You know Murphy’s Law, right?
“Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.”
I have an idea for a slight variation. Murphy’s Law 2.0, let’s say.
“Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong, especially when you’re on vacation.”
More specifically,
“When homeowners go away on a short but well-deserved vacation, a vacation that comes ever so rarely especially without children, fate will conspire to wreak havoc on said homeowners’ domicile during their absence.”
This is what happened to us.
We returned from our week-long vacation to find water gushing through the ceiling in our daughter’s room, soaking the entire carpet and then leaking through the floor and dripping through the kitchen ceiling.
Could this calamity have happened when we were home, ready to respond and nip the problem in the bud? Of course not. That is not how Murphy’s Law 2.0 operates.
Instead, this waterfall of woe gushed through a bedroom ceiling, merrily splashing away for, who knows how long, perhaps the entire week. The bad news: two rooms were badly damaged. The good news: after the deductible, insurance paid for the cleanup and repair.
The first step was to extract every molecule of moisture from those rooms. Enter the remediation team, with their big honking blowers that ran 24/7 for a solid week. So noisy were these blowers that conversation anywhere nearby was rendered impossible, but that was a small price to pay when at the end of the week both rooms were bone dry.
The old carpet was removed, the drywall was redone and sanded. Now it was time for the painting.
“What color are you thinking?” the contractor asked me.
I wanted white. Well, off-white.
He waited while I looked helplessly at the sample of paint chips strewn before me. How does one possibly decide when there are way too many shades of off-white? Sadly, the original paint cans were long gone. I had no clue what the color was.
I looked up, my eyes begging for help. “Umm, something like what we already have. Just a simple off-white. What do you think?
He stood, arms akimbo, not responding. What was this, I wondered. Fear of liability for recommending the wrong paint color?
“Ma’am, you need to pick out a color. I can’t advise you. If you can’t decide from these chips, you can look online or go to the store. Let me know as soon as you can.”
Right.
Unless you have been through this, you can’t imagine the choices laid out for you. Within minutes, my head hurt.
Did I want Greek Villa or Heron Plume? Too beige-y. Ice Cube or Nebulous White? Too gray. Cotton Balls or White Dove? Too white.
It didn’t matter so much for the bedroom. But the kitchen is the room we live in. If the color was too bright, it would make us squint. Too dark, the space would seem gloomy.
Finally, I decided on Reliable White. Not too dark or light, not too beige or gray, just a regular old off-white that turned out to be just fine.
The leftover paint cans are safely shelved in the garage. Just in case there’s a next time.
I know exactly what you went through. We had 4 feet of water in our basement after Hurricane Floyd, despite the french drains and sump pump. I lost all of my albums! (The water came up through the ground – no prevention for that)
Now that we’re getting our house ready to sell, it’s clean up time. I miss the old Crayola crayon labels for colors – red, green, yellow, blue, etc. Why are there 10 million versions of white and off-white?
I feel your pain, Helene. I am glad all is resolved. I think you need another vacation!
Cathy Chester recently posted…Whatever Happened To Good Etiquette And Manners? Here Are Some Tips On How To Cope With Rude Behavior
Oh Cathy, four feet of water, yikes. We had a flood in our basement after one of the big storms, but the French drain and sump pump have saved us ever since.
Just saw a photo entitled 50 Shades of Grey and the guy had all the color cards for greys pinned to his shirt.
I’m in color-choosing mode right now too… it’s overwhelming. I like all my trim to be a crisp bright white…so that helps with that choice!
Glad your catastrophe has been taken care of!
Walker Thornton recently posted…Vulnerability, Wakefulness and Loss
Thanks, Walker. Color choosing is overwhelming, with white or any other color. Too many choices!
I empathize! The exterior of my house is yellow, and the first time I painted it, I looked at paint chips, picked one, and the painter bought a quart sample. After he had started applying it, he asked me to come and look before he continued. It was the most god-awful shade of electric yellow you could imagine! I said, “No, no! Here – take the old paint cans and match them!” He did that and I got the same shade of nice, buttery yellow I had had for years. It’s still that color and I’m afraid to try to change it!
I also had a water problem recently, smaller than yours, but it required four days of fans in the crawl space. Fortunately, I could barely hear them from down there.
Lorinda J. Taylor recently posted…Reminiscences about Old Libraries from an Old Librarian, Part 1
Lorinda, the same thing happened to us with yellow paint. A few years ago we were painting my daughter’s room. I wanted a very pale shade, and the painter tried out a few. Finally, I thought I was satisfied with the one we decided on, but when all was said and done it was WAY too bright. Grrr!
Oh no! Glad everything is fixed. Picking paint colors is so overwhelming. I swore when we remodeled that I would keep a list with the name of every color we used in every room — but, of course, I didn’t. Whites/off-whites are definitely the hardest and now I’m trying to remember the one we used throughout the house — and, of course, I can’t.
Lois Alter Mark recently posted…my jenny craig and jazzercise thanksgiving challenge!
You think at the time, of course I’ll remember … right? And then I always forget.
Reading this I now know why almost every room in our rental house is a different white–pinkish, grayish, yellowish.
Jane Gassner (@MidLifeBloggers) recently posted…Middle Age Crazy
There you go! Someone forgot to keep the leftover paint.
Choosing paint colors is so hard. Especially white! There are hundreds of them and they look different from morning to night. I made a master list the last time we painted. Hopefully I’ll remember where I put it should I ever need it.
Carpool Goddess recently posted…On My Way To Bed Book Review & Giveaway
I wish I had kept a list. Now I know better.
Oh gosh, talk about terrible luck! It’s good that your insurance covered it. And as a positive note, all of your rooms will have a fresh paint job.
That is definitely the silver lining, Stephanie. 🙂
Shoulda gone with fuschia, LOL!
Glad it’s fixed and dry! That oughta teach ya to go on vacation. Silly Wabbit!
Jackie recently posted…The Sounds of the Season
I thought of you and your fuschia, Jackie! 🙂
What a horrible water experience. Of course such things happen in an empty house! Gah.
I honestly think the right white is harder to choose than any other color. Perhaps because we expect it to be so easy. It’s just white, right?
Lisa @ Grandma’s Briefs recently posted…Coming next week: Monsters University and Last Vegas
Exactly, Lisa. How hard can it be? Well, very!
Helene,
I’m so sorry this happened to you. How unbelievably frustrating and bad timing, too.
Sounds like it’s under control now. Good luck keeping it that way.
Estelle
Musings on Motherhood and Midlife recently posted…Protected by the Placebo Effect
Thanks, Estelle. I hope we are out from under the black cloud, at least for a while.
I hear ya! Picking paint colors is my Kryptonite. I spent about 5 years with a screaming yellow bedroom because I picked the wrong paint. In fact, the room I’m sitting in right now was supposed to be cinnamon and cream – my son just painted it about 2 weeks ago. The cinnamon came out just fine. The cream – not so much. Ironically, it’s the soft, pale yellow I was hoping for in my bedroom 5 years ago! Go figure…
adrian recently posted…Clutterbugs: Living with a Messie
I have found those yellow tones to be as tricky as the white ones, Adrian. Thanks for stopping by!
My kitchen is Zurich White (actually a light gray). Zurek is my last name. It made picking the color easy. (the rationale is as good as any right?)
I love that, Shelley! That would totally be my rationale, too.
Reliable White is a great name. I’ll bet someone picked that just for those of us who find this whole process scary! Seems like you’re making a good recovery from a homeowner’s nightmare.
Joy Weese Moll (@joyweesemoll) recently posted…Childhood Abroad (Not) — October Memoir Challenge
You know, Joy, I never thought of that, but I bet you’re right!
I love the process of redecorating, but there’s nothing more difficult than picking the right shade of a color. Last year I painted my office lavender. I was going for a soft, leaning-towards-grey color. I came back to find the room the color of a grape popsicle. AHHH. Changed it right away!
Sharon Greenthal recently posted…Is it Bullying if You Lose a Football Game?
Love redecorating rooms. There’s nothing better than a fresh coat of paint, some new or up-done furniture….that is of course as long as I don’t have to do it. I loath painting!
kathy balman recently posted…EEME Project Kits Review – Electronics Learning In A Little Box
I love that new look and feel too, Kathy. Just don’t ask me what paint color I want!
Oh no… that sucks, but at least you now have a newly refreshed room. I am glad you chose that white… We did little man’s room in BLUE & RED and of course he changed his mind 6 months later… UGH
That was bold, Shauna!
Good ole “Reliable White”, lol! It’s hard to believe there are that many shades of off white to choose from! 😉
Christine Luken recently posted…Meal Planning Monday ~ Awesome Apples
Haha, for wimps like me, good ol’ Reliable White. 😀
Reliable White sounds like a pick you can’t go wrong with! So sorry about what happened.. but happy that your insurance covered it! Yikes! Hope you find some fun in re-painting and getting a fresh start! Best of luck!
Dawn Lopez recently posted…Design A Moodboard & Decorate Your Space With Threshold for Target
Thanks, Dawn. All’s well that ends well, and the room looks very nice now!
This would be a nightmare for me too! It’s too bad they wouldn’t give you just a little color advice!
Jennifer B recently posted…Okiedog Snug Bag Giveaway
Seriously! We sure do live in a litigious society, don’t we?
Oh How Awful! I sure do feel for you. We had a water problem once and it is a lot of work getting back to normal!
Debbie Denny recently posted…NOT FOR PROFIT By Glenn Shepard, MD! Book Tour!
It wasn’t fun, that’s for sure. But everything is fine now. Thanks, Debbie!
You poor thing! I KNOW all too well how that murphy’s law 2.0 operates. At least it is being taken care of now, if the least of your worries are what color you should paint your walls right? That would be a challenge for me as I can’t even decided what shoe to wear in the morning. :0) I went online to see what colors were compatible as I was trying to redo my bedroom. They showed me what went together. Maybe google will help? I have all boys, I lost my sense of style somewhere along the way. Too bad my mother doesn’t live closer she is so good at these things and I would loan her to you for a few days.
Mommy2Jam recently posted…The Good Witch is in
I have a terrible time picking paint colors!
Virginia @thatbaldchick recently posted…ChefAlarm #Giveaway
ah, Murphy’s Law. gotta love it.
choosing paint is HARD. and its never the same on the wall as the chips, of course!!
brett recently posted…Hallmark Card Rewards is back! Win up to $500!
Nightmare! You come home all relaxed and ready to get on routine… to this? I think I would have cried! Tee-hee…. of course, the up side is getting to re-face the 2 rooms, so that would’ve made me grin again. 🙂
Norma Doiron @Savvy Biz Solutions recently posted…Google+ Closely Related to SEO
so many pretty colors to choose from ! The good thing about paint is that you can wait for it to dry and paint over it.
I hope I don’t have to paint again anytime soon!
I can so relate to this! OMG…..who knew there were so many shades of white….and BTW those color swatches are useless, too! The paint doesn’t even remotely match the swatch!
So true, Ellen! And then when the entire wall is painted, it looks different still.
Gotta love Murphy’s law. I’ve never been through this situation, but I definitely feel for you. I’d almost be scared to leave the house for more than a day at a time without a housesitter!
Jazmin @ Frugality Gal recently posted…Marshmallow Apple Pie Spice Dump Cake
I know! The one week we choose to go away …
Picking out paint is way too stressful. Too many choices:) Glad you finally could pick one that you like.
Kara recently posted…Halloween Trick or Treat Bag with Handprint Ghosts
I hope we’re done for a while. Thanks, Kara!
Oh man, I’m sorry this happened! This is such an awful experience, but at least you can sort of chuckle about it now. I would have gone with a cream colored paint myself just because it brightens up a room. I do like your entire color pallet of choices though!
Amy Lynn Desrosiers recently posted…Artisans Around the World: Introducing Novica #Review #HolidayGiftGuide
Try finding a shade of cream, Amy — it’s just like white. Too many choices!
Oh, I feel for you having to redo a room like that. We had to do that once and it was no fun. I went with my original color (yellow) when we repainted too. 🙂
You were probably smarter than me and kept the original leftover paint. 🙂
Picking paint colors is one of the most painful things about being a homeowner. Everything looks so different on a swatch compared to the wall.
Shannah @ Just Us Four recently posted…#ad Cheesy Chicken Nugget Kabobs #LoveUrNuggets
It does, Shannah. Really challenging to get it right.
Oh, no, what a welcome home! I’m so sorry. We once were away and when we got back, found out our electricity had gone out. Not only that, there was a mouse stuck to a glue trap, and it had eaten through the wire to our freezer in the basement. Crazy stuff.
Sheryl recently posted…Overheard in the Shoe Department
Ewww! That reminds me of the time we got home after a week’s vacation and there was a squirrel in our house.
UGH, I hate that you had to deal with all that . I am in the process of trying to pick out colors for two rooms in my house and its a total pain. Just when I think I have one I like, I find something else.
Stacie Connerty recently posted…Mad About Beads – Style & Fashion Report #FOLLOWITFINDIT
Exactly! Too many choices.
Glad everything is fixed! We are painting soon and I’m super nervous!
Shanna recently posted…How to Be the Coolest House on Your Block this Halloween
I hope it goes smoothly for you, Shanna!
None of this next time talk, you hear? So sorry you had to go through that! I do know what you’re talking about with the color selection though. It sounds easy until you’re looking at them and it becomes overwhelming.
Liz @ A Nut in a Nutshell recently posted…Shaw’s Barbecue House Serves It Down Home Style
Haha, Liz, I hope there won’t be a next time either!
Our cat turned on the faucet in the bathroom sink once when it was full of my daughters soaking socks. While I was out taking care of errands the sink overflowed and I came home to an inch of water on my first floor. In other words, I know how you feel.
Janeane Davis recently posted…Suck it Up and Move: Stop Refusing to Take Action Now
OMG Janeane, that is unbelievable! Although … what a smart cat. 😉
Oh no!!! That is the worst thing to have to come home too. I feel your pain when it comes to picking paint colors too.
jordyn @ Almost Supermom recently posted…Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice White Chocolate Chip Cookies
It was a shocking sight to come home to, without a doubt. Thanks, Jordyn!
Good luck! I feel your pain, Danielle!
What a terrible way to end a vacation.. I hate having to decide on color for anything especially paint.. I am glad that you found the perfect one in the end though
Carmen’s Coupon Blog recently posted…$1.00 off Kiss everEZlashes
Thanks, Carmen!
OH NO!! Water damage is awful, but fortunately your insurance covered it. I understand how difficult it is to pick a white. Good luck!
Connie McLeod recently posted…And the seasons they go round and round
Thanks, Connie! It’s all good. I’m counting my blessings.