Monday, July 18, 2005

The Sky is Falling!

Ok, not quite but my downstairs bathroom ceiling is. I walked in there this evening and noticed the ceiling sagging pregnantly and a large crack on either side of the plasterboard ... er ... board. Doesn't look too good.

Phoned Norwich Union, our insurance company, and got a helpful (not) chap who told me they wouldn't do anything until a plumber had been and sorted it out. Wife is in the background loudly telling me that we are changing back to Direct Line when this is sorted, posibly not the best way to encourage him to be helpful.

Luckily a neighbour is a builder and dabbles with pipes when he's pressed and he popped round to take a look (email me if you live in or around Telford and need a good builder and I'll pass your details on). He checked the upstairs and downstairs bathrooms and said the ceiling is going to have to come down to find the leak because it's under the bath and it can't be done without talking to the insurance company.

I phoned them back and got a helpful (really) lady on the phone who said they will send an emergency builder round to secure the ceiling and the electrics and would I like them to come in the morning or tonight. It was late so I plumped for tomorrow morning. They said to take some pictures of the ceiling before anything is done, the builder will come tomorrow to secure the ceiling and then we can get the plumber in to fix the leak. We have to pay for the plumber ourselves which I'm not best pleased about but it's my fault for not checking the cover on the policy properly I guess. Once the plumber has been we just need to call the builder and they'll come and repair the damage and re-decorate what needs decorating.

All it's costing us is the plumber and a £60 excess so it could be worse.

Overall, not particularly satisfied with Norwich Union but they have time to change my mind still.