by Ashley
Someday over the winter break, we observed water harm on the eating room ceiling coming from the grasp lavatory, above. Our home was in-built 2017, so I used to be shocked to see we had some kind of plumbing drawback in a home barely 6 years previous! What a nightmare to take care of – particularly across the holidays!
We’re lucky to have 3 full bogs in the home, so we stopped utilizing the grasp tub, and as an alternative shared with the children or used the visitor lavatory downstairs till we might have somebody come out to evaluate the harm and provides us a quote.
Bid #1
A normal contractor was the primary to return have a look. Fortunately, his moisture reader didn’t detect any moisture. He indicated that we’d want to chop a gap within the ceiling to be able to diagnose the issue, as there have been no apparent leaks or damages within the grasp lavatory, itself. We requested for a quote and waited….and waited….and checked-in with him…and waited some extra. No quote arrived.
Take 2!
This time, we had a plumbing firm come out. They took a glance, a bit extra thorough than the final contractor (eradicating the bathe drain to evaluate the scenario, and eradicating the bathtub overflow to test its seal). However all regarded good. Once more, he informed us we’d want to chop a gap within the ceiling from the eating space under to diagnose the issue. This man appeared very trustworthy. He informed us that his firm might minimize the opening and diagnose the issue, however we’d need to pay the minimal hourly fee of $250/hour (cue: face of shock and horror!). As an alternative, he urged us to chop the opening and diagnose the difficulty ourselves. Then we might name again with a selected drawback and it will save the plumbers’ time (and save us some cash!)
DIY for the win!
We minimize a gap within the ceiling and lo and behold…..it couldn’t be a neater repair. In truth, it wasn’t plumbing in any respect. Over the summer time, the grout on the fringe of the baseboard had cracked. It occurred at a time when the seal on the backside of the bathe had failed and a LOT of water was seeping out onto the ground with each bathe. We finally mounted the bathe seal so water not escapes, however the grout continues to be cracked proper alongside the sting the place the tile meets the wall/baseboard. We by no means mounted the grout. Seems, that’s the place the leak originated. That crack within the grout occurs to be above a spot the place two items of drywall met up, and the water settled into the seam, inflicting the seen harm under.
Finest Case State of affairs
Since water not streams onto the toilet ground from the bathe, that is in all probability not an lively leak. In all probability, we’ve in all probability had the water stain on the ceiling for the reason that summer time, and simply now observed it. It’s simply mounted with updating the grout and caulking and one thing we are able to do on our personal without having to rent the $250/hour plumbers. The largest ache is simply going to be fixing the drywall and portray the ceiling to cover the restore job. There isn’t any mould, no precise concern with the plumbing itself, and so forth.
Catastrophizing Conditions
I’ve to chuckle that it’s such a simple repair. The night time earlier than the Basic Contractor got here out, I used to be absolutely satisfied we’d have to tear up all of the tile ground and redo every thing. In my head, I had this pegged as a $10,000+ restore that may end in a brand new tub, bathe, flooring, and so forth. and so forth. and so forth. As an alternative, it’s extra like a $100 restore. And that’s for those who embody the price of paint! Only for the caulking/grout, it’s extra of a $10 restore! Ha! How’s that for blowing a scenario out of proportion, pondering a $10 restore would absolutely price $10,000+!
Ultimately, I’m very grateful we are able to resume utilizing our bathe (rigorously – simply being certain we don’t drip on the ground!) and that we are able to sort out this restore ourselves with out spending an arm-and-a-leg!
Have you ever accomplished any main residence renovations or repairs currently? What did you repair and what have been the prices?
Hello, I’m Ashley! Arizonan on paper, Texan at coronary heart. Lover of working, running a blog, and all issues cheeeeese. Late 30’s, married mom of two, working as a professor at a serious college within the southwest. Making an attempt to lastly (lastly!) repay that ridiculous 6-digit pupil mortgage debt!