Even if you're not touching your bathroom, plenty of watery action happens in the kitchen and laundry. On top of that you have pipes that may travel all through your home, under floors and between walls.
Things to implement before commencing any home improvement include:
- checking taps and drainage to avoid pressure issues and sewerage blockages
- knock on tiles to make sure they don't sound hollow (which could mean they require waterproofing)
- check the drainage in your yard to avoid flooding
- ensure roof tiles are all in tact (loose tiles can lead to damp walls and ceilings)
Speak to friends as a recommendation is one of the best ways to work out if a plumber is good. Things to ask include:
-do they respond quickly to your phone calls and emails?
-do they call ahead to confirm times?
-do they stick to the prices they quoted?
-do they turn up when they say? and phone if running late?
-were they quite clean or did they make a big mess?
-and most important, were they a good plumber??
We have a couple of plumbing companies we recommend who are experienced, reliable, friendly and do a great job.
Red Dog Plumbing in Williamstown provides professional plumbers in the western suburbs of Melbourne including Altona, Footscray, Newport and Yarraville. Steve and his team offer high quality work including 24 hour emergency plumbing, fixing blocked drains, leaky taps, water leaks, sewer line inspections and lots more.
Ocean Grove Plumbing focuses on plumbing in the Bellarine Peninsula just out of Melbourne in the south west region of coastal Victoria. Servicing areas such as Queenscliff, Geelong, Portarlington and of course Ocean Grove, this family owned business have been operating since 1980 and offer 7 day a week quick, affordable service. Some of their specialities include blocked drains, roof leaks, general plumbing, gas heater servicing and carbon monoxide detection.
Fittings and fixtures
When purchasing fixtures, make sure you get good quality ones. Cheaper ones usually only have a 1 year warranty whereas better quality plumbing fixtures can have warranties up to 10 years.
That being said, you can shop around and get good deals. Floor stock and factory seconds can be a great way to save money. I know someone who got a $1000 bath for only $100 because it had a small chip. And once installed, it couldn't even be seen!
But again, we must stress, do not go for cheap quality. Look for high standard bargains. Another example of this is tiles. Ceramic tiles are the way to go. They are durable and will last, and there are plenty of affordable ones on the market.
Positioning of plumbing
The real costs come in is when you need to reposition your plumbing. So you should avoid this if you can. Major changes can mean you need to complete rip up walls and floors to allow for the new positioning of pipes and installations.
One last thing if you're doing a major renovation is to ensure you get plumbers to liaise with other tradespeople such as electricians and carpenters, so they can all be sure of the expectations and know what is being done throughout the house.
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