There are wonderful surprises (for some definition of wonderful) when one is doing maintenance on one's house. Especially if the house has gone through several owners and at least one of them fancied himself as a handyman. Almost always, the do-it-yourselfer takes shortcuts. Well, that's okay, even the pros take shortcuts. The difference, though, is the kind of shortcuts.
I don't know if this house had one or two of those kinds of owners or if it was cut-rate hired help, but this house has a few interesting aspects.
1. Lawn Sprinklers. The controller is outside on the side of the house as far from any door as it is possible to get. It is also mounted 3 feet off the ground and behind a bush. Three of the four electric valves are just outside the front door in a most obvious spot despoiling any possible landscaping. The forth valve is for the back yard. There used to be two, but at some point a repair was done that crossed the pipes at some point so the second valve does nothing at all. Over time, the maintenance has been lacking, too. the heads are all different types and most have the wrong spray pattern for their location. We water as much concrete as we do vegetation.
2. Electrical wiring. A couple of wall switches that no longer control anything. A recessed ceiling fixture that isn't repairable without taking out a section of ceiling. A switched outlet in one room is also switches an outlet in another room. All the bathroom outlets and lights are on the same circuit breaker. There is one original outlet in the garage and a bunch of non-code additions to run shop lights. Fine, except the shop light cords don't reach so there are several extension cords in play.
3. Gas lines. Gas comes up the side of the house to reach the pool heater and runs into the garage to reach the water heater, heater, and clothes dryer. As is fine except that the gas line to the pool equipment is five inches two far along and comes up 2.5 inches inside the concrete surrounding the pool. I want to move that equipment and the job is now harder than need be.
4. Pool. The pool is two or three times the size it should be for the backyard it is in. The plumbing for it has been reworked several times. It is now the most basic of setups. That is okay, we don't need anything fancy, but it doesn't include any check valves. One valve is never used because the hot tub part off the system would drain if the valve position was changed at all. That means all the pool water must circulate through the hot tub. No chance of letting the pool have circulation while the hot tub is in use. (This isn't a design flaw, but we don't have a good way to put solar heat on the pool, either. We would have to pump the water a lot higher than practical.)
5. Kitchen. Mostly the kitchen is okay. Mostly. There is a gas line (the one to the pool heater) running right by the kitchen. There is NO gas to the kitchen so we are stuck with an electric stove. I think, though, that when I move the pool equipment, I'm putting gas into the kitchen.
6. Side yard. Concrete sloped steeply away from side door to garage. This is good. Grass area outside the gate is very high. That caused a lake to form and a garage flood to happen every time it rains. (I've stopped the flooding but I haven't finished the front.
7. The Tree. The tree in the front yard has very shallow roots (surface, mostly) and is threatening the house foundation. it really has to come out. But I think it isn't as time critical as it was because the tree is in trouble. It has scattered blossoms but only about ten leaves. It should be fully leafed out by now and certainly before it buds and blossoms. As it is, it is an eyesore. I'm going to get bids, but I think it will be a project I take on. (Then I might rent a Bobcat and level the front yard. :) That, at least would be FUN! We are dithering on that project 'cause we can't figure out it should look like when finished.
8. And that is all I care to talk about today. :)
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