My 'quick' attic ladder fix turned into a 9-hour ordeal in Phoenix

I thought a loose hinge just needed 20 minutes with a drill, but the whole frame was rotted from a leak I never caught, and by the time I rebuilt the framing and patched the ceiling it was dark out, so has anyone else had a 'simple' repair balloon like this and what did you wish you checked first?

2 comments

2 Comments

jesse_cooper23d ago

Took me 11 hours just to change a bathroom faucet once, so I feel your pain on a spiritual level. I turned off the water, went to swap the supply lines, and the shutoff valve literally crumbled in my hand like a stale cookie. Next thing I know I'm at Home Depot at 9pm buying a torch and PEX fittings because the pipe was corroded half way up the wall. I wish I'd checked the shutoff valves before I even touched the faucet, and I wish I'd just called a plumber at hour two instead of hour nine. My wife still brings up the "quick faucet job" every time I say something will only take a few minutes. At least your attic ladder is solid now, mine still drips occasionally when it rains.

phoenix_campbell8823d ago

Always check for water damage before touching anything in an attic. Rot hides behind everything and turns a 20 minute job into a whole weekend wasted.