The fun of home ownership.
Feb. 24th, 2011 02:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
xiphiasThe GOOD news is that we found it before it caused damage.
See, we have busted-up-old-crappy washers and dryers in our basement. They're actually not technically ours -- they belonged to the tenants, and so we, as landlords, had nothing to do with installing or maintaining them. However, they were abandoned when the tenants moved out, and we thought it'd be a good idea to have washers and dryers that actually WORK for our tenants. So we are now buying new ones. Not fancy, but a solid, decent washer and dryer for the first floor and the third floor. We live on the second floor, and have a washer and dryer in our bathroom, so we don't need to go to the basement for ours.
We were also aware that the plumbing on those washers is . . . dodgy. So we wanted it to be re-done, done up to code, and competently. Also, we wanted the dryers to vent their lint properly, instead of all over the basement, so we are getting someone to do THAT.
Getting the washer and dryer was no problem. Gray's Appliance, across the street, had a couple old-style washers and dryers that were new, and solidly built, but discontinued models. They don't have any computers in them, so they can't do any of the neat sensing and stuff like that, but they CAN wash and dry clothes effectively. So they sold us those, and threw in a discount, too. Total, including hauling away and disposing of the old ones, and delivering and installing the new ones (okay, they're delivering across the street -- they can quite literally wheel them across on a cart, if they want to, but still), will be $1853. That's a chunk of change, but one that we can handle. It's in our "We are landlords and have to spend money to keep the house built right" fund.
The venting isn't going to be a problem, either. Bill Gray, Senior, has a friend who is a former fire chief in Melrose, who is now mainly retired, but does light carpentry and ductwork and stuff to keep his hand in. He came over and is going to have no problem getting the dryers to vent properly. And up to code. Former fire chiefs are actually really big on making sure that things are up to code and safe, actually. That's probably only going to be a couple hundred bucks to have it done and done right.
And for the plumbing, I called Hinchey Brothers, right down the street. We've used them before; they're local, competent, efficient, and their pricing is fair. Not, y'know, CHEAP, but not expensive as competent plumbing and heating goes. Sam Hinchey came over, and looked at the thing, and winced.
The thing was a MESS. In order to get the thing just up to code, and to get the hot water for the first floor washer to come from the first floor hot water heater, and the third floor from the third floor, and the drainage to drain into the sewer line properly and all that?
I'd been thinking, maybe something like $600. Nope; it's enough of a mess that he thought it'd be more like $2000.
So, as long as he was there, he kept looking around. I mean, once you're doing a major project, it makes sense to at least look around and find out if there are any other problems to take care of at the same time. And one of the drain pipes looked kind of grotty to him, so he looked it over. There were cracks building in the side of one of the cast iron pipes. He kept looking, and found a BIG crack which had almost broken through, a little higher up. He kept looking.
And there's a GIANT FREAKIN' HOLE in the top side of one of the pipes that takes sewage out of our house. I mean, I could squeeze my fist into that hole. Nothing's leaked out because it's the TOP of the pipe, but, yeah.
Yeah, that's getting replaced.
Total bill for plumbing? We're looking at, like, $3600. For the plumbing. Plus $1853 for the washers and dryers, plus a couple hundred for venting the dryer. Yeah, we're looking at five and a half there.
AND we're replacing a door on the third floor, and we need to re-key or replace all the locks in the house. THAT, at least, shouldn't be too much of a problem.
And THEN, once Ben moves upstairs, we have three weeks to get the DOWNSTAIRS completely fixed up before Ford moves in. THAT'S gonna take money, too.
Still, I'm really grateful that we're spending $3600 on the plumbing NOW, rather than whatever it would cost to fix a sewage pipe that actually broke in half, which is what that thing is on its way to doing.
See, we have busted-up-old-crappy washers and dryers in our basement. They're actually not technically ours -- they belonged to the tenants, and so we, as landlords, had nothing to do with installing or maintaining them. However, they were abandoned when the tenants moved out, and we thought it'd be a good idea to have washers and dryers that actually WORK for our tenants. So we are now buying new ones. Not fancy, but a solid, decent washer and dryer for the first floor and the third floor. We live on the second floor, and have a washer and dryer in our bathroom, so we don't need to go to the basement for ours.
We were also aware that the plumbing on those washers is . . . dodgy. So we wanted it to be re-done, done up to code, and competently. Also, we wanted the dryers to vent their lint properly, instead of all over the basement, so we are getting someone to do THAT.
Getting the washer and dryer was no problem. Gray's Appliance, across the street, had a couple old-style washers and dryers that were new, and solidly built, but discontinued models. They don't have any computers in them, so they can't do any of the neat sensing and stuff like that, but they CAN wash and dry clothes effectively. So they sold us those, and threw in a discount, too. Total, including hauling away and disposing of the old ones, and delivering and installing the new ones (okay, they're delivering across the street -- they can quite literally wheel them across on a cart, if they want to, but still), will be $1853. That's a chunk of change, but one that we can handle. It's in our "We are landlords and have to spend money to keep the house built right" fund.
The venting isn't going to be a problem, either. Bill Gray, Senior, has a friend who is a former fire chief in Melrose, who is now mainly retired, but does light carpentry and ductwork and stuff to keep his hand in. He came over and is going to have no problem getting the dryers to vent properly. And up to code. Former fire chiefs are actually really big on making sure that things are up to code and safe, actually. That's probably only going to be a couple hundred bucks to have it done and done right.
And for the plumbing, I called Hinchey Brothers, right down the street. We've used them before; they're local, competent, efficient, and their pricing is fair. Not, y'know, CHEAP, but not expensive as competent plumbing and heating goes. Sam Hinchey came over, and looked at the thing, and winced.
The thing was a MESS. In order to get the thing just up to code, and to get the hot water for the first floor washer to come from the first floor hot water heater, and the third floor from the third floor, and the drainage to drain into the sewer line properly and all that?
I'd been thinking, maybe something like $600. Nope; it's enough of a mess that he thought it'd be more like $2000.
So, as long as he was there, he kept looking around. I mean, once you're doing a major project, it makes sense to at least look around and find out if there are any other problems to take care of at the same time. And one of the drain pipes looked kind of grotty to him, so he looked it over. There were cracks building in the side of one of the cast iron pipes. He kept looking, and found a BIG crack which had almost broken through, a little higher up. He kept looking.
And there's a GIANT FREAKIN' HOLE in the top side of one of the pipes that takes sewage out of our house. I mean, I could squeeze my fist into that hole. Nothing's leaked out because it's the TOP of the pipe, but, yeah.
Yeah, that's getting replaced.
Total bill for plumbing? We're looking at, like, $3600. For the plumbing. Plus $1853 for the washers and dryers, plus a couple hundred for venting the dryer. Yeah, we're looking at five and a half there.
AND we're replacing a door on the third floor, and we need to re-key or replace all the locks in the house. THAT, at least, shouldn't be too much of a problem.
And THEN, once Ben moves upstairs, we have three weeks to get the DOWNSTAIRS completely fixed up before Ford moves in. THAT'S gonna take money, too.
Still, I'm really grateful that we're spending $3600 on the plumbing NOW, rather than whatever it would cost to fix a sewage pipe that actually broke in half, which is what that thing is on its way to doing.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-24 07:37 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-24 07:52 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-24 09:11 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-24 09:39 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-24 10:40 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-24 10:03 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-24 10:35 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-25 12:04 am (UTC)Good on ya for being upright folks. And for taking care of things the right way. Mike Holmes would be proud of you.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-25 12:11 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-25 02:31 am (UTC)Remember the time I took the duct tape off my bathroom sink drain pipe, and it turned out there was no pipe, only duct tape? And the loss of integrity caused the drain pipe for the clawfoot tub, which happend to be full at the time, to collapse into the basement? Fun times.
At least that water was clean. If your sewage pipes had let go.... *shudder*
Home Ownership
Date: 2011-02-25 12:10 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-25 02:41 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-27 10:41 am (UTC)