Service call to questionable legal rooming house to assess leaking toilets. Assesment revealed wood floors arround the toilet flanges to be rotten due to poor home maintenace. Water and sewage was leaking into walls and ceilings causing considerable damage including health risk.
Customer was advised of the necesary steps of repair including
that as plumbers not drywallers, we unfortunately do not repair necessary acces holes made for plumbing repairs.
The cost of repair was under $2000 and included:
Toilet 1. Cutting two necessary holes in the main floor ceiling to acces the sewer stack, replacing the toilet drain back to the stack, replace and repair of the sub floor arround the toilet base, replacing the flange and securing the toilet.
Toilet 2. Removing the toilet, cutting the floor to replace the toilet drain to the stack, replace and repair of the sub floor arround the toilet base, replacing the flange and securing the toilet.
Kitchen sink, Basement. Cutting of drain pipe and installation of new drain fitting to secure leaking connection.
After explanation of the above, the cutomer asked to finance the bill and sent us away to speak with her husband.
Friday: Toilet 1 was completely repaired. Less than a baby spoon of glue "was" spilled on a hallway carpet. As professionals we apologized and cleaned the spot with no trace of an accident.
Toilet two removed and placed to the side in an effort to have none of the many residents use the fixture over the weekend. The drain was plugged to "not" release sewer gases.
Monday: The smell claimed by the home owner in my observation was from the unsecured toilet that the residents of the home had urinated in repeatedly over the weekend that was running all over the wood floor, soaked up with toilet paper.
Toilet 2. Was completely repaired and secured to the floor. An invoice was presented and the customer thanked us for our work and informed us that her husband would take care of the bill asap.
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After two months of sending repeated invoices including three placed and un-returned phone calls. The journeymen had to return to the home to ask for payment. Upon answering the door in amazement of my presence the home owner made the excuse that her husband had "the check book". Only after reminding the customer of the timeframe of overdue status did she remember that "the check book" was on hand and paid her bill with an apology.