Project - Fix the Big hole in the bathroom floor

I do not know where the pictures for this post went or why they are not showing up - but the same pictures Plus MORE are up at my picasa link.

http://picasaweb.google.com/MountainLamb/OctoberProjectAndCleaningDay#

There are more pictures on Picasa .... But here's the scoop.

Once upon a time - so long ago that I've almost forgotten - I had a normal although carpeted floor. But for some reason, the tub was not a functional part of the bathroom. Quite by accident one day, I discovered that the water that my aunt said was disconnected did in fact work! Well, at least the hot water worked. So we would fill pans with cold water in the show and pour in for a nice bath.

One day we noticed a growing swamp under the bathroom (it's our only storage and stuff was getting ruined!)

"OH NO!" cried the children.

"Oh dear," sighed a weary mom.

Grandpa was called, but nobody could figure out where the swamp started.

A month went by, and then another. Sometimes the swamp was worse, and sometimes it went a week or more without any evidence.

Then one day, somebody wanted to look under the cupboard - what a mess! Water everywhere!

Here we found a drippy faucet. A bucket was found and every couple of days it was dutifully emptied. But the damage had been done - and there was now a rather large jagged soft spot in the lush (it's a fairy tale remember) brown carpet.

Papa Charming declared that the faucet would have to be fixed. Daddy Charming was sent to the store to "buy something" suitable. He did a really good job of it. Papa crawled back into the hole and waved his magic wand ..... I think he called it a wrench....

And the parts of the old faucet began to fall away - except for one part which had an evil spell on it (rust).

Soon - all that remained was a beautiful sparkling new faucet and a creator in the corner.


Time passed and life happened.

One night, after deciding to go to Nowhere Tonight.

The queen of the house (that's me right?) was preparing for the evening retirement activities (sleep) - when a very loud "POP" was heard throughout the land - followed by a huge GUSH of water.

(Honest - I'm not making this stuff up)

Daddy Charming rushed to the defese of the floor and raced out to the deep and dangerous weeded jungle and TURNED OFF the water.

The next day Papa Charming fixed it.

But now the soft spot was spreading and huge chunks falling out onto the treasures below. (We know this because every time we had to pull out a box there were cumbles all over it.)

Nearly a year went by, and things were again not so good - but could be worse. But a new swamp kept appearing on the floor. All were baffled. The spill mopped up - but wait - there it is again - and again.

After investigating - we found a huge pool of water in the holding box for supplies.

UGH - here we go again.

Tiny drippy leak up at the faucets. Easy fix.

But the carpet is SOAKED. Drying is hopeless. Days go by.

Then the Queen of a neighboring kingdom arrived and declared that "The carpet must go!" And out she took it.

Later Sir Mr. E, rode up on his white horse and offered to make the hole at least look better and fix it so we quit loosing our children down the hole (Vannan kept falling into it. The board would tip down and well.... you get the idea.)

See what a nice job he had done. And that brings us to TODAY.

First a board was cut to cover the hole, and scrap linolium laid down to level things up. OK! Hey - they could have stopped there and I would have celebrated. I'm not picky these days.

But next they removed the toilet and fixed the floor there. Then fixed the toilet seat. WOW.

Soon the whole floor was amazing.

It's not finished - we have to do a second waterseal coat. AND we really OUGHT to put a flooring over the top. But that will have to wait until another day.