Windsor Terrace Reno
« Parlour Floor Bathroom
March 8, 2008
What lies beneath
Just when we thought we were putting stressful renovation problems behind us, Mr. Limestone walked into the cellar last night to find this.
And this (viewer discretion strongly advised). Lets just say that ain't just water!
Mother#$&*$!
Mr. L leaped into action to get it under control. He moved the boxes out of the way and manned the wet vac to keep the damage to a minimum while he got all necessary parties on the way to get it fixed. By the time I got home, he had done it all which is a very good thing because while I wouldn't consider myself the type to be overwhelmed by house problems I call uncle when those problems involve human feces.
All the signs pointed to a sewage line collapse. Aside from the grossness factor, we were both pretty depressed at the thought of another huge bill as well as the major aggravation factor of ripping up sidewalks, getting more permits, etc..
I'm really happy to report that we were wrong! We had a sewage company come over with crew and camera. Evidently there was a blockage from rocks/bolts/other crap that must have come from the renovation debris. They snaked and sucked and water jetted the blockage until it was no more. We're a little lighter in the wallet ($900) but it was no where near as bad as it could have been ($10K+).
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Comments
This is why finishing a basement is never a great idea . btw i love the other pic
Posted by: guest at March 8, 2008 11:57 PM
Oh my god - that is no fun. Are these all the joys of home ownership that people talk about. Glad it was easily fixed.
Posted by: katiem633 at March 9, 2008 11:21 AM
The "finishes" are actually fine since its all tiled down there. In fact, we likely wouldn't have noticed as quickly if it was just a cellar pit we didn't like to go into. So the finishing part worked out okay for us. At least this time.
This would definitely not be one of the joys of home ownership. Like with anything worthwhile, you must take the good with the bad.
Posted by: Mrs. Limestone at March 9, 2008 1:53 PM
oh my bad . The floors looked like wood
Posted by: guest at March 9, 2008 10:07 PM
I had a similar problem after a renovation. The sanding of plaster and washing of contractor spackles and all other sorts of objects overflowed my main sewer line a week after the contractors had finished. Luckily I too was able to notice it before any damage
Posted by: guest at March 9, 2008 11:08 PM
A different question for Ms Limestone - what colour is on your walls ? Is it a blue grey (hard to tell on my computer). Thanks !
Posted by: guest at March 10, 2008 10:56 AM
So Glad it wasn't your sewer line. FWIW, the same thing happened during our reno...our plumber said it's all too painfully common during major construction.
Posted by: tinarina at March 10, 2008 12:29 PM
We have a finished English basement family room and get so much use out of it. We love it. It's worth dealing with the occasional "bad" to get the good stuff out of it.
I was horrified and worried seeing the post and the photo! My first thought was, it's just blocked not broken. Am glad to hear that's so.
We were told when we moved in to snake the sewer main for tree roots every 6 months and that advice has served us well. Even without cracks in the pipe the tree roots get in there. So plan on snaking regularly. It's possible the construction debris got hung up on tree roots.
Posted by: guest at March 10, 2008 3:14 PM
Did you use tile on the floor or wood? It's hard to tell from the photo. Looks great. I'm about to finish my basement and I'm looking for flooring options...
Posted by: guest at March 10, 2008 3:44 PM
Shit happens! (Couldn't resist!)
Posted by: B Square at March 10, 2008 3:56 PM
I am so, so, so, SO sorry for you. This happened to me once about 5 years ago, and it was dreadful...
My advice from experience: Throw out anything that can't be truly decontaminated and get several fans going down there immediately. Run those fans 24/7 for a few weeks. Even if you do all that, you may eventually find mold growing under the floor or even behind the walls. Wash the floors and walls a bunch of times with a bleachy solution...
Not trying to freak you out, but the bacteria from the waste is insane, and it may also take a long time for the smell to go away...
You might also call a company that specializes in these types of cleanups. We thought we could handle it ourselves but in hindsight I should have called a pro company in...
Posted by: guest at March 10, 2008 4:25 PM
I've been there.
I remember looking down the stairs into the basement and saying to myself "damn, the floor looks glossy," before saying and cleaning up what was down there.
Posted by: quig at March 10, 2008 4:40 PM
Do you have a "check valve" (also called a backflow valve) installed on the house main?
A very good idea if you have a finished basement/cellar.
Posted by: guest at March 10, 2008 4:53 PM
Color on the wall is a blue gray - its Benjamin Moore's "Metallic Silver"
Thanks for the cleaning advice. Will do.
Floors are tile.
Posted by: Mrs. Limestone at March 11, 2008 8:58 PM
Ms. Limestoner, I may be wrong but i was told that bleach DOES NOT kill mold. They said to use a vinegar solution instead. Might want to read up on it. I sprayed a gallon of vinegar in my flooded basement and it did the trick. After a few days the smell disappeared. Bleach is like 95% water and the chlorine level drops with prolonged shelf life and that extra water actually feeds the spores. That's why mold always returns in the same place in your shower. Bleach is good at killing bacteria though.
Posted by: guest at March 12, 2008 12:17 AM
Mrs. Limestone & 3:14: Can you or anyone else recommend a reputable company to periodically snake the sewer and drains? What does this cost? Thanks.
Posted by: guest at March 12, 2008 12:37 PM
Wow, and I thought all you had to worry about was the furniture down there (I never could understand why people put nice carpet and furniture in basements - maybe becuase they figure their insurance will pay when it floods?)
But mold behind walls and flooring, that's a whole 'nother issue. Makes me think the builders may have right to leave the basements unfinished.
Posted by: guest at March 13, 2008 5:45 PM
Mrs. Limestone, I love your house. You've done a wonderful job, and I've enjoyed watching every step. We are considering a reno of our basement to turn it into a family rec area, and would love to hear more details about your cellar and to see more pictures too.
Posted by: guest at March 15, 2008 1:19 PM
You should have your careless contractor pay the bill!
Posted by: guest at March 15, 2008 5:03 PM
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