The sky is falling!

Grant Lamontagne · **on:** May 29, 2016, 01:44:19 AM

The house Megan and I rented was built in 1909. It's pretty old, and there has been a cracked and sagging part of the ceiling in the kitchen for a while. We came home from Paddlefest to this:

Yup- part of the ceiling that was sagging apparently had enough and fell. Thankfully the dogs and cat weren't hurt. After I swept up, the garbage bag'o'ceiling weighed about 40 pounds.

We managed to get a hold of the landlord who was out of town and he sent someone in to pull down the rest of the ceiling that was sagging and put up some plastic to cover the hole until it could be fixed properly this week.

He asked me if I'd do it, but I haven't got my ladder or tools here, and I'm still not very fast on my feet in case another big chunk decided to come down when I wasn't ready for it.

Def

WhichDawg · **Reply #1 on:** May 29, 2016, 07:41:04 AM

real plaster!

looks like you need more/better light in there, since they are gonna be working on it anyway, have em put some "CANS" up there! nice LED ones out now

glad no one was hurt

Outback in Idaho · **Reply #2 on:** May 29, 2016, 08:52:24 AM

You can borrow my ladder.

WoodsDuck · **Reply #3 on:** May 29, 2016, 09:54:17 AM

Yikes! That really bites, but at least it didn't drop on your head.

Alan K. · **Reply #4 on:** May 29, 2016, 10:03:09 AM

Is the roof above that leaking? I had a section of ceiling droop like that, and when it gave way a couple of gallons of water came down with it. It happened after a storm.

Etherealicer · **Reply #5 on:** May 29, 2016, 10:48:30 AM

Good thing Commander Bond is on the job...

Glad no-one got hurt. Hope this gets fixed quickly.

dks · **Reply #6 on:** May 29, 2016, 11:01:21 AM

Are there any newlyweds leaving above you?

Syph007 · **Reply #7 on:** May 29, 2016, 01:48:46 PM

Maybe that's where the previous owners stored their bags of money. Have a good look around.

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #8 on:** May 29, 2016, 01:57:45 PM

Quote from: WhichDawg on May 29, 2016, 07:41:04 AM

real plaster!

looks like you need more/better light in there, since they are gonna be working on it anyway, have em put some "CANS" up there! nice LED ones out now

glad no one was hurt

It's not my house or I would take the opportunity to upgrade stuff.

Def

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #9 on:** May 29, 2016, 01:58:45 PM

Quote from: Xelkos on May 29, 2016, 08:52:24 AM

You can borrow my ladder.

It would probably be easier to get mine from Halifax.... or cheaper to go to Home Depot and buy another one!

Def

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #10 on:** May 29, 2016, 01:59:38 PM

Quote from: WoodsDuck on May 29, 2016, 09:54:17 AM

Yikes! That really bites, but at least it didn't drop on your head.

I wasn't even home, but yeah, I could have just as easily been making lunch when it happened.

Def

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #11 on:** May 29, 2016, 02:00:39 PM

Quote from: Alan K. on May 29, 2016, 10:03:09 AM

Is the roof above that leaking? I had a section of ceiling droop like that, and when it gave way a couple of gallons of water came down with it. It happened after a storm.

Front what I understand, it was the aftermath of a very old leak that was fixed long ago.

Def

Aloha · **Reply #12 on:** May 29, 2016, 03:24:04 PM

Really glad no one was in the kitchen at the time. 1909 home is bound to have some charm

Okie Shyster · **Reply #13 on:** May 29, 2016, 03:40:30 PM

Be extremely careful with that plaster. It's not unthinkable that it could contain asbestos. Best to get it checked out.

Could be some other things in a house of that vintage that contain asbestos also. Lots of building products from the first half of the twentieth century used the stuff.

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #14 on:** May 29, 2016, 03:57:25 PM

No, not asbestos thankfully. That is something we considered before cleaning up though, although by then it probably would have been too late anyway.

Def

WhichDawg · **Reply #15 on:** May 29, 2016, 08:28:35 PM

I got it I got it!

grind up the plaster pieces, add some water or lemon juice or bitters (cause we all know the boss can be sour sometimes...j/k) and make a paste and form it into a head/bust and...

Wahh Laah! a keep-sake!

put it on the lawn or the window, give it to Megan for her next present

Weasel · **Reply #16 on:** May 29, 2016, 08:30:01 PM

Sorry about that buddy, the joys of renting! Im in the same position. The landlord likes my rent money but doing any work on the place , not so much

firiki · **Reply #17 on:** May 29, 2016, 08:44:22 PM

Par Toutatis!

I'm glad no-one was hurt. I've had the same thing happen to me twice...

The first time I was sleeping and a nice piece of the plaster fell on me, Ø about 1m. Fortunately it was in winter and I had a blanket all over me.

Second time, I was all cosy in my armchair watching football, then I stood up, walked two steps and boom, it fell right were I was seated!

In both cases there was no sign of warning before it happened, no sound nor even stains on the ceiling. I hope this doesn't happen a third time, it's not funny.

Gareth · **Reply #18 on:** May 29, 2016, 09:03:06 PM

Glad no-one was standing there boss.

Any large bulges in ceilings are going to go eventually in my experience. It's always unlikely that the plasterer made a bulge on purpose so seeing one means something has gone wrong. $:-\$

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #19 on:** May 30, 2016, 12:04:52 AM

Quote from: WhichDawg on May 29, 2016, 08:28:35 PM

I got it I got it!

grind up the plaster pieces, add some water or lemon juice or bitters (cause we all know the boss can be sour sometimes...j/k) and make a paste and form it into a head/bust and...

(Image removed from quote.)
Wahh Laah! a keep-sake!

put it on the lawn or the window, give it to Megan for her next present

Megan thinks I'm too creepy looking to have something like that around....

Quote from: Weasel on May 29, 2016, 08:30:01 PM

Sorry about that buddy, the joys of renting! Im in the same position. The landlord likes my rent money but doing any work on the place , not so much

He's actually planning to be in first thing on Monday to fix it, so thankfully that much is okay. Of course this has me thinking about my building, a mere thousand (give or take) miles away....

Quote from: firiki on May 29, 2016, 08:44:22 PM

Par Toutatis!

I'm glad no-one was hurt. I've had the same thing happen to me twice...

The first time I was sleeping and a nice piece of the plaster fell on me, Ø about 1m. Fortunately it was in winter and I had a blanket all over me.

Second time, I was all cosy in my armchair watching football, then I stood up, walked two steps and boom, it fell right were I was seated!

In both cases there was no sign of warning before it happened, no sound nor even stains on the ceiling. I hope this doesn't happen a third time, it's not funny.

That's not good at all. They say once is an accident, twice is coincidental, but the third time means someone is gunning for you! Watch your back buddy, you never know what or who is lurking in the shadows!

I'm glad to hear that whomever may have it in for you is pretty inept!

Quote from: Gareth on May 29, 2016, 09:03:06 PM

Glad no-one was standing there boss.

Any large bulges in ceilings are going to go eventually in my experience. It's always unlikely that the plasterer made a bulge on purpose so seeing one means something has gone wrong. $:-\$

Yeah, I agree, and this is why I always try to fix these things the moment they even hint at a problem.

The landlord had a drywaller come in last night and remove all of the leftover hanging bits and drive screws around the perimeter just in case anything was missed. He was also nice to put plastic over the hole so we can cook without century old dust falling into whatever we were making.

Def

Alan K. · **Reply #20 on:** May 31, 2016, 08:15:42 AM

Quote from: WhichDawg on May 29, 2016, 08:28:35 PM

I got it I got it!

grind up the plaster pieces, add some water or lemon juice or bitters (cause we all know the boss can be sour sometimes...j/k) and make a paste and form it into a head/bust and...

(Image removed from quote.)
Wahh Laah! a keep-sake!

put it on the lawn or the window, give it to Megan for her next present

That would look so much better with a laurel.

WhichDawg · **Reply #21 on:** May 31, 2016, 09:56:28 AM

Quote from: Alan K. on May 31, 2016, 08:15:42 AM

That would look so much better with a laurel.

lol but... doesn't he have to win a chariot race or something first?

firiki · **Reply #22 on:** May 31, 2016, 10:11:35 AM

Quote from: WhichDawg on May 31, 2016, 09:56:28 AM

Quote from: Alan K. on May 31, 2016, 08:15:42 AM
That would look so much better with a laurel.

lol but... doesn't he have to win a chariot race or something first?

firiki · **Reply #23 on:** May 31, 2016, 10:17:16 AM

Quote from: Grant Lamontagne on May 30, 2016, 12:04:52 AM

I'm glad to hear that whomever may have it in for you is pretty inept!

Or maybe I'm just swift like the wind...

magentus · **Reply #24 on:** May 31, 2016, 10:27:16 AM

Quote from: firiki on May 31, 2016, 10:17:16 AM

Quote from: Grant Lamontagne on May 30, 2016, 12:04:52 AM
I'm glad to hear that whomever may have it in for you is pretty inept!

Or maybe I'm just swift like the wind...

watch your back firiki.

Whoey · **Reply #25 on:** May 31, 2016, 10:55:24 AM

bet it's nice that it's someone else's rental property disaster that you don't have to deal with...

nice that noone was under it when it fell though!

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #26 on:** May 31, 2016, 12:46:59 PM

I have to say, it is very nice to be on the side of the renter for once. Usually it's either my place or a friend's place and I have to deal with it.

Of course I'm being told by the landlord that he wants us to go away for a couple of weeks so that he can replace the entire ceiling so now I have to plan to be somewhere else for a while.

Def