Plumbing Considerations for a Successful Home Remodel

Plumbing Considerations for a Successful Home Remodel 

Remodelling a home’s interior is not just about changing the layout of the amenities or tearing down a wall or two – it’s also about the functionality of the space and how numerous factors will affect the outcome of the project. One such consideration is the plumbing network in your home, which, even though you might not have thought about it until now, can significantly affect the financial projection, as well as the course of the entire undertaking. Let’s take a closer look at the essential plumbing considerations you need to think of in order to plan out a successful home remodel.

Talk To A Professional First

It should go without saying that a professional and experienced plumber should be a part of your project, especially during the planning and preparation phase when you will be talking to your contractor and architect. While they are experienced in the matter as well, nobody will be able to advise you on how to avoid the possible consequences of changing your layout in areas where water supply is crucial, such as the kitchen, the bathroom, and the laundry room.

Make A Detailed Financial Plan

Truth be told, there is no way of predicting every possible expense involved in the remodeling of your home’s interior, but you can make a detailed financial plan with a contingency fund in reserve in order to prepare for any setbacks. Concretely, if you involve plumbing repairs, upgrades, and alterations into the initial projection you can offset many a financial drawback in the process.

It’s important to understand how plumbing modifications can affect the financial projection for the project, and an experienced plumber will be able to give you their estimate to complement the contractor’s initial projection. Remember, always look for more than one professional opinion.

Inspect Existing Plumbing And Repair As Needed

Another crucial element of a successful remodeling project is the thorough inspection of the existing plumbing network. Many a homeowner will simply start the project hoping that the internal plumbing network is in stellar condition and that there are no leaks, cracks, or faulty faucets at play. 

Alas, this is usually not the case. More often than not, a problem in the plumbing network will be present somewhere in the walls, and dealing with emergency plumbing issues before or during the renovation will be imperative in order to avoid costly problems down the road. Make sure the plumber inspects all faucets and internal plumbing, and advises you on the possible consequences of rerouting the network for a new layout.

Research The Best Materials And Fixtures

Different plumbing materials and fixtures will require different maintenance, but also consume water and energy resources in a different way, which is why it is important to plan for these expenses well in advance and choose the right materials and fixtures for your current and future needs. Moreover, it’s important that your contractor confirms that these fixtures and fitting will be available when the project begins. Otherwise, you are running the risk of having to settle for sub-par materials that will lead to costly problems down the road.

Understand Your Plumbing Network

Last but not least, you need to have a detailed understanding of your plumbing network, and how it works as a whole. If you don’t have the updated blueprints for your home at hand, you should have a professional plumber map out the plumbing scheme for you and point out which areas can and which cannot be tampered with. While there is always a way to reroute and restructure the entire plumbing network with sufficient time and finances, a better cost-effective idea would be to work with the pipeline and fixtures instead of against them.

Plumbing plays a key role in any home renovation project, and it should be an integral part of your project plan, monitored throughout the process by an experienced professional. With these essential considerations in mind, you can go ahead and plan a successful home remodel without the fear of financial setbacks. 

Guest Contributor, Lillian Connors

Back To School Breakfast Ideas

Mornings trying to get kids out the door are hectic enough, especially the first few weeks back to school. Breakfast shouldn’t be hard; it should be simple.

Wake up, make coffee, drink coffee, ponder life questions, get dressed, think about the kids mess in the living room, wake up the family, make breakfast, gather the children’s clothes, put all their school stuff together, yell a few times, make sure everyone is dressed, eat breakfast, ask your husband for help with the kids, drink more coffee, brush teeth, feed the puppy, and gather all belonging and out the door before 8:10 AM to make it to school at 8:30 AM.

In all that chaos you are supposed to feed your family a nutritious well balanced breakfast. I’m a huge fan of wraps, everyone enjoys them, and it’s not so messy. To make breakfast easier here are a few ideas that I have put together.

Scrambled Eggs, Potatoes and Cheese in a wrap

Scramble eggs and potatoes, top with cheese, put it in a wrap. No mess, and it’s a hit.

Left Over Breakfast Wrap

If you have either beef, pork, or chicken and spring veggies from last night’s dinner: cut it up, or shred it and cook it in a skillet with eggs. Put it in a wrap. BAM, delicious gourmet breakfast.

Granola, Yogurt, and Fruit

Smash a Natural Valley Crunchy Granola bar, layered with vanilla yogurt, topped with berries & strawberries.

Eggs, Avocado, Hummus Wrap

Cook eggs to your liking. Slice up a few pieces of avocado. Put eggs and avocado in wrap with a spoon of hummus, roll it up and enjoy.

Bacon, Egg’s and Cheese Wrap

Cook Bacon. Scramble eggs, top with cheese. Spread a tiny bit of mayo on your wrap, add scrambled eggs and cheese, then top it with crispy bacon. Roll it up and enjoy.

Egg Whites, Tomatoes, Basil & Goat Cheese

Scrambled egg whites. Place in wrap, top with: Fresh tomatoes, Fresh Basil and goat cheese. Roll it up and enjoy. (If you have time, roast the tomatoes before placing them in wrap. It will give the wrap and extra kick)

Peanut Butter & Jelly, Fresh Fruit Wrap

Spread your favorite type of peanut butter and jelly over a whole wheat wrap. Top with Bananas and Strawberries. Roll it up and Enjoy.

-Everything is cooked in extra virgin olive oil, no butter, no vegetable oil.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. You have to make it enjoyable for you and the kids. They have to go out there and conquer the world, make it a little easier by making them a breakfast they could enjoy before school.

Plumbing Fact: Over $100,000 were spent on a study to determine whether most people put their toilet paper on the holder with the flap in front or behind.

When To Call A Licensed Professional

There’s a wonderful sense of well-being you get when you tackle things that go wrong or break in your home. It breaks, you fix it and most of the time, you show it off to your partner. “Look at what I did, I deserve a monument built after me, aren’t you proud?”. It feels so good that you even decide to look over the “Honey Do List”. What did you get yourself into? When did all this break? You start thinking to yourself, “Is she just coming up with things for me to do?” No, your partner isn’t just adding things on that list, you’ve just let it pile up. Now let’s find a solution for your problem. Unless you’re handy or a professional, call someone to help you.

It’s perfectly OK to call for help.

“13 million serious injuries and 55,000 accidental deaths occur every year due to home improvement accidents”

When to Call a Plumber

Water Supply Lines

Sewage Backups

Drain Clog

Water Heater

Pump Installation

Leaks in Walls

When to Call an Electrician

Frequent Circuit Tripping

Light Switch is Warm to Touch

Lights Flicker

Damaged Wires

Burning Smell

When to Call a Roofer

Leak in Ceiling

Shingles Missing

Damaged Flashing

Moss Covered Roof

If A Tree Fell On Your Roof(ouch)

Old Age

I’m sure after looking over “when you should call a licensed professional” it eliminates most of the things on the Honey Do List. Don’t worry, it’s the thought that counts. Just be glad someone is going to take care of it.

Plumbing Fact:

The typical person visits the toilet 6 to 8 times a day or 2,500 times a year, spending three years of their life on the toilet. 

Back To School

The kids hate hearing it's back to school time. Parents are kinda relieved their children are on their way back, they'll finally start learning again. While the kids where home, you were too busy to maintain your household. You worked all day, cleaned up their messes, cooked non stop, and entertained them, everything else wasn't important. 

Your home was neglected. Let's go through a check list to make sure everything is running smoothly. 

1. Check your water heater. Make sure there isn't water or dust around it. Always keep the area clean. 

2. Sump Pump. Check the sump pump for malfunction. It rained a lot this Summer, make sure it's plugged in and still working properly. 

3. Central A/C and Furnace. Please change the filter. You need to change it EVERY month. 

4. Outdoor Spigots. Check them out, make sure they aren't leaking. After using them all Summer, there might be some wear and tear. 

5. Dryer Vent. Get your dryer vents cleaned. 

6. Fridge. Clean out your fridge. If you have kids, your fridge wasn't probably maintained. 

It's ok, don't feel guilty. Your family enjoyed the Summer, that's all that matters. When the kids are back to school, it's time to get back to reality.