An ounce of prevention

Following up on what Steve sent me yesterday, this is the worst of the silly little things that lead to fairly serious damage to homes.

The worst case of a tiny neglect that led to big damage was in a house I didn’t see myself. New clients of mine reported this. An elderly gentleman lived alone in this house for many years. My clients described this: “The old fellow must have missed the toilet every day for years. It smelled of urine and there was a ring of rot around the bottom.” My clients may have been right about the ring of rot and the smell, but they were wrong about the gentleman’s aim.

The cause of this problem is a loose toilet. Over the years, the two screws that hold the toilet to the floor will loosen up. Then, every flush allows a couple of drops of toilet water to leak through the wax seal inside the toilet. Drip, drip. Many years later, rot around the toilet and a urine smell.

Simple problem. Simple solution…But wait! There is also a simple catastrophe if the rush in to fix this. Tighten those toilet screws slowly. Maybe a quarter turn at a time, then go to the other side. Toilets are surprisingly easy to crack. So, a little bit…switch sides…a little more until it is snug.

I found out about cracked toilets when I was renting a place near Port Jefferson Harbor in New York. One of my housemates, Ricky Bader, took it upon himself to fix our toilet. A few minutes into the job, a word that I can’t print here was heard throughout our little cottage. I couldn’t understand how he managed to crack something a thick ceramic toilet. I gave him no sympathy. He must have been acting like a macho fool, I thought back then. I was wrong... Ricky, are you out there? I owe you an apology.

Check your toilet. Tighten it carefully, if it is loose.

What other little repairs had you shouting words I can't print here?