Tuesday, November 17, 2015

We're Still OK

So, our house is still a disaster zone, or at least part of it is.  To refresh your memory, this is what our roof looked like the day after the fire:

The framing crew has removed and replaced the tower, but they are tearing off a lot more roof today.

But, before they got the roof back on, we had a real downpour last Tuesday night. About an inch of rain fell in an hour, pulling down the tarp they had over the top, and giving us some delightful rain showers indoors.  They boys and I tarped and laid out buckets to catch the worst of it; I ran the bucket brigade, dumping and replacing them, until 4AM.

This is what remained of the water prevention system the next day:


We rented 3 industrial strength dehumidifiers - each of which collects 210 pints of water (about 24 gallons) - and they've been running nonstop for a week now, along with 4 of the biggest residential dehumidifiers I can buy (70 pints, or about 8 gallons) per day.

3 bedrooms look like this - absolute disaster zones:




 And we've peeled the wallpaper from the flooded rooms upstairs, leaving the place looking like a war zone.  My daughter came last weekend and filled some of the holes and painted without sanding, so the place is now consistently tan and lumpy.  It was too early to paint, and the color is depressing, so I have poor Ryan sanding to prepare for repainting.  Maybe it will be dry enough for Kilz.

But our house still stands, and we are still in it, safe, whole and well.

So, no matter how bad things are, just remember: at least you don't have an open air house, with nothing but OSB between you and the sky!  Happy Tuesday, everyone!




12 comments:

Big Dude said...

I just hate that you are having to go through this.

Diane said...

I feel so sorry for you it must be a nightmare, despite trying to imagine how bad it really is for you I am sure it must be much worse in real life. I hope that you soon get back to some sort of normality. Did you ever track down what caused the fire? Stay safe Diane

Sue said...

I'm glad things are moving along but wish it was all done and back in order. Hang in there, it'll eventually be good as new.

Anonymous said...

I think one possible title for your disaster is, "In Praise of Large Families." One kid saved the house by raising the alarm, and now others are part of the reconstruction effort.

grace said...

what an ordeal! i know it probably doesn't mean much from a person you don't know sitting in a chair hundreds of miles away, but i admire your attitude and fortitude--stay strong! :)

rottrover said...

Oh Marjie! We're sending you warm, dry air from our drought-ridden landscape! Blowing with strength!!

Two French Bulldogs said...

Oh my goodness. Sending lots of good vibes
Lily & Edward

Joolz said...

Oh, you poor things! It must be heartbreaking to have your beautiful house in such chaos. Won't insurance cover the cost of repairing and repaining, instead of your family having to do the work? I do hope it is sorted out quickly for you.

Cheers - Joolz xx

Pam said...

Oh Marjie! I can only imagine how frustrating this is!! You are right though... your house is still standing and your loved ones are safe.

Lapdog Creations said...

Thinking of you through this stressful process........ and sending good vibes!

Amelia said...

Hi Marjie,sorry to read about the fire and the stress you have to go thru.
Hope everything will be settle soon. God Bless.

Best regards.
Amelia

SissySees said...

No wonder you connect so with my fur-girls; you share Sissy's unflappable spirit. Nothing keeps you down, and you keep the rest of us smiling too.

Still... I wish we could pop over to help, distract you with dinner, etc. Maybe I'll dig out some of Sissy's silliest costumes and do a photo parade for you in the next week or so?