We arrived home from a trip to Silver Dollar City and found a leak in our basement bathroom. The upscale particle board was swollen with moisture. Of course inside the cabinet everything was dry. Plus all the moisture damage was below the cabinet floor. Time to get the tools (and call dad before I do anything too insane!). A few test holes revealed there was water behind the cabinet, flowing underneath. So out came the back of the cabinet (the picture above) – only the leak wasn’t there, but dripping down the drain pipe.

My head is now in the wall, the trail of the drip led straight up the pipe. But even with the water running it was hard to follow the thin water line. Then I noticed the screw holding up the light fixture (see picture). So down came the light fixture and a new hole in the wall revealed… a minor scratch. An expert plumber probably realized the screw had not penetrated the PVC – alas I am not. So after the light fixture was back in place – with the screw in a different spot – I was again searching for the hole.

Where was the leak? You can actually see it in the picture. But looking from six feet below it was hard to tell where the trail started. Until we started the water again and saw the slightest bubble from the pipe.

Of course the leak was right in the middle of the bathroom mirror. A mirror that was glued to the wall.  I can not fathom why they did not use screws and the plastic clips – because getting the mirror down resulted in cratered drywall and a broken mirror… what will the next seven years hold? Sorry church!

Another cut in the drywall revealed the leak. A small round hole right through the side of the pvc drain pipe. I can only assume it was a nail – but when? The leak was not on the wall side. Nor were there any nearby holes through the drywall. So did the builder use damaged PVC?? When we bought the house the cabinet had old water damage. The house inspector assumed it was from a basement flood… Or maybe this leak was the privilege of buying a new house.

How easy it would have been to fix right away… but the easiest thing for the person putting up the pipe  was to leave it.

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In life we cut corners. Not often for ourselves – we do not want to clean up the rotting cabinets! Instead, as we serve others we rarely give them our best. We give leftovers… and expect them to be happy.

I wonder what life would look like if we always did our best?