Part 2 of a special memory.
Do you know what carpenter ants are? No? Neither did I, when we bought our first house. But I soon learned that they can destroyed a house, in about 15 years. When we had our house raised, we were told that it would be the perfect time to inspect the foundation and beams for signs of carpenter ants These are very large ants—up to 1.5 cm—that usually build their nests in moist wood, but also in dry wood. You can sometimes see signs of their work, as they push out the excavated sawdust. Unlike termites that eat wood, carpenter ants are meat eaters, preying on other insects. They need to leave their nest to search for food in the garden. The honeydew produced by aphids is a favourite food.
Well, what better time to inspect our house than when it was raised on cribs. There were signs of carpenter ants, but fortunately not much damage. One part of the foundation plate needed to be replaced, and the problem of the ants was dealt with by a pest control person.
So when the masonry was finished, including the chimney and a concrete wall to support the back porch, the house was slowly lowered onto the new foundation walls. The short ‘basement’ door had to be relocated to the back of the house and built to a normal height. Electricity to our new basement space, with additional outlets on all the unfinished walls, was an easy job. The larger windows added so much light to the space, that we could see how we would finish it, eventually. All that remained was connecting the plumbing.
I remember thinking that I really wanted to replace all the galvanized iron pipes, which were exposed in the unfinished ceiling. This was the best time to do such a big job. So, when the plumber had installed the major water and sewage lines to and from the house, I researched what needed to be done with the pipes. I bought all the supplies: copper piping, pipe cutter, fittings, solder wire, propane torch, steel wool and flux, the lubricant needed at each joint. I arranged to work for a day (or a few days?) by myself in the basement. I think my husband was taking care of the kids.
I must have spent a lot of time getting ready, because I don’t remember encountering any major obstacles doing the job. I remember feeling so good about being able to cut the copper and use the tools. The joints looked good and the work wasn’t physically demanding. In all, I made 29 joints in the basement that connected to the main floor plumbing.
Then came the moment of truth, the biggest test of my life: turning the water on. If one joint failed, I’d have to dry out the whole set-up to fix it. Any water remaining in any of the pipes could make soldering impossible. I rediscovered my faith and said a prayer… and turned the water on.
No leaks! I was ecstatic! What a memory! Ha-ha-a-a!
Fiona