BS: when it rains it pours; help!

Subject: BS: when it rains it pours; help!
From: Peg
Date: 15 Dec 03 - 02:45 AM

It is snowing/raining here in Boston. I awoke an hour ago to the sound of water dripping. At first I thought it was the small fountain I sometimes keep on at night. No, it was water coming thru my ceiling! In the hallway, coming out of the light fixture and the smoke alarm wiring, and also in the bathroom coming out of the light fixture (I live on the third floor of a three-story flat-roofed house) I have lived here since September and this is the first leak I have experienced. It is pretty major; the buckets are filling quickly. I have left a message for the realtor who manages the property but he won't get it until morning.
No way I am sleeping tonight either, since these buckets are filling too fast and too noisily, plus I am scared the roof is going to cave in. Anyone know what I should do, or what this means? Any home owners gone through something similar?
Peg

Subject: RE: BS: when it rains it pours; help!
From: fat B****rd
Date: 15 Dec 03 - 03:09 AM

Lordy, Peg. I wish I could say something clever but all I can do is hope help and better luck arive soon. All the best from fB.

Subject: RE: BS: when it rains it pours; help!
From: Micca
Date: 15 Dec 03 - 04:10 AM

Hang in there Peg, I am thinking of you, but Flat roofs are Notorious for leaking, be careful with electrics!! sending you energy, Micca

Subject: RE: BS: when it rains it pours; help!
From: Peg
Date: 15 Dec 03 - 04:13 AM

thanks Micca. I turned off the hall light. Still leaking, maybe not quite as much as it was an hour ago...the floor is soaked. at least it's not carpeted.
damn, I just moved in! am I going to have to move again? Maybe I should just get the hell out of Boston...

Subject: RE: BS: when it rains it pours; help!
From: GUEST,Partridge
Date: 15 Dec 03 - 05:06 AM

Hi Peg, All I can think of to help is bigger buckets. Sorry its not much. If the water is coming in then its not weighing down on the ceiling so you should be ok. I have been through this with the first house I bought. It was a terrace house that had missing roof tiles, and we didn't find out until the first rain. I covered some old LP's with foil and went up into the loft and inserted them in the gap.(It was tammy wynette LP's so I didn't mind too much!)It worked for a while
Its a horrible feeling when you don't feel safe in your own house, am sending positive thoughts to you.

cheers

Pat x

Subject: RE: BS: when it rains it pours; help!
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 15 Dec 03 - 07:17 AM

Peg, now that you've lived through this mess, see if your realtor has an emergency number or a building manager who can be reached 24/7. How would they be reached in case of fire or other disaster, for instance? It's not ok for them to not be able to be contacted except during business hours.
And good luck drying out! There is a warm couch and a woodstove 2 hours north of you anytime you need a break!
Allison

Subject: RE: BS: when it rains it pours; help!
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 15 Dec 03 - 09:59 AM

It's not clear to me: Do you own, or rent?

If you rent, twist the landlord's tail.

If you own the house, see if you still have all the paperwork that went into the purchase. Were any representations made as to the condition of the house? It's possible there's fraud here, and you might have a legal cause of action.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: when it rains it pours; help!
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Dec 03 - 10:15 AM

Turn off your power, water and electrics don't mix. I once had this happen to me ..water dripping through wiring. The Fire Brigade advised an immediate switch off of all Lights. Perhaps you ought to call your local building inspector asdap and have him/her call the realtor. Hope things improve for you.
   PS my problem was quickly solved btw. It was only one leak but it ran across the ceiling and came in in several different places. Hope yours is a small leak as well.

Subject: RE: BS: when it rains it pours; help!
From: SINSULL
Date: 15 Dec 03 - 10:22 AM

Peg,
Turn off the electric. If water is coming out fixtures, the circuit breaker or fuse should have blown. When the leak is fixed, have the electric checked as well.
Sorry. Been there;done that. And it is no fun.
Mary

Subject: RE: BS: when it rains it pours; help!
From: Peg
Date: 15 Dec 03 - 11:30 AM

thanks for the suggestions, all...the leak had stopped for a bit this AM but is now started again, though in less copious amounts than before. Judging from the size of buckets I am using and the   amount of time I have emptied them, I am figuring I have dumped at least twenty gallons of water than have leaked in...the ceiling now   has damp cracks outlining the square around the light fixture. This can't be good. I am wondering how disrupted my life will be then this gets repaired.
I am a renter (Own in Boston? That's a laugh! Unless you bought ten years ago or have a nice hefty income--this apartment would probably sell for about $300K or more)
I think there may be an emeregency maintenance number somewhere but I do not have it to hand. I do not have the manager's cell phone number handy either, just the office, but I will go look again

Subject: RE: BS: when it rains it pours; help!
From: Peace
Date: 15 Dec 03 - 02:18 PM

I would call the fire department (non-emergency number) and ask for advice. Occasionally, buildings are not built to withstand the weight of water on the roof; that is, the weight--which is approximately eight to ten times that of snow, can over stress the building. Are there blocked drains? Important to get on this RIGHT NOW!

Subject: RE: BS: when it rains it pours; help!
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 15 Dec 03 - 02:32 PM

Drag Peg...

Ya.. bigger buckets... Bring the big plastic garbage cans in from outside, and put 'em under the leaks if ya have to, but only if ya have a shop vac to help ya empty 'em... They get kinda heavy when they're full...

"there may be an emeregency maintenance number"

Here's hopin!

Good luck eh!

Subject: RE: BS: when it rains it pours; help!
From: Peg
Date: 15 Dec 03 - 02:45 PM

well, the maintenance guy came and looked at it, but despite the fact that more rain is due tomorrow, they are not planning nay temporary stop-gap measures. They want everything to dry before they do the actual roof repair "so they don't have to do it twice." I gave them a tarp but that did not work out. I think they may be planning to cover the area wuth plastic to get it through the next storm. Dry (but cold) weather is due later this week...

Subject: RE: BS: when it rains it pours; help!
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 15 Dec 03 - 02:48 PM

We had that happen once in a student shack we shared... the roof leaked, and as a stop-gap the landlord tarred plastic down over the area where the leak was...

It stayed dry till we moved out... and last time I drove by, the plastic was still there!

LOL

Subject: RE: BS: when it rains it pours; help!
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 16 Dec 03 - 07:12 AM

Say old man could you put me up for the night ?
Well stranger, I guess I could, but I better warn you - the roof leaks.
Well old man, why don't you mend it sometime ?
It's like this, stranger, ev'ry time I go to fix it - it's always raining.
Why don't you fix it when it's dry ?
- Caws it don't leak then !

- The Arkansas Traveller.

Subject: RE: BS: when it rains it pours; help!
From: Hollowfox
Date: 16 Dec 03 - 03:53 PM

Wow, I just saw this. Sorry I can't do more than send sympathetic energy your way, but there will be a nice, drying-energy-@#$%-reduction candle fired up iwhen I get home from work.

Subject: RE: BS: when it rains it pours; help!
From: SINSULL
Date: 16 Dec 03 - 05:11 PM

No point in repairing the ceiling until the roof is fixed AND everything dries out. It can take months although in winter with the heat on it might go faster. What about the electric?
Sorry, Peg.

Subject: RE: BS: when it rains it pours; help!
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 17 Dec 03 - 05:43 AM

Better make sure that everything's OK with that roof when Santa lands his sleigh on it in a weeks time.

Hope you get it sorted soon - Dave.

Subject: RE: BS: when it rains it pours; help!
From: Peg
Date: 17 Dec 03 - 08:44 AM

still nothing has been done as a temporary measure and we have flood warnings this afternoon in the forecast! I hope the roof holds out...

Subject: RE: BS: when it rains it pours; help!
From: kendall
Date: 18 Dec 03 - 05:55 AM

I'm concerned about the roof falling in, or a fire from wet electric wiring. Possessions can be replaced...you can't. (Nor can your cat)
Might be a good time to come annd collect your guitar!

Subject: RE: BS: when it rains it pours; help!
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 18 Dec 03 - 06:09 AM

...or cancel your lease! I know, it's hard finding good digs in Beantown. But you ain't got good digs, seems to me!
It's a bit of a commute from Nelson, but you're welcome here when it gets too much!
Allison

Subject: RE: BS: when it rains it pours; help!
From: Peg
Date: 18 Dec 03 - 09:57 AM

thanks Kendall and Allison! All is well, as we did not get quite the deluge that was expected. I am still teed off at the property manager for not returning my phone calls about what was being done. But so far not another drop of water has come through despite rain yesterday. We now have a few days of clear weather ahead so hopefully the roof will get repaired.
(Kendall, maybe after Xmas? Soon! A lobster dinner beckons.)

I just moved here in September after a year and a half living in a place with real slumlords who would not fix anything! My friends still live in the third floor apartment of that place and also have roof leaks (these damn flat-roofed houses-how dumb is that?) I had a problem here with the hot water and they fixed it within a day. I am going to probably stick it out until the lease turns over.
Mind you, I got a big (2/3   BR) place because a "friend" had said he was moving in with me. He found another situation, after signing a lease so now I am stuck paying all the rent. But I am hoping they will let me renegotiate the price when I renew the lease; if not, I will move again. Wish I could afford to buy but condos here go for $300K minimum. Many buy houses way outside the   city and commute (death on a stick). I am looking into relocating somewhere: western NY, maybe Vermont, or England if I could get a job there (no luck so far--green card marriage maybe needed!) I do like the city, and not having to drive everywhere, though...

Subject: RE: BS: when it rains it pours; help!
From: kendall
Date: 18 Dec 03 - 08:06 PM

Vermont is my second choice. Massachussetts aint even one the list.