RoundAbout San Diego

Klaus spent a week with us and he went home nearly a week ago - we really miss him. He and Alex got so much done working together although none of it was really on the original 'job list'. It started out with the discovery of large amounts of dry rot in the studs and floor boards. Even Boo was cautious while checking it all out. You could put your finger through parts of the wood.



We (and in this case I mean Alex and Klaus) started pulling up some of the floor boards and Boo immediately wanted to go underneath the house.



The next problem to arise was the total blockage of our sewer pipes. Alex needed to do some basic plumbing to remove some old pipes and discovered the drain from the kitchen to the main sewer was almost completely blocked. It's amazing how many pipes were beneath the house that needed removing and they are truly disgusting to see.



Here you can see how completely blocked some of the drainage was. I'm amazed that the kitchen sink drained at all.



While digging around under the house Alex came across this mummified rat which he touched with his bare hands - eww! When we first moved into the house we would hear creatures running around through the walls and in the attic and wondered what they were - now we know.



Alex and Klaus made a great team working together to replace all the pipes so I could come home from a hard day at work to wash the dishes. I was so thankful that the water drained quickly and I could get the job done much more quickly than before.



I was especially proud when Alex agreed to share his toys with Klaus, albeit with strict supervision.



After their careful measuring it was great to see things coming together - here is a new vent pipe for the toilet being put into place.



Next it was time to remove the rest of the floor boards so a completely new floor base can be installed. Having no floor at all will also make it easier for Alex to do some more electric work and finish up the plumbing.



Here you can see how neat and tidy the pipes look - I feel as if I should dust them and keep them looking clean for as long as possible.



And here's the man, the guy that can do it all, the one who's going to continue the work until Klaus can come back to help us out again.