And the Repairs Begin

In a recent post, I told you we had some pipes freeze and break at the WV Place. This past Saturday, Hubby (Mike) and I went to the WV Place to better assess the damage he discovered last weekend. Oh, and get some subcontractor bids.

Those of you new to this blog, or have only gotten to know me recently, may not know that Hubby and I built the WV Place ourselves. From scratch. Mostly during weekends over the course of four years (2005 to 2009). We did hire folks to do major stuff like clearing, grading, installing the septic system, and finishing the concrete slab, but we did most of the work. With some help from friends and family along the way. It’s all documented here.

We’re no strangers to construction-type stuff. But we’ve had our fill. That’s why seeing the damage was disheartening, but not completely overwhelming. And Hubby had a really, REALLY cool tool to make the labor easier. Stay tuned…

The drive up on Saturday was actually pretty…

Dramatic Winter Sky
Dramatic Winter Sky

…but also a bit slick.

WV-29, South of Slanesville
WV-29, South of Slanesville

I’m a sucker for wintry skies.

The ride was uneventful. We arrived safely, unloaded all of our stuff, and started work.

Step one, for me, was taking pictures to share with you. There are a lot of them. It felt like old times when, during the construction process, I pretty much documented the whole adventure.

Here’s what the place looked like when we arrived.

Bedroom Ceiling
Bedroom Ceiling

Some of the sheetrock was already down. What you see missing in these first pics is what fell during the leak and the couple danglers Hubby removed during his previous visit.

Plastic vapor barrier bulging under wet cellulose insulation.
Plastic vapor barrier bulging under wet cellulose insulation.

If there were still a bed in the room and I was laying on Mike’s side, that would be my view.

I can't believe this guy was still on the wall.
I can’t believe this guy was still on the wall.

 

Water damage just outside of bedroom.
Water damage just outside of bedroom.

Our first objective was to find the location of the actual leak(s).

Removing more drywall.
Removing more drywall.

 

Ruined closet doors that Hubby removed during previous visit.
Ruined closet doors that Hubby removed during previous visit.

 

The entire bedroom ceiling had to come down.
The entire bedroom ceiling had to come down.

 

The really messy part is coming soon...
The really messy part is coming soon…

Removing the saturated sheetrock wasn’t very hard. And only a little messy. Cutting the plastic to release the insulation was the REAL mess. It’s blown-in cellulose, which is essentially pulverized newspaper. Messy, but non-toxic. And very dusty.

Hubby: Action Photo

That’s what it looked like coming down.

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After the first small cut.

Messy, messy, messy. But we were prepared…

That’s me. I am known as The Unskilled Laborer.

Hubby does the hard work, I do the simple stuff. Which usually means clean-up, acting as go-fer, providing moral support, fetching stuff, etc. All very important, of course, just not real glamorous.

Visitor
Visitor

While we were working, the girls were having their fun outside. Meg went and got her friend, Buddy. We hadn’t seen him in a long time and were all happy he came by to visit.

K found a treasure, too, which I promptly took away from her.

Deer Foot
Deer Foot

Treasures like that are usually very stinky (this one was quite frozen), so I hate putting them in the trash. So I usually just hang them out of the girls’ reach.

This picture had been on the bedroom windowsill.
This picture had been on the bedroom windowsill.

 

Wall above closet.
Wall above closet.

We knew about where the leak(s) was/were. It’s pretty clear when seeing the paint on that wall. Sure enough, the break (only one!!!) was right above the closet. Which would explain the ruined closet doors.

Pipes headed toward kitchen.
Pipes headed toward kitchen.

During Hubby’s previous visit, he noted that every hard surface in the place was covered with lots of condensation. We were quite relieved to find that it had all dried out. We thought for sure we’d be drying everything off before we could do anything else. There was still a lot of humidity in the air, just no surface wetness to mop up.

The leak was in the hot water line, which explained the condensation. You know how steamy the bathroom gets after a long, hot shower, right? Imagine an hours-long shower…

Close-up of the cellulose.
Close-up of the cellulose.

Hubby had a stroke of pure genius when he decided to take our electric leaf vac along. Sucking that stuff up into a bag was SOOOO much easier than having to use a shovel.

Failed section of pipe removed.
Failed section of pipe removed.

See that hole in the foam stuff (extruded foam rafter vent)? That’s from where the very hot water was shooting upward (about two feet/two-thirds of a meter) and hitting the roof.

Now here’s where the really cool tool comes into play. Replacing broken sections of copper piping is never easy. Soldering is typically required. And if not done EXACTLY right, the joints will leak. Hubby is pretty good at soldering, but says it’s a huge PIA. I have never actually done any soldering of pipes, but I have witnessed a lot. (Remember, we plumbed the entire house.)

Why is it such a pain? Used pipes still hold water, which makes soldering much more difficult. It’s harder to work overhead. The temperature in that space was about 20 degrees F (roughly -7 C). Four separate solders would have been needed. It’s dangerous to use a propane torch around insulation. Etc., etc.

Repair
Effecting the Repair

 

The damaged pipe.
The damaged pipe.

After removing the damaged section of pipe, which was right above the closet, Hubby had to install new pipe.

Are you ready to see the cool tool Hubby borrowed?

Ridgid Pro Press
Ridgid Pro Press

Enter the Ridgid Pro Press, a fast, reliable way to join copper piping. This is not something your average home-owner would buy, since it costs about $1,600. You may be able to rent one, but Hubby was able to borrow this one from his employer.

Using special fittings…

Special Fitting
Special Fitting

…each join literally takes five seconds.

The Patch
The Ready-to-Be-Installed Patch

 

Patch Installed
The Patch Installed

 

Pro Press in Action
Pro Press in Action

Easy-peasy. Really. It made the job so much more bearable.

Once it was in, the scary part was turning the water back on. We were both ecstatic to find NO MORE LEAKS. Woo hoo!

After the leak was isolated and repaired, we could get back to ripping out the damaged sheetrock.

This coat closet, which open in the hallway, backs to the bedroom wall and closet. It needs to be replaced. Hubby barely leaned on the closet wall from inside the bedroom, causing this hole, which really weirded the younguns out.

Damaged Closet
Damaged Closet

 

View into the attic.
View into the attic.

 

Newly insulated pipes.
Newly insulated pipes.

 

Another attic view.
Another attic view.

Those pipes lead into the kitchen. Some of the water followed those pipes, which is what damaged the kitchen ceiling. But damage is mostly isolated to the area below those pipes as the overflow drained out through the rangehood.

Wet Exterior Wall
Wet Exterior Wall

One of the reasons we had to remove so much sheetrock and insulation is so stuff can dry out. It can’t be replaced until the wood has dried. Another big reason was so we could reinstall some vapor barrier to seal the house off from the attic.

Vapor barrier going up.
Vapor barrier going up.

 

Vapor barrier in place.
Vapor barrier in place.

The plastic was necessary to prevent the heat from escaping into the attic. Once it was in place, the house warmed-up considerably.

Backyard Mess
Backyard Mess

There’s some of the construction debris. The contractor will remove that along with whatever trash they have to take.

These pics were taken during my morning walk with the girls.

Only the Shadow Knows
Only the Shadow Knows

 

The girls were thrilled to go on our regular morning stroll.

K, Hunting
K, Hunting

 

Meg, Smiling
Meg, Smiling

 

Debris from another angle.
Debris from another angle.

We also had to get the place ready for the repair crew, which just meant moving and covering stuff. Lots of drywall dust to come…

Covered Up
Covered Up

 

Damaged ceiling.
Damaged ceiling.

 

Current view from our bedroom.
Current view from our bedroom.

See that pile of insulation? Over time, it’ll be dispersed by the wind.

I asked Belle, nicely, to sit by the pile to give y’all a sense of scale. Apparently, she misinterpreted my request to mean…

Go DIG in the pile.
Go DIG in the pile.

…which made for a very dusty dog.

Dusty Belle
Dusty Belle

Sigh.

It actually brushed off pretty easily.

Dehumidifier
Dehumidifier

We left the dehumidifier running. It’s draining into a big trash can. We are both curious to see how much water it pulls out of the air.

And that was our WV adventure for the weekend. Poor Hubby was pooped.

If you’re interested in that Pro Press tool, I found a YouTube video showing it in action.

So, whattya think? How amazing is that Hubby? Pretty handy, that’s for sure. 🙂

A New Look?

Things may look strange around here as I experiment with a new look for this blog.

There are some technical glitches to be worked out, which I can’t do until a certain look is live (meaning you can see it).

You may notice some drastic changes for a while while I experiment.

The Horn of the Cow

Something I completely forgot to mention in my post about the motorcycle show is the presence of tourism folks. Whether it’s local(ish) public entities or private tour companies, anyone who has ideas on cool rides and/or destinations is welcome.

There was one group there with several interesting maps that made their way home with me. It may have been more than one group. I’m pretty sure the booth was shared by several entities. I don’t remember the NAME of the booth, but do have a couple of brochures from them that I can tell you about.

The Wytheville [Virginia] Convention & Visitor’s Bureau has put together a Motorcycle Trails guide, which features five “trails” (defined road routes) for folks to enjoy. I’ll bet you can guess which of the five piques my interest most. LOL.

Click here to order your free guide.
VA Motorcycle Trails

The Wytheville-area trails are:

  • The Claw of the Dragon
  • Possum Run
  • The Wooly Mammoth
  • Turkey Strut
  • Horn of the Cow

If you click on the image of the brochure shown on the right, you’ll be taken to the order form. The guide is free. And inside of the guide you’ll find a map and short description of each ride as well as a larger overview map, which includes all five trails, so you can string two or more together.

Hubby and I are fortunate in that we both ride. If you’re not part of a riding couple and don’t want to go alone, I’ll bet you can find a friend that would accompany you. The area covered in the brochure is in Southwest Virginia, so it wouldn’t exactly be a day trip from here. But Hubby and I are determined to have some riding weekends this year. You know, where we actually have consecutive days of riding and stay overnight. We both miss that.

Folks from Back of the Dragon were also present (or at least their info was being shared) at the booth. As their website states, BackoftheDragon.com is…

“A website dedicated to promoting the unmatched beauty and riding enjoyment provided by VA Route 16, the two lane ribbon over the three mountains between Tazewell and Marion, Virginia.”

Most riders have heard of “The Dragon,” which has officially been dubbed the Tail of the Dragon, an 11-mile stretch of US-129 crossing Deals Gap at the Tennessee/North Carolina state line.

There are 318 curves within those 11 miles. Some are easy, many are not.

It’s one of those must-ride roads. But it isn’t without its dangers. The Travel Channel actually has an awesome Dragon video you should watch, if you haven’t already.

Back of the Dragon is a take on that. It’s closer to us than the Wytheville trails, but we still haven’t ridden it. Yet. But we’re really hoping to make it down that way in 2014.

Have you ridden the Back of the Dragon? Is it as good as they claim it to be?

I’d love to know what you think.

 

Gearing Up

I’ve met an interesting and diverse group of people since moving to Warrenton in October 2011. One of those is Dottie Gillman.

Me and Dottie
Me and Dottie

Hubby and I had dinner with Dottie and her husband, Jim, back in September/October. That’s when Dottie asked me about my motorcycle, told me she’d grown up on dirt bikes, and told me how much she’d love to ride again.

So, after Hubby and I enjoyed a lovely Fall Saturday of riding, I invited Dottie to join me on my bike on Sunday for a tour of the Virginia countryside.

She didn’t hesitate a second before saying yes. I showed her some of my favorite roads, we had a nice lunch together, then I showed her even more cool roads. It was such a pretty day, we just meandered around aimlessly for several hours.

Saying she enjoyed it is probably a slight understatement.

When I invited her to ride along with me during my now-annual Santa ride, she quickly agreed to be my elf.

Elf Dottie
Elf Dottie

Since she’d already had the motorcycle “bug” before riding with me, it’s only natural that she started thinking about a bike of her own. Her husband, Jim, doesn’t ride. But he knows how much Dottie enjoys it.

Just before Christmas, they settled on a 2012 Honda Rebel.

The Rebel is the perfect size for Dottie. In case you didn’t notice in the pics, she’s pretty tiny. She says it’s a re-entry bike, but I’d be surprised if she ever feels like she needs more. Especially since I don’t foresee much highway riding or long-distance travel in her future. I could be wrong, though…

Of course, as soon as she started talking about riding again, I started preaching about the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) safety course. Whether you have never ridden or are getting back into the saddle after a hiatus, their basic rider course is a must. It’s required in some states.

I also stressed safety gear. I started on that even before she rode with me.

Hubby and I used to ride in t-shirts and jeans. We’ve always worn helmets, of course. We just didn’t think we needed armor and protective gear.

We were both very lucky that we never experienced a crash, because riding like that is just dumb. Now we are much smarter and subscribe to the ATGATT philosophy… All The Gear, All The Time.

Dottie bought a helmet and gloves first-thing, but she still needed pants and a jacket. So I suggested we go to the International Motorcycle Show (IMS), which was this past Saturday in Washington, DC.

1_IMG_9552

I like the IMS because all major brands are typically represented and they usually have a bunch of vendors selling riding gear and accessories. What I don’t like about the IMS is the number of people it draws. It was crowded. And LOUD. And crowded.

Dottie in her new gear.
Dottie in her new gear.

Did I mention the hordes of people? Yes, that bugs me. It’s also the reason I don’t have many images to share. It was very difficult to get clear views of anything. But, back to Dottie.

I tried talking her into pants instead of chaps, but she had her heart set on ass-less gear. Initially, she was looking at leather, but then we saw some nice, lightweight textile chaps. Although they had textile jackets to match, there were none in the size and color she wanted, so she opted for a leather jacket, which is very cool.

It all fits her very well, too.

Initially, she was going to get the gear trimmed in light pink (pants shown in the picture), which looked great, but also looked “cute.”

No real female rider wants to look cute. It’s hard enough to be taken seriously!

Ultimately, she opted for purple. Which me and some other female shoppers agreed was the perfect choice.

While there, she also talked to some folks about scheduling the safety course.

She even got some snazzy patches added to her new jacket.

Accoutrements
Accoutrements

I keep telling Dottie that poor Jim probably rues the day she met me. I’ve got to be her most-expensive friend.

Oh, I forgot to mention the best part… as we were approaching the ticket booth, two men said, “Hey, are you getting ready to buy tickets? We’re military and got four free tickets, but only needed two. Do you want the extras?”

As it turns out, Dottie, through Jim, is military, too. (Jim retired from the Navy.) We thanked the guys for being so thoughtful, accepted the tickets, and went in, smiling widely at our good fortune.

We milled about some, looking at stuff. I did manage to capture a few worthwhile images…

Riding is good for the soul.
Riding is good for the soul.

 

 

Now THAT is a footboard.
Now THAT is a floorboard. (Used instead of a footpeg on bigger cruiser-style bikes.)

 

Nice Tank Art
Nice Tank Art

 

 

Winch
Winch

I captured the winch shot to show Hubby. Not because I think we need one, but because I thought it was a nice accessory to have for solo journeys through remote areas. You ever tried lifting a fallen bike? I can’t imagine being alone and having to pull one out of a river or ditch. He still thought it was stupid.

I would’ve liked to capture more images, but there were too many effing people milling about. Did I mention the crowds? LOL.

I did manage to get a half-decent shot of this nice Can Am Spyder touring rig.

Perfect for long tours.
Perfect for long tours.

The trailer is HUGE. It would hold way more stuff than a standard car trunk. There were also side bags and dual trunks on the bike for storage.

Top and front openings.
Top and front openings.

What I like best about the trailer is that it opens on the front as well as the top, for easier access.

Of course, Hubby’s long been pondering a large touring bike — Honda Goldwing or BMW K1600 — for our retirement years. So he thought the Can Am set-up was ridiculously over-priced at $35,000.

I was disappointed that there weren’t more vendors offering gadgets for sale. All I left with was a new set of Rokstraps. But, in my opinion, those are a must-have for any rider. You know, in case I decide to buy anything BIG during a journey.

It was a fun day, but I was exhausted afterward. Which is why I didn’t write this post until today.

Jim was happy about Dottie’s purchases. He wants her to be SAFE, as we all do.

I’m looking forward to seeing Dottie on the road. Aren’t you excited for her, too?

It’s always cool to see women take the plunge, but it’s even cooler when the woman is a grandmother and is not the least bit afraid to start riding.

Way to go, Dottie!

An Oogy Mess

Remember how I told you a chicken (to be smoked) averted a much bigger disaster at our Virginia house the other day?

Well, we could’ve used another divine intervention with regard to our WV home. Where we had more pipes freeze.

Ugh.

The pipes were in the ceiling. Right above our bedroom.

Mike went out there today to get the dehumidifier, which we were going to use to dry out the carpet here at home.

This is what he found…

IMG_0388
Master Bedroom

These are all phone images, so they’re no great. But they’re good enough that you can see the MESS.

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Back Hallway (saturated rugs and standing water)

 

IMG_0391
Master Bedroom (so much for that “happy” cloud ceiling)

 

IMG_0390
Master Bedroom (note the warped ceiling fan)

The bed is completely saturated.

IMG_0389
Soggy insulation remnants.

 

IMG_0416
Wet refrigerator.

 

IMG_0393
Water standing in the kitchen.

 

IMG_0394
Wet computer monitor (movie machine).

 

IMG_0395
Living room ceiling.

 

IMG_0396
Saturated hall rug and standing water in rear bedroom. (The bedroom on the left is the only room that appears unaffected.)

 

IMG_0398
Standing water in living room.

 

IMG_0399
Standing water in back hallway.

 

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Close-up of the wet insulation.

 

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Water droplets on bedroom door frame.

 

IMG_0403
Kitchen ceiling and wet range hood.

 

IMG_0404
Very wet ceiling.

 

IMG_0405
Looking into the bedroom closet.

 

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An oogy mess.

 

IMG_0407
More oogy mess.

 

IMG_0408
Water, water everywhere.

 

IMG_0409
Walls just below leak.

 

IMG_0412
Offending pipe or pipes.

 

IMG_0414
Water, water everywhere.

Because the humidity level in the house is now so high, water is condensing on pretty much everything.

IMG_0415
Light fixture in kitchen.

It could’ve been worse, I know. It’s night our primary residence. There’s no serious structural damage. We have insurance. Etc.

It’s just a messy headache we really didnt’t want or need. Getting work done out there is a logistical nightmare, and neither of us have the desire to play day-laborer again.

Ugh.

How a Chicken Saved the Day

It’s Mike’s week to cook. We take turns. On yesterday’s menu was smoked chicken.

In colder weather, it takes a whole lot longer to smoke stuff. Yes, outdoor temperature matters.

He went downstairs yesterday around 10:30 a.m. to get the chicken ready. A minute or so later he came back upstairs and said, “Did you just get out of the shower?”

“Um, no,” I replied. “Why?”

“I hear water running,” he said.

I went down to the kitchen and, sure enough, there was water running somewhere. A lot of water. It actually sounded like the dishwasher was running, only it wasn’t.

He said he’d checked the basement, and all looked well. So I went down in my stockinged feet, into the storage room at the bottom of the basement stairs. All LOOKED okay, but you could really hear water running.

Then I realized my feet were wet. Which meant the carpet was wet. Ruh ro.

Hose Bibb

Lucky for us, the water shut-off valve is in that room. Both the main shut-off and the one for the hose bibb on the front of the house.

That’s how Hubby discovered the problem was at the bibb.

There were no visible signs of leakage outside of the house, only inside. Not only was the carpet wet, you could see signs of water damage in the wall and ceiling in that room. Which means the pipe leading to the hose bibb had burst inside the wall.

Lovely.

Lucky for us, we caught it early. The wet carpet was confined to about a third of that room. But we’re going to need a plumber. The wall and/or ceiling will likely need to be torn apart, too, to get to the site of the problem.

We notified the insurance company yesterday. A claims rep is supposed to call us today.

It’s a good thing he went down to start that chicken when he did. All sounded well from our offices.No telling how long it would have continued.

Although we do have a slightly wet carpet, I was able to get all of the boxes off of the floor in that room before any of them were damaged. It could have been a lot worse.

Hopefully, it won’t be too big a deal getting the thing fixed. I dread the thought of needing exterior excavation to reach the thing…