Fixing Up the Sold House...

Just keep working.  That was the mantra for the day.  And what a day it was!  First and foremost (and this is huge), I FINALLY selected my contractor!  I went with the bid of $2250.  Having received the bid of over $10,000 yesterday, it was a no-brainer.  I fully expect the work to actually be in the $4000 range, but I just trust this guy to do it right.  It may not be a perfect experience, but as the references said, you just can't beat the price, and he is a knowledgeable guy and a hard worker.  That's all I'm looking for!  He was thrilled to have received the job.  He thinks he can start a week from Monday which is a great timeframe for me.

Now...as far as the rest of the day!  I woke up, grabbed some coffee, called my contractor, then headed into the crawlspace.  My goal for today was to get the sump pump dug deeper and the attic stairs installed later this afternoon.

The old sump pit.  Notice the top of the pump is above the pit!  Not deep enough!  Also notice the very wet crawlspace!

The pit just wasn't deep!  And this pump worked non-stop with short pump intervals.  It needed to be fixed.

So I just dug.  I pulled out the rocks around the old pit, removed the sump pump, and dug!  And dug.  And dug.  I was SO happy to learn that the earth was mostly just damp.  Not really wet.  It was soft, for sure, but it dug nicely.  I was making good (and quick) headway.

The new hole.  I was working with vigor this morning!

By 9:00 A.M., I had the new sump pump pit hole dug!  Woo hoo!  I needed a basin, though, so I headed to Menards to pick up a 39-gallon plastic trashcan and use that.  I drilled all kinds of 1/4-inch holes in it and cut off the top.  It's WAY deeper than the old makeshift pit and should really eliminate the extra moisture in the crawlspace.

My new sump pump bit (a converted trashcan) compared to the old shallow one.

Frankly, this needed to be done six years ago, but I was a bit lazy and just didn't do it right!  It didn't help that the crawlspace was under water, and that water was freezing cold, but still.  I should have done all of this years ago!

While I worked, I convinced my brother and dad to work on the attic stairs.  I bought a whole new set of stairs to fix the cracked old ones.  So they started working on that.

The reason the new owner required the stairs to be fixed or replaced.

I was so excited to have the sump pump pit done by noon, but as they worked, it was apparent that I could be used to help with the stairs.  So I put the sump pump on hold.  We had the stairs together and working by early afternoon.  Mom brought over lunch (thanks!) and then Dad and I went to Menard's to buy the parts for the extension on the PVC pipe for the sump pump.  It was so nice having a "go-for" upstairs.

I had all kinds of good help today!

Out with the old, in with the new.

Voila!  The new stairs working perfectly!  An item checked off the list!

The sump pump went back together nicely, and the pit is ready to go!  I can see water already pooling in the bottom of the new basin, so that is encouraging.  This crawlspace is going to be the driest it has ever been since being built!

The new sump pump.  Notice the new depth from the dirt removed!

Dad and I headed over to a dumpster to dump all of the vapor barrier that Mom and I pulled out yesterday.  It's nice to get that garbage out of here.  I had quite a bit!  And we picked up some trim from his work for the attic stairs.  Might as well make it look as nice as can be, right?

Bye, bye, smelly moldy vapor barrier!

Dad headed home, and I pondered laying new moisture barrier in the crawl.  I was ready to be done, but I also knew that it needed to get done so I could focus on moving next week.  So I rolled out the new moisture barrier.  It was a bit of a chore doing it by myself, but it wasn't all too bad.  It's just so side (20 feet!).  But instantly you could just sense the change.  You no longer dreaded going down in the crawlspace!  You could crawl around easily in nice clothes and socks and not get wet or dirty!

I don't mind going in the crawlspace now!  It's clean and dry!

Yup, this should have been done years ago.  I had the entire crawlspace done in a couple of hours.  It looks soooooooo much better!

All in all, I estimate I saved around $1000 today.  And THAT is worth being a bit sore for.  So I decided to clean up and rest.  And wouldn't you know it (I couldn't believe it) that as I washed my hands at the kitchen sink, I heard what sounded like a gusher down below.  I opened up the cabinets and saw nothing but water running out the bottom of my garbage disposal.  Upon quick inspection, I realized that it had rusted out.  You have got to be kidding me!

So no time for rest.  I had an urgent matter.  I went back to Menard's, picked up a new disposal, and came back to install.  Thankfully, it went together fairly easily.  It only took about 45 minutes, and I was shocked to see Dad show up!  I had texted him my predicament, and he came by to help.  Thanks, Pa!

What a day.  I'm actually happy it happened now.  I want my new homeowner to be as happy as can be!  And water damage would be an awfully frustrating thing to have the very first week of owning the home!  So a simple $75 fix.

Oh, what a day.  But it WAS a very productive day.  I am thrilled with the attic stairs and crawlspace being done!!!  And I also got my brother's snowblower and weedeater running.  What a day indeed!

Time to take a rest...