One of those days..

[macca]

Well, not sure if any of you have seen on the news but we had a bit of a storm here last night..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/southerncounties/content/image_galleries/floods_hastings_gallery.shtml

http://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/hastings-news/Floody-hell-Hastings-and-St.5434761.jp

Most of those pictures are a 2 minute walk away from my house, very serious flooding. It would have been bad anyway, but the local stream being blocked caused havoc.

About 5 minutes before I left for work, I was called downstairs to the living room where a small damp patch had appeared in the middle of the carpet. First thoughts were that the cat had got scared from the thunder and wet herself (would be the first time ever, she's very good). But when we tried to mop it up, it came back and then started getting bigger and bigger.

The damp patch ended up covering about 2/3 of the living room carpet, as well as some in the hallway and some in the dining room.

Not long after it had finished crawling across the floor, Mum spotted a fire investigation bloke going in to next doors house (semi-detached). I saw him out in their back garden so called down asking if they had the same, they said yes and the fire bloke popped round when he was finished.

Apparently their house was a lot worse, the whole of the ground floor being covered up to the first step on their stairs.

With a bit of thought and deduction, and also Mum's protests that in 28 years of living there it has never flooded, I realised that the most likely cause is his nice new driveway.

Not long ago when he had an extension built, he bricked the entire front garden, front to back and side to side with only small drain gallies along the front of the house. The driveway is boundaried on both sides with brick walls and it seems to have had the effect of a funnel, channeling the near 6inches of rainfall we had in 4 hours straight in to his house, which has then started seeping through and under our concrete walls and floors. I assume his drains either plain couldn't handle that volume of water or were very blocked with crap. Either way - what a tosser.

Attached are photos of the living room dampness (excuse my Mother's decor!)...

[Ang]

OMG just what you need after all the problems so far. I hope that all your cars (apart from the french ones ;)) are all unflooded.

That can't be pleasant. Can't believe how much flooding happened, that's awful.

[macca]

Yes it was pretty bad..

The home insurance are being an absolute bunch of bastards as well, I would strongly recommend everybody NOT to go with Nationwide Home Insurance as twice in a row they have been useless and shit!

Mum phoned them this morning after they failed to do anything yesterday at all, got passed to five different departments and then on to completely the wrong insurance company!! She was nearly having a breakdown bless her :(

When she eventually got some help they said they'd send a loss adjuster out within 24 hours, who then phoned and said he couldn't come until Monday. So we're expected to live with a smelly and wet downstairs until they can be bothered.

They shall get a massive yelling session from me tomorrow, it's totally unacceptable :(

[Ang]

God thats awful. Shouldn't that be classified as a massive health risk and emergency housing should be paid for? When we had our house fire they came out the same day. Direct line are good as are AXA.

Is your drinking water safe to drink after all this?

[macca]

I bloody hope so! lol..

I think the Nationwide Insurance is with Churchill?

[Ang]

I bloody hope so! lol..

I think the Nationwide Insurance is with Churchill?

I hope so too..................depends on where the fresh water is taken from? ;)

[macca]

Quite a way away luckily, should be fine. Finally they have sorted something out and they are coming tomorrow with dehumidifiers to rip up the carpet...

[Stavros]

Heya bud, only just seen this. Sorry to hear about your house; had to go and pick a chap up from round the back of your way as his car was submerged in water. Unbelievable. If theres anything I can do give me a shout

[macca]

Cheers mate :)

Not much happening now, they've stripped out the carpet and flooring, and put in two dehumidifiers which are working away. They've condemned the furniture and the wallpaper etc. in the living room so that's all getting redone. Unfortunately the sofa is ok :(

[Stavros]

You mean you didnt give the sofa the bucket of water treatment? tut tut. Thats cool, atleast they have pulled their thumb out of their arse's, most insurance companies are complete wangers. Are they doing anything about where the water got in from in the first place?

[macca]

I was tempted, I suggested taking the castors off and putting it on the damp floor..

They were complete wangers, took them four days to even send somebody out. Four days of us sitting in a damp cold house waiting :rolleyes:

I doubt they'll do anything, we vaguely mentioned it and they threw a fit saying it was nothing to do to them and we should talk directly to our neighbour to claim from his insurance. We had to get them to forget it as otherwise we'd still be waiting for something to happen. Next door neighbour is a complete cnut too so nothing would have happened.

[Stavros]

well if its tracked under the floor whos to say it hasnt tracked into other rooms? If they insure a property then surely it is within their interest to deal with the are where the water is penetrating the building to prevent future problems occuring? Tossers. I fcuking hate insurance companies with a passion. When my nans house was flooded they employed ROK to carry out the works who intern employed some right cowboy subcontractors who did the shittest job you could ever imagen and 7 years on its still not finished nor will it ever be.

If you need me to cast my eye over it give me a shout, these tw@s will do the minimum required which usually is nowhere near enough.

[macca]

The assessor came today to see Mum, apparently a bit of a dick (there's a surprise). But, the jist of it is that builders come in and quote for the decorating and wooden flooring and then we can either get them to do it or take the money for the quote and arrange for it to be done ourselves. Same goes with carpet and furniture, though we have to provide the estimates and they will pay out for that for us to arrange carpet fitting and new furniture as we see fit.

So not too bad..

Funny bit is though, the assessor told my Mum to turn the dehum's off as they weren't pulling enough water out to make it worthwhile. Now one of them has pulled out over half a large bucket of water per night for the last two nights. Surely that's more than just bloody atmospheric moisture??

He also didn't give a monkies about it coming from next door. Agree with you though about the preventing future problems bit.. :rolleyes:

What do you reckon mate? :blink:

[Stavros]

He sounds like a bit of a prick to be honest. I hate people that just come round, read off of a sheet then leave again; no good, no nothing tossers. Anyway, i'de personally get the builders to carry out the works, therefore if the work is defective you have a form of come back. With regard to the carpet I can get a company I know to give you a quote?

As for the dehums, ignore him... sounds like a bit of a shlong. As long as the buckets are covered over with just the hose penetrating the top then it will just be drawing the moisture out of the room. If they are taking out that much then its doing the job.

[macca]

He did indeed, it's a shame I was at work otherwise he wouldn't have got off so lightly. Mum just accepts what they say because she doesn't expect them to bullshit her.

I've got a friend's Dad to call for the carpet to see if he can, if not I'll give you a shout on that cheers :)

I said about keeping them on a bit more, they were still filling the buckets up. They didn't leave the buckets covered, there's just a small metal pipe out the back of the dehums that dribbles in to the bucket. They're very 'agricultural' to say the least..

[Ang]

This is horrible to read, so sad that your mum is having to go through this and workmen do take the mick, as you know unemployment is so high you would have thought they would try a little harder to please.

Hope it all gets sorted.

[Stavros]

They really dont have a scooby do they!? If u want to draw out any moisture left in the room stick a carry bag upside down over the bucket (or bin liner) and run a small piece of hose off of that piece of pipe into the bucket so the only penetration you have through the bag is the hose. Stops the dehum drawing the water out of the bucket which it has already drawn through.

Insurance companies; pah, all :tosser:'s

[macca]

Can't argue on that one, never had a good experience with any of them, all bastards. How they can call it insurance and not daylight-robbery I don't know.

Will give that a go with the bucket though, cheers for the advice mate :)

[Ang]

With the amount of rain we are having now I hope that you don't get the same or there may be more flooding!

[macca]

Seem to be ok so far! Lots of rain last night and this afternoon too, couldn't see where I was going whilst driving home from Lewes.

Great weather for the Supra :blink: