Water needs to flow uphill
Question: I recently purchased a home and want to have the washing machine moved into the detached garage where the dryer is located. The floor level of the garage is about 4 1/2 feet below the level of the floor in the house, which is about 36 feet away, making it impossible for the washing machine to discharge water into the sewer connection. Is there any solution to this problem?
Answer: There are a couple of alternatives, although we are reluctant to suggest one over the other for a lack of more specific information. What you might want to do is review both suggestions with a qualified plumbing contractor who can help you make a decision on which best suits your situation.
The first solution involves connecting the new waste line from the washing machine into the existing sanitary sewer system at a point that is lower than and in reasonably close proximity to the garage. The fact that the house is higher than the garage doesn’t exclude the possibility that the sewer that supplies your home is, at some point (between the house and the street or adjacent property), lower than the garage.
If this won’t work, consider having a holding tank installed that your washer can discharge into. The holding tank accepts the waste water and upon reaching a certain level will automatically pump it up to a plane where the water can be discharged into the sanitary sewer system. Special back-flow devices must also be installed to keep the waste water from backing up into the holding tank.
Repairing cracks may uglify ceiling
Question: I live in a house that is only a few years old and need to fix some settling cracks in my ceiling. The problem is that my ceiling has a textured pattern that I can’t imitate. How do I fix this?
Answer: Textured spray in a can will often do the trick. However, if after a bit of experimenting you cannot create a matching finish, you may want to contact the original builder to find out who performed the finish work.
Hiring a professional to make the repairs and redo the texture may be the only answer. Although it may seem like an unnecessary expense, a matching finish is key in helping to maintain the quality and value of your home.
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