Oh my, I remember you talking about your bun feet! How terrible. I am sorry for you!

OMG! I feel so bad for you! I was just looking at your blog from another post you had done. You said it's mostly drywall damage. Are your cabinets, appliances, and flooring okay?

Sending good thoughts your way for a quick repair job.

Ideamom- I just read this out loud to my hubby! How awful! Hopefully this is only a rotten inconvenience for you and everything is replaceable... no lost pictures or family documents. I'll be thinking of you and hoping the fix goes ahead of schedule. So so sorry! Thanks for sharing...

Oh, I'm so sorry!! I remember the cute baskets above your fridge and range. I think I even saved one photo as a reminder of that great idea. Thanks for the reminder to use steel hoses. Our plumber came out for something and warned us about the washer connection which was apparently not steel. We haven't changed it yet (bought the hose), but I'm off to remind my husband right now.

Oh, NO!!! How awful!!! To finally be finished and have this happen. But at least your insurance and contractor are in agreement so you can just get on with it. Good luck finding a rental. My heart is with you.

Oh no!!! ((((((huge hugs))))))

nhbaskets: Lower kitchen cabinets are ruined, they absorbed lots of water and warped, molded, bubbled. Dishwasher may need replaced not sure yet. It works but makes a very squeeky sound when you open the door. Flooring in the kitchen is fine as it is tile, but molding will need to be replaced. Bun Feet on the cabinets were fine...suprisingly. We quickly got them off when we got home from vacation hoping to save them & they are fine! Drywall in 7 rooms will need to be cut out about 2-3' up and new drywall installed. Flooring in our dining room and daughter's bedroom is ruined. We actually ripped it all out when we got home from vacation because it was so soaked! Our dining room is combined with our living room so we are thinking about putting in hardwood floors instead of carpet. So I am busy now trying to find a rental to live in with 2 pets, 2 dauhters and hubby as well as picking out paint colors and flooring.

faleash: Thank the Lord everything is replaceable!! We didn't loose any photos or anything that was not replaceable. We have to remember that it could have been so much worse! This experiance has taught our neighbor to keep her photo albums off her closet floor!

I'm so sorry to hear that. I've looked at your blog many times. I recently had someone tell me I should put a better water line on my fridge that connects to the ice maker. I guess I better get going on that. Best of luck to you and your family... Please keep us posted on how things are going.

oh i'm so sorry to hear this! i remember your nice redo - and your new table with shelves on the end. such a bummer!

but yes, thank God it wasn't worse and nothing that isn't replaceable was ruined!

i'll be sure to make my dbf put metal hoses on my washer and faucets etc. and turn the main water off (he'll have to tell me where it is) if i ever leave for even a day or 2.

i think i should put a check list and 'map' to things to check on the inside of a laundry room cabinet door!

ah- and it's so hard to find a rental that will allow pets!

I am so very sorry to hear this! My prayers are with you, your family, and pets that you all you find the best possible rental ASAP. Although this is undoubtedly a terrible cloud over your home, the silver lining is that it is only temporary one, and your insurer is not fighting you on the claim and all the damaged items are replaceable. Plus, think about it : you get to continue to work on new kitchen ideas and/or solve a whole new batch of kitchen reno problems with all of us just a wee a bit longer! :-) Hang in there and God bless!

Darlene
So very sorry to hear about your misfortune! I too have had a similiar experience when the auto feeder valve to our steam furnance turned on & never shut sending water into & shooting out of every radiator in our home -
Since then I have become all too proficient w/remodeling & water damage.
Water damage does far greater harm to homes/building then fires - That said some things I learned along the way that may help you

1. Photo everything - even the things you are throwing out
2. Make sure to get a full copy of your entire homeowners policy - I had to inquire a number of times before receiving ours -
If you are insured for full replacement - you will be fine.

3. Take what their adjuster & contractor estimates damagesw/a grain of salt - ours turned out to be double and we did not use their contractor to do the repairs

4. Don't sign any final payment until you feel fully satisfied that everything has been repaired and replaced properly - the ins co will want to close the claim asap as it is in their best interest to do so,not necessarily yours - they can make payments in increments

5. If you have a mortgage on the home and do the repairs through your own contractor they will make the payment to the mortgage holder - then they release payment to you - make sure to have a tight path to the mortgage holder & the ins co so you get timely payments

6. The sooner the sheetrock is cut the better, as the walls, & framing underneath are wet and need to dry out - as does any insulation that is in there need to be removed - or you will soon have a mold problem. Don't be in a rush to sheetrock until the framing is well dried -
Find the best drywall contractor you can - you don't want to see the repairs in 7 rooms -

7. Don't assume your flooring is fine because it is tile - tile may seem impervious but may be depending on the tile. and grout certainly is - so if nothing done to the tile mold may be growing beneath the surface that sat saturated - same with any of the other floors that appear fine now.

8. Any wood furnishings that sat in the water surely absorbed water and suffered some damage - you can decide to either have it replaced or take an amt for the damage suffered -

9. what is below the level where the water damage occured - ? basement

10 the ins co is responsible for the rental which should be "like/kind" meaning same type of home you are currently in - you pay utilities at your home they pay rental + utilities & any other costs incurred while renting that you would ordinarily not have incurred at home. They should be helping you find a rental - I found that my searching yeilded far better results

Good luck to you and yours

How horrible! I can't tell you how sorry I am. Sending you the best thoughts and prayers.

My sympathy is with you. That is just horrible for you both. All that time, excitement and $$. I hope everything works out for you and it will be beautiful once again. If you need to vent we are all here to listen.

jejvtr: Thank you for all that info! This is all new to us!
You asked if there was a floor below the damage...no thankfully! We are on a concrete slab foundation.
We do have full replacement coverage. The chairs I bought for our breakfast nook shows some water damage on the finish of the legs and they said they would just have them repaired by a wood repairer. Personally, I don't want them repaired..I want brand new chairs! I just bought those chairs like 3 months ago. We are in the flooring industry and can get the flooring at wholesale so we are hoping the contractor will work with us and allow us to buy the flooring at wholesale and that will help with our deductible.

OMG HOW AWFUL! I am so sorry my heart sunk when I read your post. Sending you warm thoughts and hugs that things will work out for you and your family.

Oh, I am so sorry. I remember when you posted your finished kitchen. Thanks so much for thinking to post advice for everyone. Hope your restoration goes smoothly and looks even better than before!

Oh, my goodness. I feel so bad, especially after looking at your kitchen and seeing how much of yourselves you put into it! The poster above gave some very good advice for dealing with your ins. company.

Oh, I'm so sorry . . . what a dreadful thing to happen. I'm glad your insurer is working with you and that the things that were ruined are replaceable things --

We had friends who left their brand new house and went to Florida for the winter -- pipes froze and when they thawed, flooded the entire house, three stories. They had to replace everything down to the studs . . . lost lots of keepsakes.

God be with you as you work through this new challenge . . .

just absolutely miserable. I am so sorry and sending all my happy and positive thoughts your way!

I am sorry to hear about your kitchen too. Just knowing how much work, time, money, and emotion goes into a remodel...My kitchen remodel was really a very taxing situation for me, so I empathize with you. Still, everything can be fixed.... I was surprised to see the $17,000 figure. I would have guessed more because my kitchen is small and I know what it cost to put in our new kitchen from the drywall up. I think the average remodel is around 35,000 so be sure to document and think of everything, because small things add up in cost. A car hit our home once. What an ordeal that was for my family! Though it hit one wall, nail heads popped in two rooms nearby, causing paint touch ups and such, things we didn't notice quickly. Yes, it did take time, but in the end, everything was fixed. No one was harmed and you know that is always the bottom line in any disaster.

I'm so sorry you are going through all of this! My DH has a check list we go through whenever we are leaving, it always drives me crazy, but I'll never complain about it again! (Turning the water off is one of many things we do.)

I'm glad you've received lots of good ideas of things to check and do to make sure everything gets replaced. Good luck in finding a place to rent and with all the repairs. Maybe you'll find a silver lining along the way. I hope so!

Ideamom, I am so sorry for what you are going through. Thanks for the wake-up call for others to read about your misfortune to prevent future problems. I know how much of your heart and sweat you put into your kitchen remodel and for this to happen so soon after your kitchen was finally finished must feel like you were stabbed in your heart. But with all of our support and knowing at least you have good home insurance, you will get through this set-back and soon be back in your home again with your kitchen looking beautiful again.

I am so sorry about this. While thank goodness insurance will cover it, I know it can't replace all the love you put into redoing your kitchen.

I am so sorry to hear of this. I just forwarded your blog to someone who wants to paint her oak cabinets.

Everything will be OK in the end. Hugs to you.

Oh, no!! I'm so sorry to hear about this. We also had a flood a little over a year after our remodel was finished, when a tree branch came through our roof during a storm. But our damage was minimal, especially compared to yours. Still, I feel your pain. Wishing you a smooth and speedy repair!

oh no! i am so sorry! not that it really helps, but i know exactly how you feel. a pipe burst flooding our new (gazillion dollar) dining room draperies and rug. and i agree, thank GOD for homeowner's insurance!

i hope you can find a rental and get settled quickly. good luck (again) on your new kitchen. again, i'm sorry this happened!

How terrible! I'm so sorry to hear that! Your kitchen was beautiful - I loved all your personal touches to it! I know how upset I felt after my master bath was done and our skylight leaked and ruined the new ceiling, but I can't imagine an entire kitchen and house being flooded! Just know that you have support here and we are thinking of you. Good luck - I hope it all goes smoothly for you.

"Went on vacation and came home to a flooded home. The water hose that leads to the faucet came loose. Hubby said he installed the one that came with the price pfister faucet, but really wanted to upgrade it to the steel kind but was in a hurry to get the faucet hooked up for me"

Please read Tyranny of the Urgency by Charles Hummel.

Oh gosh Ideamom I'm so sorry for you and your family! I didn't read all of the above posts, but I did marketing for a fire/water restoration company for a long time so make sure you get someone experienced to do the remediation.

Make sure they remove dry wall 12-18 inches or so above the last visible moisture mark to ensure that there will be no mold growth in the future.

Also, make sure that they use hygrometers throughout the house to make sure that the moisture content in the house is returned to normal acceptable levels to also prevent mold growth. They can also spray a mold inhibitor. Even if you can't see mold now (which I hope you can't) as temperatures and seasons change, if they haven't removed enough of the moisture you may have issues later.

I would be leery of any company that does the tear out AND the re-build. They often have a conflict of interest and will tear out more than is necessary or do a poor job with repairs to make more money. Insist on using the company you feel comfortable with and don't be swayed by your insurance company if you aren't satisfied with their choice, you have the right to pick!

It is wise to have a 3rd party opinion like a IEP (Indoor Environmental Professional) to write a protocol for how the clean up and repairs should be done. That should be covered by insurance and will ensure that someone without an interest in the work will be there to certify that the protocol was followed and the work was completed to satisfactory levels. That way when you sell, if you have to disclose the leak, you can provide proof that things were handled properly and don't have to rely on the word of the companies who did the clean up and restoration work who had a vested interest.

The link below should let you search your area to find someone who is certified as an indoor air quality specialist.

Here is a link that might be useful: Indoor Air Quality Organization

So sorry to hear of this for you! Prayers and best wishes for a stress-free process to get things back to new again.

How absolutely horrible!!! Sending lots of hugs and good wishes your way.

Oh, ideamom, I'm so sorry to hear about your flooded kitchen. I followed all of your decision making with great interest, so I know you put a lot of creativity and energy into your kitchen and you were so kind to share your painting tips on your blog.

Here's wishing you the best in this ordeal and that you will soon be back in your house.

Oh no! Sending good wishes for a speedy repair and lots of chocolate.

Thank you all for your prayers and well wishes!! I think we may have found a rental on the street we live on. That would be very convienent! Will know for sure tomorrow.

lesmis: Thank you so much for the advice. Will call an air quality specialist on Monday!!

rubyfig: Oh yes...send chocolate, lots of chocolate! Chocolate makes everything better!!! LOL

I am so sorry to hear this! Floods are the worst messes to clean up. I am glad that you didn't lose any irreplacable family pieces though...pictures etc are so important.

Just an FYI...we have these on all water hoses or sources in the house:

http://www.thewateralarm.com/wateralarm/pc/viewcategories.asp?idCategory=6&pageStyle=P

The toilets have just the basic alarms but everything else has an auto shut off valve installed just in case. They're worth every single penny!

ideamom, I'll add to everyone's thoughts by saying I hope the road back to your new kitchen is speedy and painless. How terrible for you - but know that all of us are sending (((hugs))) your way.

Eliz

ideamom, I'm so sorry this happened to you! We had something similar happen several years ago when a heating pipe started leaking behind a wall while we were away. It was a steady leak as opposed to a full-out gush of water but it's amazing how much damage was done. A large section of drywall and hardwood flooring had to be ripped out. Amen to good homeowners' insurance!

I'm so glad that you didn't lose any photos or anything else irreplaceable. Sending hugs and good wishes your way.

Erika

How awful and upsetting! I know just how you feel - BTDT. I am so sorry.

I have to double, triple emphasize everything that jejvtr said. (jejvtr - what happened to you with the heater and radiators is exactly what happened to me 5 years ago! More than half of my house was completely ruined - over $100,000 in damage.) Please read jejvtr's post again. I know at a time like this, it is very easy to trust that those people (insurance/contractors) are on your side and will do everything to help you because you are sad and vulnerable and anxious to quickly make things right again. That may not be so. We were naive, we trusted, we let the insurance co choose the contractor (in fact, we thought we had no choice). And it turned out to be the most horrible fiasco in my life. Their subs put liens on our house (fault of the insurance co), many things had to be redone over and over, there were illegal kickbacks going on, lawyers got involved, etc. etc. Thank goodness for this forum or I wouldn't have gotten through it. jejvtr is right on every point. Be diligent.

Also, if you're thinking of selling in the next 5 years, know that this will be reported to CLUE and that a buyer may not be able to get insurance because of it. (We just sold our house and this came up during the closing process - totally unexpected, but thankfully everything panned out okay.)

Sending good thoughts your way. (((hugs)))

IdeaMom...I'm so very sorry for what you're going through right now! I can't imagine having to go through another kitchen remodel so soon after the first was done PLUS have to deal with water damage, mold concerns, etc.! Please keep us posted and please use us as a sounding board or shoulder to cry on if you need it...we're here for you!

Lyno...do you think you could share your DH's checklist with us? It might help some of us avoid some of the problems others here have mentioned. TIA!

I hope everything works out for you and your family. A car hit our house 10 years ago so I can relate to your experience somewhat. We've also had a few water issues (ice maker line leak, pipe connecting outside water line to inside burst) but luckily we were home so damage was minimal.

Expect the repairs to take twice as long as you think they will. We used an emergency repair company as our GC and they took care of bringing in the necessary repair people to do the work. This was quite helpful to my sanity. Do you think you'll get to do an entirely new kitchen since matching the old with the new may be impossible?

How horrible. You do have good perspective though...that you have your pictures and everything is replaceable.

I'd question whether the tile floor is ok though. Water has a way of finding even the smallest crack in the grout. Over time, from having any water under the tile, it may loosen the tile and cause it to rock and crack when walking over it (this has happened to us).

Ideamom--very sorry for your situation. You got a lot of good advice from jetvtr. Friends of ours had a similar thing happen to them last September, the water hose from refridge's icemaker to the feed broke and they had water pouring for weeks while they were away. They were told they would be out of the house for 6-8 weeks, but turned out to be 8 months. They had a mold problem and all of the drywalls had to be replaced, plus the wood trim, the kitchen cabinets, etc. The insurance company was their biggest headache. I do wish you the best and hope the inconvenience won't be too taxing.

Oh terrible news Ideamom,

What a dreadful thing to come home too. You must be
anguished. Sending cyber well wishes your way. Hoping
your insurance company will be fair so that you can make
an even better kitchen one day. Take pictures so you
have evidence if you need to get an attorney.
I know that right now you can only see the painful mess
you are currently in, it will get better one day.
Meanwhile wishing you better days ahead.
~boxerpups

Here are some links. You are not alone in your flooded
kitchen nightmare. Be Well, perhaps reading
these links can help you with the difficulties ahead.

http://www.content4reprint.com/home/flood-damage-cleanup-the-kitchen-and-food-preparation.htm

http://www.diynetwork.com/remodeling/tips-on-plumbing-and-water-damage/index.html

http://www.epa.gov/mold/pdfs/floods.pdf

OMG!!! How awful! I hope the repairs go well, and go quickly, and you are not displaced for too long.

Best of luck!

How awful. I am sorry this happened. What a lesson - we never shut off the water when we leave, but will now.

Do you get to do a whole new renovation or will it be fixing everything, but keeping it the same? Were the cabinets damaged? Cabinets alone can cost $17K, so I thought that sounded so low too. I would have thought the kitchen would have been at least $20K in and of itself and then add the cost of the other damaged rooms and all the damaged flooring on top of that.

You were probably so happy to be done and now here it goes all over again. Ug, again I am so sorry.

How terrible. I'm so sorry

Simply heartbreaking!
Our two water damage events were not anywhere near your disaster but I remember feeling just devastated at the amount of the work needed for the cleanup.
â The first time, we came home after an all day family Thanksgiving gathering at my parents to find the upstairs bathroom plumbing to the tub had broken.
All the water fell into our bedroom on the first floor along with the ceiling.

â Our next water issue happened during the night. We had a portable dishwasher and had hooked it up, turned it on and went to bed. Eight hours later found the connection had broken from the faucet and had water from the kitchen pouring down to the basement along with steamed and dripping windows throughout the first floor. All my DH's Marine Corps clothes and gear took a direct hit. They were all ready to wear neatly closeted in his part of the basement directly under the kitchen.

I can only imagine the despair you felt when you discovered your flood damage!
My prayers are with you and your family.

ideamom, I am so very sorry to hear that your beautiful new kitchen is ruined! Sending cyber ((((hugs)))) and cyber CHOCOLATE your way.

You have been given some really good advice, so I will just add that you and your family are in my prayers.

I am also going to look under my sink right now.