Saturday 25 July 2015

Lull before the storm......


Always lovely coming home however good the holiday and O made us this

Home by supper time Saturday and Hubby was out fundraising Sunday so I got everything unpacked and put away and all the laundry done, even did a bit of gardening as the grape vines grow frantically this time of year. 

Monday was going well until the kitchen totally flooded and it took us both nearly an hour to mop it all up. Seems the water purifying system we have was to blame and Hubby immediately turned that off and bypassed the water back to mains then phoned our maintenance man and left a message. Times like this I realise I wouldn't have known what to do so I'll need a full tutorial when it's all fixed. 

Thankfully after mopping and removing cupboard kickboards it has all dried well and not seeped under the flooring. I noted our mishap on facebook to get lots of sympathy as one should, Hubby is most determinedly not on facebook, so he got a couple of odd messages from friends who knew before he knew that they knew (did that make sense?) The maintenance man rang back when Hubby was out of course (swapping blood-runner bikes with his mate) and asked what the problem was and said he couldn't pop round just yet as he's in Tenerife! So with it all switched off and not a problem he'll come Wednesday next week. When Hubby came home and I was about to update him he already knew as his mate had seen that on facebook too hahaha.  Hubby also phoned the water board as the mains stopcock under the sink won't budge and they were coming Wednesday but didn't, Thursday but phoned to postpone till Friday but didn't then either! 

Also on Monday the gas people relaid our patio slabs and removed all the barriers from the patio and the drive revealing some ugly patches in the tarmac which Hubby seems quite happy with, I'm not happy! 


Meanwhile late Monday I heard from my niece that her teenage daughter had been rushed into hospital in the early hours that day which really worried me. We managed to get to the hospital (about 60 miles away) for a visit on Wednesday and thankfully antibiotics worked and blood tests fine and they were sent home Friday afternoon.....I say "they" as my niece stayed the whole time barely sleeping on the reclining chair beside the bed, so she is now unwell too from a stressful week. 

And today is quite a bit cooler and windier and wetter, but no actual storm (artistic licence in the title sorry). Hubby is out in this fundraising again so I'm heading to the kitchen now to make a large and warming cottage pie for him to come back to, he's spoilt eh? 
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16 comments:

Michelle said...

:-(. I have heard of people getting driveways redone entirely but it's a lot of hassle and going back complaining. There was a long saga on our local radio phone in with a concrete drive left visibly patched and yours is more unsightly (they uploaded pics to facebook).

MumB / @mumbosh said...

Ours is a large double drive, as you know, which cost us about £5k (shared with our neighbour of course) to have done only a few years ago, so I definitely will complain, although Hubby is convinced they won't do anything and our neighbour is resigned to the patches so I'll be fighting alone.....but watch this space!

Michelle said...

Googling suggests the patches will weather in over time and be less noticeable. It is seemingly not possible to invisibly patch Tarmac. You could claim compensation perhaps? Maybe worth filling in a claim form. Xxx

Sorry for niece daughter poorliness. Also flooded kitchen. We have a leaking gulley so buckets on the landing. Have had two roofers out, only one quoted and two others who have declined to come out at all. So difficult getting tradespeople here!

Michelle said...

Cross posted. They did come back and improve the drive for the guy on the radio, though was still noticeably patched and I think he was monetarily compensated though cannot find a link to the story now. It was on BBC 3CR JVS Show. But from a while ago.

MumB / @mumbosh said...

In my next life I think I'll rent and all these problems will be the landlord's lol.

MumB / @mumbosh said...

Thanks for the research x

Michelle said...

More research but warned Don't try jet washing - it can damage the surface apparently.

I've often regretted owning this moneypit.

Then remember it has appreciated in value more than we have spent on it.

Though a modern house would have been a more sensible purchase.

MumB / @mumbosh said...

Falling in love with a property far outweighs being sensible :-)

Michelle said...

This stuff has been mentioned a couple of times: http://www.advancedsealingsolutions.co.uk/adseal-tarmac-for-refurbishing-red-or-black-tarmac-or-asphalt.html

Either get them to apply to entire driveway for even and uniform colour to restore it to look as it did originally or cost it up fully with labour costs and present that as the amount you want to be compensated by.


Being sensible seems to be a less stressful way of living!

Michelle said...

You could then take the money, see if the patches weather in to an acceptable level before spending it on the sealant.

Michelle said...

From a thread on a patched drive after an oil spillage from a car that stained and softened the tarmac. The landlord didn't want a patch that the tenant wanted to do. One of the commenters said "We had a portion of our tarmac drive replaced by some workmen a few years ago - within a year you could not see any colour difference other than a faint outline of the joins. "

So that sounds positive.

I'd still try for compensation based on total coverage of that sealant though.

MumB / @mumbosh said...

Brilliant, that sealant is just the sort of resolution I was looking for, thank you so much. I know the patches won't fade away enough as less than a year after the drive was done we had to have a phone line repair which left a long tramline patch that is still totally obvious and I've always hated that too. We are away for the next couple of days but will get onto this when I'm back.

Michelle said...

Oh good. Being unable to do anything has proved useful in at least this regard :-).

MumB / @mumbosh said...

Truly appreciated and if I need further research I know exactly where to come, although hopefully you won't be confined to quarters much longer! Hope you're still improving xxx

Michelle said...

Oh I am still improving :-). Was back in bed quite a bit today as had driven C to Chingford this morning which is quite a lot of sitting - still the position I find causes most pain and downstairs is just too depressing an area to be in. And when I am downstairs I end up trying to do things, then get frustrated because I can't. Either because I physically can't or because there's other people's things in my way that I cannot put away. Then get depressed further. The dining table currently has lots of plumbing things over it that are in the process of being used to install utility sink (carcass got built yesterday and some holes cut in back for pipes - then quite a bit of thinking about how to install. M is doing bike rides a lot as doing Ride London (100miles) next Sunday so DIY and tidying are low down his list of priorities atm).

Went to B&Q on the way back from Chingford for some specified rawl plugs but they had sold out. Lots of empty spaces. Guess lunchtime on a rainy Sunday is not the best time to go find DIY parts! Once I get these rawl plugs M can put the bike racks on the wall and the bike things can all be moved from hallway and dining room. That will be a good moment.

Probably should blog tomorrow!

MumB / @mumbosh said...

Oh dear all very frustrating, but I'm sure that's because you are improving or you wouldn't have the energy to care. Take a huge breath and sigh for all the things you cannot do right now then hold your book in front of your face and stop looking! xx