We’ve been involved in a years-long home remodel…basically since we moved in to the old money-pit, we’ve been fixing something. We demolished the office and bathroom in the lower level. When we did that, we found water issues and that’s really sort of what started our whole foundation project. So, the foundation is done and working well. I am pretty much out of excuses so I am back to working on the home project.
Our house was built in 1939. I think that was before they invented cold because there is absolutely no insulation in our house. Well, there was no insulation until I started another project earlier in the year. Still, a too-large portion of our house is uninsulated. As a part of the lower-level basement and office construction, we are studding out new walls from the existing masonry walls that work as huge temperature conductors presently. In order to re-stud the walls, I had to move a bit of the bathroom plumbing. Sweating copper is not too big of a deal, so I cut off the water using one of the many shut-offs we are fortunate enough to have in the water lines.
So, the clues start rolling in as soon as we try to turn off the water. First of all, the valve had hieroglyphics written on it. As I turned it, I could hear the old washer inside grinding away. The water would not completely cut off of course. It just kept on dripping…not full blast, but dripping. I was left with no alternative but to cut off the water to the whole house. That valve is new and worked! So, I turned off all the water and started cutting out the old pipe so I could hook up the new pipes around the studded out walls. (jump ahead…once I got everything hooked up, I turned the water back on and the old valve started leaking out the top…the washers inside had disintegrated indeed….that project will be next on the list!)
Cutting copper pipe is no big deal at all with a handy pipe cutting tool. They’re cheap and easy and work so well…unless you have ancient pipe. They made serious pipe “back then” apparently. My cutter’s blade was not able to cut the full depth of the old pipe. I got a good groove cut into the old pipe, but had to finish it off with a hacksaw. Luckily I had room to work! At first, I wondered if the pipe was in fact copper. It looks like copper. It was definitely not steel or iron. Maybe it was brass but I can’t imagine brass pipes…not as much as I have in my house.
Anyhow, I got the old pipe out and the new installed. I decided to sweat the bulk of the pipe outside away from the dry wood that makes up the interior of my house. A good plumber might not burn my house down but I had no interest in testing my skills as a good plumber. So I got all of the fittings and pipe joined outside and simply had to carry the joined pipes inside and make one connection to complete the project. I could have soldered the last connection, but I found this great “push together” connection at my local big-box home improvement store. Just shove pipes in each end and they’re joined. These fittings are too expensive to use everywhere but one connection is within my budget!
So, the project is progressing nicely, but of course, it’s never as simple as it seems!
What about you…do you have any good home repair stories? Please tell me I am not alone! I beg you!
Our house isn’t too old so we don’t have any serious problems. I admit my husband was able to fix the stove when one of the units (the big oen) stopped working. He bought a new coil which did not fix it. But then we read online that the knob to turn on the unit should be replaced. We purchased the knob and its electrical components online as well. He was able to fix it but that knob sticks out about 1/2 an inch from the stove. I have four working unit now but we did sink some money into buying the new coil which did not fix it.
We had a horror story a couple years ago. The main beam snapped. This caused all the pipes to also “disconnect”…and empty into the crawl space.
I’d take your projects – ANY day of the week.
.-= Gizmo´s last blog ..Spinning, spinning, spinning =-.
Our house has been pretty easy so far. We have had to fix the air condition which is very important when you live on the face of the sun. We tend to have problems like “Mom someone turned the bathtub on and then we left and went to town and when we got back it was like a slip inside!” (Got that call in the middle of a 24 hour shift). It’s just a matter of time…
You rock at house-fixing skills, man!
I have some things that need to be painted and a couple ceiling fans that need to be put in. When can you be here? 🙂
.-= Ceecee´s last blog ..A Public Service Announcement =-.
Our house was built in 1956 and really, only the kitchen had been updated. We’ve remedied that somewhat. Of course, all our updates come at a high price (contractors!). So, we chip away a little at a time.
We wanted to have our septic tank cleaned out and the company that came flushed some kind of detector down the toilet to find out where it was. They showed me where and I borrowed my neighbors back hoe to dig (trying to save money!)… I dug a FINE hole… over 7 feet deep! It wasn’t there.
They said they would flush another ‘better’ detector but it would cost me twice as much! Needless to say, that company didn’t get the job.
Turned out the septic tank was buried 6 feet underneath my goldfish pond! Had to rip the whole thing out! There’s more to this sad tale but I think that’s enough for you to get the picture!
.-= Caprilis´s last blog ..24 Years and Still Goin Strong! =-.
Hubby once took out the only toilet in the house to repair the bathroom floor in our circa 1900 house…it was out all weekend…I was almost 9 months pregnant. I still haven’t forgiven him and that child is now 21! Kim
.-= the inadvertent farmer´s last blog ..Not Me, I Would Never Shave a Camel! =-.
Honey’s motto is, he’ll try it! Every one of his projects requires at LEAST 30 trips to Home Depot.
He is very handy, and saves us many dollars by doing it himself.But sometimes in the middle of it? I want to live somewhere else!
.-= Capri Kel´s last blog ..What Doing? =-.
That is one thick copper pipe- I’ve never see one like that. Or that connector… I’ll have to remember it in case I need one!
.-= Beau´s last blog ..Changes in Autumn =-.
you can still buy that thick pipe at larger plumbing supply stores. if i remember correctly it is called type “K” standard pipe is “M” and slightly thicker stuff for burying is “L”
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