Saturday, September 16, 2017

about two weeks later


We are home. We are trying to reclaim some sort of normalcy but nothing about this is normal.  We have been at our second home, my sister's house, for about two weeks. During that time the lower house was torn apart, the upper house became a store room of sorts, and the cat was confined to the indoors. Minnie had a yard she could go out in but cats jump the fence.

It smells musty. At first, it smelled like rancid river water mixed with all the cow patties and overwhelmed septic systems. Not pleasant. Then after liberal sprayings with vinegar it pretty much didn't smell. We're still using the blower under the house. Right now it's blowing under the bathroom and the closets in Marc's office. I guess I'll move it tomorrow.

I want to use the hose to wash down the floors one more time in the part of the house that flooded. Our son ordered some product for us that eliminates odor and I plan on using it back there and in the kitchen on the sub-floor. Tomorrow I plan to scrub down all the interlocking rubber mats and make a new floor in the kitchen. I don't much like walking barefoot on the sub-floor.

Still waiting on the call from the FEMA inspector to schedule an inspection.

I'm feeling the need to clean every square inch of this house. Whether or not that gets done is another story.

I spent the day scraping out the old caulking around the tub and re-caulking it. It's not pretty but I hope it's effective. The knobs for the tub/shower leak which has caused decay behind the laminate on the walls. One more thing to be addressed in the remaking of our house. It's pretty ugly but hopefully it is sealed and won't cause any more decay until we can re-do it.

I'm tired. Tomorrow is another day. 




10 comments:

  1. As I start to feel better I keep noticing all the things around the house that I want to clean. My dad & his wife have been vaccuuming & cleaning the bathroom but I need to deep clean the kitchen & dust ALL THE THINGS. That will have to wait until I'm not restricted in how far I can bend (October 1!). But I keep reminding myself that I don't have to practically rebuild my house! You've been working so hard!

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  2. Hoping this is not the wrong question, how is Mama Turtle?

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  3. Such hard work. I hope FEMA gives you the assistance you need.

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  4. So much work just to get back to normal. I hope all things come together quickly for you and family.

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  5. I'd be the same way Ellen. Wanting to clean every square inch. I can't imagine. You are right about day by day. Couldn't do it otherwise.

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  6. Home is where your heart is, nice to here you are getting back!

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  7. Reading this, I'm learning to appreciate what a monumental task it is to clean up after a flood!

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  8. Do appreciate your taking the time to let us know what is going on with you. It is certainly no wonder you are tired. This has been a long road, and you are still a long way from done. You are going to be one happy person when you make it through. We will celebrate with you.

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  9. I'm really a little worried that you only used vinegar to get rid of the smell. You need to use something -- bleach and water, or a product like Concrobium -- to thoroughly disinfect everything and prevent mold growth. Everything that can hide mold needs to be treated. Just ask some questions and make sure that what you've done won't allow more problems to arise in the future. I understand that you may have done things you didn't write about -- no criticism here, just concern.

    This article has to do with Louisiana flooding, but it's FEMA info, and a flood is a flood. After Allison, we sprayed everything down with a bleach solution -- it was a pain, but it worked.

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    1. I was going to go behind and use a bleach solution but Rocky had his guys come over and spray all the exposed wood inside and out with some sort of mold killer. the only thing that didn't get sprayed is the sub-floor in the kitchen, which I'll see about getting sprayed when he comes back to repair the structure. and of course under my hardwood floors. not going to rip them up. I'll live with the wavy edges. maybe it can be sprayed from underneath when he gets under there. I'll ask him. in the meantime, I have that high powered blower still blowing under the house through the vents. I let it stay for about two days and then move it to the next one.

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