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Probably looking at $30K to get back right, and that's doing it all myself.
yes
exposing still pristine dry, termite free Dade County Pine rafters.
Lose wires start fires. There's an open Neutral somewhere, and I don't think I cranked the lugs down on the Microwave several years back when it was installed.
Sounds like an AFCI maybe could have prevented this fire.
This has always been fear of mine too - wiring that shorts, but only a little bit, and so it's not enough current to trip the breaker to save you. But enough to get hot and cause fire.
Here's the Microwave cord, I think it got red hot and caught the cabinets on fire.
Was the microwave on or on right before the first started?
I always start with a Philips head screwdriver, then switch over to a flathead to do the final tightening.
I've been meaning to do some electrical upgrades to my home, and in particular I want to install lots of AFCIs and GFCIs. Probably GFCI outlets in the kitchen and bath areas, and then AFCI everywhere else. I think you can get them so you just pop an AFCI breaker switch into your breaker box and pow - that entire circuit gets AFCI protection.
Sounds like an AFCI maybe could have prevented this fire.
Hircus says
Sounds like an AFCI maybe could have prevented this fire.
I don't know. I think AFCI's are mostly a band aid for using cheap plastic boxes and romex (which also sucks). If you used armored cable and metal junction and outlet boxes, then AFCI's shouldn't be a requirement.
Really doesn't look that bad. Glad everyone is ok.
As far as finishing, I suggest Pine T&G instead of Drywall, unless you know how to hang and finish DW yourself.
Than you very much. I stopped at Publix today for water and coffee grounds, and passed by the Deli and was looking at their 12 inch Roast Beef sub for $7.99.
When a young black kid approached me and said "excuse me sir, I'm trying to put together a few dollars to get something to eat. " I asked him if he was hungry, and he said yes. I told him I would buy someone hungry something to eat. I got two Roast beef subs and told him to grab a half gallon ice tea too.
Planning on a corner stove layout.
Get that wiring checked n replaced to avoid future damage
I got about 2 hours of sleep, and spent all day cleaning up the mess in the kitchen, scrubbing walls and mopping up the house. Had soot everywhere, had to change the water a hundred times. I'll need to clean the AC coils tomorrow, and try to get a long duster in the ducts, Scrub the walls and ceiling throughout and then give them all a coat of Kilz.
Thankfully that 1950 plaster walls held up, and acted as a Fire Wall and kept the flames from spreading into the rafters and taking over the rest of the house. The fired department when they put out the fire, they pulled the charred ceiling in the kitchen, exposing still pristine dry, termite free Dade County Pine rafters. A little more demo and pulling nails, and it will be ready for drywall in no time. Though I would really like to research the building methods used on these walls so I can a)tie it into the rest of the house, b)not have a drywall and plaster transition on my ceiling. That never holds up, and will most likely require me having to pull out more of the existing ceiling to where the walls in the hallway and other separate rooms meet, to avoid a bad tie in to the plaster.
I'm also thankful the firemen didn't go blazing in the house with the nozzle on full blast and soaking everything. They went in and gave the hotspot over the stove a few quick nozzle turns, and kept the amount of water down. It turned out to be the wire from the back of the microwave fried and caught the cabinet on fire. I'm just lucky the firemen are just blocks down from me, and got here quickly.
It could have been a lot worse, and I'm very thankful it ended up the way it did. We were talking about a Kitchen remodel, I have been letting outdated wiring linger, because I didn't want to rip ruts into the walls to run new wires, and abandon the old black wire wrapped in fiberglass that was there. The microwave was a melted heaping mess ontop of the stove, which still will come on but the electronic soft switches that controls the oven melted away.
Probably looking at $30K to get back right, and that's doing it all myself.
Luckily the house when we bought it had a 1br efficiency on one side of the house we knocked a wall down and liberated it to join the rest of the house when we bought it. To give us the extra bedroom, plus the extra den with a kitchenette area. Which we took the stove out of, but keep a fridge on that side, and use the cabinets for all of the fancy cookery that are only used on occasion.
The ambulance chaser pulled up just minutes after the fire department left. He tried to stop me from entering the house as he's getting out of his car and suiting up to go in. I asked who are you? He said, I'm the fire restoration assessment, making himself sound like he's part of the fire department. I asked so you're with the city, he said no, and I finally nailed him down, that he was just a company showing up for a job. I told him, well I'm not insured. So he dropped his pitch tactics and fear mongering about the toxic cinide gasses and particles that are in the house, and the water from the fire department is going to cause spores of mold all over the house. I said, I know I used to be the recovery Racket! He laughed then asked, mind if I just take a look inside. He couldn't get past my optimism that everything is going to be OK. I told him, worrying is like praying for the worst to happen.
Good night everyone I sleep now!