c/yeg-homeowners

Our block got a new drainage ditch and the difference is wild

I moved into my house in 2018 and every spring the backyard would turn into a mini lake. Last fall the city finally came through with a proper drainage ditch along the alley. I figured it would help a bit but I didn't expect the change to be this big. We got a huge storm last week, like 3 inches in a few hours, and my yard was bone dry the next morning. Before that I would have had standing water for days and my basement would be damp. It cost the city about $12,000 for the whole block project and I gotta say it was worth every penny. Has anyone else seen this kind of improvement from city drainage work or did I just get lucky?

4 comments

terryallen•1mo ago

That urgent plumbing fix I thought was $200 ended up being $2,800

Had a pipe burst under the kitchen sink last Tuesday night. Called a guy from a Facebook recommendation in St. Albert and he charged me $150 just to show up and look at it. Turns out the whole drain stack was corroded and needed replacing. Cost me $2,800 total after they tore out part of the cabinet. Anyone else get burned by an emergency call out fee that felt way too high?

2 comments

cameron426•1mo ago

My garage door spring snapped at 6am on a Saturday morning

I was backing out to grab coffee and the whole door just crashed down. The spring broke clean in half, and my car was stuck inside. I called three places, and the first guy quoted me $650 to replace both springs. Ended up going with a smaller company off 99 Street who did it for $420 and showed me how to lubricate them monthly. Has anyone else had good luck with those nylon rollers vs the metal ones?

2 comments

hayden_rivera•1mo ago

Shoutout to the guy at Rona who warned me about self tapping screws for vinyl siding

Took me three weekends to hang a hose reel bracket on the side of my house because I kept using the wrong screws. First set stripped out. Second set bent. Third set I grabbed some cheap ones from the hardware bin and they snapped right off. Finally a older employee came out to the parking lot as I was loading up and asked what I was doing. He told me to get specific stainless steel ones with a smaller drill bit. Whole job took 15 minutes after that. Has anyone else had a simple DIY turn into a multi weekend disaster because you picked the wrong fastener?

2 comments

david739•1mo ago

Serious question, has anyone else dealt with a terrible home inspector?

I hired a guy last summer to check out a house I was buying in the Hazeldean area. He spent maybe 45 minutes walking around, said everything looked fine, and I only paid him $350. Three weeks after moving in, I found a massive crack in the foundation behind some drywall he never looked behind. What did that inspector miss in your place, and how did you deal with it?

2 comments

barbara84•3mo ago

Millcreekpainters vs CertaPro for exterior painting?

I'm getting quotes to have my exterior stucco and trim painted this spring. Both Millcreekpainters and CertaPro gave me fairly similar estimates. Has anyone here used either of these companies in Edmonton? Would love to hear your experiences.

2 comments