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Discussion in 'Home Improvement' started by Tom Locke, Aug 8, 2015.

  1. Jenn Windey

    Jenn Windey Supreme Member
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    @Tom Locke How goes the repairs Tom? Although I am certain there will be so much for you to still do I would think by now perhaps they have your unit in some sort of livable order? I am wondering can you not go after the negligent neighbor for any sort of restitution? I can't imagine you could just flood out someone else's flat and have no recourse even if it was accidental.

    We jus recently had at work a unit that had a fire and sadly it caused quite a bit of smoke damage to the unit next door to it. In this case the condo insurance from the association paid for the smoke damage, and it is sad because I do not believe there is anything they can ever do to remove that smell short of replacing everything. Water is so much worse in the amount of damage it can do. I wish you the best and hope you have made it home.
     
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  2. Tom Locke

    Tom Locke Veteran Member
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    Still in exile. A quick check on Saturday revealed that all of the driers have gone now, so I'm hoping they'll be able to start the necessary work. It looks like it could be a while yet.
     
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  3. Diane Lane

    Diane Lane Veteran Member
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    I'm so sorry, @Tom Locke, I'm just now seeing this. Are you planning to make any improvements/upgrades since you have to basically rebuild? I've lived through a couple of water issues, and I know they're not pleasant. Thankfully, nothing to the extent that you're dealing with, but it seems you're in decent spirits, and your pictures are really nice. Was the water leak an accident? It seems unbelievable, but apparently some people are actually capable of causing issues such as this on purpose: news article
     
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  4. Tom Locke

    Tom Locke Veteran Member
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    Apparently my home is getting plastered next week (there's an obvious joke here, but I won't use it). I'm not sure of when I'll be able to move back, but it's progress.

    At least we had a nice little break this week, popping over to Denmark and enjoying Copenhagen very much (I've posted some pictures in the travel section). We even managed to nip across to Sweden as well.
     
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  5. Diane Lane

    Diane Lane Veteran Member
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    That sounds like a nice little vacation. It's good that you're not stuck there, stressing about your place. I'll have to go look for the pics.
     
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  6. Tom Locke

    Tom Locke Veteran Member
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    Stress is being homeless, living in a war zone or bring a refugee. I'm sitting in my (temporary) home with a splendid bottle of Italian wine and a Cuban cigar. Yes, now and then I get moments that make me let off a few good, old-fashioned, Irish curses, but I try not to get enraged by circumstances that I cannot change. I merely try to deal with things that are within my control. I've spent enough years living alongside people for whom life is a major struggle to appreciate that I am privileged in so many ways.
     
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  7. Jenn Windey

    Jenn Windey Supreme Member
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    @Tom Locke That is such a great attitude to have in spite of all this. I suppose one way to look at this is to just accept that you needed a change in scenery. Even when you do go back home for the most part it will have all changed wouldn't it have? Is there a part of you that considers this a blessing in disguise? Had you meant to go on these excursions all along or did it come about from the flooding?

    I ask because I have always had this sort of superstition where I believe that a person will end up a place they need to be even if it isn't something they had planned. Life will cause things to happen that will make the changes occur. I am not sure when I came to think this, it just seems that time and again in my own life unforeseen hands seem to work in strange ways, which although might seem like a set back usually prove out to be anything but. I sincerely hope you have also felt somewhat of a fortune dispite the mishap from your neighbor.
     
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  8. Tom Locke

    Tom Locke Veteran Member
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    I had already planned to go to Copenhagen before the deluge arrived, so nothing changed there. I took the view that I would treat my temporary exile as a form of holiday and while I have done a little bit of work on my next novel, I've been fairly laid back and have read some of those books I've felt guilty at not reading (War and Peace and Pride and Prejudice in particular).

    I would also concede that there are some things that needed improvement; our old sofa, while comfortable, is not a thing of great beauty and there are a few other things that need a fresh look. I'd rather make changes on my own terms, but one hopes that the refurbished abode will look a little less run down than what went before!
     
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  9. Tom Locke

    Tom Locke Veteran Member
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    Plastering is underway. Not for the first time in my life, I'm getting plastered.
     
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  10. Tom Locke

    Tom Locke Veteran Member
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    The man from the insurance company sent me an email..."What colour paint do you want?" was the gist of it. We're not there yet, but this is the sort of question that gives you hope. I've got a question for them, as well, churl that I am. How did you manage to break one of my bookcases?
     
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  11. Magalina Lilis

    Magalina Lilis Veteran Member
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    Hi Tom,

    Been gone for awhile, so thought I would check in to see how you and your water damaged flat are doing these days.

    Glad to hear your home repairs are moving along. I mean really who would have thought putting up plaster could be so exciting! Hope you all agree on your new color schemes! lol

    Oh, broken bookcase. Bummer. On the bright side, kind of nice to have someone else doing all the labor, right? Or would you prefer to do it?
     
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  12. Tom Locke

    Tom Locke Veteran Member
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    Most of the place has been painted now...there is a lot of pale green and white which gives a pleasingly Baroque look. We had a choice of carpets and have gone for a mixture of colours.

    The answer to the second question is "no"!
     
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  13. Tom Locke

    Tom Locke Veteran Member
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    Progress: we have carpets. I'm not entirely enthused by the number of things that the contractors have managed to break during the last few weeks, but at least the paintwork and carpets look good.
     
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  14. Tom Locke

    Tom Locke Veteran Member
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    Even better, the word is that we can move back to the "Duckhouse" this week. Phew.

    I'd like to say thanks to all those people who have offered words of support during the past eleven weeks. Eleven weeks...seemed like eleven months.
     
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  15. Magalina Lilis

    Magalina Lilis Veteran Member
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    Wow. Hard to believe it has been eleven weeks already, since the ordeal of your neighbor flooding out your home(Duckhouse - lol)! Maybe you will moved back in just in time for the trick-or-treaters? Hmm do you celebrated Halloween in Scotland?

    By the way, your color scheme of pale green and white sounds like a soothing combination.

    Yet, how daring to a go with a variety of carpet colors. We have mostly beige at my house, but back in the day we had red carpet. Aha, yep, that was back in the 70's. Of course, we also had some of that yellow-gold shag carpet, too.

    Ironically, we are dealing with a leaking roof ourselves and do no upstairs neighbors, just an old wood and shingles. Should be a treat to have the workers come in and do the attic flooring, too.
     
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