2 part question:
1) We found a mushroom in the bathroom this morning. I crawled into the crawlspace and pulled down the insulation and the subflooring (?) is all wet. I know I need to call someone but is it a plumber, a handyman or a hazmat team? Everything I have read (including
this) just say "call a professional".
2) Is this something which I should file a homeowners insurance claim on (AllState)? My wife thinks that doing that will just make our rates go up and eventually cause us to get blacklisted by the insurance company. I think that I have insurance for just such an occasion.
And yes, I am totally freaked out and disgusted by this and worried that it explains why my son and I both wake up with headaches and congestion every morning.
posted by GrumpyMonkey
on Mar 10, 2008 -
10 answers
What do people do in public bathrooms (besides the obvious) that takes so long? Why am I quicker at it?
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posted by Gucky
on Feb 1, 2008 -
44 answers
After what has felt like months of waiting, it now looks as though I may very soon have a new flat (yay!) and need builders to carry out renovations in that flat. Although several friends of mine have made recommendations, I am having trouble finding recommended builders who work in (very) central London, WC1 to be precise. Any suggestions?
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posted by sueinnyc
on Nov 25, 2007 -
6 answers
Hi All,
I just moved and have a new job that will, fortunately, give me the opportunity to purchase nice furniture for the first time in my life. I'm more into modern designs, but with a quality touch. If there is a manufacturer that makes super high quality, modern stuff that would be the ticket for me. Anyway, I'm looking for online stores to shop on. I'm looking for literally everything a typical two person home needs. We currently have no furniture save a recliner, so we need a lot!
I'll admit I don't know the first thing about design, furniture history, etc. But I do want to learn. The ideal shops will offer quality and education.
I'm not looking for IKEA or super cheap options.
Basically, just give me some links of some kick ass online furniture and furnishing joints!
posted by Bob Dobbs
on Nov 16, 2007 -
21 answers
There's a mushroom growing from the grout under our bath tub. How do I effectively get rid of it (are there fungicides I can use?) and how can we prevent it from coming back?
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posted by DrSkrud
on Nov 6, 2007 -
12 answers
Why dont they make a "garbage disposal" for my shower drain as well as my toilet? Or do they?
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posted by jak68
on Oct 16, 2007 -
25 answers
Remodeling bathroom, and looking all over the web. Question: any tips for searching, sites that I should check out? And are the tubs and vanities listed on Costco online good or crap? All help appreciated, hivers.
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posted by Arch1
on Sep 4, 2007 -
11 answers
Are bathroom hand dryers REALLY unsanitary? A co-worker claims she doesn't use them because they blow contaminated air on your hands. I'm not finding a lot of evidence online. I'm specifically interested in scientific proof or a scientific argument either way.
posted by anonymous
on Aug 30, 2007 -
16 answers
When I turn the cold water tap, the faucets in my upstairs bathroom are putting out room temperature water. How do I fix this?
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posted by ND¢
on Aug 23, 2007 -
15 answers
Why would a sink in a public bathroom which had an automatic water sensor suddenly turn on even though there was no one nearby?
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posted by mateuslee
on Aug 16, 2007 -
9 answers
I am regrouting my basement bathroom tile, and as I look down at the sandy mess at my feet, I am wondering how to clean it!
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posted by stormygrey
on Aug 1, 2007 -
8 answers
I'm a pretty hairy guy all over -- and I've got long hair on my head to boot. The problem is that I shed, from pretty much everywhere -- but luckily not so much from the head. How can I be a good roommate and clean up after myself in the bathroom?
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posted by DrSkrud
on Jul 31, 2007 -
13 answers
I'm going to do what seems to me to be a rather weird craft/decorating project, and I'm not 100% sure how to not screw it up.
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posted by Medieval Maven
on Jul 8, 2007 -
11 answers
I've run out of money on our house remodel and still need to do a downstairs bathroom. Any suggestions for finding some affordable, modern-looking bathroom sink/vanity combos online -- like
this unit from Ikea? [more inside]
posted by zenpop
on May 30, 2007 -
7 answers
My family has mold growing on the lower portions of inside of the walls in the central area of our 15-year-old home. We're getting the house sprayed, but the price the contractor gave us seems extremely high. What should I expect?
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posted by silasjones
on May 9, 2007 -
8 answers
I have a vision for decorating my bathroom. It sort of involves an amateurish take on trompe-l'oeil -- I know I've seen it before, but I can't think of where. I'm hoping the Hive can put me on the right path to creativity.
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posted by shiu mai baby
on May 8, 2007 -
10 answers
Casting a wide net here hoping the mefites can help...I'm looking for two shower curtains. Both vinyl- one that looks like is has grass printed on it and the other being clear with silly lawn gnomes. Ever seen these on your internet surfs? I have been looking, but haven't seen them anywhere... Any links to fun bathroom decor sites appreciated!
posted by MayNicholas
on May 4, 2007 -
7 answers
I'm 18 and I had to move out of my parents house. I'm in an apartment in Jersey City. I don't have cockroaches, there aren't any leaks, its a really great apartment and these are all small things that I've been dealing with the last few months.
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posted by rubberkey
on Apr 16, 2007 -
20 answers
Real estate pee etiquettefilter: Is it kosher to use the bathroom in a house that you're viewing for purposes of buying? Does it make a difference if the house is vacant or still occupied?
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posted by saladpants
on Apr 12, 2007 -
27 answers
We've got a wooden shelf in the bathroom in our (rented) apartment. We've been here two years now and it's gone very pale, and is stained a funny colour where water has landed on it. What should we do to return it to its former glory? (pretty much cleaning/DIY noobs, to be honest...)
posted by ascullion
on Apr 11, 2007 -
12 answers
RemodelingFilter: What's the name for the not-so-common style of bathroom sink in which (1) the back half of the bowl fits firmly within the vanity/countertop like a normal top-mount sink, but (2) the rounded front half of the bowl juts out several inches from the vanity, overhanging similar to the front edge of a pedestal sink?
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posted by skyboy
on Apr 8, 2007 -
3 answers
What are the risks associated with adding a second bathroom to an old apartment building not necessarily "wired" for the task?
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posted by waterbottle
on Apr 6, 2007 -
11 answers
Older house thread: Most older houses have one tiny little bathroom and no real closets to speak of. Help me figure out how to rectify that!
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posted by stormygrey
on Jan 14, 2007 -
11 answers
I'm renovating my Manhattan apartment -- it's in a pre-war building -- and my contractor recently told me that he needed to charge $5000 extra to fix "something they found" after tearing out the drywall in my bathroom. Is this sort of thing normal, i.e., do pre-war bathrooms tend to have undiscovered problems, or am I getting screwed?
posted by waterbottle
on Jan 4, 2007 -
20 answers
An exposed pipe runs from floor to ceiling in my bathroom. What can I wrap around this extremely hot pipe so that it remains a source of heat but isn't a threat to bare skin?
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posted by hsoltz
on Nov 27, 2006 -
27 answers
What constitutes normal water damage/leakage in an old house? Is there a way to convince my otherwise very responsive landlord that my flooded bedroom is not, in fact, normal?
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posted by timory
on Nov 24, 2006 -
14 answers
In colder weather, while taking a shower, water eventually condenses on our bathroom walls (even with the exhaust fan on). The odd thing, which I cannot figure out, is that a faint yellowish substance appears from nowhere and runs down the wall. I wouldn't notice this on the semi-gloss lavender paint, but it pools on the white wainscotting below. It's an old house but was painted a few years ago and the paint seems clean on the surface. I've wiped down the walls, but it doesn't seem to help. What is the yellow stuff?
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posted by _sirmissalot_
on Nov 7, 2006 -
25 answers
I have a single switch light plate in the bathroom that controls the lights
and fan at the same time; one flip of the switch turns both on and off at the same time. You can't control them independently. I'd like to be able to. How?
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posted by nitsuj
on Oct 13, 2006 -
10 answers
Are there environmentally friendly ways of cleaning the bathroom, especially to remove mildew from the grout around the shower?
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posted by occhiblu
on Jun 27, 2006 -
20 answers
My husband and I have a kinda old, kinda ornery cat with a meow not unlike a gameshow buzzer. She’s something along the lines of 14 or 15 years old and even as a kitten was never particularly cuddly. Most of the time she wants to be left alone to catch a beam to warm her arthritic bones. There are however, certain times of the day when she demands attention.
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posted by verveonica
on Jun 21, 2006 -
33 answers
