By Jerry L’Ecuyer & Frank Alvarez

Dear Maintenance Men:

I am about to refinish hardwood floors at my unit, however, I also want to install new floor tile in the kitchen. I don’t want to land up with floor thinset and grout all over my newly refinished wood floors. Which do I do first? – Ingrid

Dear Ingrid,

The hard and fast rule for all remolding work is, do the dirty work first. Your instinct is correct. The second rule in remodeling is work from the ceiling down to the floor which means, flooring of any kind should be the last phase or trade to be performed. This is just something to remember if you are considering doing more than flooring. Demo your existing flooring at the areas you will be installing tile, remember to remove the existing baseboard (do not try and save it) and make sure your contractor terminates your new tile evenly to “butt up” to your future wood floor at all open doorways or transitions.

We hope this helps answer your question and reinforces your instinct.

Dear Maintenance Men:

I have a residence built in the early 60’s and it has original cast iron drains. The last time I had a clog, my plumber said cast iron pipes have a 50-year life expectancy. During the auguring process he said they felt rough inside and may back up more frequently. Last year we replaced a ruptured pipe with a plastic pipe. The main drain, part of which is above ground, is rusty and tends to flake away. What are the possibilities for this situation – replace when they fail, replace before they fail, reline the pipes to prevent trouble, or some other option? Long term, what makes sense financially? – Korey

Dear Korey:

We recommend calling a plumbing company that specializes in sewer pipe inspections using a camera snake. The camera snake will be able to tell you the actual condition of the pipe and where there are trouble areas, breaks and clogs etc. The snake will be able to pinpoint the location, depth and direction of the sewer line. If part of your system is failing now, chances are the rest of the sewer line is not far behind.

The best solution to a damaged or broken sewer line is to replace it with a new pipe. However, this is not always an easy or cost-effective solution. The distance to the city sewer may be too great or extensive. Landscape or property damage may result from the re-piping. If replacing the pipe is not viable, consider using a pipe liner as preventive maintenance or repairing a damaged pipe. The cost to reline a pipe is approximately $130-$150 a foot with a 50-year warranty. Balance this cost against the cost of trenching in a new line with landscape repairs and down time. A pipe liner will be as strong as the original pipe.

Dear Maintenance Men:

I hear a soft “pisssst” sound in the walls. My husband says it might be a gas leak; I think it is a water leak. Now to complicate things, we don’t smell gas and we don’t see any water. Could this sound be anything else? – Julia

Dear Julia:

You have our condolences, but it could be worse, at least it is not a slab leak! The chances of the sound being a gas leak are slim as the gas is under low pressure. The chance of smelling rotten eggs on the other hand would be high. Our guess would be your issue is a water leak. The possible reason you are not seeing any water evidence is that the leak is very small and the water is atomizing as it is leaving the pipe. The atomizing action is aided by the fact that the pipe is most likely a hot water pipe and the water is turning into steam. Because the pipe is making noise, this should help in locating the leak. Once you locate the source of the leak, open the wall large enough to complete the repairs and leave the wall open for a few days or until all the moisture is gone.

If you need maintenance work or consultation for your building or project, please feel free to contact us. We are available throughout Southern California. For an appointment, please call Buffalo Maintenance, Inc. at 714 956-8371

Frank Alvarez is licensed contractor and the Operations Director and co-owner of Buffalo Maintenance, Inc. He has been involved with apartment maintenance & construction for over 30 years. Frankie is President of the Apartment Association of Orange County and a lecturer, educational instructor and Chair of the Education Committee of the AAOC. He is also Chairman of the Product Service Counsel. Frank can be reached at (714) 956-8371 Frankie@BuffaloMaintenance.com For more info please go to: www.BuffaloMaintenance.com

Jerry L’Ecuyer is a real estate broker. He is currently a Director Emeritus and Past President of the Apartment Association of Orange County and past Chairman of the association’s Education Committee. Jerry has been involved with apartments as a professional since 1988.