By Guest Correspondent ChoYou know what Julie Chen says about the weather in Ohio? “Expect the unexpected!” Well, she doesn’t really say that about Ohio weather, but it applies! Have you been watching the latest Big Brother season? The first few weeks are always SUPER dramatic! Random thoughts in my head aside, the weather in Ohio has been brutal: lots of rain, lots of dry spells, lots of heat and lots of every other climate you can imagine. Right now the devil is currently laying his sweaty ass all over Ohio. Recently, we noticed over a heavy rain period that our basement started to have some minor water intrusion due to blockage in our drain tile. While I had no idea how water could possibly get into the basement, let alone how we could prevent it, Eric had a simple solution: restructure our downspout in the front of the house. After learning what a downspout was, we decided this would be another simple introductory project for me before getting into the heavy duty stuff.
Of course, Eric couldn’t make this too simple. The current downspout in the backyard was connected with several pieces, but he had the desire to install one single piece of metal to make it look more seamless. Did it work perfectly fine before? Yes. Did he let his OCD get the best of him again? Yes. Remember the motive behind our last project? Yes, this is another first world problem that needs our attention ASAP! We took the new piece and sawed off what we needed. Eric instructed me to get this complicated looking ladder that had all types of hooks and buttons. This would come in handy later.
There was a black screen at the bottom of the downspout which is used to keep dirt and leaves out of the drain system. Speaking of drain systems, 2 years ago around this time, Eric dug the top of an old cistern that the previous owners filled. They’re notorious for randomly caving in due to deterioration over a period of time. I can see it now: I’m sitting on our future patio with a mimosa in one hand while I read about the Bravo housewives fuckery on TamaraTattles when, all of a sudden, EVERYTHING caves in under me! Eric would never allow my TT reading time to be interrupted, so he turned the old system into a French drain to prevent any untimely drama. I remember this time period specifically, because this was around when we were first dating. There was something intriguing about a man that would dig a 4 foot deep, 10 foot diameter hole by himself. Naturally, I never shoveled a single piece of dirt. Considering that I am now knee deep into projects that require me to exert energy for more than 5 minutes, that was obviously the honeymoon phase.
Moving on, once the black screen was removed, we were able to unscrew the old downspout and prepare for the new one. We mounted the new piece of metal on the side of the house. It was very simple except for Eric’s fear of heights holding us back a bit while he was on top of the ladder. Are you afraid of heights? I like rollercoasters, but I don’t like the long lines to get to them. You’d think after all this time, we would have solved our water-in-basement issue, right? You’re unfortunately wrong. Remember, all of that mess in the backyard was for aesthetics purposes only!
I was happy to move to the front of the house to solve the problem we had originally identified. We connected each piece of the puzzle to extend down a slope. This way, when it rains, the water will fall away from the house instead of towards the house. We measured the distance from the house to the neighbor’s driveway where we would have the water mostly run off into. Hi neighbors! We hope you don’t mind! Trying to fit the different metal elbows into the right spot reminded me of playing with Legos as a child except this was less fun. Once we found the right configuration, I felt like I had just won a puzzle challenge on Survivor! A sense of relief and surprise washed over me considering our previous project took 4+ hours to complete and was wrought with frustration! The downspout project took no more than an hour and a half.
Days later, the newly installed downspout unfortunately began to leak water! The previous downspout overlapped the elbow which created a leak. With the new set up, the adapter overlapped the downspout. This ensured that 100% of the water would be be run through the pipes without leaking out onto the ground and into our basement. Often times you have to revisit projects that you thought were complete in order to fix unforeseen issues.
A few questions for the comment section: have you ever done a house project like this? Have you had issues with your drainage system? If so, how did you fix it? Do you even know what type of drainage system you have in your home? And remember, while Eric is not a licensed expert, he is pretty darn knowledgeable! If you have questions, he’ll be sure to answer them below! Lastly, to see complete photos of our latest project, be sure to check out my Instagram page!
I own that ladder and I hate it. I can’t ever figure it out on my own.
We had gutters only on the back of our house for some reason and they were horrible. We didn’t have any issues in the front where we had no gutters, but in the back, the gutters filled with leaves and muck almost immediately after you cleaned them, then water and snow built up in the gutters instead of draining away. The water and snow poured over the sides of the gutters and ran down the back of the house. In the winter, it would freeze and we ended up with the entire back of our home covered in ice. We had huge chunks of icicle-like ice stuck to our siding and windows. We had to keep a chisel by the back door so we could chisel our way in and out of the door every morning and evening. It was such a pain in the ass. We ended up just taking the gutters down and haven’t had any more problems. If we could afford to have a professional properly install covered gutters with drain spouts that drained into water barrels, I would do that, but right now, we’re just leaving it as is with nothing.
I feel like I will battle with that ladder in future posts…
Omg your experiences with downspouts during the winter sound like a complete HORROR story! All I’m imagining is this house in the middle of Antarctica with horror movie background music playing as you chisel away at your door.
I’m in west Michigan, so we chiseled pretty much everyday from November through April—so much snow, so much ice.
omg Amy I LOVE Pure Michigan. Especially Grand Rapids. Quite the hip place. Hopefully next winter is better for you now that y’all have made adjustments.
This is getting closer to cleaning out gutters…step away slowly with your hands raised.
Hey Sara! Thank you for thinking of my well-being. If there’s ever a point where I’m cleaning gutters, you know I have gone officially insane. Call 9-1-1 immediately and put me in a padded room. I beg of you.
My gutters are filled with water and gunk. I don’t want to clean them out because a flock of blue birds living around here delight in eating whatever insects thrive there. It’s neat looking out of my bedroom window (which overlooks the roof of my deck) and watching the male blue birds display their flashy feathers trying to attract the attention of the females. I’ve taken some fantastic photos of them.
On a more practical note, I live in a 2 story house so just getting up on the roof is problematic! Wishing you and Eric the best with your weekend to do list.
I love hearing from you. Thank you for your reply. I have good friends of mine in Idaho who are avid bird watchers. They actually have binoculars and everything. It sounds like you have a pretty cool set up and view outside of your bedroom. If you post photos of them on a social media account, I’d love to see them sometime! <3
Luckily for us, we didn't do any gutter work on the top of the house, only the sides. Be sure to check out my instagram link at the bottom for pictures of our total project. Thank you for the well-wishes! We are actually going to be working on another house project tomorrow morning. I forget what's next on our to do list yet I'm still terrified!! lol
We have another friend who setup a “nest cam” in his yard. I think they were blue birds too. He videoed at least one but I’m pretty sure it was two broods hatching.
That’s so cool. I live in St. Louis right by where the Mississippi and Meramec rivers merge. I get a lot of unusual birds stopping by while they migrate. I’m lucky because there’s 3 pair of bald eagles who have nests near me. I see them quite frequently. They’re breathtaking to watch.
Wow that’s so cool. It’s amazing that you don’t even have to leave your home in order to see such cool things in nature. I would be speechless to see bald eagles flying around.
We’re tackling our gutter problems in September after the decks and fencing is done A solution is required to the ice buildup from rapid melting and refreezing that occurs during our winters. The front porch and driveway are hazardous but I do love the huge icicles that form all around the house. Just not in that one area.
I think icicles are super cool to observe. There’s something really deep and philosophical about a perfectly unique form being made and then melting away slowly. I like crystals!
Tell us more about your deck and fencing though. Are you replacing old parts or building from scratch?
A little of both. Because we’re aging out of being able to easily handle stairs, our back deck had to be redesigned to one level. We used old materials for the framing. We’re also switching to Trex from wood. The front deck has a new section being added. The fence will be all new as the old one is celebrating its 40th birthday and is collapsing. When I say we I mean my husband and a couple friends/neighbors. I’m lazy af.
LOL I literally laughed out loud at your last two sentences!
I’m not sure what the difference is between Trex and wood, but I know Eric will have an opinion once he wakes up in the morning. He’s sleeping next to me now while I catch up on TT’s other posts!
I think 40 years is a good freaking deal. It’s rare that you can have anything that long! haha
The fence has been a disaster for over over 10 years. It’s the property line we share with 5 neighbors and coordinating a replacement between 6 homes proved impossible. I miss using my back yard. I’ve got a tomato plant now. It requires attention. I’m stunned that I haven’t killed it.
Trex is some kind of composite material that requires no maintenance. Perfect for my old dude who isn’t a fan of yard/house maintenance. We’re quite a pair.
Trex is an excellent choice for decking to reduce exterior maintenance. I used Axek PVC decking on the deck I built at my first house. Also, while trim on the inside of the house has to be the original wood (in my opinion), for any repairs on the outside trim I would use PVC to reduce that maintenance. Especially since some of the trim is on the dormers 3 stories up lol.
I know coordinating with just one neighbor is a nightmare in and of itself. I couldn’t imagine coordinating with 5. It’s like herding cats I would think.
I feel like you and your husband are literally me. Low-maintenance is the best maintenance when it comes to living!!
Cho, I’m also in Ohio and you nailed the description of our recent weather! ???
SHOUT OUT FROM OHIO, BRIDGETT! <3 <3 <3
I'm glad I don't have to convince you of how miserable the weather has been here, because you already know! I don't know how people can be happy in this weather. haha
I was happy except for that one Sunday following thunderstorms the previous night that I walked out at 8 am and was hit with humidity that felt like it was from the middle of the day.
We recently bought a new house, our first, and didn’t realize how much harder projects are than they appear. I always think it’s going to be a breeze, and then end up fighting with my husband or needing to drink hours after I thought we would be done. I have a running list of projects to do, next to them I write realistic, need help, and just hire someone. Hoping it will help me get some things done, and know when to ask for help.
Cho, any relatively easy projects that you guys did that really helped transform a room or area of your house? Or suggestions or tips of what’s an easy thing to start with?
Amanda,
You may already have this on your list and if so just let me know and I’ll offer the next suggestion. One of the “easiest” things to do that makes the biggest impact is painting a room the color of your choice to personalize it. When we moved into this house it had just been renovated and every single wall in the house was the same blue gray color. Many homes that are just sold might have similar neutral colors because real estate agents recommend to de-personalize to sell a home. If you read last week’s blog you saw the color we chose for the main hall. We started on the main floor and personalized each room except what we call our “condo”. The “condo” is the master bedroom, bath, and sitting room. It really made a huge difference throughout the house. We’ll get to the condo “soon” lol. I hope this helps.
A few years ago, I finally got my fire engine red walls in the kitchen. I’m sort of over it and painting over red is the worst color from what I was told by the 50 people who told me not to do it. I was in Home Depot today trying to avert many kitchen disasters (FAIL!) and was looking as some beautiful grey backsplash I thought I might want to install behind the new fancy stove that I bought that I can’t plug in. I think I could DIY it because it’s a very small space. But Home Depot will do it for the LOW LOW (rolling my eyes) price of $400? $450? that was up to 25 square feet. I think that would do two of my three walls though…. interesting thought. One wall is above the range that I can’t plug in about 30″ wide by maybe 23″ tall. The other wall is mostly windows and has no space for “backsplash” so I guess the smart thing to do might be to put the top of the line grey glass back splash in myself in that area, and maybe wallpaper the rest. My new stove and fridge is BLACK stainless because that was AT LEAST 60% off at Ollies. There is only one wall where nothing should be, but there is stuff and Ikea shelf, a wine rack sort of thingy and an old Tom’s Peanuts display case painted white. The is really very little exposed wall.
I blame Cho and Ollies for this unexpected kitchen reno. I REALLY need new flooring though. Not sure how to go about that.
I did one bathroom wall Red, wall papered the other three in white with vintage type mini-nudes in black.I loved it. I purchased a red paint from the marine store thinking boat paint was best for a bathroom. It was a small wall. OMG, it was a horror to repaint. I sanded it first then 5 coats later it still showed through.
Sold the place soon after.
LOL When it doubt, just sell it.
Honestly thought that, not my problem any longer.
A grey glass tile backsplash sounds great! Tiling a backsplash is a project DIYers frequently choose. Any cuts that are required are best done by a tile saw though. One can be rented at your local tool rental place.
Oh wow, so you’re covering up the red wall. I feel like wall paper can be super fun. It’s inexpensive compared to painting I think right? And there’s a variety of patterns you can choose from!
Ollies is like a great place. I’m not even sure Eric has been to one, but next time I take him to Toledo, we might make a visit. Magical experience! Makes you wanna spend money. haha
New flooring sounds like an utter nightmare. you gotta move everything, rip everything up, put everything down then put everything back! UGH! Good luck with that. lol
Hey, Amanda! First of all, congratulations on the home. Becoming a homeowner is a magical process that deserves some props. I’m learning first hand that projects that seem small are actually time consuming and often costly.
The experience I have with home renovation and remodeling is EXACTLY what you’re reading about, so your question would be better suited for Eric. I have a townhouse separate from our home that I had a huge hand in decorating. What I did with that space is decided the functionality of each room and then visualized how to best suit those needs with furniture. The decorating and personalization came much later once “the bare bones” was out of the way. Now, I’ve updated some of the furniture, added artwork and decor. I am a highly focused on functionality, so that’s how I usually approach things. With Eric and I’s home, he started with the paint color which truly sets the tone for how you want a room to feel. Painting is a very straightforward process.
Btw, GREAT idea with your list. That is so important to staying organized and keeping things in the forefront of your mind. Don’t be afraid to try things yourself, but also don’t be afraid to ask for help with things that are not realistically DIY.
Is putting up the pretty glass backsplash stuff up in a small space above my stove DYI? Because unless the squares fit perfectly, How would you cut the squares to fit?
About two years ago I relocated from a ten year old townhouse in Cleveland to a 140 year old home outside Buffalo NY. Needless to say my BF and I jumped in the deep end with repairs and updates and drainage has been a particular issue. My neighbor had some issues with standing water and decided last fall to regrade and put in new drainage and redirect his water to the drain tile by my driveway (without permission). We had an obnoxiously wet spring and the stuff he was washing down my drain quickly clogged things up and this is where it got to be a headache. Over three days we had non stop rain and all his runoff was directed to my driveway/garage. The water over three days eroded the soil so badly under my garage and driveway a portion collapsed. After the driveway collapsed (think sinkhole) the water bubbled up through the hole and washed large chunks of pavement away. I am sharing this story so you can think about how you directed the water flow. In NY it’s illegal to redirect water to someone else’s property so what my neighbor did in an effort to solve his drainage issue is costing him almost $30k to fix.
YIKES! Thank you so much for this story. I’m awfully sorry that you’ve had to go through such a headache, and I hope it’s being taken care of professionally and respectfully from all sides. While this is a temporary change, I will say that the water flow is directed in a way so that there is no occurrence of damages. Once we deal with the blockage in our drain, it will be changed back. We definitely don’t have $30k to spare right now. 🙂
Despite the setbacks you’ve had, how do you and your BF love your new old home? Old homes are a labor of love. I’ve been to Cleveland plenty of times, and I imagine it is pretty different from NY?
The house is definitely a fun experience. It’s interesting to go through and find ways to showcase the original features while still modernizing it to be useful. We are currently working on the kitchen which was last touched in the :::covers eyes:: 80s. Think drop ceiling and dark cabinets with gold handles smack in the middle of the doors. Let’s just say it’s a journey, but at least it’s fun along the way
Wow Vito, I’m so happy to hear that it’s been a rewarding process for you! That should always be the goal! It sounds like you have a good idea of what you want. Be sure to keep us updated here in the comments!
WOW, at least it’s nit costing you.
Yikes is right! How horrible Vito! Is everything fixed now? I’m actually suprised it hasn’t cost more for repair/rebuilding!
I had the new guys (who delivered my appliances and it didn’t go that well, and I got a bit bitchy) clean out my gutters on Friday and they did a really great job and used a hammer to beat the gutter that was tilted causing it to drain on to the roof in place. They also pointed out I need a new roof, which I sort of knew but they showed me that the wind had blown some pieces up. I am hoping I can get my insurance to cover it like they do hail. It’s time for a new roof and I DO NOT WANT TO PAY FOR A NEW ROOF.
I do want to pay for new gutters with leaf guards. My anxiety can’t take random folks falling off my roof. I also want to replace the crap siding with wood siding or wood like shingle siding. The thing is I want to sell this place before I die. I want to sell the place and spend all my money and die in debt. There is just that time issue. lol.
I literally just imagined a team of 4 workers falling off your roof and you hyperventilating.
My grandparents just paid for a new roof for their GARAGE and it was like $7k. Yep, for their GARAGE! I couldn’t imagine getting a new one replaced for the house.
Do you mind sending those guys up to Ohio to clean our gutters so that I don’t have to?
Cho, Thank you for this post.
I was looking for a new one from you.
Happy happy, thank you TT.
it’s illegal in California to direct water to your neighbors. In some cases if your water naturally runs into your neighbors causing damage it’s your responsibility.
I’ve put in French drains where concrete/blacktop etc meets dirt and water sets after a rain. I used a 4” pvc pipe I dug a trench 7”” trench, laid in gravel on a slope of 1” + from end-to -end to direct water away. I drilled a lot of holes in the pipe and covered it with old panty hose before burying it. I have these buried all over my property, different sizes depending on amount of sitting water. Yes I did them, one of the few jobs I enjoy.
You can do the same in larger size pvc around your house to redirect water away from it, thusly no water in basement. In wet area you might want to use several. Check online for how to if Eric is unsure how many to use.
I know cabin owners on hillsides put French drains in to redirect water away (mudslide prevention) above their cabins.
Please hire professionals to clean gutters on a three story home. Or get great insurance on Eric.
Hey Patti! Thank you for commenting. We have ensured that there is no increase in surface water from the flow of our drainage. No harm will be caused by this temporary change in flow.
Believe me, Eric couldn’t pay me enough to get on top of our gigantic house to clean out the gutters!! haha
Also, what a unique use of panty hose. So creative!
Does your house have a sump pump?
I lived in IN, PA, and MI and all our homes had large basements with sump pumps… they’re helpful too. Of course you want to drain moisture away from your foundation but a sump pump can ease a lot of moisture problems in the basement.
(Whiny voice) I MISS having a basement!
No idea what a sum pump is. I will make sure Eric responds to this in the AM as this is outside of my expertise! haha
Do you not have a basement now? I’ve never lived in a home that didn’t have one. What is it like? haha
No basement! It is truly no fun. All my closets and cabinets overflowith and there’s no place to send children to play on inclement days! Thus the whiny voice.
No, there is no sump pump right now. When the house was built they didn’t exist. The basement had a cement floor put in probably sometime later but one was not added then either. There is clay drain tile around the exterior perimeter that we’ve mentioned. There may also be drain tile around the inside perimeter. I’ll put a sump pump in if I have to but I think the basement will be dry once the drain tile is repaired and Cho is done with his next project for his next blog. Stay tuned!
Interesting. While I’m aware of French drains, I never thought of using them this way. Luckily we don’t have to deal with standing water in our yard here. We just have to deal with the water running off the house. My previous house had a relatively large lot with one low spot that had standing water. I wish I had known about this for that yard.
I’m probably crazy, but I fell in love with French Drains after seeing how well they worked.
Thing is I’m the only one who knows they are there. Think they make pipe coverings or go to Goodwill and find stockings.
I was looking forward to your post all week. It’s kind of like living out my real estate fantasies that are impossible for us right now in Los Angeles in real time. All of my in laws are in Ohio and they’re always telling me about the crazy weather you’ve been having. Anyway, I literally have nothing to add to this conversation about drainage and gutters etc but, I wanted to say hi and let you know I’m following along and am super impressed.
Hey Fizz, first of all, thank you for taking the time out to comment and introduce yourself. It really does mean a lot. I do these posts for the community engagement and communication! <3
Your in-laws are not wrong. I hear that LA weather is pretty boring in comparison. And by boring, I mean, it's nice ALL the time. haha Hopefully you can get to a financial point where you can comfortably get into Real Estate. It's one of those occupations that I think a lot of people can get into if you have the right skill set and determination.
The drainage pipe could have a lower profile. Excavate, this means dig, a foot wide by eighteen to twenty four inches deep. Shovel in 3/4 clean to a depth of four inches. Lay a quality filter faction top of the length of the drainage field. Place pipe along lenght, food fabric over the perforated pipe and backfill. I love you guys but nobody wants to see a misplaced drain or thermostat. For arts sake.
Im trying to decide if I’m going to rent a camera or hire a plumber to locate the blockage or issue. Then I’ll be excavating (probably by hand lol) to repair the drain tile. Keep checking Cho’s blog as this might end up being a topic.
Cho ask Eric how I should go about choosing an electrician. I need one pronto and I actually have more work than just putting in a new outlet for my stove. It needs to go from a four prong to a three but my four prong is from the sixties and no new cords will work.
Looks like you expected him to be up later than me but the project for the next blog wore him out lol.
Google “city, state electrician”. Review website and reviews. Make sure they are licensed, and do residential. I recommend getting quotes from three of them and I make them aware I’m doing that. Beyond the main reason for three, checking price vs value, I find with contractors one has to find the right one for the size of the project. For instance, I just had the sidewalk on the side of the house poured. Keep an eye out for the next blog, it comes up. In that process, I had one contractor that was twice the price that I eventually had it done for, one contractor wouldn’t even give me enough of his time to quote, and then the one that did the work. I am satisfied with his work and would use him again but I’ll talk to him about a little better clean up should I use him again. Hope this helps and happy to comment as this project proceeds shoukdnit be necessary.
Day four with no stove. Making progress with finding someone. Kind of.
Eric wakes up at the crack of down before the birds wake up, so he should be able to keep up with chatting in the am, while I am a night owl and do most internet work in the evenings! I hope you are able to find someone soon! You need a stove!
TT, is you stove an all in one with the oven? If so you may want to think about doing the flooring now (first) too, you’ll want new flooring under the stove, who knows what new wall patches you’ll have from an electritian, if you can start with the floors and work up…
I second Eric, you will need a tile saw if you’re putting up tiles, easily rented.