Im so screwed and i dont know what to do about it.

pkat4202
pkat4202
Level 0

Posted on Sep 3, 2009 1:19 PM

I bought a claw foot tub, okay i have the tub, and the claw feet. and i have a super dinky bathroom. NO money, and a husband who has heart problems, and is obsessive compulsive. Okay so when i repair things i usually wait till he is traveling with his company. So i dont get him rattled by my projects/repairs, and i dont have to watch him count.....this is where obsessive compulsive kicks in. its weird but i still love him. He starts counting everything around him if i talk to him about fixing our bathroom or even repairing it hes counting the ceiling tiles or the corners of the corners in the ceiling. So i pretty much have the responsibility of every household repair/upkeep that comes with owning a home on my shoulder. We have a major leak in our bathroom you can hear it running. I asked my husband to put his ear to the wall to listen because you can hear water running. You know what he said its the airconditioner sound in the wall! I noticed his jaw muscle clenching. So i just nodded my head like he's right. I just got my water bill and its 165.00 i didnt tell him this it would be too stressful for him. Its suppose to be no more than 35.00 So i called the plumber today 09/03/2009 to give me an estimate on the toilet because someone told me if you put food coloring in the tank and you do not flush your toilet and the water in the bowl turns the color of the food coloring you have a leak. Im going to ask the plumber how much will it be to rip out our old tub/shower because of the huge crack in the tub plus the removal of the toilet plus the new installation of the claw foot tub. Where the old tub/shower is now i wanted to gut that entire space and put in a tile shower only, and then a few feet down have the claw foot tub. I was looking at a lowes website and i noticed they sell liners and pans. Is this what you put under the tile when replacing a shower area? Im so frustrated with all this mess. I feel helpless because i voice my concerns about fixing stuff and no one understands what its like talking to my husband. My house is 21 years old and its 1639 sq. ft. To save money i know i could replace the ball floater thing in the toilet and maybe this would cure one leak. But the old tub/shower has a 12 inch crack in the acrylic or whatever that plastic is called, and since its been leaking for so long the floor around the tub is rotting and its rotting around the toilet seal as well. So when you take a shower the water drains out of the crack and it runs under the tub and comes out the hole in the bottom of the wall that separates the tub and our garage. That hole is meant for drainage but not for long term drainage. It then slides down the floor in the garage and then out the garage. Isnt this crazy? Im so screwed and i cant have this 20,000.00 bill to repair stuff. So any suggestions, would be extremely helpful. In fact it was just nice to air out my frustrations on this page. i will take one day at a time and figure it out. i cant sweat the small stuff and compared to others my frustrations are miniscule to others....So oprah readers have a great day....your friend paula 50 years young. P.S. my husband is 57 and hardheaded so dont tell me there is medication for OCD because its no use. bye!!
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Replies: 4
jettola
jettola
Level 0
1. Re: Im so screwed and i dont know what to do about it.
Sep 6, 2009 5:12 AM   |   In response to: pkat4202


Hey Pkat...WOW my sister you have a heck of a circumstance. I can tell that you love your husband and that you understand his limitations, but it sounds like you are overwhelmed and scrambled.

To save yourself a few dollars, cancel the plumber until you know for sure it is the toilet. Check this by turning the water off at the toilet and listen if the water is still running. If it stops, then you know for sure it is the toilet. Check out some of the DIY websites. They are very informative on how to fix things and they will rate the difficulty so you will know if you wish to tackle it.

Call some friends or neighbors over to help you move your tub out and place the new tub, THEN call the plumber to hook it up...that will save you some money also.

Put your big girl panties on...know your strengths...remember you are a strong and capable woman, and git er done!

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pdxwine
pdxwine
Level 2
2. Re: Im so screwed and i dont know what to do about it.
Sep 25, 2009 8:06 PM   |   In response to: jettola


Whew! That is a lot of work to tackle.

You do NEED to do it though, especially since you said the floor is rotting away. That is not only dangerous, but you may also be growing toxic black mold, due to all of the moisture. You know what they say, "pay now, or pay later. Paying later always costs more."

It sounds like you need to have major renovations done. Have you thought about contacting a local high school or trade school to see if they have students who could use this as a project? I know that some schools have automotive classes where a person can take there car, leave it (longer than a regular mechanic) and pay less for the repairs as the students are learning while working on the cars.

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pkat4202
pkat4202
Level 0
3. Re: Im so screwed and i dont know what to do about it.
Oct 21, 2009 5:41 AM   |   In response to: pdxwine

thats a great idea, i really need to focus on calling a trade school. maybe i should call a college that has an architecture class. I know the moisture is growing mold i can see it on the bricks outside my house where the water leaks. Its green not black yet. My husband is traveling at the moment so nows my chance to start ripping stuff out but im afraid. the weather here is starting to get cooler so i have more energy to do stuff. thanks for writing me...have a happy halloween. your oprah community friend, paula.:)

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pkat4202
pkat4202
Level 0
4. Re: Im so screwed and i dont know what to do about it.
Oct 21, 2009 5:41 AM   |   In response to: jettola

First im offended that you called me scrambled. Overwhelmed yes but scrambled hell no. Im 50, i have a daughter 26 who works full time, and a grandson almost 5 that i take to school, and pick up and entertain till his mom comes home and they still live with me,and I have a husband that drives me nuts. Also 3 dogs, and 4 cats to feed/and take care of. I handle everything and i mean everything that goes with fixing and repairing a home. Its my responsibility. My husbands only responsibility is working, and he gives me money every two weeks and with that money i have to budget the entire house/bills. Fixing a bathroom is going to cost me a great deal of money and i have to figure out how to do it with the money that is given me. This is why i have a beautiful tub in my garage that just sits in its box because i have to wait 2 weeks till i get the next amount of money. So little by little i buy things. I had this one guy come over and i told him could he break down the project in maybe 500.00 dollar increments. This way i could afford to do my bathroom. He never called me back. They want me to take out a home equity loan and pay it in one lump sum. My husband wont do it, and since he has the job and im just a homemaker im screwed. ohh by the way the toilets fixed. it was the ball thing and my husband replaced it. I have 1 friend, and shes not the type to come over and help me pull out a disgusting acrylic tub. This will have to be my undertaking. Tell me what is going to be under that tub when i pull it out. Is it going to be a slab or mud with slimy insects? I know im capable, im just scared. I've handled bigger things in life so i should be able to do this. I do have big panties, so i should be able to do it. In fact im going to do it tomorrow. My husband doesnt come back in town until late thursday, and then he'll probably file for divorce on friday. Have a happy halloween! your oprah buddy, paula.

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