Month: August 2013

Demolish and discover

Three friends help me demolish parts of my bathroom, laundry room and other areas of the lower level. ($96.27)

In the process, I find illegal plumbing and electrical wiring beneath my kitchen sink and in my laundry room wall.

This wiring splice is missing a junction box.

This metal junction box was concealed behind drywall.

I also discover PVC pipes that have been punctured by drywall screws! Pipes that are framed-in are supposed to be protected by metal stud plates to prevent this.

I demolish the ceiling above a closet which reveals more shoddy workmanship and a heavy duty electrical conduit that has exposed wires protruding from it.

I also discovered that the closet ceiling drywall was screwed directly into the heating duct!

Excavation

I uninstall the remaining fixtures from the downstairs bathroom, including the shower. A friend and his dad help me excavate the drain pipes that were installed against building code beneath the floor. It’s tedious work, digging through tough clay around each pipe. Just look at that cluster of PVC and rubber unions hacked together. No building official would ever approve this!

The excavated dirt is placed in 5 gallon buckets and kept in my laundry / mechanical room which is now fully exposed.

The dryer was hooked up with a vinyl hose that was covered with drywall, against code. Also, none of the laundry drain pipes were secured to the studs so they simply fell off.

Meanwhile several friends help me remove some planter boxes that were holding moisture against my foundation. ($223.86)

My lower level is becoming more and more exposed.