Dramatic start to Intros!

[dogsandkids]

Just posting this as only fellow adopters will understand the pain. After months of excitement and days of nesting here we are on Official Day 2 of intros with a Planning meeting and then off to our lovely foster carers house. Just getting out the shower this morning when water starts pouring from the ceiling in all the upstairs rooms. (Picture me naked and blind here as I have no glasses on!!) Investigations reveal a broken pipe in the loft. The loft is half a foot deep in water and the damage means the ceilings need replacing in 4 rooms, the electrics have all blown, the walls all need repainting and there is a smell of dampness everywhere. Every item in the (stuffed) airing cupboard is dripping with smelly water and there is crumbled plaster all over the floor. My births son room is sodden. No showers allowed and no TV.

My god that is absolutely awful! What horrific timing! Don't panic, you can only sort the problems one by one. I completely feel for you!!

Oh no that is not good. Maybe try to extend intro's a bit so you have more time to get the work done before AC comes home?

Right have you contacted you insurers ? Explain the situation to them and ask that they send out a loss adjuster today . Take photos of everyhthing first . All the damage in every room and the loft . Take detailed photos of the pipe area .

Insuers will get people in to do the clean up and salvage as much of your stuff as you can .

If you have any important photos / documents that are wet / damaged , put them in your neighbours freezer .

They will get dehumidifiers in today or tomorrow

Insures will arrange alternative accommodation if necessary . You can't live in a building site.

Talk to SS immediately as you may need to slow down introductions and delay move in date .

I'm so sorry

Thanks all esp Kristina with the practical advice. Insurance people contacted and they authorised the plumber and electrician. All sockets and lights removed or made safe. Ceilings still up and safe but with holes in, they can be replaced whenever we like (ie.now). Loss adjustor coming on Monday. So we are okay. Just fewer lights, no shower (bath is okay!) and a slight musty smell. That aside intros are going so well. Better than we all expected. Having lots of cuddles now and play together and loving every minute of it!!

Tell insures that you want dehumidifiers . Try to keep the Windows open in this good weather .

Don't tempted to have the redecoration done until an expert has checked the dampness levels. A plumber is not an expert on dampness .

Be careful with fitted furniture like kitchen and bathroom Units, they are often made of MDF or chipboard which swells up when wet . They might need replaced .

I was flooded once from an upstairs neighbour and the plaster has to be removed from the walls as They wouldn't dry out . Everyhthing was removed - kitchen , bathroom , hall and back bedroom stripped back to the brick . Floorboards up, radiators off walls . Nightmare .

How is poor DS ? Are his things badly damaged ? Poor child, so much upheaval at once .

Just an update. What a difference a week makes. Our new son has fully moved in today. We attempted a calm day but that rarely happens round here! Today we have been for a walk and collected flowers, had a picnic in the garden, helped the loss adjustor tour the house (lol!), painted the fence with water and then had a mammoth football session in the back garden with DS and his friend. We have had various tradesmen visiting this week and if we ask them to take their ID badges off all seems to be fine. House slowly recovering with the help of various tradesman.
Wish me luck for the first bed and bath time tonight!! X

Congratulations

Good luck! And well done on getting this far.

Congrats!!!!

Wow, just read. Glad things now ok.

Kristina, why put documents on freezer? Just curious!

Good luck op.

Because then they can be rescued by a specialist company , which your insurers will appoint. If you leave them in a wet pile they will go mouldy very quickly and can't be saved .

I'm thinking of irreplaceable documents, like old family photos . Not things like birth certificates or passports which you can easily replace .