks. They had to deal with all the construction, but they were in their home.

Their insurance put them up in a nice extended stay hotel (1500 sq ft total). Everything that wasn't ruined was put into pods for storage. Even their food was reimbursed by insurance while they were out of the house or didn't have their kitchen available. The insurance company also covered their utility bills over the amount they were the previous year. (The construction and flood work used a lot of energy and heat.)

They are also in MI, so suffered through the downturn. They bought their house for $250k, put another $50k into it and might have been able to sell it for $100-$120k. The repairs totaled $75k. I'm not sure what the final expense to insurance was.

I'm hoping everything will work out for you like it did our friends.

Wow that sounds so nice. The people working on our house told us 3 weeks just for demolition and letting the house dry. The insurance adjuster was at our house on Friday. She was so taken aback that she phoned her office and said that this job is too big for her to handle. So far they've taken all our clothes to clean professionally. The books in the line of fire (water?) are at a restorer, and all of the stuff they've declared total loss is in the garage. All our non damaged belongings have been packed up and moved into storage.They've started ripping up wet carpet and knocking down walls. Apparently they're also going to need a structural engineer to help them. We're still looking for a place to live. I hope we move soon. I hate not having a kitchen.

[Beth24]

Wow that sounds so nice. The people working on our house told us 3 weeks just for demolition and letting the house dry. The insurance adjuster was at our house on Friday. She was so take aback that she phoned her office and said that this job is too big for her to handle. So far they've taken all our clothes to clean professionally. The books in the line of fire (water?) are at a restorer, and all of the stuff they've declared total loss is in the garage. All our non damaged belongings have been packed up and moved into storage.They've started ripping up wet carpet and knocking down walls. Apparently they're also going to need a structural engineer to help them. We're still looking for a place to live. I hope we move soon. I hate not having a kitchen.

Again, I am so sorry you are having to go through this. How are the kids handling it?

[swissair81]

My kids are really sad. Between the loss of all their toys and the fact that I can't let them go home (the air is toxic), they are just beside themselves.

[Beth24]

My kids are really sad. Between the loss of all their toys and the fact that I can't let them go home (the air is toxic), they are just beside themselves.

I can't even imagine. I feel so bad for your family right now. I wish there was something more I could do than just send you my empathy...

[swissair81]

Don't underestimate the value of empathy :) It really does help.

[mommy111]

Wow, just saw this, so sorry about what's happened!

[WatchingThemGrow]

Your poor children :(. That is really hard to deal with. Are they back in school on Tuesday? Will that give the older ones a sense of SOME normalcy?

[swissair81]

Your poor children :(. That is really hard to deal with. Are they back in school on Tuesday? Will that give the older ones a sense of SOME normalcy?

Actually, they didn't have that much holiday time off. They get a long weekend during Chanukah, and that's it. We took them out for extra time on Monday and Tuesday (both school days). They've been in school since Wednesday when we got back. I'm glad they're not home all day.

[DrSally]

Omg, I'm so sorry!

[larig]

just seeing this now. I am so sorry. I hope everything is back to normal (or close to) soon. :grouphug: