September is flying by this year it’s hard to believe it’s nearly October already, for being quarantined due to the smoke and C-19 I sure have been busy. Every thing has backed up since March 2020, today was the day I tied up a few loose ends. Last winter (2020) in April at the beginning of the quarantine our roof sprung a leak. Going through the roof winding it’s way through whatever is under it finally soaking the living room carpet. The ceiling suffered as well, it had just been painted last summer it needs it again. None of it during normal times presents much of a problem but no contractors could make house calls even for estimates until the middle of September (2020). I thought I may have foiled the entire ordeal by waiting to call the insurance company.
I filed a claim 6 months after the leak and agreed to handling it on-line with the insurer; on line yeh right. Then I waited to receive an email, which did happen, but I didn’t know what to do with it. So I waited, the following day I was notified if I did not contact them soon my claim would be closed. I called immediately, my contact will not be available until the next Monday.
That was last year, as crazy as it sounds at the beginning of March this year we had a house fire. It was windy and cold out, I had risen from bed at fifteen minutes to seven. I went upstairs and smelled smoke, the air had a bit of smoke in it. I spent a few minutes looking around to discover what the problem may have been. I found nothing upstairs so I went back down to the second level. I looked at the pellet stove which had been running all night and saw a bit of smoke around the thru pipe in the wall. I called Mrs. Lebec she searched the wall while I opened the window to see a wall of flames. Needless to say we evacuated the house. I got on my scooter to alert the neighbors while she grabbed a hose and sprayed the flames.
I called the Fire Department while she continued to put out the flames in her night gown, my 100 year old mother in law was on a lawn chair with a jacket on. 15 minutes later the fire crew pulled up running to the fire my wife had successfully extinguished. The Fire fighters finished the job by tearing the wall apart, removing the insulation and getting everything wet. The chief told us if we had been one minute later our house would have burned down.
It is now September, I have discovered there is no such thing as a small house fire, we are still repairing the damage. Of course the homeowners policy is covering the damages, all of the interior work is done next is the siding. It is no longer available so the insurance company agreed to replace two walls; my position is they need to do the entire house. It’s a battle and I’m not sure who will prevail. I’m waiting for the county code inspector to look at the work, the original siding was installed incorrectly in 1985. I’m standing on the opinion the entire house needs to be re-sided because the new stuff does not match the old. If I can get the inspector on my side to tell the Insurance Company to replace it that will be a really good solution. Time will tell, we’ll see.
Jacques Lebec Natural Self Reliance
Follow the Fork in the Road 