Unofficial Rat Chat!

About 60 today and suppose to be mid-70s by Thursday.
 
Must be swell. I just had a pipe burst today.:mad:

I tell ya boys, my house is nearly 100 years old. I gutted it down to the studs, remodeled the inside totally, new siding, new windows, new roof, original hardwood floors, and trim. Upgraded all the electric, and most of th old plumbing( all copper, and some of it was really good still) Ill be damned if this old house still aint drafty. Guess thats how it is with old houses. Still have a buttload of landscape work, and an upstairs to start.

I tell ya though, Im a freakin pipe sweating artist now!! Had 6 pipes freeze while we were still workin on the place. Guess Im just a natural, b/c my father cant do it at all!
 
Man plumbing in old houses is just a PITA. I know how it goes... One day the elbow on the pipe as it goes into our pressure tank sprung a leak, caught it when there was over a foot of water in the basement in the deepest part.

At work we took care of a couple old houses on farmsteads the park had acquired. One day a couple guys came back after doing some plumbing work under the bathroom. They had a large section of pipe under the tub that they had just grabbed onto and it fell off, completely rusted cast iron pipe. We've replaced most of the plumbing in that place and it still has problems.
 
My house goes back to the 40's. Got down to around 22 today here, with 4 inches of snow last night. Expecting a few more inches Thursday evening into Friday. I just hope I can get out and do something this weekend.
 
Got all you boys beat with your new houses. My sister lives beside me on our farm in a house that was built in the 1860s. The foundation of the house is black walnut timbers sitting directly on the ground. Of course it was plumbed a long time after it was built but every time a pipe bursts you literally have to dig yourself under the house to get to it. And talk about drafty! This old house has haints, ghosts and drafts in it that you just can't find in those new houses built in the 40s :D
 
Jeff, I grew up in a house like that. Luckily, I was too young to do any work, but I won't forget the crap my dad went through. I definitely favor newer houses when i am in the market!
 
my wife looked at a house built in 1890 and after a walk thru and close inspection,I was not up to the task of replacing,wiring,plumbing....fixtures... one fireplace needed some work,I was like $90K for a house that needs minimum another $30k in replacements not counting labor....Babe I will buy you a slightly newer house with less headaches .It may not have old world charm & faint whispers of bitch'n because this needs done...LOL ! but my house built in 1980 is built like a tank ....I love low utilities...
 
Yeah Tony, you should see my gas bill through the winter. Almost matches my mortgage.
I love my old house though, she just pisses me off from time to time.

Jeff- MAN, that sounds like a headache. I bet its a stunning house though!!
 
My gas bill this month was $ 0.00. I heat with full time with wood. ;)
 
I really need to go to a wood stove. My wife wont give away her gas cooking stove, so I need to do something.

How hard to install wood stove?
 
I'm using a Wonder Wood stove made by US Stove. My dad is also using the same stove. Easily heats 1500 square feet of living space.
 
My gas and electric together are usually around $140 give or take. We do have a wood stove, but it isn't in the house. It is out in the shed. I find it to be more of a use just sitting there not being used than to be in my house.

Although I have all kinds of batoned wood outside..
 
I have a spot for one, and I will probably buy one and install it next summer. I will look at that wonder wood stove.
 
Here in Colorado we are having a massive problem with pine Beatles. They are expected to kill 90% of the lodge pole pines in the next 10 years. When driving through the mountains 1/2 or more are already dead and brown. It's really sad. One spark, and Summitt county is going to burn. Point; wood stoves are great right now. We have plenty of wood around that needs burning. You can go clear wood for next to nothing.
 
My neighbor uses a wood stove. Although I hate how he obtains his wood. He always has my dad come over (and my dad likes to split wood) and has him do it. He is to lazy to do it himself. He always slowly gets around to the famous "I need wood split, but.." and than my dad is all over it. I don't like that he takes advantage of that.

Especially because my dad buys the beer, AND splits all the wood. Gets nothing in return - ever. It wouldn't be bad if they didn't have money, but they have more than we do, and they don't offer. (He wouldn't accept, but he should at least offer..)
 
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