Basement demolition leads to more surprises

The outer walls of the basement need demolition to prepare for the new drain tile and sump pump. Friends John Peters and Corey Benson give me a hand. Naturally, we find several more building code violations that were hidden by the flipper, starting with this wire splice that doesn’t have a junction box and was covered with drywall.

Demolition debris is loaded into a dumpster.
Basement demolition reveals a wire splice without a junction box that was hidden behind drywall.

Corey finds two more junction boxes covered with drywall or caked with mud.

Basement demolition reveals a junction box that was hidden behind drywall.
A junction box that was hidden behind drywall.
A junction box that was hidden behind drywall.

Here, the flipper did a messy job punching a hole in the drywall to pass some wiring through. This is the wiring that runs around the room behind framing and was stuffed under the baseboards.

Basement demolition reveals a hole kicked into drywall for wiring.
Basement demolition reveals wires that were run behind framing and baseboards.

We need to remove an unused cast iron drain pipe, so I excavate the concrete to expose the junction. Underground I discover legacy clay drain tile. A section of the clay drain tile has been broken out to make way for the cast iron pipe.

Excavating a basement floor to expose a pipe junction reveals that legacy clay drain tile had been broken to make way for the pipe.

All of this needs to come out to make way for the new drain tile system.

Basement demolition continues

Friends Jeff and Shelly Hansen help with more basement demolition in prep for the upcoming drain tile project. Of course, we find several more junction boxes illegally covered with drywall.

Using a prybar and mallet to remove framing that has been anchored to the basement floor.
Demolishing flawed framing in a basement.
Demolition reveals more ceiling junction boxes hidden behind drywall.
Demolition reveals a ceiling junction box that was hidden behind drywall.
Demolition reveals a junction box that was hidden behind drywall.

The basement is looking more and more bare.

Finished basement demolished to prep for drain tile.

Self-leveling concrete was poured too thick

My original general contractor used a very large batch of self-leveling concrete on the bathroom and laundry room floors. One of the reasons it failed is because he poured it too thick, and never cured properly. It will all have to be demolished to make way for the new drain tile anyway.

Self-leveling concrete that was poured too thick has cracked and broken away from the rest of the floor. A tape measure against the piece reads 1.75 inches thick.

Although we’ve already roughed in the bathroom framing and plumbing, it will have to be demolished to make way for the drain tile installation. Since we’ll have to rebuild it anyway, Amáda and I consider moving the wall about 16″. This will make the bathroom bigger, and will simplify an overhead white drain pipe.

The roughed in framing and plumbing of a bathroom wall will need to be demolished to make way for a drain tile instllation.
This overhead drain pipe will be simplified by reframing the wall in a better spot.

More hidden junction boxes

Par for the course, the flipper drywalled right over these junction boxes as well.

Junction box illegally covered with drywall.
Junction box illegally covered with drywall.

Remaining basement framing demolished

I carefully took out the remaining basement framing in prep for the drain tile project. This was especially sketchy around the electrical service panel and the bathroom plumbing.

Roughed in bathroom plumbing has no framing around it.
Basement laundry room with all finished framing demolished.
Basement electrical service panel with framing demolished.

The basement is down to it’s bare bones and ready for the drain tile project.

Basement with all framing removed, ready for a drain tile project.

Cast iron pipe removed

My plumber cuts out the old cast iron drain pipe and caps off the end. This would have been in the way of the drain tile.

Yard dumpster hauled away

The full yard dumpster is picked up, hauling away the basement demolition debris.

A yard dumpster full of demolition debris.

Look what we found hidden inside this wall

While sweeping the floors, Amáda spotted something suspicious behind the baseboards.

Hidden wires can mean only one thing. We had always wondered why there wasn’t an outlet on this wall. As it turns out, there is. The flipper filled it with drywall mud!

Stairwell half wall.
Stairwell half wall with an electrical outlet concealed by drywall mud.
Junction box filled with drywall mud.
Stairwell half wall with junction box filled with drywall mud.
Wires hidden behind baseboards.
Junction box with wires behind the baseboards.

Adding a basement floor drain

The lowest point in the basement needs a floor drain. I’ve also planned it to be in the same spot as the new laundry tub. I marked off the areas where the appliances will ultimately sit. Then, I used a jackhammer to perforate the basement floor to add an underground drain trench.

Basement laundry room floor marked with tape where the appliances will ultimately sit.
Using a jackhammer to perforate a basement floor to make trench for underground drain pipes.

Digging a trench for an underground drain pipe

I excavated the trench to make way for the new underground drain pipe. This will meet up with the existing floor drain near the furnace and water heater.

Excavated trench in a basement for underground drain pipes.
Excavated trench in a basement for underground drain pipes.