The Saturday Morning Home Repair Blog (SMHRB) is where we gather to discuss the many and varied aspects of home repair. Some here are trained professionals. Some, talented DIYers. All are welcome. Please feel encouraged to ask questions, share successes, lament sags, drips and cracks and, as always, share any advice that you have for the rest of us.
Good morning, this week's installment of SMHRB is presented by laughingRabbit. I provide home repair and interior refresh services, working mostly by myself. I am fortunate enough to have a wife who is skilled and will lend a hand when needed. Here is part three of my series covering finishing a basement.
It has been kinda hectic since the last installment. I’ve had new clients call, existing clients with more work they wanted me to do, and my own perennial project, the construction of a woodworking shop. Here’s what went down.
On the basement project, the client had begun to sleep on the couch in another portion of the basement, so she could listen for any issues her parents might have during the night, so I concentrated on getting the bedroom complete and ready to live in.
When I left you last month, I had just primed the walls and ceiling, so next I had the client pick out and purchase the wall, ceiling and trim paint.
After the walls and ceiling were done, I hung the entry door and closet doors. I also trimmed out the window with custom jamb extensions and stool. The client is looking forward to having this for plants since it has a nice southern exposure. After getting the doors hung, I installed the base moulding, window casing and apron.
Patch and caulk the trim, sand and prime where necessary, then paint the trim. Now it starts to really look livable.
Time for the accessories, so next come the outlets, switches and light fixtures, a baseboard heater and ceiling fan.
Closet shelving went in and the grill for the HVAC register in the ceiling.
Finally, clean the floor and let the client know they could move in. After that, I took a few days off to catch up on other work. When I returned, the client had an issue in their own residence I needed to look at.
They had a leak at the washer hose and valve, tried to replace it, but it was stuck. When I looked at it I noticed a pair of vise grips lying on the dryer. When I looked at the hose connector, I could see it was crushed out of round. I began to look at options, and found out the piping was polybutylene. They had not had any leaks in
the fifteen years since the home was built, but I knew this would be a touchy situation to work with. Mauling piping is always fraught with what might happen, but sitting in the basement, with an entire system above which would want to drain even with the main shut off.
Eventually, I cut the hose at the connector, removed the trim to the washer connection box, and slit the drywall enough to pull the valve into a workable position. I removed the handle from the valve, then used vise grips to immobilize the vale body, put a pipe wrench on the stubborn hose connection, and applied slow steady muscle, hoping the valve did not shatter, nor pipe split.
Movement! Then more movement. Relax and slowly get the old hose end off the valve. What a relief. After that, it was reassemble, connect and test.
Sometimes, the universe smiles at you.
What are you working on?