Just curious about the "no watering." Does that mean with municipal watering? Or, does it include private wells too? After all, if it is an aquafer water supply, it would all come from the same water supply, just not treated water. Who out there has a private well for irrigation? We have an "irrigation meter" which is cheaper than the household water supply because the gallons we use for irrigation do not return in the sewer system. The charge for the sewer treatment is more than the charge for water. Mobile is lucky to have within its County the entire lake from which our water supply comes. Of course now they are trying to DEVELOP around it, and thinking of a big highway right through it, but hopefully common sense will prevail there. When I see how the water supply for the wild birds and small creatures is so important, it draws more of them to my gardn than a food supply does, I know it is a critical element in the future of a metropolitan area as well. Never take water for granted.

Here in the mojave, in the summer months, we would berm up the perimeter of the slab the day after the pour and let a rain bird run for about a week or so. The slab would have a measurable amount of water being held by the berms. This allowed the crete to cure slowly, not too fast from the heat. We would then wait at least a week before framing on it after removal of the rain bird. Rain would always have been welcome, but kinda rare here in the desert, especially in the summer months. The purpose of keeping it wet is to slow the curing process, although concrete is always a curin', relativly speaking. Some concreter's would simply just fire up the rain bird without berming which i'm sure was effective as well. If it's not all that warm where you are pouring and you are getting close to freezing temps at night, I wouldn't be too concerned keeping the slab all that wet, definetely not flooded.

Clarion - it is actually a different ceiling that had the plumbing problem! this one is a drywall replacement on the first floor... yes confusing to have TWO different ceiling issues I know UG! :) I think the reasons you mentioned above are exactly why we have to replace so much. His plan is to cut out the drain at some point and install a PVC splice, because the drain lines were installed nearly agains the flor, and very close to the joists we have to go back kinda far to give him the room to do that. We only really have access from below (the downstairs ceiling) as the bathroom floor has wood and then tile added, we would have to bust up perfectly good tile. I can already hear the plumbing from that drain and am not really offended. The room that can hear it is the downstairs bathroom... columbusguy1 - I feel pretty confident he actually needs to go back that far to do the work. He suggested we remove the ceiling ourselves and kept stopping by to check on it what would be needed before actually scheduling the work. We also brought up the idea of, if we are replacing these pipes should we move them, because long term the placement of them is not what we want, and he said that is going to be a lot more money... We will see on the noise, I will take noise over leaking though :)

Thanks. My sister was diagnosed in 1989 with stage 4 inflammatory cancer when there was no real survival rate. After 3 years of chemo and radiation and prayers she did survive. Then in 2009 she was diagnosed with another form of breast cancer and had the breast removed with no chemo or radiation. Since she was born she suffers from Arrhythmia and has a pacemaker. Last November we noticed the metal of her pacemaker showing through her skin and just about falling out. This was just before she was diagnosed with cancer. The area was terribly infected and the skin was showing signs of necrosis. As soon as the tech at the pacemaker clinic saw this my sister was immediately sent out of town to London Health and Science Centre 2 hours away. The Doctors were not sure what they were going to do because the leads were also infected and the skin was in bad shape. She stayed in the hospital for a few weeks then they decided they would try to put the pacemaker on the right side of her chest which they did eventually do. They were unsure they had a vein for the lead to the heart but they did find one. They removed the old pacemaker but left the leads attached and tucked them into her chest wall. She came home from the hospital and was hooked up to 24 hour intravenous antibiotics for a few months. The leads eventually came through her skin so she was sent back to London to have them cut shorter. She has had 2 hip replacements, one of her hips needs to be replaced because it is falling apart but she can't undergo that long of a surgery so is living with the pain, same for her shoulder. My sister has never had 1 peaceful year of good health and I am amazed at the strength and fortitude she has. She wants to live so will do everything including asking for prayers from anyone offering them to her. Since being at my house her breathing has improved quite a bit and she doesn't look so sick. Today she got approval and a prescription for the oral chemo drug Tarceva. We have been waiting for the government to approve the funding of the medication. 30 pills $2525.00 . I have informed her of the side effects, read her reviews from people taking the drug and she is wanting to give it a go. When she has had chemo before she was never sick. I am worried about the face and body rash but the Dr had the pharmacy deliver 6 jars of cortisone creams. The Community Care Access manager found my sister a respite bed in a very nice retirement home. She has a 2 week government funded stay and then after the 2 weeks are up my brother and his SO said she can go to their place until the works is done, I talked to the contractor today and work can begin on a days notice so I am hoping for Wednesday. Marjorie is determined to get well or at least well enough to get up to go to her hair salon to get a wash, dye and cut. My younger brother handed the keys to the rental house to my older brother the other day after clearing out the house as much as he could. I told my brother they had a week to let their guy valuate the property and if they don't have a buyer I am selling it to the roofer. I just want it gone out of my life.