Plumbing woes can strain seasonal spirit

Saturday, November 19, 2005

Plumbing woes can strain seasonal spirit

By Robin McGinnis
rmcginnis@chronline.com

Nick George / The Chronicle
Rich Outumuro, owner of Rich’s Rooter Service, demonstrates drain cleaning with the use of a rooter machine in his Centralia home Tuesday. Thanksgiving and Christmas tend to be the busiest times of the year for rooter services because kitchen drains often become clogged from bird fat, celery and potatoes, according to Outumuro.

If you find yourself calling a plumber during one of the holidays this season, chances are, you’re not alone.
“Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, New Year’s. They’re all busy,” said plumber Rich Outumuro, owner of Rich’s Rooter Service in Centralia. “It’s all because 20 people are there for a day, and people are putting different things down the disposal.”
Of the 150 plumbing jobs he has in a month, Outumuro estimated that 35 of them involve kitchen sinks.
“Thirty of those are problems with disposals,” he said. “But it seems like the only thing we do is kitchens during the holidays.”
Outumuro, who has 23 years of plumbing experience, dislikes disposals to the degree that he won’t install them for customers.
Garbage simply isn’t meant for the kitchen sink, he said.
“It’s like this: Toilets are sitting on a 4-inch pipe because they are part of a waste line,” he said. “Everybody’s kitchen uses the smallest pipe possible, only an inch and a half, because it’s a water-based pipe.”
One of the biggest culprits during a holiday feast is celery, according to Outumuro.
“It’s stringy and fibrous, and it creates like a hair-net effect in the drain,” he said.
Outumuro also warned against potatoes, which tend to create an applesauce-like texture, clogging drains.
Dave Critcher with Chehalis Plumbing agreed with Outumuro’s assessment of garbage disposals.
“I don’t think people should have them, period,” he said. “People abuse them, and they’re really a tough job to unplug.”
In Critcher’s 30 years of plumbing, he has seen grease, chicken bones and even broken glass clogging up pipes.
According to Critcher, some people assume that because a grease is liquefied that it can be poured down the drain.
“But you just can’t,” he said. “(Disposals) are really kind of an unsanitary thing.”
Critcher recalled having to cut out an entire pipe because an artichoke had gotten trapped in the garbage disposal.
“It was disgusting,” he said. “Personally, I just don’t think you should have a disposal.”
But if you do have one, avoid throwing any type of vegetable peeling down the kitchen sink, according to Kelly Jensen with D.J. Plumbing in Centralia.
“Those are items that just need to go into the solid waste,” he said.
Also, be careful with utensils when you’re operating the disposal, Jensen said.
“Often, the spoon, or whatever is being used to push food down the disposal, will get dropped and get stuck in there as well,” he said.
And while kitchen sink issues occupy the majority of plumbers’ time during the holidays, it isn’t the only problem they see.
“Septic systems will get more use with 12 people in the house,” Jensen said. “It’s being more significantly impacted than if it were just being used by a family of four.”
A septic system’s high-water alarm is often alerted, but homeowners shouldn’t always assume the worst, Jensen said.
“Many times, it’s not a real big issue,” he said. “It’ll correct itself as the use goes back to normal.”
•••
Robin McGinnis covers business issues for The Chronicle. She may be reached at 807-8231, or by e-mail at rmcginnis@chronline.com.

Tips from the plumber

Thanksgiving plumbing tips:
• Don’t put turkey skin or bones, celery stalks, shrimp peels or onion peels down the garbage disposal.
• Avoid pouring grease into the drain.
• Throw large quantities of scraps into the trash, not the sink.
• Wipe out greasy pans and plates with a paper towel before washing.
• Rinse dishes thoroughly before putting them in the dishwasher.
• Run hot water when using the garbage disposal.
• Regularly use microbial drain treatment to help prevent grease, sludge or soap buildup.
• Use single-ply toilet paper in bathrooms that will be used frequently.
Source: Mr. Rooter

Bathroom sinks

Kitchen Sinks

Antique Vanities

Renovate your bathroom with glass sinks

An old run-down Colonial stood at 92 Alden Street in Fairfield last April when investors Mark Carroll of Darien and R.J. Kelly of Wilton bought the property. The house, which was built in 1931, had three types of siding in three different textures and shades of yellow. Windows were broken, the foundation was cracked, and the driveway consisted of crumbled pavement, according to Carroll.




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Since then, the house has undergone a total transformation. It has new gray vinyl siding with white trim and black shutters. The foundation was repaired, the driveway repaved, and new windows were installed throughout the structure - including an octagon-shaped window looking out from the master bedroom.


Carroll said virtually everything is new, from heating, central air and plumbing to the electrical work. "We went right down to the studs," he said, adding that the house is basically new.


Rather than knocking the old house down and building a new one in its place, Carroll and Kelly invested thousands of dollars into the old Colonial, adding hundreds of thousands of dollars to its market value, according to Carroll. The Colonial, which is located in the Fairfield beach area, is currently on the market with an asking price of $775,000.


With the red hot real estate market raising prices of homes, many homeowners are opting to invest money into their own homes rather than borrowing money for a new house. And for those who do buy new homes, the market for renovations and additions is also healthy for home buyers wishing to put their stamp on their new digs, and for investors like Carroll and Kelly who renovate older homes for resale. Area contractors are gutting bathrooms, remodeling kitchens, ripping up old carpets, and knocking down walls to make way for new additions.


"What's happening is, years ago people used to get the jitters over putting money into their homes and wondered if it was justified," said Thomas Wrabel, owner of Pine Creek Associates construction firm in Fairfield.


Wrabel said he has had clients who considered moving, but loved their neighborhood and the school system in their hometown. After factoring in the costs associated with buying and moving, Wrabel said a number of families came to the conclusion that the same money could be spent on upgrading their existing home.


"They are not only going to be putting added value into their home that they can live in and enjoy," Wrabel said, "but they're raising the resale value."


Davar Parvin, owns Parvin Group LLC, a Westport-based firm that performs renovations, additions, and remodeling. He agreed that people often see upgrading their home as a more affordable alternative to moving. But Parvin does not believe there has been a dramatic increase in people opting to renovate or build an addition instead of buying new houses.


Wrabel has a different opinion. "I think it's gone up tremendously," he said of the market for additions. "A lot of people are adding family rooms, kitchens, and a great room."


SUBHEAD Let there be light


"People like to let a lot of light in the room," Wrabel said of renovation projects. "They're doing more with glass."


The Alden Street house is no exception. In addition to installing all new windows, Carroll said he and his business partner increased the number of windows by about 20 percent. Included in the upgrade was the replacement of a flat picture window in the front with a bay window.


Parvin said most of his clients add bedrooms or bathrooms to their homes, adding he also builds high-end decks. Many of Parvin's jobs include modernizing existing kitchens by installing built-in cabinets and remodeling bathrooms.


Ditto for Carroll. A new deck and a complete gutting of the kitchen and bathrooms were on his renovation menu.


Outside the Alden Street house, doors were replaced on the detached two-car garage, and a sliding glass door leads to a brand-new deck on one side of the house where a windowless wall used to be. Potted plants and bushes line the house in the front yard, which Carroll said had consisted of overgrown vegetation.


Many people are remodeling entire bathrooms, a complete gutting right down to the tile and dry wall to electrical work, with new floors, fixtures, tubs and sinks, and a separate shower, according to Wrabel. He said hot tubs are popular, but "the biggest thing people want is very large showers." Wrabel said more people are willing to forgo the standard tub in favor of large showers with multiple-jets, and steam showers.


When it comes to kitchens, Wrabel said the favored countertop material has evolved from Formica to Corian to granite. Carroll and Kelly chose granite for the kitchen of their investment home.


SUBHEAD Hardwood floors popular


Hardwood floors run throughout every first floor room of the Alden Street house, including the kitchen and bathroom. This is becoming more and more common, according to Charles Pierpaoli, the owner of Oak and Company flooring firm in Redding. He said hardwood floors have spilled out of family rooms, bedrooms and hallways and into kitchens and bathrooms - which was once never done.


"Most people think it will get wet and buckle," Pierpaoli said. "When there is a spill, you wipe it up. The water does not penetrate the finish and it's a matter of maintenance of the wood floor."


Pierpaoli recommends homeowners sweep their wood floors regularly, and clean them with a damp mop with one part white vinegar and nine parts water. Every three years, Pierpaoli said to buff the floor and put on another coat of polyurethane. If it's a high traffic area like the kitchen, he said to recoat it more often such as every two years.


Pierpaoli said many new home buyers rip up old carpet in favor of hardwood floors for health reasons, especially if their children have asthma, which is a growing ailment nationwide.


When he extended the hardwood flooring on the first floor, Carroll said he had to match the new floor to the older wood. Such jobs are a common practice, according to Pierpaoli.


Pierpaoli, who has been in the flooring business for 30 years, said one of Oak and Company's specialties includes matching new wood to antique floors, with everything from chestnut to pine.


"I can match it and make it look like it's 250 years old," Pierpaoli said of expanding existing antique flooring into other rooms.


SUBHEAD Making it happen


Wrabel and Pierpaoli said making improvements to one's home is not just for the wealthy, though Pierpaoli's client list has included celebrities like Diana Ross, Richard Gere and the late Christopher Reeve.


"I have a good cross section," Wrabel said. "I have clients who say their budget limits them to remodeling a bathroom, even though they want to do other things. Then on the other side of the spectrum, people want to do a major revamp with new roofing, siding, windows, a kitchen and a bathroom - and they want you to do it at the same time."


"For me, it has always been a steady business," Parvin said. "I have no shortage of customers."

glass sinks

Get Your House Ready For Quick Sale

Get Your House Ready
For Quick Sale 

          If you’re planning to
sell your house this spring, you’re going to have a lot of competition for
potential buyers. According to the National Association of Realtors, more homes
are listed and sold between February and June than any other time of the year;
and 2005 will be the second best year on record for home sales. An estimated
6.54 million existing homes will be sold this year.With so much competition,
what can you do to make someone want to buy your house instead of the one down
the street? “It’s simple really,” says Jerry Ritten, a real estate agent with
Counselor Realty in Minneapolis, Minn. “Make sure it’s clean. When I bring
prospective buyers into a clean home, it’s easy for them to envision themselves
living there. If the house is dirty, the first thing they think about is how
much work would be involved in bringing it up to their standards.” 

Tips from Professional Agent:  Change your
bathroom sink,
bathroom faucet,
kitchen sink,
kitchen
faucet,
lightning,
and deep cleaning.


           Ritten says one of
the biggest mistakes home sellers make is failing to keep their property in
“showing” condition. “When they get a call from their agent, sellers often think
they can just make the beds, clear the counters in the kitchen and bath, vacuum
a little and clean the windows, but a serious buyer is going to do more than
just walk through the home,” he says. “They’ll want to closely examine all the
appliances to make sure they are clean and in working order; to open the closet
doors to see how spacious they are; and to look inside the kitchen cabinets to
see how deep they are. If they are confronted by dirt and grime everywhere they
look, potential buyers often leave without giving the property a second
thought.” 


Rather than risk a potential sale, these days many people are hiring
professional cleaning services to get their homes in tip-top shape before they
even hit the market. “People who clean for a living definitely have the edge
when it comes to making a property shine,” says Howard Purdy, vice president of
operations for Maid Brigade, a housecleaning service with more than 365
locations in the United States, Canada and Ireland. He says the company’s “Deep
Clean” service is extremely popular this time of year. 


         “When we send a team into a
home to do a Deep Clean, they start out with the basics. They vacuum with
commercial grade vacuums that pull the air and dust through HEPA filters. They
also sweep, scrub the floors and toilets, and do things most people don’t have
the time or inclination to do themselves. They will clean and dust the insides
of the kitchen and bathroom cabinets; scrub the oven and refrigerator shelves;
clean the drip pans under the refrigerator; wipe the dust off the ceiling fans,
furniture and television sets; whatever the seller wants and needs to get their
home in top showing condition,” says Purdy. 


             Once
the Deep Clean is done, Purdy says it’s a good idea to bring the team back
either weekly or bi-weekly -- for as long as the house is on the market -- to
keep things clean. “Home owners don’t need to go out and buy supplies,” says
Purdy. “Our teams bring everything they need with them, and they’re licensed,
bonded and insured which gives people piece of mind.” 


             In
addition to making sure the home is clean, other ways to improve its “show
ability” include putting new paint on the walls, having the carpet cleaned, and
redoing the landscaping. “I also urge my clients to do all they can to get rid
of clutter,” says Ritten. “Instead of filling the drawers with junk mail and
stuffing things into closets, I urge them to pack up things they don’t need
right away and either move them into the garage, give them away, or throw them
away. Houses that are neat and orderly show better and sell faster than those
that are cluttered and messy.” 

To locate the Maid Brigade nearest you, call (800) 881-5901 or log on to
www.800saving.com

 

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