When the first house crisis hits, will you be prepared? I’m not talking about a stuck window, or changing a door lock. I’m talking about a problem like the one that hit our home recently.
How Disaster Strikes Without Warning
First I noticed an irritating white spot on the brown laminate dining room floor. I scrubbed it, satisfied all was clean again. Satisfaction reigned right up until the evening of the same day when the white spot reappeared. Not as large as before, but there nevertheless. I scrubbed it again and double-checked that every little smidgen had been removed. It returned the following morning.
A nasty suspicion nagged at my brain although I refused to believe it. Cautiously I walked to the spot, pressed down on where the boards adjoined each other. A bubble of white water rose to the top, immediately spreading the irritating mess once more.
Water under the flooring came my first thought. Close behind it, the specter of black mold raised its nasty head. Black mold is not only dirty, but dangerous. It can seriously affect people with lung, heart and other problems, from making them seriously ill to killing them. And it might also turn a perfectly healthy person into a very sick one. Time to call for help.
Taking the First Step to Correct the Crisis
Fortunately, I have good homeowners insurance. Unfortunately, the current virus scare is slowing everything down. It took three calls to finally be connected to the insurance adjuster, Kyle. Once in his capable hands, the claim moved along at a steady pace. He came to my house the next day. Prior to his arrival, however, the moisture under the flooring spread, headed for the kitchen. Kyle noted the faucet just outside the affected room and figured the problem might be a tiny crack from the cold winter.
Within a day, the contractor responsible for repairing our home stood at our door. His opinion almost agreed with the adjuster, with the slim possibility that the crack ran under the concrete slab upon which the house sat. He returned the following day to remove the old flooring, collect the check from the adjuster with which he purchased new flooring, and brought an assistant. The assistant barely stepped inside our front door than he began moving the heavy furniture and the flooring under it.
How This House Crisis Began
Meanwhile the contractor opened the interior wall to find out exactly where the leak started. The first nasty surprise was that it was, indeed, under the concrete, though not too far. A glaring big nail someone hammered through the pipe proved to be the culprit! Neither of us understood how anyone hammers a massive nail through a pipe and does not realize it. To my dismay, this became another in a lengthening line of missteps by the person responsible for building this house and others in the neighborhood. Thorough examination showed no black mold, just floating floors.
Dependable Contractors Make a Huge Difference
All is going well at this point, primarily because I had dependable homeowners insurance and the adjuster brought in a very talented contractor and assistant. My only wish is that I had not taken the $1000 deductible, which is my share of the bill. For a couple of dollars more per month, I could have cut that down to $750 or even $500 deductible. That makes a huge difference when on a set income.
At this time we are in the second day of floor removal and dehumidifying to dry the concrete slab. It is made more pleasant in that the contractor and his assistant are extremely careful with household items, which is most appreciated.
Why Resales Might Top Buying a New Home
The biggest problem faced in the purchase of this home was feeling rushed to buy a house because my brother’s illness at the time urged me to settle quickly. He needed doctors and medications and dialysis, none of which he seemed capable of setting up on his own.
My preference is always to purchase a resale home and never a new one, simply because most owners will fix all the problems inherent in new homes. That often surprises people set on buying new instead of resale. They are searching for as few problems as possible and often end up with problems that should have been fixed during the building. As an example, one couple insisted on buying new and only after settlement and moving in did they discover the air conditioning/heating unit had been incorrectly installed.
Insurance is Imperative When a House Crisis Hits
Primarily, when the first house crisis hits, and it will, every homeowner must be prepared. Whether it is a relatively simple problem like my floors or having your home destroyed by a tornado, hurricane or fire, without insurance that covers those possibilities, the costs rise astronomically. Many seniors now live on set incomes and try to remove their insurance payments as a way to simply have enough money on which to live. If there is any possible way to keep housing insurance, do so and get as much as you can afford. That one move may save or replace your home when disaster strikes.