Saved by the Smell

So...looks like we're saved!

Our neighbor told us that when they had their sewage backup in the house a few months ago, their plumber told them that they had a pipe in the back that came from our yard and then led down their backyard and into the easement and then probably connected to the Louisville Sewer System. This was on the 23rd.

We called Mr. Herre right away and told him this news. He called the plumber again and they came out on the 23rd and looked and sure enough, we are attached across the backyard.

So, on December 26th, they snaked out the line and dug a big hole in the yard and found a root that was clogging the line, plus about 100 baby wipes! Apparently before we knew you couldn't flush those, when Thomas was under 6 months old, we clogged that pipe with Baby Wipes! He said it wouldn't have really been an issue if it wasn't for the root. We told him we had only flushed 2 or 3 a year since we found out 4 years ago, and those had been mostly accidents. He said, "Yep, well there they all are. They don't ever fall apart or go away!"

Those of you who are "Earth Aware" don't use regular baby wipes, they'll be around somewhere 4 years later!

Anyway, it's all cleared up and running fine now, and won't cost us $14,000! They still have to cover the hole and put in a clean-out access top on it, so if something else happens again, they won't have to dig another hole!

Our Big Christmas Present Huh?

As of today, Mr. Herre filled in the grease trap with sand and a pipe has been inserted to allow the house plumbing to go straight into the sewage line, so we won't even have to empty that thing again.

Worse case scenario is that we'll have to re-dig out that tree root every few years.

MJ

ps- thanks for the support, emails, and prayers, one way or another, it worked! Now if we can just pay for the "minor" work they've already done!

Construction has Begun!

Here are the plans for the new full bathroom we are adding. The far right wall is a wall between the new bathroom and the current eatting room. The new shower is where the old closet was in the back bedroom. The main door to the room will stay the same and is located just above my thumb in the photo.

Mr. Herre has ripped the inside of the 2 closets out and made them one!

He showed up early this morning and gutted the closet in the back bedroom, and by this afternoon had also cleared out the closet at the foot of the stairs in the hallway. Now the two have become one.

Next I guess he'll board up the doorway that used to be the entrance to the back bedroom closet, or come to think of it, I suppose not since that is the main access right now to the plumbing....

At any rate, the big back bedroom closet is where the shower will go, and the little front hall closet is where the doorway from the bedroom to the new bathroom will be.

Sounds fancy, but really it's because Sam has to have hip surgery on Oct. 8th and won't be able to take the stairs at all for 6 weeks! (Our shower is on the 2nd floor) well anyway, here are the pictures of the progress....

Here is the hallway closet at the foot of the stairs, empty and waiting....

Here is the Back Bedroom Closet Empty, Even of Its Shelves and Door, and Ready to Go!

Mr. Herre is working hard to get the closets ready to combine!

I have great pictures of the big main pipeline that was inside that back wall of the closet when he busted it open, but I'll have to load it on here tomorrow!

Sam told Thomas over the phone last night all about Mr. Herre coming today.

We didn't want him thinking Daddy went out of town and Mr. Herre tore the place up! Do you know what he wanted to know? "What's he going to do to make my room nicer? What will he do to the upstairs bathroom? What will he do upstairs?"

Mr. Herre said he's going to tell him, "When Mom and Daddy move their bedroom down here after this nice bathroom is done, we'll move everything around upstairs and it will be much nicer for you." :-)