Hold your breath I'm going in.....

There is no problem knowing exactly where the pipe is. Plumbing was not added to the house until long after it was built (1800s), You can see where they dug the trench to put it in the first time somewhere around the 1920s. I tried cutting to get nice straight lines, but it still broke out along the edges from 100 years ago.

 

The good news is that I now have all of the new pipe in. I just tested it and there are no leaks. I took a long hot shower (I needed that) and still no leaks.

I have a fan and a dehumidifier running down there to dry out the holes for a few weeks before I fill with gravel. I will let the gravel sit for a few more weeks before I cement it up.

 

But for now I will rest and eat......................

ALLL right!!! Now you got to the part that I'm and expert in!!! Need any help with the resting and eating?

Dang it That Carl always gits in there 1st!!!

Once again, sprinkle some lye which will break down the nasty organic stuff faster...

I have a fan and a dehumidifier running down there to dry out the holes for a few weeks before I fill with gravel. I will let the gravel sit for a few more weeks before I cement it up..

why do you need to let it dry out before closing it up?

Congratulations!!:clap2:

Maybe you should think about being a plumber. Sounds like they earn more than an engineer!

glad you got it sealed back up. Had to change mine out around 30 years ago. But mine had collapsed out buy the road from me driving my 51 ford f3 over it many times. I hired mine done at the time as was to cold out for me to dig by hand. Plus was cheaper back then.

why do you need to let it dry out before closing it up?

Wet ground is not stable, It will dry out eventually, as it dries the ground will shrink. If I cement over it while wet, when the ground shrinks it will be pulling on the pipes and it will no longer be properly supporting the cement floor.

Congratulations!!:clap2:

 

Maybe you should think about being a plumber. Sounds like they earn more than an engineer!

NO WAY!!!!!!

As you said they do EARN it. I would never want to work that hard for a living.

There were a few times during this that I thought about calling in a pro, thinking that the $8K was a bargain. There is no way I ever want to do this again. I fully understand why they get paid what they get paid.

Playing with the camera was hind of neat. I am a sucker for techno toys. To bad I did not have what was necessary to record that. The camera has a yellow RCA video plug on it, But I do not have a recording device that will accept that input and I am to cheap to add more time to the camera rental to give me time to round up the video gear I would need.

Once again, sprinkle some lye which will break down the nasty organic stuff faster...

Bob is right!! Powered Lime works great too.

The first hole is about dry enough to do the gravel fill around the pipe. For now I will fill it full with the gravel so that I can safely walk over it. I will not do the cement until summer when I can have all of the windows open to air things out. Come summer I will have to dig out gravel to the depth that I am going to pour the concrete, I do have a place to put the gravel to good use. I am even going to drive a 60 mile round trip to get the correct gravel for the job. I have to be sure that this repair will outlive me. This is not something I EVER want to do again.

The second hole is still very wet at its lowest point, but it is getting better every day.

Excellente!

Yippie, Today is the first day that there is no standing water in the second hole. It is still mud at the bottom but at least no standing water. This is progress.

It also confirms that it is just ground draining and not another leak.

Yippie, Today is the first day that there is no standing water in the second hole. It is still mud at the bottom but at least no standing water. This is progress.

It also confirms that it is just ground draining and not another leak.

Have you taken a shower lately?

Have you taken a shower lately?

It is not an odd numbered year yet.........

I did run a test where I filled both bath tubs with water, all of the sinks in the house, and then pulled all plugs at the same tome and flushed both toilets to get the max possible water flow that my house can possibly generate and still no new water appeared in the hole.

You just passed the Civil Engineering final exam !

And FINALLY. The end.

I got the new cement floor poured.

Of course there was no way to have a small amount of ready mix delivered to the basement so it was a "small" mater of mixing and placing 24 bags of cement.

Now in a few days I can put the basement back together so I can get to all of the other things that need to get done.

Well, that was exciting!

24 Bags! I'm tired just reading about it! I mixed 4 or 5 bags to pour the ramp to my new utility shed using a hoe to mix it inside a wheel barrow and it was a lot of work. 24 bags!

24 Bags! I'm tired just reading about it! I mixed 4 or 5 bags to pour the ramp to my new utility shed using a hoe to mix it inside a wheel barrow and it was a lot of work. 24 bags!

:sign yeah that::sign yeah that::sign yeah that::sign yeah that::sign yeah that::sign yeah that:

Ya done did us proud Fool!!!!!

Specially for a geezerly type of White White Washer cement mixer!!

Just an update, the basement is still dry and aroma free. Well at least free of sewer aromas.

:sign yeah that::sign yeah that::sign yeah that::sign yeah that::sign yeah that::sign yeah that:

 

 

Ya done did us proud Fool!!!!!

 

Specially for a geezerly type of White White Washer cement mixer!!

But now that I was rereading this post and reminiscing, Ol pucs comment here just rang a bell in my poor old demented little brain......

What if I added a bit of concrete to the White washer mixture to make some of that nice snow that is like shoveling concrete...........Hmmmmmmm, Puc you have so many great ideas..........

I would if you still can, add a sealer to the patch work, water based works well, no odor.