While tearing out ceiling the other night, I was on the verge of busting free a very large section of concrete. As I realized just how heavy it was, I stopped. Not a one-man job. Plus, there were electric and water lines in the way... So I called my electrician/plumber/carpenter/structural expert friend Randy to see if he was up for some demolition (read: save my butt from certain death). Thankfully, he said yes.
2 hours, 2 screwdrivers, a hammer, a crowbar, sweat, blood, and frustration. But ALL of the ceiling beneath the kitchen is down. Unsure, but my best guess is that we hauled out a couple thousand pounds of concrete and steel last night. Even the small pieces are ridiculously heavy. Randy is a big, big, big strong man, and he couldn't carry these things out alone. And just for the record, 2 sweaty men + subzero temperatures = pure insanity.
I went to bed last night with some peace of mind. Maybe the pipes would still freeze overnight, but it wasn't because I hadn't done all I could to prevent it. And, if and when the next freeze occurs, I'll be able to access all the pipes from the basement.
And of course, there are still frozen pipes. Ah well. At least I can get to them now. Except for the one running upstairs to the bathtub. I'll never be able to get to that one. Whoever decided to run pipes up an exterior brick wall with no insulation should be shot.
(But I'm glad we have the Jacuzzi tub... it's nice... as soon as it thaws, I'm taking a nice hot bath with the jets on. Might even use some of Toby's Big Bird bubble bath. It smells raspberrily wonderful.)
The best news is that Randy says all the structural stuff is "solid". And that's not a guess... it's all visible now, thanks to the painful removal of what is still the heaviest ceiling ever.
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