Tyler's coworker had been offering to help us, so last night we asked her to hang out in the hotel after the kids went to bed, so we could get everything out of the house. She was happy to oblige, considering we had cable tv (Bravo!). When we finally got the kids to bed, after screaming, crying and poop issues (the kids, not us), we loaded the car and teamed up to leave the babysitter with a bit of advice. "The kids don't normally wake up, but they might tonight." "Screaming will probably mean a poopy diaper, and it's going to be bad." "Do you know how to change a diaper?" "Oh, well... it's pretty self explanatory, wipe off the poop and put on a clean diaper." "You'll need a lot of wipes, and be prepared for a very bad smell" (As we can both see the look of horror forming on her face)..."You know, on second thought, in the case of poop, just call us. We'll come take care of it." Thankfully, the kids slept, we got the suitcases, books and toys put away, and the babysitter got to enjoy the awesomeness that is Bravo reality television. This morning, the kids woke up early, we scooped them out of bed, headed up the hill and we were home before breakfast. Easy-peasy.
Other than the fact that the size of the flood was much smaller this time, things may have seemed easier this go around because we are now experienced flood recovery experts. I wonder if there is a niche market for this kind of thing? Maybe I could make some money being a disaster concierge. Tonight only, just for you, my loyal readers, the advice comes for free. Grab a pen and start taking notes.
In no particular order, here are a few things that I've learned or wish I would have known before:
aka: What to do if your house floods:
1. Have the name and number of a 24 hour disaster mitigation company on hand. When you come home to a flooded house, you won't have the time or mental clarity to research different options. Plus, there's no internet because you've turned off the electricity (getting electrocuted would really piss you off at this point). Make sure that the company guarantees their work. If they don't get the house dried out correctly, you could end up with mold. Make sure they would take care of this.
2. While you're collecting numbers, it wouldn't hurt to get references for a contractor, or specific individuals or companies, such as a plumber, flooring company, painters, etc. Do your research ahead of time and it will save you a lot of stress and time down the road. At the very least, it will give you a starting point and hopefully save you from having not so positive experiences will the wrong crews.
3. Keep receipts for large purchases, and make a log of brands, serial numbers, and purchase date and price for these items. This will make the insurance claim process somewhat less painful. Go here to read about home inventory software. Speaking of the claim process, it may be lengthly and you may have to fight to get a fair settlement. Don't give up.
4. Take charge! Both times, we've found that you have to really push people to get things done correctly and in a timely manner. This will mean a lot of phone calls to coordinate the different parts of the restoration. Unfortunately, this might also mean making people come back 2 (or 3, or 4 times) to get the job done right. Be persistent.
5. Demand that the insurance company pay for a hotel during the mitigation and restoration, especially if you have kids. Aside from the obvious safety hazard (holes in the walls, exposed subfloors with nails and staples sticking out, and huge fans all over the house), there will be toxins in the air from the removal of old materials, as well as during restoration (paint fumes, etc). Most insurance companies would rather pay for a hotel than risk a liability claim for injury during the restoration.
6. Speaking of the hotel living, we found one indispensable item to be clear packing tape. It makes a perfect do it all makeshift baby proofer. Use it to tape over the buttons on the heater and the nobs on the dishwasher, to tape the oven door shut, and cover outlets. Duct tape would also work, but I think it would be more likely to damage surfaces, plus it's harder to tear off (and you probably won't have a pair of scissors).
Hmm...I could tell you so much more, but I hope you'll never have to use any of this advice. Here's what you can do to avoid joining the "my washing machine flooded my house" club (we meet at the laundromat on Thursday nights); don't run your washer when you're not home, and consider adding a drain to your laundry room. We now have a fancy new washer, as well as a pan and drain in the laundry room. Bubye, tax return. However, it is all worth it for the peace of mind. If you are in the Boise area and you're considering putting a drain in, we found a wonderful plumber that we'd happily refer to anybody. He did the whole job for $225, which is very reasonable.
Well, this post has not been uplifting or humorous, but hopefully it is helpful. I'll try to come up with something fun for tomorrow's post. Or is it today's post, since it is now Wednesday? It's well past my bedtime, and Blake has been stirring for awhile. I better go enjoy a few sweet moments of rest in my own bed. Oh, it's good to be home.
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