The two most popular ways to renovate a home are a bathroom or kitchen plumbing remodel. Ironically, both of them also have a significant amount of plumbing involved as well. While most renovations typically involve changing the paint, the cabinetry and the flooring, the plumbing and the electrical are probably the most technical aspects of the same change projects and where big mistakes can be made without the right skill involved. Homeowners can easily focus on some plumbing aspects, but they should definitely avoid others.
Kitchen Areas That Are Easy and What to Avoid
Kitchen plumbing involves both water and gas. With the sink, waterlines run both hot and cold water in as well as there is drainage from the sink out. Additionally, there could be a waterline going into the refrigerator to provide water and ice to the refrigerator unit and the dishwasher too. The stove is going to have gas plumbing instead.
The easiest area for a homeowner to address on their own would be the sink faucet change out and the dishwasher disposal underneath most sinks. These can be replaced and updated with basic tools and training by anyone in an hour or so. Homeowners should stay away from the gas line and stove system and let a plumber handle that connection. Dishwashers are also complicated and need technical experience for best results.
The Bathroom Area – Focus on the Toilet and Sinks
Bathrooms don’t have as many appliances, but they have their own plumbing connections. There is the sink faucet which has its own hot and cold water feed and a drain system, and then there is also the toilet in a standard bathroom. With a master bathroom, the tub and the shower also have their own drain systems and water feeds into the units. All of those fixtures may need to be updated, depending on the renovation, as well as the type of connections and new fixtures that are being used.
Again, homeowners can focus on the faucets for replacement, as long as they have a good comfort level with tools and understand how faucet fixtures are attached correctly. Watch out for compatibility issues, however. Over time, piping connections can change; homeowners may have to spend a bit more time finding the right match to make sure fixtures are installed correctly.
A homeowner can likely handle a toilet replacement as well if lifting heavy material is not a problem. A homeowner should still have enough skill to understand what tools to use, how to prepare to make sure the toilet connection is secure, and how to check and test to make sure that there are no leaks after the new install is complete.
Going Full-Scale
In the case of major renovations, many homeowners will hire a company who will subcontract out the work for what needs to be done in terms of the renovation connections, replacement, technical work, and similar. In any of those situations, the plumbing and electrical work should be done by a licensed technician. The homeowner should sure that the company is bringing in the right help who has licensing and bonding. Otherwise, mistakes and cutting corners could result in big problems and damage to the home.
If You’re Not Comfortable, Don’t Experiment
A renovation definitely can breathe new life into an old home, but the mistakes and related risk can be serious as well. Working with a licensed plumber can avoid a lot of those headaches and frustration right from the beginning and proactively produce a home update that everybody will enjoy. Don’t let your renovation become the next example of what not to do. Let the risky parts be addressed by a licensed plumber for best results.
