Thursday, December 09, 2004
The Big Dig
Yesterday was the start of digging up the driveway to access the sewer line. I got to the place early to meet with the contractor and started dismantling a portion of the retaining wall so that creating the turnaround would be that much easier for the heavy equipment. I figure, the more I prep a job, the cheaper and more efficient it will be.
After dismantling a six foot section of wall, I had a chance to check out my neighbor's house which is a mirror image of mine. He's done some really cool things with his place, but I'm skeptical of his solution for the wet basement—instead of creating French drains inside or outside or using a sump pump system, he's raised his floor with wood, letting the water flow freely underneath. He mentioned he had mouse problems... I can only wonder why.
I also trimmed the tree out front, which will eventually have to come down. It's a shame because it currently shields my front window from the busy street out front, but the 40' pine is eroding my foundation, and it's suspected to be the cause of the sewer problems. I've considered removing it myself when the dumpster comes by using my rock climbing gear, climbing to the top of the tree and using my sawzall to cut it down, piece by piece, but I want to think more on that before I go ahead with the project.
Once the plumber finally arrived, he brought some forms for my other neighbors to sign, acknowledging that the boundary for the turnaround was OK with them.
******
After work, I went out to Sears and bought the big mama dehumidifier. it's a 70 pint system with a drain hose and a heating coil that will keep the unit running below 60°. When I got to the place, a nice little Mustang back hoe was sitting directly over the 4' long, 5' deep hole leading to the sewer. Nice work guys... Once I got the dehumidi running, I went upstairs to start ripping out the kitchen floor.
The edges came out nicely, revealing similar tile underneath as what was found in the basement. Unfortunately, the middle section of the floor was a different story. I pried as much as I could for an hour or so, then decided to pour some water on the floor in hopes of loosening the glue. Then I headed to my favorite establishment for a refreshment before retiring for the evening.
After dismantling a six foot section of wall, I had a chance to check out my neighbor's house which is a mirror image of mine. He's done some really cool things with his place, but I'm skeptical of his solution for the wet basement—instead of creating French drains inside or outside or using a sump pump system, he's raised his floor with wood, letting the water flow freely underneath. He mentioned he had mouse problems... I can only wonder why.
I also trimmed the tree out front, which will eventually have to come down. It's a shame because it currently shields my front window from the busy street out front, but the 40' pine is eroding my foundation, and it's suspected to be the cause of the sewer problems. I've considered removing it myself when the dumpster comes by using my rock climbing gear, climbing to the top of the tree and using my sawzall to cut it down, piece by piece, but I want to think more on that before I go ahead with the project.
Once the plumber finally arrived, he brought some forms for my other neighbors to sign, acknowledging that the boundary for the turnaround was OK with them.
******
After work, I went out to Sears and bought the big mama dehumidifier. it's a 70 pint system with a drain hose and a heating coil that will keep the unit running below 60°. When I got to the place, a nice little Mustang back hoe was sitting directly over the 4' long, 5' deep hole leading to the sewer. Nice work guys... Once I got the dehumidi running, I went upstairs to start ripping out the kitchen floor.
The edges came out nicely, revealing similar tile underneath as what was found in the basement. Unfortunately, the middle section of the floor was a different story. I pried as much as I could for an hour or so, then decided to pour some water on the floor in hopes of loosening the glue. Then I headed to my favorite establishment for a refreshment before retiring for the evening.
