How do I prepare my house for a repipe?
Are you thinking about repiping your home? It’s a significant home project, but with a little prep work, you can make it way less of a headache. A repiping project can improve your water quality, reduce the risk of plumbing issues, and increase the value of your home. Here’s the lowdown on how to prepare for a whole house repipe. Good preparation will help the project go smoothly with minimal disruption.
1. Know What a Repipe Involves
First things first: you need to know what you’re in for. Repiping a house means swapping out all your existing pipes for shiny new ones. It’s a major home project! The plumbers might need to get into your walls, floors, and outside. And heads up: your water will be off for a few days, so plan accordingly.
2. Clarify the Work to Be Done
Before they start tearing things up, make sure you’re crystal clear on what’s getting replaced. Is it just the main pipes, or are they doing all the little connections, too? Will your plumbers patch up any holes they make, or is that on you? Knowing exactly what’s going down will help you prepare better.
3. Clear Access for the Plumbers
Now, let’s talk about making life easier for your plumbers. Clear out some space for them to work their magic. Move your furniture away from the walls, especially in the kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry room. If they need to get into your attic or basement, make sure they’ve got a clear path.
4. Protect Your Belongings
Cover up your stuff with some plastic sheets or drop cloths. Repiping can kick up a lot of dust, so you could even seal off nearby rooms if you’re worried about it spreading.
5. Plan for Temporary Living Arrangements
Here’s a biggie – figure out where you’ll crash while the work’s going on. With no water supply, staying at home might be rough. If you need to stick around, see if your plumber can hook you up with some temporary water for the basics. You can also plan to do your laundry and other water-intensive tasks before the water is shut off to minimize the impact on your daily routine.
6. Arrange for Kids and Pets
Have kids or pets? They might not love all the noise and chaos. Send them to grandma’s for a few days if you can. If not, try to set up a quiet, safe space for them away from all the action.
7. Communicate with Your Plumber
Communication is key. Make sure you’re on the same page with your plumber about when they’re starting, when they’ll finish, and what hours they’ll be working. And if you’ve got any security systems or locked gates, make sure they can get in and out easily.
8. Expect Some Noise
Repiping isn’t a quiet job. If you work from home or just can’t stand the noise, you might want to find somewhere else to hang out during the day. Or hey, invest in some good noise-canceling headphones!
9. Prepare for Post-Work Cleanup
Once the plumbers are done, you might need to do a little extra cleaning. They’ll take care of the big stuff, but you might want to go over everything with a fine-tooth comb (and a vacuum) to get your place back to normal.
10. Plan for Follow-Up Tasks
Remember the aftermath; you might need to patch up some walls, apply fresh paint, or put fixtures back in place. If your plumber doesn’t handle that stuff, you’ll need to find someone who can.
11. Review Warranties
Last but not least, make sure you understand any warranties or guarantees that come with the work. Knowing you’re covered if anything goes wrong down the line will give you some peace of mind.
Follow these tips, and you’ll be ready for your big repipe. It might be a bit of a pain now, but trust me, you’ll be thanking yourself later when you’ve got those sweet new pipes running smoothly. Benjamin Franklin Plumbing offers house repiping services in the Lakeland area. And, we’re the Punctual Plumbers; we’ll get there on time and get the job done right.
Ready to go for it? Contact us today to schedule your repipe.