thanks for all the support guys....I really appreciate it! To answer some of your questions....I didn't get anything formal in writing from him, no contract, just an estimate in an email (my first mistake). He said he's licensed, etc, but I never asked for copies of his paperwork (2nd mistake). I did take some progress pictures, but they were more for my own fun (and to show here), so I don't have 'exactly' what I need....what I do have has proven to be helpful, though. I had the same experience as some of you in that he asked for 75% at rough-in, and I was worn out, so I just gave him a check. Again, I am just so so so happy that I was stronger when he asked for that final check. And I'm mad at myself for making the kind of stupid mistakes that I warn clients against all the time...the kind of things that I'm usually much more careful about. This whole job should have taken about 3 weeks....they started the gut on June 15th. We're just a wee bit behind schedule..... Now, for the update...as I write this the plumber from a large local plumbing/heating company is just finishing up (Yippeee!!!). DH wanted a reputable company to come assess the problem. Luckily, this guy has been able to fix it using a cartridge the other guy left in the box. He said the original plumber had installed it all wrong, but this fix makes it work without ripping the wall out. He is also fixing a leak in the drainpipe, where the pvc glue didn't set properly. So, for somewhat less than the dimwit plumber thinks he's owed, the new guy fixed all the problems. ***BIG sigh of relief*** We did not make another attempt to contact the old plumber, and that may come back to haunt me. Say, if he ever tries to claim the unpaid balance, or sue me for it. We did talk about it, but there was the issue of do we trust him now, and also when the new guy said he could fix it today, I wasn't about to let him walk out the door! Oh well, dimwit plumber can kiss my *ss if he thinks he's getting anything from me. I've learned my lessons....AND my bathroom is now functional!!!! :D

I am waiting on a call back from the city inspector office regarding the status of my inspections (or lack thereof). The contractor is working on the water situation right now. There was no hot water when I was there but the hwh was on. He said it did in fact need a larger supply line and that was what he planned to do today, as well as my punch list. He says he called for inspections and just assumed that they had let me know everything was ok. I made it clear that I knew that was not how it worked and if anything had to be redone, that it was at his expense. He's seems to be sulking but resigned to get it right. Thank you everyone! I hope to report back that all is well and ready for my dad to move in. Wish me luck.

Honestly, stop with the pesticides. Our school system has been saying for years that _one_ pesticide treatment on the hair followed by fine combing, laundering bedclothes and towels as normal, and disinfecting hats will do it. You don't have to sterilise the whole house. The lice can't live long off a host anyway. All those pesticides are going to make you sick. Also, if your knees are itching it's definitely not lice, as lice are site-specific having adapted to live in particular kinds of hair. So head lice are different to pubic lice, aka "crabs", for instance. Unless you have head hair growing from your knees, you can be sure they are cootie free :-)

No. I am not saying the plumber is a lying. In fact, I now agree that you are getting a good service for $80. I guess my creative writing went over your head. I should have been more careful. Make no mistake: I do not and never would recommend duct tape to repair this problem. It was a playful reference to the Âall purpose repair. But I said it, because that would actually get rid of the odors. The Fernco fitting is a rubber sleeve with a high-strength band that will be a truly adequate remedy and to-code. Since this is a not a professional site, and appeals to DIYers, I was sort of suggesting that you are already doing the most of the work by exposing this repair. It is one small step to repair the pipe. Then again, for 8 dimes, you can let him work in the cramped attic, cut cast iron, if need and make the repair. Probably he will guarantee it. Unfortunately my mind wandered far astray, in pursuit of the truth about corrosion. That I will stand behind. Cast iron pipe and the other black kind (ABS, which you don't have, I suppose) and other pipe rated DVW are especial suitable for their resistance to corrosion. In any case, it has to be an extreme rarity for this pipe to fail in the way you described. I have seen CI pipe corrode and leak where raw sewage has stood for a long time. This occurs when there is a chronic problem, such as reverse slope, or long-term clogging, where the effluent stands in the pipe  always a horizontal one. (A vertical would have to be filled too, but fail later.) So, I am sticking with my statement that sewer gases are not the cause of this huge, gaping hole. It makes no sense that any corrosive agent would be concentrated at one point, and predictably, " at this spot (right above the toilet connection.)" Assuming that a conventional installation, using a closet bend, is how the toilet is connected, that fitting will flow into a sanitary Tee. And the vent pipe just above that is inserted into the hub of the Tee. That, in those years, would have been a lead-and-oakum caulk joint. The pipe would have been cut with a stress-inducing chain cutter, typically. IÂm guessing, that the pipe was partially broken during the installation, years ago. And that the subsequent joint making, which packs lead tightly against the OD of the pipe, introduced a heavy permanent breaking forced. Finally, with aging, vibration and thermal changes, the old damage revealed itself as a hole. If the break-out is small, it may not matter a lot. If one large piece fell to the bottom of the stack, it could create a clog there. Keep your eyes open for that. Sorry to be so hard on the guy. HeÂs probably a pretty good egg after all. But IÂd look out for the other fellow. $400 for a Âsmoke test means heÂs keeping the good stuff for himself. Fine Columbian, probably. Pinoke