The Sound Guy
Pursuit Driver
We built this house in 1999/2000. At that time I was on a "I just love trees" kick and saved a bunch of trees when they cleared the lot, including for some stupid reason, several Sweet Gum trees.
Fast forward to 2019 and I am over the sweetgum balls all in the yard, picking up limbs, etc. However, with 19 more years of growth, these suckers are HUGE and I have no way to drop them myself. (I don't climb) So, I call a tree guy we know and his suggestion is that I just pay for a day of work, that it won't be much more than the price of three sweet gums alone and I'll get more trees done. It's more than I wanted to pay, but hey, it allows me to clear some others that I'm tired of and hopefully get ready to get my outdoor storage building (Yes, GD, I know, I should put a stereo speaker system in it
) built.
They were going to cut them last Thursday when I was home, but the monsoon that day put that rest. I wanted them to wait until I was home again, but wife wanted it done soonest. She scheduled it for Monday. So I've just landed in Baltimore when my wife texts to inform me that when they dropped the top of the huge sweetgum in the front, a fountain of water started bubbling up from the ground. Ooops. I had forgotten the water line was that close to tree and turns out the roots had punched into the line and wrapped around it. When they cut the top out of the tree, the base moved enough to pull the root out and crack the pipe and let loose the flood. Long story a little shorter, they patched it three times, but it was by their exit path and when they drove by it it would pop loose again. They got it mostly patched right before they left, but its' still dripping a little and I didn't want the weight of dirt on it to break it again, so it's still uncovered for me to deal with if needed when I get back.
Called the plumber I use and they said that after 19 years, patching the existing line is an iffy idea, even if they came out and did it. So now I'm looking at $1000-1500 for a new water line on top of the 3K+ for getting the trees cut. (It's a 100 ft+ line)
The tree guys still need to grind the stumps, so I don't want to take a chance of doing that with the new line in the ground, so we're in limbo until that gets done.
811 came out tonight and marked the gas line that is in that area as well so they could grind safely, and the plumber can use that mark as well to be sure they miss it. Grinding should be Friday morning, hopefully get the plumbers team out Friday afternoon.
This is after having to have a new Furnace/Air Conditioner put in this Spring (4K) and Aquaguard lifting the driveway out of the sinkhole under it last fall (4K).
So much fun! I love being a homeowner!! Inflation sucks however, I remember everything about a house was usually $1000. Now its' $4000.
Good news is God has been good to us in the last year and we have funds to cover most of it. We've learned that if we seem to have extra money, hold on to it, something's about to go.
Fast forward to 2019 and I am over the sweetgum balls all in the yard, picking up limbs, etc. However, with 19 more years of growth, these suckers are HUGE and I have no way to drop them myself. (I don't climb) So, I call a tree guy we know and his suggestion is that I just pay for a day of work, that it won't be much more than the price of three sweet gums alone and I'll get more trees done. It's more than I wanted to pay, but hey, it allows me to clear some others that I'm tired of and hopefully get ready to get my outdoor storage building (Yes, GD, I know, I should put a stereo speaker system in it
) built.They were going to cut them last Thursday when I was home, but the monsoon that day put that rest. I wanted them to wait until I was home again, but wife wanted it done soonest. She scheduled it for Monday. So I've just landed in Baltimore when my wife texts to inform me that when they dropped the top of the huge sweetgum in the front, a fountain of water started bubbling up from the ground. Ooops. I had forgotten the water line was that close to tree and turns out the roots had punched into the line and wrapped around it. When they cut the top out of the tree, the base moved enough to pull the root out and crack the pipe and let loose the flood. Long story a little shorter, they patched it three times, but it was by their exit path and when they drove by it it would pop loose again. They got it mostly patched right before they left, but its' still dripping a little and I didn't want the weight of dirt on it to break it again, so it's still uncovered for me to deal with if needed when I get back.
Called the plumber I use and they said that after 19 years, patching the existing line is an iffy idea, even if they came out and did it. So now I'm looking at $1000-1500 for a new water line on top of the 3K+ for getting the trees cut. (It's a 100 ft+ line)
The tree guys still need to grind the stumps, so I don't want to take a chance of doing that with the new line in the ground, so we're in limbo until that gets done.
811 came out tonight and marked the gas line that is in that area as well so they could grind safely, and the plumber can use that mark as well to be sure they miss it. Grinding should be Friday morning, hopefully get the plumbers team out Friday afternoon.
This is after having to have a new Furnace/Air Conditioner put in this Spring (4K) and Aquaguard lifting the driveway out of the sinkhole under it last fall (4K).
So much fun! I love being a homeowner!!
Inflation sucks however, I remember everything about a house was usually $1000. Now its' $4000. Good news is God has been good to us in the last year and we have funds to cover most of it. We've learned that if we seem to have extra money, hold on to it, something's about to go.
