Drain pipe job for neighbour.

[Kingfisher101]

I was chatting to a neighbour who has recently been widowed and she was saying that the house needs loads of maintenance jobs doing etc and that the drain pipes need painting. I straight away offered to do them(the drainpipes) thinking it would be just a couple and that they just needed a lick of paint. Upon close inspection, its a bigger job than just that. They all have lots of very thick layers of paint that are flaking off. I think she's been using household gloss and also various pipes like the soil stack have bandages on them when they need replacing or part replacing. The rest are wobbly and she said that a very tall pipe about 15-20 foot in the air needs sanding down. That's too high for me as I only go up to gutter level, anything higher makes me feel unsafe. I've said I'll do the labour for free and she will pay for the paint and brush, sandpaper etc.
I think I will just paint over the bits that are desperately bad and explain that she needs to get a drainage/ guttering company in really to inspect them and advise. She has sons etc and family so people who will help her. Would you say something or just do the job and leave her to it. I dont want to interfere but they need looking at properly.

 

[Lozz360]

I would suggest she gets a plumber to inspect and advise in the first place. I guess she is unaware of the state they are in. You don’t want to be in the situation where you have spent your time and her money painting the pipe work only for the specialists to advise they all get replaced or seriously overhauled. The fact that the soil stack is bandaged suggests leaks that have been temporary repaired.

I assume these are cast iron rain water pipes, gutters and soil stacks we are talking about? If the property is in a conservation area make sure your neighbour doesn’t get the pipe work replaced with plastic pipes!

 

[fossyant]

If it's that big a job, not a chance, sorry. Say that's much bigger a job than a quick paint, the lot needs sanding down, repairing, and she needs someone with the right equipment. You won't find many trades folk up ladders these days - scaffolding is the answer.

My wife keeps saying "I" need to go and do some painting at MIL's empty house. I'm like, you have two sisters, lots of able grand children, why do I need to do it - and I hate painting. I do enough round my own home and caravan to take on someone else's house thanks.

 

[Electric_Andy]

I'd also say no. She may have asked the favour in good faith without realising the extent of the work. Trouble is, if you take it on and it doesn't look right or you end up spending 100 hours on it, it has gone beyond a favour. Also if something starts to flake or leak in future, it will look you you didn't do a good job (even though you did the best with what you had). Just advise it needs looking at by a paid professional becasue you wouldn't want to waste all her money on something that might need extensive work again in the near future. I know we all try to do good turns but you have to be careful you're not putting yourself in a difficult position

 

[Cycleops]

Leave well alone, it’s a can of worms. It’s outside the scope of a simple DIY job. You could offer to find a pro to give a quo if you want to help.

 

[fossyant]

Probably cheaper to have the lot replaced with plastic.

 

[Kingfisher101]

Thank you all for kindly reply. I'm going to talk to her and say she needs to get a professional in for assessment first. Is it a plumber or a guttering/sewage drainage person? They all seem to do different jobs round here. Which would you advise?

 

[numbnuts]

As above ^^^

 

[numbnuts]

Probably cheaper to have the lot replaced with plastic.

As above

 

[Kingfisher101]

As above

Yes probably, but I cant do that. She has two very capable sons in professional jobs who will be able to help her find a suitable tradesperson.

 

[Kingfisher101]

O.K I've just phoned her and explained the above that I thought she needed some professional advice about them really before any painting etc. I said there were repairs on it and she said no just on the toilet stack and that she didn't want me to paint that. I said the rest of it was really thick flaking paint and I thought they may need replacing etc. She said that she wasn't prepared to do any of that and that she would sort it out some other way and that they had always painted over it with general paint. She said what are you going to do about the paint. I said that I would take it back. Well I'll keep a tin for myself then return the other.

 

[numbnuts]

O.K I've just phoned her and explained the above that I thought she needed some professional advice about them really before any painting etc. I said there were repairs on it and she said no just on the toilet stack and that she didn't want me to paint that. I said the rest of it was really thick flaking paint and I thought they may need replacing etc. She said that she wasn't prepared to do any of that and that she would sort it out some other way and that they had always painted over it with general paint. She said what are you going to do about the paint. I said that I would take it back. Well I'll keep a tin for myself then return the other.

At least you tried

 

[Kingfisher101]

At least you tried

Thank you, yes. I think they may need replacing, I'm not sure. I think that a painter/ decorator or local odd job person will not paint over that lot.I think the moral of the story is to use the correct paint for your job and keep upto repairs on your house.It costs more in the long run if you leave things for years.

 

[fossyant]

If it's flaking, the whole lot needs to be sanded. You offered. It turned out to be a big job.

 

[newts]

This type of work really requires scaffolding, gone are the days when you work off a ladder!