While many homeowners choose DIY renovations because they assume it will help them save money in the long run, only a few of them take into consideration how much time they have allotted themselves to complete these projects. If you give yourself too little breathing room between workdays, you risk being unprepared for plumbing emergencies that might require immediate attention or even worse; you might have to call a plumber out of business hours.
Plumber Brisbane North owner Charlie McCarthy explains that residential pipe renovations are disruptive projects that require careful planning and consideration before breaking ground. Whether you are spending your own time and money fixing up an investment property, greening up your green space, or giving your home a fresh look for the new school year, there are ways to become your general contractor.
Here are some simple and useful tips that will help you when planning your plumbing makeover.
- Plan where you want the renovations to begin and end. This will avoid unnecessary work if changes need to be made later on and also save time and money in certain situations.
- Ensure you have all the tools and equipment necessary for the job before getting started, to avoid wasting time looking for them during the renovation process. This includes plumbing tools such as wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers, hacksaws amongst others; ensure that these match with what is required by the type of renovation.
- Be aware of what you will need in the course of work such as pipes, washers and valves before starting renovations. This is especially important when replacing an existing system or when trying to add a new part to the plumbing network.
- Always disconnect the water supply before starting plumbing work. This will prevent most damage that may be caused due to leaking and moist conditions and also makes it possible for you to turn off the water easily if necessary; this step should never be ignored even if not directly working on any parts of pipework, since dry conditions are required during most parts of the renovation process.
- Ensure you have determined what type of pipe material is needed before getting started. Three main types of material can be used in plumbing renovation.
- There are some additional materials required for your renovation, such as cement and cleaners. These should be purchased well ahead of time to avoid delays during work.
- Ensure you have a basic idea about what kind of project it is going to be, since this will determine the type of installation you require for example pipe thicknesses and quality, ventilation etc., along with other factors such as planning.
- The next step after deciding on the final project is getting started with renovating your plumbing system by beginning with smaller tasks first, unless certain parts need to be done before others due to specific requirements. Planning the sequence in which the work needs to be finished is vital for both time and money-saving.
- Before starting plumbing work, ensure that any renovation products you plan on using are up to regulation. This will make the entire process easier and is usually required in most cases when installing certain parts of your system such as water tanks or heaters.Â
- Remember to ask a professional if you need help with your plumbing renovation, as even simpler tasks can sometimes prove difficult due to a lack of knowledge about how things work and what needs to be done for everything not to go wrong at some point during the job.
Now that you are ready for your plumbing makeover, start with the basics. The first step in any renovation is removing the old stuff that does not work anymore. This includes anything from broken tiles or fixtures that leak to worn-out faucets and toilets. Also included would be any items linked directly to plumbing such as pipes, tubs, sinks, and gutters. In some cases, you might also want to reroute electrical wiring so they better suit your new changes. Make sure all the necessary tools are on-site before beginning your project. Good luck!
