Goodbye to my virus-free safe space!

[Buckeye_Democrat]

I rent an apartment, and the landlord pays for the water for all of the units. There's only one water meter for the building, so high water usage involves an investigation within the units.

Well, my unit is the problem!

I don't use much water, and there's no leaking anywhere in here. It's worse than that... the water is leaking UNDER the foundation!

I've heard a slight hissing sound from the cold water inlet of the new water heater that was installed about two years ago. The crotchety old maintenance man who installed it became irritated a few times, and I witnessed him yanking some pipes to break loose rusted connections and such. He finally got it installed, and I assumed the slight hissing sound was "normal" for that particular water heater or whatever.

Apparently, the hissing was instead the sound of leaking water from a pipe that was installed under the slab when the apartment was built in the 70's! (Why would ANY of the pipes be under the slab?! Some pipes need to be above it to reach faucets and other stuff anyway!)

And the leak has obviously worsened within the last couple months given the outrageous water bills during that interim.

So I was told that a team of workers will need to be in my apartment to tear down walls, drill into the slab, and replace the pipe! Then it will all get patched back up.

Their droplets and aerosols will be everywhere in here. What a nightmare.

I asked if they could just bypass the underground pipe and replace it with above-ground pipe in that area, but the new maintenance guy doesn't know what the specialists will do.

I'm glad that I found some N100 masks, at least. They have one-way exhaust valves, but my apartment is full of my own droplets anyway and I'm not going to cover the valves while they're in here.

[Merlot]

1. Is there anywhere outside that you can wait during the day?

If not, maybe close yourself off in a room?

That's a tough situation to be in. Hope you can make it work. I think you can require any workers coming into your home to have a mask.

[LisaL]

3. Oh you can require them but what I noticed is that people would put it on and then take it off, and

do so repeatedly. Or they put it on their chin. Or they have the mask, but its' sitting on the seat of their car. What good do they think it's doing that way? Beats me.

[LisaL]

2. I had a similar dilemma.

A maintenance person showed up to do stuff.
Turn off air conditioning. Air conditioning might be spreading it on currents of air. Open windows/doors to the outside to dilute any droplets. Put on your mask (don't forget glasses or goggles) and try to stay away from them near an open window. Anyhow, that's what I did.
If they are in your place for a while, maybe you can leave and go and sit outside while they are doing their thing?

[Buckeye_Democrat]

4. Thanks for the advice!

I plan to lock myself away in a room through most of it. Will block the floor vent, open the window and wear my half-mask with goggles.

Whenever they leave, I'll spray Lysol liberally and continue to wear the mask as long as possible.

I'm probably being too paranoid, but dang it... I feel "invested" from all of my previous sacrifices to not get infected.

I hope it can somehow get done in a day. I can't imagine how that's possible with all the work involved, especially if they break through the slab, but the maintenance guy said they're real pros and he's seen them do similar jobs in a day.

[appalachiablue]

19. Can you request the landlord provide a vacant space

or assistance with a motel esp. if the process takes more than a day?

A friend had a ceiling flood leak from a major storm requiring workers in his place for several days or more; they gave him an empty apartment w/o furnishings but at least it was a separate space.

Good luck, hopefully things will be ok but your concerns are justified. (Maybe contact a housing/ tenant organization for advice).

PS Long clear plastic sheeting that painters use can cover surfaces and other areas as a precaution. They come in in rolls and are inexpensive, sold at hardware stores.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

20. Thanks.

I'll take the maintenance guy's word that it won't take very long, for now, but I'll call the landlord about those ideas if it turns into a multi-day project. (That's what I actually anticipate, but I'll distrust my own estimations since I know so little about the tools and techniques of this contractor.)

[ecstatic]

5. Wow! Good luck. I know the feeling.

My car is now 500 miles over the service due time. I don't want to let techs in my car much less my house. But it's time for my annual HVAC maintenance as well.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

7. I guess we can take solace knowing that the virus...

... doesn't remain viable outside of a host forever. Three days seems like the maximum on most things, and disinfectants can help too.

And most people haven't even been infected yet according to estimates by epidemiologists, so probability is in our favor too. It would be different if we were required to host a party for a bunch of drunk college kids or something. Lol.

[lunatica]

25. I was going to make this point too.

I would close off and seal (if possible) any rooms the repair people won’t go into. Then get as much cleaner that kills viruses and use it copiously when they leave. The virus will die in a few days anyway.

I use handy wipes and soak them so they’re wringing wet and hold them in such a way that anything I touch is wiped thoroughly, and at the same time my hands are continuously being disinfected too. I also spray surfaces thoroughly in the kitchen and bathroom and let the spray evaporate rather than wiping it so the disinfectant effect lasts longer. You might pre-load your dishwasher too and run it after they leave.

With reasonable caution and wise planning you’ll be fine. It’ll be a pain in the ass, but at least it’s a one time thing.

[csziggy]

6. They may well install above ground pipes

My parent's house was built on a slab in 1968 with water pipes in the ground under and coming though the slab. Eventually the metal (not sure if copper or iron) pipes corroded and they had leaks under the slab. The plumber ran flexible PEX piping to the existing plumbing. He was very clever about it - only after both my parents died and we were cleaning out their closets did I see the new piping at the back of the closet running along the ceiling. All the bathrooms were together - back to back for the master suite and hall bathroom and straight up for the upstairs bathroom.

PEX is very popular for retrofit since it is easy to run, flexible, and the connections are very quick.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

8. I really hope that's what they do!

Unless they have a very clever method to determine the exact location of the leak, breaking through the slab seems like a fool's game to me.

[csziggy]

11. I'm not how they connected in my parent's house

They may have located where the plumbing came in from outside, connected to that, then run the PEX through the house. I only got the basic information and what I saw when we were clearing the house.

Good luck with this - I know how annoying living in a construction zone is. I started an addition the beginning of February that was supposed to finish in May. We're close to the end, but have been waiting over three weeks for the flooring contractor to deliver and install the materials that have been in their warehouse for those three weeks. Most of what I own is in storage since last year and I can't move back into the two old front rooms and the new living room until everything is finished.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

13. Ugh, I'm sorry.

Maybe the pandemic has caused delays for them too?

And we're obviously not even close to quashing it, given the lack of leadership and responsibility at the WH.

[csziggy]

15. Mostly it is bad planning by the contractor

Apparently the subcontractors in the area know he plays slow and cheap, so he is not top of their list when he calls for them to show up. That means he cannot get one scheduled until the previous ones finish since he is not sure when the first one will come or when they will finish. So far none have talked about covid-19 causing delays.

The one delay that did happen was when one of the carpenters fell off a second story deck (not mine) and broke his back. Fortunately, no nerve damage. They've fused his back and he is out of rehab, doing physical therapy. His boss, the subcontractor, carries really good workmen's comp insurance and will keep him on to transport people and materials during his recuperation. That crew is my favorite - I wish that boss had his full contractor's license and could have done the whole job!

[Buckeye_Democrat]

17. Aww, jeez. Feel bad for that carpenter!

It could have been a lot worse for him, though.

Good luck with your project! They'll probably get to you soon!

[uncle ray]

9. pex is excellent to bury as well.

either in ground or in the slab, it is extremely durable under those conditions. just can't have fittings buried, for best results. not that anyone here has any say in the matter.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

10. I would normally observe this kind of work closely.

I'm curious what they will do. Yet I'll probably just stay away this time, through most of it anyway.

[Ilsa]

12. Consider getting some plastic paint tarps to

Place over your furniture, block rooms, etc. It might help prevent germs and viruses from getting on your bed, couch, lamos, etc.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

14. Good advice! nt

[Ilsa]

16. With that drilling and digging,

No telling what kind of germs and parasitics could become airborne that are currently resting in or around bugs and rodents. Histoplasmosis, psitticosis, toxoplasmosis, etc are all related to animal poop, etc, and can make you sick.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

18. The slab has been directly on the ground for years...

... so I'm guessing there's very few things living under it except maybe worms. Well, anaerobic microbes too. With all that water seeping into the ground, I might be forgetting something? Where there's water, there's life.

The leak must be near the center of the building, based on where the hissing is loudest in the various above-slab pipes.

The dust won't be pleasant regardless.

I always assumed the pipes went through "channels" in the foundation, with something else covering the channels for easy access. I'm still surprised that many of them are totally under the foundation. It sure doesn't make later repairs as easy.

[appalachiablue]

22. +1 The truth, serious health issues in humans

can occur when that kind of work is done, just as you say, all kinds of toxins and pests can surface. When I worked at an agency for the visually impaired we got diverse referrals, some from nearby NEI/NIH.

I helped a woman with ocular histoplasmosis by informing her about low vision aids.

My position was info. and resources- health materials, support groups, large print reading sources, magnification, etc. Most people we served had common age- related conditions, but others had difficulties related to rarer issues like stroke, CMV, Albinism, herpes, AIDS, etc. ~ A great job, the staff was super and I learned a lot about health and medicine.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

21. Found an article about slab leaks.

https://www.expresssewer.com/blog/bid/315904/how-to-detect-and-fix-a-slab-leak

Gave me a better understanding of the work it entails. No way that I'd want to do it myself, if I was a homeowner.

[BGBD]

23. I can't imagine

that's a single days job.

You're talking about a LOT of work. From what you described it will be atleast a week if they try to replace waterlines under the slab.

Of course, a much economical way to fix this issue would be to simply replace the lines coming in from the inlet and water heater with PEX lines. These are what everyone doing new construction uses now. They are really simple and fast to install and could be put into the existing walls with just a couple of little holes being cut for access. They could take the opportunity to run them throughout the building or just use some sharkbite couplings to connect them into the old copper lines at a spot that is convenient. That wouldn't require any jackhammering or pouring new concrete. That is more like a days work with one or two guys.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

24. Guess what? You're correct!

It was the new maintenance man who said it could take only a day, but that sounded crazy to me given the work involved.

Well, the head of that plumbing company showed up and checked it out this morning. He said it will take at LEAST three days and probably longer.

The leaking pipe is 4 feet underground according to him. He also narrowed it down to the restroom which is next to the utility room with the water heater.

I asked him about bypassing that pipe, and he replied that I'd then have no water for the stuff beyond that pipe such as the shower, kitchen faucet, dishwasher, etc.

The restroom wall and floor will need torn apart, and then they'll have to replace the foundation, wall, floor tiles and even the restroom faucet cabinet.

He said there's no sign of foundation damage, and the water table has been low enough for awhile that he suspects the leaking water has been pulled straight down and away from the foundation anyway.

I called the landlord about a possible empty unit where I could stay whenever the project is started, but he hasn't called back yet.

Edit: When I answered the door, he looked annoyed when he saw my mask. He asked if I wanted him to wear one, then said he'd put on a mask before I could answer. He grabbed it from his truck's seat and put it on, then came inside. I mostly stayed in another room while he worked to determine the location of the leak.