Under Our Roof: The Unexpected

There has been a lot of house maintenance happening at our place lately. We planned for and knew about the foundation, the flooring (coming soon) and the upstairs bathroom leak. What we did not expect was a whole slew of other issues that demanded attention.

First up, the dryer. We had just replaced our washer and dryer back in November, when suddenly it started squeaking. However, squeaking is not quite the right term - it was more like the sound of a goose honking. Loudly. Incessantly. Thankfully, it was still under warranty, so scheduled a service appointment and let the professionals handle it. Trouble is, they discovered it needed new parts that had to be ordered, so we had to schedule twice. Oh well. It is done and no money out of pocket.

Next up, the required post-foundation pressure test discovered some type of "small leak". That meant a separate appointment for leak detection. After a thorough ($595) inspection, TWO small leaks were discovered on separate out-going lines. One in the front yard and one from the sink to the side yard. Ugh. More plumbing work ahead at the cost of about $4,200.

If all that wasn't enough, we heard noises in the attic. That meant critters had found/made a hole somewhere. Traps were set in the attic and we hauled out our 30' extension ladder to inspect and fill every crack and crevice we could reach. Jeff braved the ladder, I cheered him on from the safety of the ground. We did our best, but ultimately decided to bring in a professional to properly seal and install metal flashing to prevent future invasions. Another $1,300.

And then, my car. Out of nowhere, the transmission started struggling and lurching when automatically shifting or transitioning from park to drive. My car is a 2011 with 160,000+ miles, so we tried the cheapest option first: drain and fill the transmission fluid. No luck. So, it went to the mechanic who discovered a wire had been chewed! Yep, likely related to the uninvited critters. I'll spare the details, but I'm happy to report that critter will not be chewing any more car wires. Nor will his friends being doing any damage. Anyways, the car ordeal was only $129 for the diagnosis and wire fix.    

But wait! There's more! While the upstairs bathroom floor was being replaced as part of the planned flooring project, a small [clean water] leak from the toilet was noticed. Are. You. Kidding. Me. Thankfully, it was something Jeff was able to fix, albeit, it took 3 tries. The bolts were old and rusted, making it a bit tricky, but ultimately success prevailed.

Phew. Here's hoping that we are done for awhile! We're incredibly thankful to have a comfy home, just wishing it would stop falling apart all at once.