Helpful hint for those of us coming into Winter

[Allegra]

Make sure your gutters are cleaned!

Now before you go saying: 'damn - you're a prat', I cleaned them out two weeks ago. Unfortunately in those intervening two weeks my neighbours trees seem to have lost their leaves with a flourish and consequently when we had 36mm of rain in about 2 hours last night....

I woke up this morning at my usual time (having been awake at three and gone downstairs for some coffee - as one is wont to do...) I woke up at 5:15 only to hear the definite sound of splashing water.

Went downstairs to find my kitchen with about 1mm of water half way across it and my dining room carpet soaked.

Called into work and said I wasn't coming in... and have spent the rest of the day hiring an industrial vacuum to suck up the water, ironing - yes ironing the freaking carpet (fortunately it's wool) - and now have the blow heater on it. 14 hours later and it's still wet....

I have a bad feeling about this.

So - check your gutters!!

Cheers

Edit: damn - wrong section - would a Mod wish to move this??

[SteveR]

Man that is a bitch to get up to.

[Larry C]

Right section to post it in ,,,I need to check mine

[Allegra]

Thanks Larry.

Hasn't turned out well. I returned the vacuum only to be told by another guy in the hire shop that I had been given the wrong one....

Phoned a company that advertised to dry carpets that were inundated with water. He turned up two hours late after I took half a day off work.

He proceeded to lift a corner of the carpet to find the underlay soaked and it already had mould growing...not helped from my rather pathetic attempts using the iron. I also found that on top of the wooden floors I have asbestos...Wonderful - I was thinking about pulling the carpet up next year to expose the wood - this is going to add to the cost substantially. He told me the cost which was just over what I would lose in increased insurance rates if I went that way so I said 'Yes'. He then told me he would normally charge AUD$5 000 for an Insurance job???? (I now know why my rates keep going up)

He began to spray an anti-mould mixture on the underlay and carpet (and the overspray went on the walls and the woodwork). When I questioned him he was silent for a minute and then said that he was making sure that the mould wouldn't go up the wall....I asked if it would stain? 'No', and fortunately it hasn't as far as I can tell.

He placed two large 'fans' on and under the carpet and 48 hours later it is finally dry. However, he said he would be here today at 4pm to check and relay the carpet. Took off from work very early only to receive a phone call at 5:25pm saying he'd be up tomorrow in the afternoon if it was convenient. It isn't, but I need to have it finished. (Freaking Cowboy - he has a comments section on his webpage. Do you think I'm going to give him two thumbs up? More likely two fingers)

So... as I said at the beginning of the thread - clean you gutters - it's not worth the problems if you don't.

Cheers