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The Plumbing Saga, continued
Jan. 2nd, 2004 12:27 amThe plumbing leaked into the basement all that weekend. Dad would go downstairs periodically to empty the buckets and poke around in the ceiling, trying to no avail to find the leaking pipe, though he did manage to isolate the cold water into the master bedroom sink as the source. He called the plumbers first thing on Monday morning, then ripped out their vanity. The plumbers arrived early in the afternoon.
Fortunately, they were able to isolate the problem immediately as the crappy plumbing immediately behind the vanity. The drywall was soaked through, and Dad realized as he knelt outside the bathroom that their bedroom carpet was getting wet. I imagine these guys have done a fair amount of work on houses in this neighborhood, because they knew exactly where to access the pipes for the master bathroom. They also knew that the particular pipes installed in our house are only guaranteed for a year, where many are guaranteed for a lifetime; in fact, they performed the same operation on our kitchen pipes earlier this year. They told Dad that they needed to do both bathrooms -- after all, with the plumbing in the kitchen and master bath having gone within a year of each other, it's only a matter of time before the main bathroom needs the same work. Dad would need to knock out, up to four feet high, the entire length of the wall in their bedroom that adjoins both bathrooms, as well as sections of the wall in the master bath. They could return to do the work as early as Jan. 5; remember, this was the Monday before Christmas. It would be a $1500 job and would take two weeks. Dad said he'd let them know.
Personally, I tend to be very wary about my dad doing housework. It's not that I think he's incapable -- I know he's not -- but that he has a tendency to leave projects unfinished. I hear, "tear out the vanity," and, "knock out the walls," and I think, Oh, they're going to have holes in their bedroom wall forever! I don't think I really took him seriously when he suggested that he fix the plumbing himself. But he does have the appropriate certification; he got it when they were doing the family room downstairs, as they talked about finishing the rest of the basement.
The first thing he did was cap the pipes to the sink and restore water to their bathroom, so they still had a toilet and a shower. The pipes were no longer leaking, and we were all able to get on with life. We celebrated Christmas, went to visit family ... but that's a whole different story.
This past Monday, Dad went to a local plumbing store and got advice, pipes, fittings, tools, and just about everything else he needed. He even took in a couple of digital pictures of the old plumbing, when in doubt.
The plumbing for the master bathroom is now fixed. New tools and all, he spent less than $200 on it. And I have a whole new respect for my dad.
But there are still holes in the walls.
Fortunately, they were able to isolate the problem immediately as the crappy plumbing immediately behind the vanity. The drywall was soaked through, and Dad realized as he knelt outside the bathroom that their bedroom carpet was getting wet. I imagine these guys have done a fair amount of work on houses in this neighborhood, because they knew exactly where to access the pipes for the master bathroom. They also knew that the particular pipes installed in our house are only guaranteed for a year, where many are guaranteed for a lifetime; in fact, they performed the same operation on our kitchen pipes earlier this year. They told Dad that they needed to do both bathrooms -- after all, with the plumbing in the kitchen and master bath having gone within a year of each other, it's only a matter of time before the main bathroom needs the same work. Dad would need to knock out, up to four feet high, the entire length of the wall in their bedroom that adjoins both bathrooms, as well as sections of the wall in the master bath. They could return to do the work as early as Jan. 5; remember, this was the Monday before Christmas. It would be a $1500 job and would take two weeks. Dad said he'd let them know.
Personally, I tend to be very wary about my dad doing housework. It's not that I think he's incapable -- I know he's not -- but that he has a tendency to leave projects unfinished. I hear, "tear out the vanity," and, "knock out the walls," and I think, Oh, they're going to have holes in their bedroom wall forever! I don't think I really took him seriously when he suggested that he fix the plumbing himself. But he does have the appropriate certification; he got it when they were doing the family room downstairs, as they talked about finishing the rest of the basement.
The first thing he did was cap the pipes to the sink and restore water to their bathroom, so they still had a toilet and a shower. The pipes were no longer leaking, and we were all able to get on with life. We celebrated Christmas, went to visit family ... but that's a whole different story.
This past Monday, Dad went to a local plumbing store and got advice, pipes, fittings, tools, and just about everything else he needed. He even took in a couple of digital pictures of the old plumbing, when in doubt.
The plumbing for the master bathroom is now fixed. New tools and all, he spent less than $200 on it. And I have a whole new respect for my dad.
But there are still holes in the walls.
