Crazy Details in our New House: Part Three

"If a 1/8" caulk joint is good, then a 1-1/4" caulk joint must be better"

That seems to be the philosophy governing the construction behind the shower in the master bath. There's really no other way to explain the massive blob of waterproofing that surrounds the shower pan. Our best guess is that it took about two full tubes of caulking to complete. It's so thick it looks like it was applied with a trowel or maybe a frosting knife. And it doesn't just stop with the pan, it's also slobbered in around the faucet and fixtures as well.

And to top it all off, we just noticed a leak appearing in the living room ceiling, just below the shower. So it looks like the caulk joint might not even be effective. Awesome.

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Crazy Details in Our New House: Part Two

The wiring here all checks out, but there's something about this junction box that just reeks of evil. It reminds us of those creatures from the Matrix that swam around looking for Neo's ship.

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Crazy Details in Our New House - Part One

Like we've mentioned earlier, we've just moved into a 1915 farmhouse. It's a wonderful, saggy, uneven structure with more character than Clint Eastwood's face. The house has good bones and most of the work associated with the man who built it and first lived in it is very nice. There have been other owners though who have been tinkerers and their work is...well...interesting. Interesting enough that we're going to start a new series, "Crazy Details In Our New House."

This first installment is of the creative plumbing that occurs as the waste line leaves the house. It's a beauty. The two small lines coming in from the top are a sink and a tub (why bother with two traps when you can just use one?). Unfortunately, the photo doesn't represent the whole effect. You're missing the strange patch further down on the waste line which has a slight leak, and there's no way to tell from the photo, but the plumbing system isn't vented, so every time we flush a toilet, there's a fantastic 'GLUG...GLUG...GLUG." Actually, now that we think about it, the corroded and abandoned cast-iron pipe that's stuffed with newspaper sort of acts as a semi-functional vent. Maybe that's why the glugging isn't as loud on the first floor.

Did we mention that we love this house? We really do.

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