This Old House Gets New Pipes

Living in an older home has its good points -- beautiful wood trim, nooks and crannies, built-ins, leaded glass. Of course it has its downsides, too, like when the only full bathroom in the house needs to be re-plumbed.

Our house is 77 years old, so I guess it had to happen sooner or later. The fact is, when I bought the house 5 years ago, I fell in love with it -- quirks and all. The quirks included the fact that every room needed walls repaired, wallpaper removed, and/or paint applied. It turns out it also needed major electrical updates and plumbing work, among other things. It was your basic fixer-upper.

Until a few days ago, the drains had gotten so bad upstairs, that half-way through your shower you'd be standing in water above your ankles.  The sink was so bad that we had to chase our son away while washing our hands, otherwise he'd reach in and splash in the very quick build-up of water.

As I mentioned last week, my hubby is Mr. DIY. He does everything. Himself. Does anyone remember the pre-baby "dishwasher" project? He has now begun this very challenging old house plumbing project.

A few years ago I had a plumber come over and snake out the tub and sink. He said the whole thing would need to be replumbed eventually. He talked of ripping out the tile floor to get at the pipes, some of which are embedded in concrete beneath the floor. Holy crap! Yeah, that's what I thought. We were talking thousands of dollars.

Once this became my hubby's home too, he started taking on the plumbing projects. He decided that when the bathroom needed work, he'd go at it through the kitchen ceiling, rather than take out the tile floor. The kitchen ceiling needed to be replaced anyway...

And that's where we're at now. The kitchen ceiling has a gaping hole in it. Pipes have been cut. The tub is draining into the kitchen sink. As of yesterday, the bathroom sink is draining into a bucket beneath the sink. I know you're wishing you could experience this too. Maybe I'll post some photos along the way for anyone who's interested.

The old pipes are really gunky and disgusting. No wonder it was so bad. The original 1929 plumbing job didn't have enough slope on the tub pipe for it to drain well, so Hubby will be correcting that when he puts new pipes in.

There's way more to it than I know or understand. I just ask how I can help, and really there isn't much of anything I can do, other than keep the toddler away from the work sites and all the tools.

This will be one of those projects that's worked on a little bit here, and a little bit there, and it's going to be a while. Shouldn't be too bad; the only real pain is emptying the bucket under the sink. And keeping a curious toddler away from it.

Only thing is, these projects have a way of growing. That's the part I'm not looking forward to. We've been there before...

Comments

[Barbara]

Marie - My husband is a DIY guy too. My heart skips a beat when I see a hole in the wall. Good luck with your projects!

[running2ks]

I remember when my husband looked at the plumber's bill and said, "I think I'm going to teach myself how to solder" and I freaked out, realizing our 138 year old house is entirely made of wood. But, he practiced in the limestone basement (thank goodness) and hasn't burned it down yet. I feel for ya!

[kristi]

I think you're lucky to have a DIY-er for a husband. It may make the projects a bit more complex and time-intensive, but think of the money you're saving! Definitely post pictures!

[Bluegrass Mama]

I can't even imagine living through a project like that with a DIY'er with a day job. I'm afraid I'd be moving in with friends for the duration!