Karen G.
01/09/2016 12:00:00 SA
I called Christian yesterday (Friday) after noticing water pooling around our back yard drain after the rain last week. Surprisingly, he answered the phone! Fancy that, a plumber who answers their own phone - while he was doing another job, no less! I explained that I saw the pool of water, as well as water only trickling out of the curbside opening. (That's when the dreaded, Oh boy! Roots in the drain pipe!, hits you like a 2x4 in the head.) I did go to Home Depot and buy a drain auger, which was one step above dental floss, so I did attempt the fix before calling an expert.
Christian gave me an honest estimate, and after calling the usual, 2 other estimates, I called him right back and asked when we could begin the fun! When he said tomorrow morning, I felt like I hit the lottery. I texted him my address and he replied with a time for this morning. I got another text message this morning when he had his arrival time down to the minute. (After I picked myself up off the floor after collapsing when he confirmed his arrival time, I immediately decided to give him 10 stars just for his communication skills.)
Christian arrived on time and was very professional asking a neighbor who parked in front of the work area to move his vehicle. The auger came out, the hose came out, the shovel came out, and work began. It took him about 10 minutes to figure out where the logjam in the drain pipe was. After digging down to the drain pipe, we discovered that lovely corrugated drain pipe that new housing developments use during construction. Mine looked like an 18-wheeler parked on it overnight. I'd say it was almost flat, but the mud packed inside the drain kept it reasonably egg-shaped. Ugh.
To begin with, my yard is densely planted, and I have plants in bloom right now. Translation: not a lot of room to maneuver in, and lots of things that could be ruined. Christian worked around my plants, and mud piles were placed on plastic sheets with NOTHING spilling over into my neighbor's yard. It was a tidy job and his respect for my property was old school. Another gold star.
It was determined that a 32 length of flattened (that image still sticks with me) drain pipe needed to be replaced. A strong PVC pipe was used and inserted into each round opening of existing pipe. The water was run from the back yard, through 100 ft. of drain pipe, and flowed out the opening at the curb. Another gold star!
Christian had the patience of a saint, which is so important for plumbing jobs. I have so often heard through the years that you never know until you get in there how much damage or works actually needs to be done. His energy level at the END of the job was as high as it was when he STARTED hours before.
In closing, while patience is a virtue, honesty and workmanship are also huge factors in costly repairs. His attention to detail was evident as he carefully measured and was precise with the final connections and testing. He was respectful towards me and my property. I have a tendency to buzz around people who work at our house like that gnat that flies over your head in the summer while you're trying to work in your yard. I do try to learn as much as I can from experts who come here, and he never made me feel like I was in his way. I ask a lot of questions and he was very thorough and honest with his answers.
No, I'm not related to Christian and I'm not giving him a familial-biased review - he is a hard worker, is a craftsman, and his sense of humor makes an awful, muddy, job, bearable for us. If you have plumbing issues - ever - this is your guy! What a blessing!