Upon returning from a day in the mountains (snowmobiling), Ryan decided to get out the pressure-washer and clean off our still dirty, still snowy driveway. I know, that seems weird to me too--in January. But I was out running errands.
After finishing the task, he walked into the house to discover a half inch of water covering the wood floors (and pouring down into the unfinished basement). He frantically called to tell me to hurry home. I got there minutes later, and my heart sank. We haven't even been in the house for a month yet!
After toweling up the mess, we assessed the damage and sought the cause. When Ryan turned on the hose bib, a waterfall came pouring in from pantry wall. Our first hope was that the plumber made a terrible mistake, and would thus pay for the damage. But further inspection revealed a burst pipe in the wall between the pantry and the half-bath, leading out to the garage wall.
Interesting. A burst pipe in the half-bathroom, which stays toasty warm when the heat is on? There was only one conclusion. During the building of the house, and previous to the furnace going in and being turned on, a subcontractor had used this hose bib to get water to clean out a bucket, or mix cement or something. During the freezing weather that followed, the pipe burst, and only revealed it's defect when the spout was used again. The offending subcontractor remains unknown, and cost falls upon us, the unlucky home-owners. We do have home-owners insurance, but of course there is always a premium to be paid.
Below is a sample of the damage. About 2/3 of the wood floor was waterlogged, and just about every seam in that range looks like this, in varying degrees:
Most of the affected area will have to be replaced.
