Help!!! Water leak - Wet fabrics
01-13-2011, 09:00 AM
#51
Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Somis, CA
Posts: 49
Gayle, I am so sorry this has happened to you. I hope by now the plumber has shown up and taken care of everything for you. A simple leak can sure wreak havoc on our lives, can't it? We had a water leak when we were living in Thousand Oaks and it flooded our entire lower floor (only 1/4" deep, thankfully). But things were all torn up for weeks. Best wishes to you and your husband.
Your "neighbor" in Somis,
Barbara
Your "neighbor" in Somis,
Barbara
01-13-2011, 09:14 AM
#53
Power Poster
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Lake Elsinore, CA
Posts: 15,266
I am so sorry this is happening to you. As others have suggested, I would definitely wash any fabric that got wet. We just checked on our insurance and were told that our policy covers all my sewing machines, longarm, fabric, etc. as personal property. The only concern is whether or not the maximum on personal property is enough to cover everything, and in our case it is. Insurance policies can be different, of course, but hopefully your entire loss will be covered. But it does sound like time for all new pipes.
01-13-2011, 09:23 AM
#54
Moderator
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Camarillo, California
Posts: 35,242
Good morning everyone. thank you for your replies.
We shut off all water to the house overnight. DH turned it on long enough for us to get our showers in this morning and then shut it off again.
I am back at work, no plumber yet.
We did get through to him, should be coming by sometime this morning, I hope. I have my adult daughter heading over to the house to "hang" out.
I washed about 60 yards of fabric. Some of it has some stains from the water. Others, that were older have some fading in the folds. I set aside a stack of "damaged" fabric. It is still useable, just not as large pieces.
I have not emptied the rest of the cabinets, but maybe I should look at doing that when I get home later this afternoon. Nothing else in them is wet, as far as I can tell. I did leave them open to air dry if there is any moisture.
This is not a basement, this is just a family room on the first floor of the house. There is only empty attic above the room so the pipe is fairly easy to access. This water is not from the rain but from a pipe that has (another) pin-hole prick in it. We will probably have the plumber replace the entire length of the pipe, as this is the 3rd leak from it. We may need to look into haveing the pipes coated with a silicone type coating. The quote we got on that 2 3/4 years ago was about $5,000. I wonder if it is any less now!
We shut off all water to the house overnight. DH turned it on long enough for us to get our showers in this morning and then shut it off again.
I am back at work, no plumber yet.
We did get through to him, should be coming by sometime this morning, I hope. I have my adult daughter heading over to the house to "hang" out.
I washed about 60 yards of fabric. Some of it has some stains from the water. Others, that were older have some fading in the folds. I set aside a stack of "damaged" fabric. It is still useable, just not as large pieces.
I have not emptied the rest of the cabinets, but maybe I should look at doing that when I get home later this afternoon. Nothing else in them is wet, as far as I can tell. I did leave them open to air dry if there is any moisture.
This is not a basement, this is just a family room on the first floor of the house. There is only empty attic above the room so the pipe is fairly easy to access. This water is not from the rain but from a pipe that has (another) pin-hole prick in it. We will probably have the plumber replace the entire length of the pipe, as this is the 3rd leak from it. We may need to look into haveing the pipes coated with a silicone type coating. The quote we got on that 2 3/4 years ago was about $5,000. I wonder if it is any less now!
01-13-2011, 10:16 AM
#56
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Clearwater, FL
Posts: 2,328
Originally Posted by kathdavis
I would wash it first, because you don't know how clean the water that is on the fabric is. The fabric can have a slight yellowish stain and if you dry it, you may set the stain.
01-13-2011, 10:23 AM
#57
Super Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Somewhere neat!
Posts: 1,146
I am envious of your stash and organization - that is gorgeous!! Yes, as already said - I would wash any of it you suspect might have gotten even slightly damp - there is sediment and rust that can accumulate in pipes (depending on what they are made of) -
01-13-2011, 10:29 AM
#58
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: currently central new jersey
Posts: 8,623
if this has gone through your insulation there may be small shards of fibreglass. i would definitely wash everything and i would use retayne to keep the colors from bleeding. normally you would wash like colors, but now you may be washing different colors together. and be sure to clean out the dryer filter very well during and after each wash. don't try to push too much into one load at a time. you won't get out all the bad stuff that way.
you know that this plumber will give you a hard time about this. he'll have 47 reasons why it isn't his fault. be prepared. you may have to take him to court or at least small claims court. UNLESS the pipes are so bad that they leaked in an entirely new place.
you know that this plumber will give you a hard time about this. he'll have 47 reasons why it isn't his fault. be prepared. you may have to take him to court or at least small claims court. UNLESS the pipes are so bad that they leaked in an entirely new place.
01-13-2011, 10:31 AM
#59
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Beaver PA USA
Posts: 1,656
Originally Posted by kathdavis
I would wash it first, because you don't know how clean the water that is on the fabric is. The fabric can have a slight yellowish stain and if you dry it, you may set the stain.
01-13-2011, 10:33 AM
#60
Moderator
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Camarillo, California
Posts: 35,242
Originally Posted by butterflywing
if this has gone through your insulation there may be small shards of fibreglass. i would definitely wash everything and i would use retayne to keep the colors from bleeding. normally you would wash like colors, but now you may be washing different colors together. and be sure to clean out the dryer filter very well during and after each wash. don't try to push too much into one load at a time. you won't get out all the bad stuff that way.
you know that this plumber will give you a hard time about this. he'll have 47 reasons why it isn't his fault. be prepared. you may have to take him to court or at least small claims court. UNLESS the pipes are so bad that they leaked in an entirely new place.
you know that this plumber will give you a hard time about this. he'll have 47 reasons why it isn't his fault. be prepared. you may have to take him to court or at least small claims court. UNLESS the pipes are so bad that they leaked in an entirely new place.
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