c/cleveland-homeowners

Rant: My neighbor's sump pump flood last spring made me buy a backup

I live on the west side near Kamm's Corners and we had that huge rainstorm in April. The guy two houses down had his main sump pump fail and his basement got six inches of water in under an hour. He told me the cleanup bill was over $8,000. I went out the next week and bought a battery backup pump system from Home Depot. It cost about $400 but it gives me real peace of mind now. Has anyone else added a backup pump after seeing a neighbor deal with a flood?

Thought those basement waterproofing guys were all scams until my Tremont place flooded

Paid $4k for a full interior drain tile system after the third sump pump failure. Has anyone else in an old brick house actually had a good result with this?

Vent: My basement flooded during that crazy storm on Tuesday

Got 3 inches of water from a failed sump pump in my Tremont house. Anyone have a reliable plumber they trust for emergencies?

I used to ignore my basement sump pump until a neighbor's flood

For years, I just listened for the pump to kick on and figured that was enough. Then my neighbor in Ohio City had a basement flood last spring when his pump failed during a heavy rain. He said it cost him over $2,000 in water damage. Now, I test mine monthly by pouring a bucket of water into the pit to make sure it runs and clears. Has anyone else set up a regular check like this, or do you use a different method?

PSA: My basement sump pump line froze solid in February

Tbh, it took me three entire weekends of thawing and insulating with heat tape to finally get it flowing right. Anyone near Ohio City have a better setup for those brutal cold snaps?

Everyone says to use a local Cleveland handyman for small jobs, but I had a better experience with a big company.

My garage door opener broke last month and I called the neighborhood guy everyone recommends on Nextdoor. He said he could come 'sometime next week' and gave a rough guess on price. I needed it fixed fast, so I also called a big national company with local offices. They had a guy out the next morning, gave me a firm quote of $285, and it was done in an hour. The big company was just more reliable. Has anyone else found that going with a bigger outfit is better for getting things done on a schedule?

Vent: Found out our property taxes are going up way more than I thought

I was looking at the Cuyahoga County fiscal office site and saw the new valuations. My home's assessed value jumped 22% from last year. Has anyone else in Lakewood seen a huge increase and know how to appeal?

My neighbor in Tremont told me his 1920s bungalow foundation was poured with leftover concrete from the Terminal Tower construction.

Now I'm staring at my own basement wall wondering what random Cleveland landmark might be holding up my house.

Everyone says you need a pro for a sewer line scope, but my $50 camera saved me a huge bill

So my basement drain in my Ohio City house was backing up again, and all the posts here said to call a plumber for a camera inspection. They wanted like $400 just to look. I was fed up, so I bought one of those cheap inspection cameras on Amazon for $50 that plugs into your phone. I pushed it down the cleanout myself and saw the problem clear as day, a root about 15 feet out. I showed the video to a plumber, he gave me a quote just for the root clearing, and I saved over $300 on the spot. People act like you need a $10,000 machine, but for a simple look, this thing did the job. It took me maybe 20 minutes to figure out. Has anyone else tried a DIY scope before calling in the big guns, or am I just lucky?

I've been ignoring my attic insulation for way too long

My heating bill for January was over $300, which felt crazy high. I went up there to look for a box and put my hand on the ceiling joist, it was freezing cold. That's when I figured out the old fiberglass batts had settled so much they weren't doing anything. Has anyone in the Cleveland area had a good experience with getting new insulation blown in?

I finally figured out why my water bill was so high after 2 years in my Tremont house

I kept thinking it was just the old pipes, but then my neighbor mentioned his bill was half of mine for a similar sized place. I went down and checked my meter while nothing was running, and the little red triangle was still spinning, meaning a constant leak somewhere. Turns out the toilet flapper in the upstairs bathroom had been slowly leaking for who knows how long. Has anyone else had a sneaky leak that jacked up their utilities?

Talking to my neighbor about his old furnace made me realize something

I was chatting with Mr. Peterson across the street while he was raking. He mentioned his furnace is original to his house, from 1972. He said, "Back then, you just called one guy and he fixed the whole thing." It hit me that now I have to manage separate companies for HVAC, plumbing, and electrical for my own place. It feels like a lot more work just to keep a house warm. How do you all handle coordinating different home repair people?

I finally gave up on my old driveway sealer

My neighbor, Frank, saw me re-coating my cracked driveway on Kempton Avenue last fall. He just shook his head and said, 'You're putting a band-aid on a broken leg.' He showed me his own driveway, which he had a pro tear out and re-pour three years ago. It still looks brand new. Mine is already peeling again. Anyone know a good concrete company on the west side?

Overheard a neighbor talking about their water bill at the Gordon Square farmers market

I was picking up some veggies last Saturday and heard a guy telling his friend his water bill jumped from about $40 to over $90 in a single quarter. He said the city found a leak in his service line, the pipe between the street and his house. I checked my own bills and mine's been steady, but it got me thinking. I called the water department and they said they'll do a free check if you ask. Has anyone else in Ohio City had them come out for that? I'm scheduling mine for next week just to be safe.

Thought those new smart thermostats were just a waste of money for Cleveland houses

I was sure our old drafty place in Ohio City wouldn't see any real savings from a fancy thermostat. My neighbor finally talked me into trying one last fall, and I tracked the gas bill for the whole heating season. Our house used about 15% less gas this past winter compared to the year before, which saved us over $200. The automatic schedule and the away mode actually made a huge difference with our weird work hours. I'm totally converted now, even with our older windows and insulation. Has anyone else in an older Cleveland home seen real numbers from making a switch like this?

I just lost $400 on a bad gutter cleaning service in Lakewood

They promised a full clean and seal, but just sprayed water and left. Anyone know a reliable local company that actually does the job right?

That Tuesday in February when my basement drain backed up taught me to always keep a spare wax ring in the truck

The main line clog from a neighbor's tree root cost me $1,200 and a whole day of emergency digging on East 55th, so what's your go-to local plumber for a second opinion on big jobs?

PSA: I paid $400 for a sewer scope before buying my house in Ohio City

The seller said the line was clear, but the camera showed a big belly and roots about 20 feet in. We got them to knock $2,000 off the price to cover the future fix. It cost me up front, but it saved me from a surprise $10,000 bill later. Anyone else have a home inspection tip that paid off big?

Am I the only one who thought you had to call a pro for every little furnace noise?

Our unit in my Tremont duplex started making a loud hum last Tuesday, and I was sure it was a $300 service call. I watched a video from a local HVAC guy, turned off the power, and just tightened the panel screws that had worked loose from vibration. It's been quiet for a week now. How many other 'big' problems are actually just simple fixes we're scared to try?

My neighbor said my DIY gutter fix was a disaster waiting to happen, so I called a pro from Lakewood. Was he right to call me out?

Question about the historic district tax credit process on the west side

I keep seeing people on the Tremont Facebook group say you need to hire a specific architect for the application, but the city's own guide says a homeowner can submit the drawings themselves if they're detailed enough, so which is actually correct for getting that 15% credit approved?

Question about basement sump pump setups in older Cleveland houses

I was helping a friend in Ohio City check his sump pump after the rain last week, and his discharge line was frozen solid where it met the ground. The pump was just cycling water back into the pit. We ended up running a new line with a longer, buried run away from the foundation. It got me thinking about how many of these century homes have the same quick fix. What's the best way you've found to handle discharge in the winter?

Just realized I've been ignoring my sump pump for years because it was dry

My neighbor in Old Brooklyn had a basement flood and said his pump's float switch was stuck. Checked mine and the battery backup was totally dead. How often do you guys actually test your sump systems?

My neighbor said my gutter cleaning method was flooding my foundation, so I switched to clearing them from the downspout up.

He pointed out that pushing all the leaves and muck down from the top was just compacting it into the downspout, and now I start at the bottom with a hose after every big storm in Ohio City.

My neighbor on West 117th wants to cut down a huge old oak for a bigger driveway

He says the roots are messing up his foundation and he needs the space for two cars. I think the tree adds value to the whole block and he should try root barriers first, which cost about $800 installed. Has anyone else dealt with a big tree dispute on their street?