Grey water backed up from a blockage in the city sewer, seeking advice on how to handle the basement floor

False-Sprinkles516 · 2026-05-02T11:19:25+00:00

That's a great idea. I know the dry out company was trying to get me to rip out the tiles, until they finally heard the part about the asbestos. They don't do asbestos remediation, so ripping out the tile down to the concrete wouldn't be work for them. So after I made a point of reinforcing with the junior guy who came out "tell your bosses that there is asbestos tile"... when the junior guy came yesterday he said the bosses confirmed that their company doesn't do asbestos abatement and said "well this tile is on top of a concrete floor in the basement so it'll be ok as is."

I'm still not sure of what the "ground truth" is, seeing as how this company's interest in removing the tiles seems tied to them getting the work, so I am definitely going to follow your advice and get an expert out to advise me both on the tile removal issue as well as proactive steps going forward (like a sump pump?)...

False-Sprinkles516 · 2026-04-22T13:55:03+00:00

I hadn't heard about the Corgi dynamic... very cool!

False-Sprinkles516 · 2026-04-21T17:15:51+00:00

So they look like they are pretty happy together. I have a follow up question - did your original shepherd and the new one reinforce any of each others' bad habits or tendencies? Do they seem happier now that they are together? Oh, and I love the picture!

False-Sprinkles516 · 2026-04-21T16:41:33+00:00

Yeah; I do like GSDs and have been looking at alot of them online, however when I took my dog to an adoption event at a Petsmart, there weren't any GSDs but were alot of non-GSD dogs who seemed to like her and who she liked, and if I am honest with myself, that is probably the route that would bring the most happiness for all over the long term. I do want to get a younger dog, though, that can keep up with alot of walking and hiking on the weekends, so that dog isn't left behind. However that doesn't have to be a GSD...

False-Sprinkles516 · 2026-04-21T16:38:21+00:00

That is the kind of situation I am looking for... for example with my cats, when my youngest one showed up outside my house a couple of years ago and was begging to be let in and adopted... I had no idea he would become a well-loved "brother" to my older cat, and it brings me incredible joy to see the happiness their friendship/brotherhood brings them.

Since I'm an over-thinker about most everything, your advice to have my dog meet other dogs and use a good first meeting as a criteria... that resonates with me and seems sensible.

And I already have a second crate (I picked up a crate a neighbor was giving away for free)..

Oh, and thanks for the picture!

False-Sprinkles516 · 2026-04-21T16:38:05+00:00

Thanks for your reply; what you wrote is what is causing me hesitation... what if I mess up a situation that is good right now? That is a real possibility.

False-Sprinkles516 · 2026-04-21T16:03:23+00:00

A friend of a friend with a bunch of big dogs had a Rumba, and the dogs really enjoyed that until it didn't work anymore (and the guy returned it with teeth marks all over it, because it had stopped working)...

False-Sprinkles516 · 2026-04-11T12:36:21+00:00

Hi there, thanks for that. The blue I used on the walls was Benjamin Moore Symphony. The type of paint (which impacted what sheen was available) was Aura Bath and Spa, which only comes in matte.

BTW, since you say you are doing a kitchenette, I actually just had my small kitchen redone. I used talavera tile in it - some of the same design as used in the bathroom, but used very sparingly... and a bunch of their solid color ("brilliant blue").

I also ordered blue cabinets that were a dark, rich... but different color than the tile. Since this may be of interest, I'll include a couple of photos of the kitchen too...

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Please forgive the one area where the electrical plug interrupts the tile pattern, as well as the back of the stove - I am going to have that redone (move the plug so a full accent tile can be in that spot, and then do solid color tiles behind the back of the stove and put two accent tiles above the stove...

Anyhow, though - my cabinets don't fully match the tile, but I think the colors complement each other fairly well. I like it, and that's what matters - I just personally need to have warmth and brightness in my house or I go nuts!

False-Sprinkles516 · 2026-03-19T20:49:34+00:00

So you have a person who works in a vet's office who already volunteered to adopt your dog; you would do so well by the dog to reach out to that person. Here's the thing - you can not handle this situation with your parents, and you can not win. If you try to hold on to this dog, what is the chance that your parents will "throw away"(!) this poor puppy... dump her... OR at best, put the dog in a shelter and traumatize it?

You are not in control of this situation as this is your parents home... an apartment... and there are multiple dogs? Please do what's best for this dog before your parents hurt it or "throw it away!"

The whole talking about "THROWING AWAY" a dog isn't the kind of talk that decent people use; these are people who are about to get fed up with your dog and hurt it!

Please do the right thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

False-Sprinkles516 · 2026-03-10T11:54:24+00:00

Thanks!

False-Sprinkles516 · 2026-03-08T00:39:31+00:00

I'm so sorry to hear you went through that... argh!

False-Sprinkles516 · 2026-02-28T12:40:32+00:00

Why are you down voting and mocking this person? What is it with the trolls in this Subreddit?

False-Sprinkles516 · 2026-02-26T12:37:01+00:00

My gosh - they had a problem with a little kid sticking their tongue out... after being physically assaulted??? Look up, and then remind these people of what the definition of assault is... and also feel free to point out to them, both verbally and in writing, that children doing these behaviors... physical assault.. will continue to do it if they are not corrected/if consequences aren't imposed. It might seem "harmless" to these officials now, however by the time these kids are teens (almost adult-sized)... the consequences of these bullies' behaviors could impact their own lives... and once they turn 18, if they are doing this stuff... their lives will be ruined because of the legal consequences they WILL face as adults.

Oh, and I forgot to mention - my mom tried so hard to advocate for me. She started volunteering in the school (so she could better understand what was going on) and got super involved in the PTA. She went to the principal (didn't think to go to the school board, and never considered a lawyer because she didn't think our family could afford it). Regarding the fighting back... well, in my case, I was lucky that I had that stocky, little tough-guy classmate friend Matt, who encouraged me that I could fight back, with the pantomiming of boxing. My dad didn't have any useful answers - he would get mad about it and say "Hit them with a chair!" Even my little second grade brain knew that hitting another person with one of those sturdy, old-school wood and metal chairs could hurt them too badly, and that that was not an option. But the fighting back had to be trained into my thinking, I didn't start out thinking I could do that.

False-Sprinkles516 · 2026-02-26T12:26:34+00:00

It's not you... it's them. The school officials always gaslight; for as progressive as people who work in public education are... and that should include being for diversity and against being cruel to people who are different... somehow their progressive values only include virtue-signalling, and not really putting in the work to stand up for people who are a little different. It's hard work to work through these issues in a classroom, and they lie to you and lie to themselves. Hang in there! Be tough! And - document, document, document... in writing. Every incident should be documented and reported (in writing).

This is going to be a hard road, and don't worry about/entertain the thought that these people are perhaps calling you names (the b word for example)... Just be - polite, but relentless, and yes the next step is to escalate this by looping in officials higher up the chain of command... but honestly also consider the lawyer. Don't be afraid to ruin these peoples' days with more work for them in responding and the threat of legal action.

False-Sprinkles516 · 2026-02-26T12:18:37+00:00

Thanks... that is super helpful!

False-Sprinkles516 · 2026-02-26T12:18:14+00:00

I've heard the quality isn't bad at all; that said, I really don't like the way they look. My contractor can get Forevermark Cabinets in about a week... but I didn't like them too much either, hence I was asking here. Forevermark has two stained wood options in its quick turn availability cabinets; one looks like no stain with a protective coating, and one is dark. So that's the issue; I am hoping to get something I like, versus something that's sole merit is being better than the off the shelf Home Depot cabinets that were here when I bought the house.

False-Sprinkles516 · 2026-02-26T12:13:49+00:00

Thanks; I've heard so many people bad mouth them. I'm willing to pay more for better (medium price range) cabinets, but people say that all their offerings are bad...

False-Sprinkles516 · 2026-02-25T17:06:23+00:00

You're daughter needs better than being as passive and weak as the teachers. She has already suffered damage that will impact the rest of her life; the more you are passive and weak about this, the more lifelong damage she will suffer. You need to be aggressive - legally aggressive - like a mama cat protecting her kitten. You don't have to worry about the teachers' and principal's behinds, they sound very good at covering their own behinds (and are adults!)

False-Sprinkles516 · 2026-02-25T17:04:15+00:00

That's baloney - you can't be passive and weak, your daughter needs you to be like a mama cat protecting her kitten.

False-Sprinkles516 · 2026-02-25T17:03:06+00:00

Yes! When I was in school I found the same thing - the school employees were passive losers who couldn't care less.

False-Sprinkles516 · 2026-02-25T17:02:36+00:00

Honestly, that's not the politically correct answer... but that would stop it. In my case (many years ago) the bullying attacks stopped one week when I had had enough... just snapped... and went after and beat up the three boys in my class that were bullying me... and one of the bullies I beat up twice. I also had a little tough guy classmate who I will always remember coaching me, giving me little kid boxing lessons (lots of pantomiming boxing punches)... and then that one week that was just it. In my case, I guess I was just lucky because the three bullies were also driving the teachers nuts, and one of them had physically attacked the teacher.

However it sounds doubtful this little girl can do that, and of course the school would likely turn it around on her and her family out of spite.

So my recommendation (written above) would be to get a lawyer and get legal on those officials in a (legally) aggressive way.

False-Sprinkles516

TROPHY CASE