Tom and management had tried contacting the renters — who were home but not answering the door or the phone — and the landlord all day, and were finally contacted by the landlord late in the afternoon. Tom came back and informed me that the renters upstairs had a leak and the plumber was coming tomorrow. Tomorrow? At least they allowed Tom to come in and shut off the kitchen water. A couple more passes with the Shop-Vac and I was good for the night.
I contacted my insurance company. The adjuster worked quickly and I was able to get a remediator company in. That was all good but I started smelling a musty and mildew odor in the kitchen. The remediators came back and that’s when we discovered the full extent of the damage. The leak had been going on for a looooooong time. When the kitchen cabinets were removed, the wall behind was black with mold. The insurance adjuster extended the claim and then the fun and games really began.
The walls were ripped out. There were two fans and an air scrubber running for three days. The cabinets had to be replaced because particle board and water are a bad combo. Now, over a month later, I can start putting things back in cabinets. The faucet didn’t handle the move well and needs to be replaced. It had to be replaced before the deinstallation and reinstallation, but I bought a new one and arranged for the replacement. I’m not putting those damned metal bifold doors back on the closets. No way; no how.
From here, I’ll paint the kitchen and someday I’ll replace the vile countertops. When the weather gets warmer my floor-through carpeting will be replaced by vinyl laminate. Not only will it resist kitty accidents, hairballs, and puke, the floor will be easier to take care of.
And if the upstairs tenants decide to ignore the rules of indoor plumbing again, clean-up and replacement should be easier.
It's My World 
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