ktgrok Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 Background: We have water getting into the house along the bottom of the wall in the family room, which is one of the rooms we are repairing anyway from our flood in the kitchen. Good news: Roofer came out and said the leak is not in the roof, it is coming from cracks in the stucco around the chimmney, which is right there. The water blows in and then leaks down the wall and comes out at the floor. This is a repair that DH can do himself, saving us a ton of money. (basically use pressure washer to peel the paint off the chimmney, patch the stucco, repaint it twice. Then tear out the damaged drywall and replace it.) Bad news: Dh can do it himself. Which means he will. Which means another huge project on top of all the other things we are desperately scurrying to get done before the baby comes. And he can't take off work because it is a new job, and because he is already going to work from home/be flexible for a week or so after the new baby comes. Oh, and did I mention that our home owner's insurance will be cancelled if we don't show proof that we finished the repairs before August 15th? And that we can't finish the repairs..mainly the flooring in that room, until the leak is fixed or it will just get ruined at the next big storm? And I'm now 33 1/2 weeks pregnant and FREAKING OUT just a tiny bit..you know. ugh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Down_the_Rabbit_Hole Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 Anyway to hire someone to fix that leak? It won't be as much as the roof so money will be saved. I found (took me a lifetime to figure this out)it is better to outsource some home repair jobs even if they can be done by hubby just to get them done and over with, in the long run it was worth the extra money. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3browneyedboys4me Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 :grouphug::grouphug: I really understand how you are feeling! I'm sorry. I know you want everything back in its place and some peace b/f the baby comes! No real advice...just a big :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted July 24, 2012 Author Share Posted July 24, 2012 thanks all. I suggested to DH to hire a contractor to fix the leak...he said "yes, I could, but I won't". sigh. Remember, he was in a car accident last week, and his truck was probably totaled, so on top of everything else we need to shop for a new truck. Well, new to us. Used for sure. And NOT having a truck while needing to haul flooring is a real pain too. I do wish he would hire someone, I'm going to talk to him again tonight about it....but that means trying to find someone to do the job, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justLisa Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 Oh geez....didn't he just finish tiling? Well he sure is handy that is for sure. I think I'd be freaking out just a little too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 :grouphug: I'd be tempted to just call the repair guy myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarlaS Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 Anyway to hire someone to fix that leak? It won't be as much as the roof so money will be saved. I found (took me a lifetime to figure this out)it is better to outsource some home repair jobs even if they can be done by hubby just to get them done and over with, in the long run it was worth the extra money.:grouphug: :iagree::iagree::iagree: It also applies to things *I* am perfectly capable of doing. I have informed my family that my abilities do not always match my priorities. Turns out dh was very okay with me hiring stuff done, but figured I was control freak enough to want to do it myself (and he is often right about that part...). Learning to let go. :tongue_smilie: This reminds me I need to call someone about replacing the water heater soon. I don't do plumbing! :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: hope some family and/or friends will help!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted July 24, 2012 Author Share Posted July 24, 2012 :iagree::iagree::iagree: It also applies to things *I* am perfectly capable of doing. I have informed my family that my abilities do not always match my priorities. Turns out dh was very okay with me hiring stuff done, but figured I was control freak enough to want to do it myself (and he is often right about that part...). Learning to let go. :tongue_smilie: This reminds me I need to call someone about replacing the water heater soon. I don't do plumbing! :glare: LOL, control freak is right. Our church is mainly elderly, but he does have freinds that would help, but he hasn't called them. And I'm not sure that the stucco repair is a two person job, but maybe I can convince him to PLEASE let someone help with the laminate floors afterwards? Certainly that could be a two person job, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarlaS Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 LOL, control freak is right. Our church is mainly elderly, but he does have freinds that would help, but he hasn't called them. And I'm not sure that the stucco repair is a two person job, but maybe I can convince him to PLEASE let someone help with the laminate floors afterwards? Certainly that could be a two person job, right? I don't know about stucco repairs being from Michigan and all, but laminate flooring is easy. Kind of hard on the knees though. At least that part is indoors where it's easier to keep an eye on him. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IsabelC Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 Is this a male ego issue? Can you somehow convince your husband to think that doing it himself is beneath him? I have the same problem where my husband will say "But why should we pay somebody to paint the house when I could do it". I tell him that since he earns more per hour than what we'll have to pay the painter (once you take into consideration that he would take longer to do it and have to buy equipment), it's financially not worth his while, although I don't doubt he would do a brilliant job... Or maybe you could convince him that he'd be doing his friend a favor by letting him help, because the friend really wants to learn how it's done? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 I have a DH like this. He does everything by himself, and does an absolutely terrific job. But it takes time. and I mean it can take years. Here is an example; Once, I bought a magnificent combustion kitchen stove, so DH had to reinforce the kitchen floor to install it, he had to rip up the floor to the bearers and but in more joists. This meant we had no kitchen at all, this meant I had to cook on a open fire or a camp stove outside for 6 months. I got pretty grumpy about it. Until I spoke to an elderly lady and she said it is just about attitude, if I create the attitude that this is so much fun, just like camping, then the children's attitude will improve and the whole family will work better. I tried, and I certainly felt better about the whole situation. I have had the kitchen stove and the floor in for about 5 years now. Last week my DH put up the plaster cornice around the top of the room. I have one bench, and no cupboard doors. I don't know if I will ever get cupboard doors. I have decided it doesn't matter it is not worth stressing about, I have made curtains for the cupboards. I realise that it is important for my Husband to do everything himself. If I was to call up someone to do it. it would completely destroy his self esteem, and would be the end of our marriage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted July 25, 2012 Author Share Posted July 25, 2012 I don't know about stucco repairs being from Michigan and all, but laminate flooring is easy. Kind of hard on the knees though. At least that part is indoors where it's easier to keep an eye on him. :tongue_smilie: Oh yes, he has already done the laminate in the Master bedroom, walk in closet, and my son's bedroom. So at least he knows what he is doing. And it sure is a lot lighter and easier than the tile he has been doing in the kitchen! I did talk to him, serioulsy and firmly, about asking some friends for help. Heaven knows DH has helped others many times. It would go twice as fast to have someone help him with the laminate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted July 25, 2012 Author Share Posted July 25, 2012 In good news he has outsourced some supply buying to me, so I'm off to a roofing supply store today to get the stuff to seal the stucco on the chimmney. We have everything else that it needs. WEll, not the paint, but we aren't painting right now and will be in the fall. The cracks are on the back side of the house, no one will see the lack of paint up high on the chimmney on the back of the house, so that can wait until he paints the whole house in the fall. I did explain, clearly, that it would also make more sense to pay a contractor to help, than to miss the deadline with the insurance company and end up paying much more in insurance fees with a new company. He agreed, reluctantly, but I still think he is going to try to avoid hiring anyone. I think he will ask a friend to help, maybe. Oh, and did I mention this week is his last week of an accelerated math class he is taking at the local college? So he had planned to cut the rest of the tile for the kitchen tonight, but has to do make up math homework instead, that he missed when he had the car accident. And tomorrow evening he has class. grr. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheryl Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 Hi Katie, That was my thought...same suggestion from Denise and Darla - ask friends, family, church to help. Your church is elderly? How about calling the pastor and just asking if he knows of anyone in the congregation who would be a blessing to you, but maybe would be blessed as well. Maybe your pastor knows of a family who has extended family close by, but not in the same church OR maybe he just flat out knows of others from other churches. He could call other pastors with whom he may have a close association. HTH! :grouphug: Saying a prayer now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 Ugh. I can imagine how stressful this is. My dh is the handyman and does everything himself. Sometimes, though, you just have to call in help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.