Craig Ellwood home demolished
Jilly
14 days ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (26)
Jilly
14 days agolast modified: 14 days agoRelated Discussions
That Old House
Comments (53)Today was the water event. It's about 4, everybody has left except the plumber and Moses, who is cleaning up and getting ready to get a bucket of water from the hose in the basement (our only source) (until now *giggle*). I say to DH, whatchadoing sweetie, and he says, letting some air into the radiators, and I say, isn't there still water in 'm, and he says, nonono, don't worry. I listen to the gurgling in the pipes and say, I hear the air, it's bubbling through liquid, I wonder what it is if there isn't any water in them anymore, and DH says, no, really, don't worry, it's only a tiny bit of water, they have been drained already, and it goes into the pipe in the basement. I say, what pipe, and then where does it go, and he, really, honey, don't worry, it's under control. This is when Moses comes running up the basement stairs calling, water, water, from de pipe, water from de pipe! The plumber says, Moses, calm down, and Moses says, water from de pipe! In de basemen! And the plumber, calmly, let's go look, Moses, you show me. Calmly goes with Moses to the basement. DH is looking bewildered and runs ahead of them. I'm suppressing a nervous grin and follow. Gurgling in the background, and splashing sounds ahead. When I get down the stairs there's water pouring and squirting out of a pipe that's nicely capped off, but, cut off above its "t"... DH under it, trying to hold the cut piece tight against the capped piece (not helping). The plumber says, calmly, aha, I see Moses, you're right, from the pipe. Moses explains (hard to understand), how he first noticed or something. Plumber goes to boiler and calmly says something about the water still in there. In view of the calm plumber, DH gives up on stemming the flow from above and while plumber opens a valve (or something) on the boiler, DH says something about an open valve (or something) on the other side, and points. This is when water starts spouting out of the open valve (or something) on the other side. The hose from our water source is reassigned to the boiler where DH is pointing. Plumber needs a wrench to get the hose loose (I hand tightened it, I didn't know I was that strong?) and attaches it on the boiler valve. It starts spouting at its other end, but it can't reach the hole in the floor. I notice that the floor is quite uneven and the hole is definitely uphill. I grab the hose and double-fold it and hold it up high. It squirts but not bad. Moses slinks by with a bucket to fill at the water source to go wash outside... O yes, I saw him! He didn't want to get wet the same way as the rest of us! Well, he does have to go home on the subway, so I suppose that's a good enough excuse. Moses exits by the basement bulkhead. DH and plumber look at each other and stop to think. They find a piece of PVC pipe to help the hose get the water to the hole, I go get a broom, and the men disappear. Shortly after this the water stops running out of the pipe in the ceiling as well as out of the hose. They either did something smart? or else, all the water has drained out of the radiators and the boiler. Meanwhile I fish an electrical extension cord out of the giant puddle. Only thanks to our Almighty who always looks so well after me, and to the fact that it has a very fat plug so the critical part is still dry - and I think the electricians have dutifully switched the power off when they went home - shudder. I hang all the electrical wires over a board. For the next half hour or so I keep myself out of trouble brooming water uphill to the hole... The (wet) plumber goes home calmly after having a happy discussion with (wet) DH about bikes, Harleys, and his ?RoadKing? in particular, while the two munch on the last few inches of peanuts in the XL jar. DH brings a fan downstairs to help dry out the basement. I am the lucky one, I'm not very wet to start with and I can go and put dry things on in the camper. Only my sandals are a bit soppy. We grab McD dinner on the way home. Burger on a carb bun with carb fries. I have a carb sweet ice tea and DH has a carb milkshake. Chocolate. We deserve every one of them! *grin* I think I'll have a shower before I go to bed. :) Mary *Oh, the plumber is going to have such a field day with it tomorrow...*...See MorePlant sellers - should they be responsible for pests?
Comments (7)It's the responsibiltiy of the department of agricultures, the USDA and states, to be sure clean stock is grown. Growers are required to have something signed by an inspector of the state department of ag shipped with the plants denoting that the plants are clean. They also list other pests that are specifically checked for such as RIFA and that brown snail. However, there's little control at the retail level. The only time inspectors ever (they do surprise inspections but that is becoming very rare) inspect retail outlets is for pesticide compliance, traps for detecting certain pests, and when actively searching for pests such as SOD and Raulstonia, which basically started at the grower/wholesale level anyways. Retailers can be better at refusing diseased or insect infested material, they have that right without being punished for it. However that is something you will likely not see at the big box store level. This is the problem with Craig's List, E-bay, etc. You can't regulate it, and it was one of the big reasons why (along with a big name national grower) daylily rust spread so fast and into so many northern states a few summers ago. Who knows how many pests have spread this way....See MoreHiring builder to build on your lot?
Comments (13)We owned our lot, worked with an architect on our plans, then found our builder. We own commercial real estate, so asked our subs (we trust and have do work for us for 30+ years) who they would recommend. Then we called our local Association of Home Builder's and asked DH cousin for a couple of names. We had meetings with two local builders. The first we had walked through houses he was building and liked the quality. He was 150K over what we thought it should be (we build our own commercial buildings so have a clue about costs). They had a large office, staff, etc. = high overhead. The second builder was the one with the best word-of-mouth references from our subs. Did not hear one negative word about him before, during or after. He works out of his home, and it's just him = no overhead. We got the exact same house, finishes, etc. I would use him again in a heartbeat. As a small company, he only works on one house at a time (was finishing up one, then started ours. At end of our build, he was starting ground work on next house.) He was there almost every single day. We were very involved. He watched out for our bottom dollar and we did not go over budget. He charged 10% and there were no change orders/fees during construction... that said, very little was changed during construction (only a wall in the bathroom). A major change (room addition, for example) would have added to his fee. Any friends or acquaintances (schools, church, work, etc) that have built within the last few years that you could ask about their builds? Any plumbing or electrical company you use on a regular basis to ask? Subs are quick to tell you who is good to work for/with and who they would stay away from....See MoreAdvice on coping with demolished kitchen and lack of sink
Comments (18)You can go a loooooong time without a kitchen. We've been without a kitchen for 13 months now. Here it is yesterday. I put an electric burner in the laundry room. That corner is 12" x 6". The sink is either the powder room sink when I'm downstairs or my bathroom sink upstairs. Here is where the bulk of my cooking takes place. My bathroom vanity with a Breville and microwave. I have a prep space of 12"x6" to the left of the appliances. It's actually only a little smaller than the prep space in my original kitchen. We used to go out a lot then gained a huge amount of weight and that much eating out makes me feel ill. For the past 3 months, I was no longer stuck in a hospital 24/7 so I've been making all our meals at home except for one. We're talking 3 course dinners like: Lemon pepper chicken, spicy corn on the cob and Brussel sprouts with bacon. Chicken blue cheese salad and caprese salad as a starter before Almond crusted tilapia. Its easy to do and I rarely spend more than 15 minutes prep time except for the chicken pot pie. Cooking time is me watching TV and working on the kitchen while things bake. I always have different kinds of soups, quiches and pot pie in the fridge/freezer now for the days that I'm too lazy or tired for DH's packed lunch. DH has lost 20 lbs since Christmas now with home pack lunches only instead of buying every day. Don't be too worried about not having a real kitchen....See MoreJilly
14 days agoarcy_gw
13 days agoJilly
13 days agolast modified: 13 days agoJilly
9 days ago
Related Stories
ARCHITECTUREBack to the Futuro: Tour a Lovingly Restored ‘Spaceship’ Home
Travel back to the ’60s Space Age with a rare glimpse inside an original House of the Future
Full StoryFEATURESHouzz Tour: A Daughter Restores Her Stunning Childhood Home
Her midcentury modern home in Ojai, California, was created in 1959 by a Case Study House designer
Full StoryDECORATING GUIDES7 Tips to Sell Your Home Faster to a Younger Buyer
Draw today's home buyers by appealing to their tastes, with these guidelines from an expert decorator
Full StorySELLING YOUR HOUSEA Moving Diary: Lessons From Selling My Home
After 79 days of home cleaning, staging and — at last — selling, a mom comes away with a top must-do for her next abode
Full StorySELLING YOUR HOUSEThe Latest Info on Renovating Your Home to Sell
Pro advice about where to put your remodeling dollars for success in selling your home
Full StoryHOUZZ TOURSMy Houzz: Eclectic, Artistic Rented House in Ojai
Original artwork, vintage furniture and vivid colors saturate a designer's quirky Southern California space. And wait 'til you see the swing
Full StoryHOUZZ TOURSHouzz Tour: From Burned Down to Done Up in Las Vegas
A fire gutted this midcentury home — and laid the groundwork for a beautiful new floor plan
Full StoryHOUZZ TOURSMy Houzz: Original Drawings Guide a Midcentury Gem's Reinvention
Architect's spec book in hand, a Washington couple lovingly re-creates their midcentury home with handmade furniture and thoughtful details
Full StoryDECLUTTERINGDownsizing Help: How to Edit Your Belongings
Learn what to take and what to toss if you're moving to a smaller home
Full StoryGREEN BUILDINGThe Future of Smart Design: Reuse, Reduce, Recycle
See why reducing waste in a home construction project should appeal to every architect, designer and client
Full Story
elunia