If It Isn't One thing It's Another

 This spring, we decided to replace our basement ceiling with tile. It was discolored under the kitchen because of previous leaks and just about then we had a major leak under the kitchen sink. We heard dripping in the middle of the night, like 3:00 am, and found leaking water. Jim tore down the ceiling to let the water out and then we mopped and used the shop vac and went back to bed.  

Then we went shopping. After the stores opened, of course. 

Jim had already torn down part of the ceiling to run internet cables when we changed servers.  That is another story for another day. 

Jim decided to start on the smaller area near the patio, which is where my sewing area is, so we moved all that stuff into the nearest bedroom and made an enormous mess in there, but I can get to the sewing machine, at least. Then, Jim tore off the popcorn ceiling and the paneled wall.

Next, he planted the garden and summer things happened, and there was nothing done in the basement until December, when a more serious problem reared it's ugly head as previously noted in the

December 10th blog post.

We knew several years ago when we had a problem with a blocked pipe that someday we would have to replace the cast iron sewer pipes under our basement concrete floor. Since there is already rending and tearing going on outside and in the other part of the basement, we decided that the time was now. 

Jim has both projects going on at once, because they somewhat overlap. Today we had the concrete people saw out the concrete under our stairs and in the laundry room, as the first part of the pipe project, because Jim isn't just going to replace what is there now, he's revamping the whole thing. 

One of the things we are finding out as we tear things apart is that the guy that built this place didn't do as good of a job as he should have. The load bearing wall in the living room has no support in the basement, so it is sagging a bit. Jim had to tear out some sheetrock he didn't want to do add support.

I don't understand it all, but there are 2x4s where there should be bigger boards. Some of the floor joists have been cut to "fit the space".

First on the agenda was to cut out the stair landing where the concrete needs to come out.

Jim wants insulation in the outer walls, so he tore off the sheet rock and is firring the wall out with 2x4s for more room, since it wasn't that way before. 

Outside walls plus mess on the floor.

Extra support here.

Jim forgot he wanted to change out the switch before he put the new piece of sheetrock on.

Concrete out in front of the stairs.

 In the laundry room.

Digging out pipe.

It's a good thing I was caught up on laundry on Saturday.