Tomorrow, a Big Day for Us :(

[Gregory Matthews]

Tomorrow,  March 21,  is a big day for us.  It is the day, due to the fact that our house has Kitec plumbing in it,  [I have posted on this in another thread.  But, Google "Kitec plumbing" if you do not remember.]  the plumbers will begin opening up our walls and removing every bit of the inside plumbing pipes that were placed in our home.

Once the plumbers finish, we will need to hire other contractors to fix the holes in our walls.  We cannot get an estimate on that until they can see the extent of the holes  that will need to be repaired.

Be careful, if you live in either Canada, or in the U.S., you just may have Kitec plumbing in your home, and if so, you will sooner or later need to do the same.

By the way, Kitec plumbing was produced by a Canadian company.

 

[Gregory Matthews]

Just one of a series of views that greeted me this morning.

[Gregory Matthews]

Well, today we  have one functioning washbasin and WC, plus the washing machine.  So, progress is being made. Later today, all should be functional again.  The next step will be to have the repairs pass inspection, for which the inspector must be able to view the repairs.  That will then be followed by dry wall repairs, texturing and painting.   So, hopefully, sometime next week we will be back to operation again.

 

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

wow.  Glad you guys are getting it done now, and not later!

[Gregory Matthews]

Like I said before:  There are  29 homes in our block.  21 homes have Kitec plumbing.  Four (4) had major pipe bursts.  The 1st home had $10,000 damage  from the pipe burst.

The experts have told us:  There is no question that the pipes will burst.  The only question is when?

In our case, as the old pipes have come out of the walls, there is no sign of leakage.  So, this means, no claim against our Home  Owners policy.  The costs of repair are all on us.

But, frankly neither my wife or I wanted a $10,000 damage claim.

The only problem is that as the walls  have been opened conditions are changing and the estimated cost of removal and replacement has gone up.  E.G, one example only:  It was estimated that no pipes were in the concrete slab and all such were in the attic and walls.  We now find that some were in the concrete slab and some in the attic.  Well, the plumbers have come up with a work-around.  So, we will not have to tear into the floor and concrete slab.  That is good.  The plumbing in the concrete slab will be disconnected and left in place.  New supply lines will be routed through walls to those fixtures that were supplied through the slab.

And, there are other issues that have come up. 

 

 

[Gail]

what a headache!

[phkrause]

Wow, how sad, praying all turns out well!!

[Gregory Matthews]

In before and after photos, the attached photo is the one after replacement and the before is earlier in this thread.

Now we wait for the inspector to approve the repair.  Then the dry-wall people come in to make their repair, texture the drywall and paint. 

But, that is not the end.  We have now learned that their is Kitec piping buried underground between our house and the meter.  They did not tell us that as they did not want to do that part of the needed repair!

As an interesting note:  The local company that installed the defective Kitex piping in the homes in our area is one of the three major plumbing companies that is deeply involved in the removal and replacement.  We did not use them. 

[Jeannieb43]

...Oh, the trials and tribulations of home ownership!

[phkrause]

23 hours ago, Jeannieb43 said:

...Oh, the trials and tribulations of home ownership!

Exactly Jeannieb43

[Gregory Matthews]

There are multiple websites devoted to the Kitec plumbing issue.  It affects both Canada and the U.S.

 

[Gregory Matthews]

Our home was built in 2002.  Yes. the walls will need to be textured prior to painting the replacement panels.

NOTE:  I have saved many of the panels that were  cut out.  The dry wall people will attempt to use them as appropriate.  But, in some cases new panels will have to be cut.

 

 

[Gregory Matthews]

Well, progress is being made.  Now we face two more inspections, taping, texturing and painting.  But, we do not now have to look at holes in the all and exposed piping. 

 

[Gregory Matthews]

Yes, we were just informed of that by our sheet-rock contractor. 

The next step, an inspection.

 

[Gregory Matthews]

Well we passed inspection.  So, tomorrow the next step.

All in all some 20 different holes in our walls--some small and some large.

 

[Gregory Matthews]

Our house was built in 2002.  As it says under my photo, I now live in California.

 

[Gregory Matthews]

I believe that this contractor is doing well.  Fiber-glass tape has been used for the cuts.  Three (3) layers of the mud have been used and feathering of that mud has been done.  The texture will be applied today.  As you will probably expect, the texturing will be a mess as we have been warned in explicit terms.  The attached photo will show how the contractor is attempting to reduce the mess that will come from the application of the texture.  [NOTE:  I took this photo before all three coats of mud had been applied, along with the feathering.]

 

[Gregory Matthews]

It will be lightly sanded by the contractor after drying., and then my wife will primer it and follow up with paint.

I am watching the texture going on as I write and I believe that it is quality work, from start to finish.

Yes, so far it appears that in each case the texture has not gone outside of the paper tent built around the spray area.  So, not as bad as we had been led to believe.  Better to be less than more. 

Do your suggest two coats of primer or one coat of primer?

 

 

 

 

[Gregory Matthews]

Well, we are making progress.  We have primed the sheet rock that put one coat of paint on.  We will decide later if we need a 2nd coat.  The attached photo is of the kitchen bar that you have seen in the preceding views.  Yes, I will need to put the electrical plate on.   We will hang the items on the nails and remove the paper and tape that has protected the floor and more.

[Gregory Matthews]

By the way, my 2nd son is dong the painting.  Before he took his present job as a Correctional Officer at a near-by prison, he painted for a high-end painting contractor.

 

[LynnDel]

Our home was custom built in 2007 (we bought it in 2013), and the walls are textured. I think sometimes texturing is done to hide any sheet rock, nailing, and taping imperfections.

[Dr. Shane]

1 hour ago, LynnDel said:

I think sometimes texturing is done to hide any sheet rock, nailing, and taping imperfections.

Texturing is to hide imperfections.  A smooth surface is much more expensive than a textured surface.  Depending on the placement of the windows and lighting in the room, it may be impossible to get a satisfactory finish without texture.

[Dr. Shane]

20 minutes ago, The Wanderer said:

Its quite possible to do, but as you say; it costs more.

Are you saying that when you are done you can lay a 10' metal stud on the wall and it will reveal no gaps?  That would be impressive and expensive no doubt.  Any gap that exists will create a shadow with the right (or wrong) angle of light.

[Dr. Shane]

3 minutes ago, The Wanderer said:

Sorry, but yes. 

No reason to apologize.  Orange peel is by far the most common in this part of the US (South Texas) however we do see knock-down used.  Smooth walls are normally eliminated during the value-engineering process.  In this part of state, painters also do the tape and float.  They are always willing to offer the owner a credit to put texture on the wall and when owners see the money a smooth surface is costing, they normally fall quickly in love with texture.  Smooth ceilings are more common but the specifications allow 1/8" variance which we can achieve without too much additional cost.  I have never had to provide a perfectly smooth ceiling but that would have to be specified as such because no painter in this area would bid it that way.   

[Gregory Matthews]

No problem.    Let the conversation go as it will.

Yes, when the 1st coat of paint dried, my son simply stated that it needed a 2nd coat and such was applied.

By the way, I trust that no one will think that the small area on the front of the bar was the only place where the internal pipes needed to be replaced.  All internal pipes, in the entire house were replaced with new pipes.  I just showed you that one area.  All in all our walls were cut into in some 18 places.