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That time I demo'd a wall without checking what was inside first

Was taking out a wall in my 1950s bungalow near Whyte Ave a couple years back. Figured it was just old lath and plaster, no big deal. Turns out there was a live gas line running through it that nobody told me about. Had to call Epcor at 8pm on a Friday, cost me $400 for an emergency shutoff and a re-route. Anyone else run into hidden surprises in these older Edmonton houses?

3 comments

3 Comments

wyatt_green3113d ago

Funny, I actually had the exact opposite experience. Bought an old house near the Highlands and spent weeks checking every wall with a decent stud finder before demo, ended up ripping out a load-bearing chunk of lath and plaster that the guy at Home Depot swore was fine. Sometimes all the prep in the world just means you find new ways to mess up. Saw @the_jenny mention the stud finder trick too, but in my case it just gave me a false sense of security before I dropped a ceiling fan on my foot. Your mileage may vary, but I say swing first and ask questions later.

the_jenny24d ago

Made that mistake in my old Capilano house, found knob and tube wiring behind a wall I'd already started tearing down. Always worth the $30 to rent a stud finder that detects live wires and pipes before you swing a sledgehammer.

oliviat1724d ago

Did you have a permit pulled for that work? I lived in a house from the 20s near the U of A once and the city actually offers a free inspection before you start demoing, saves a lot of cash on surprises like that.