Is it a challenge to bring old plumbing to code?
Buying an old house is a great bargain, and can be a great adventure as well. Old homes are usually priced lower than newer ones, and they tend to have a charmingly designed architecture that modern homes lack. However, along with old homes come new problems. Although older homes are charming and cozy, they tend to lack modern systems and structures. As well, these systems tend to become worn, degraded, and damaged over time, and they will need maintenance and modification to bring them up to code. Over the years certain parts of the home degrade and need tender, loving care to bring them back up to speed knows Salt Lake City Plumbing.
Homeowners will often have to do some upgrades. If your home has a bathroom with old plumbing, and you are preparing to modernize the bathroom with such plumbing fixtures as a new toilet, sink … etc., there are a number of plumbing issues you should consider in order to ensure your renovation project is a success. It was not until the middle of the 19th century that plumbing systems were invented that were the basis for those we know today.
Before Remodel Begins Check Plumbing
Bringing the plumbing in an old house can be challenging. Before you start the bathroom modernization project, you need to check the condition of the old plumbing. One of the most pervasive problems facing buyers of old homes is issues involving plumbing. Examine the flooring and walls around the plumbing fixtures and the fittings and stop-valves to see if there are any leaks. As well, check to see if the old plumbing has shut-off valves that allow you to turn off the water if you need to make repairs. A plumber will be able to repair or replace damaged pipes and install shut-off valves. If you don’t have shut-valves, you should install them as part of your bathroom modernization.
Buyers who want to one day move their family into a home need to deal with several plumbing issues which could negatively affect their family’s health if left unresolved. Changing the original bathroom in a heritage house to suit contemporary ideals usually requires serious architectural alteration, which is often non-reversible. Fortunately, plumbing companies are well versed in dealing with all of the issues facing old homes and can provide a variety of services to bring plumbing up to code. Although a house may seem totally sound on the outside, it often hides a variety of problems. People who buy old homes at auction usually expect that their purchase will become an extensive restoration project, but they may not realize the extent of the project.
Lead Piping in Old Houses
In order for a home’s plumbing to be up to code, it may not contain lead piping. Nothing lasts forever, including the pipes inside your house. One of the most serious issues in old homes is the use of lead piping. Over the decades, the tubing gradually corrodes, rusts, and decays. Unless you replace plumbing, you’re eventually going to get leaks — and possibly a flood of water or raw sewage into your home that causes thousands of dollars in damage to your building and belongings.
Plumbing companies can remove old pipes and replace them with modern piping while preserving the authentic old-time feel of a house. Although the health hazards of lead are well understood today, they were poorly understood by builders in times past. Lead pipes were very common in the construction of older homes and as the pipes decay, they may leach unhealthy levels of lead into tap water.
Proper Drainage
The pipes serving a home may have become broken and clogged with time, leading to a system which does not drain properly or frequently backs up. A secondary problem facing older homes is issues with proper drainage. Salt Lake City Plumbing can provide drain cleaning and sewer cleaning services to resolve such issues.
Luckily, plumbing companies often provide bathroom remodeling services. They can quickly fix an entire bathroom, replacing the tub, the sink, the toilet, faucets, and even the tiling. In virtually no time, you can have a functioning bathroom in that old home. Though old homes have a comforting antique feel to them, the bathroom appliances often leave something to be desired. The shower and sink faucets may be old and clogged, and can lack the flow rates that modern users have come to expect. Older toilets may also not be up to snuff; they may fail to flush correctly, or simply use excessive amounts of water.
Flooding Basement
Older homes frequently suffer from basement flooding. The technology to prevent flooding did not exist when older homes were designed, and their basements do tend to flood when the ground becomes over-saturated with water. In addition to their drain cleaning and sewer cleaning services, plumbing companies can install sump pumps to clear out water in areas that frequently flood. In doing so, they help prevent and resolve future flooding.
More Components
There are other components that are necessary which may not be part of the old plumbing. Older homes can be at risk of basement flooding as the technology to prevent basement flooding flood when the ground becomes over-saturated with water may have not existed when the homes were built. For example, plumbers are able to install sump pumps to get rid of excess water in areas that often flood which will help prevent future flooding. Under-slab plumbing issues occur in old homes where galvanized pipes were used for plumbing. As well, lead piping is another issue as it is a health hazard. Plumbing companies can remove old pipes and replace them with modern piping.
For instance, if you do not have such mechanisms as a pressure balancing valve, you should have this valve put in because this valve, which is installed in the cold and/or water supply lines to the shower, will stop blistering hot or icy cold spurts of water in the shower when a another faucet is opened or someone flushes the toilet. Plumbing issues that are under-slab are complex and must be dealt with by a plumber. Proper drainage is another concern with old plumbing. After a while, the old pipes can become damaged or clogged. Plumbing companies are able to clean the drain and sewer lines and make any repairs or replacements.
Although old homes have a comfortable and inviting ambiance, often the bathroom plumbing is not that appealing. Old home bathroom plumbing will often have many potential problems. Fixing and upgrading old home bathroom plumbing is not that difficult now that there are new materials, technologies, and plumbing supplies available. However, plumbing is not always easy to repair without the help of a professional plumber. Fortunately, Salt Lake City Plumbing is knowledgeable in dealing with all issues related to plumbing and old homes, and they can provide many services to bring your plumbing up to code. Before you know it, you will have a modern bathroom with modern plumbing.
Please Listen to Plumbers Advice
The type of plumbing in your house determines how long you can expect it to last. When a contractor is advising you about your plumbing problems, you had better pay attention. Especially if they are going to be stripping your walls and floors down to expose the plumbing pipes, making them easier to replace.
When Salt Lake City Plumbing use the word easier to repair, this usually means that the job will be cheaper today that it will be later, when someone has to crawl underneath your floor with a bunch of pipes and tools and work for long hours, often frustrated, this could get expensive. You can pay me now or you can pay me later, the choice is up to you, but I would suggest that you really give it some thought, if you ever have the opportunity to replace old plumbing pipes with new ones.