While hanging a picture, a home-owner choose a good sized nail, hoping to secure it deeply into a stud. Instead, the home-owner drove the nail right into a PVC water pipe. They were lucky, they may have only cracked it a bit and had a slow water leak that would have caused a great deal of damage by the time it was discovered. Instead, they were immediately aware that something had gone wrong and they were able to shut the water off before there was serious damage to the house.

Construction, new or renovations, should be heavily documented so that problems like the above do not occur. Boston plumbers say that there are many ways to document construction projects, and they are not all cryptic blue print plans that only architects are supposed to understand. By using a mix of pictures, sketches, computer images, and written documentation you can reduce the chances of accidentally damaging your plumbing lines.

Atlanta plumbers tell us that pictures during construction or during a renovation project can be priceless. They can show the process and the steps taken, just in case an inspector asks to see them after the pipes are covered back up. Images can show the exact location of plumbing, beams, and other important wall structure that you would not be able to see once drywall is covering the area. These images can be transferred to computer and stored long term with editing done so notes can be placed directly into the image.

Sketches can go a long way to remind you of what is in the wall. Write notes and add as much detail as you can. Scan the notes, so they can be stored on your computer, or make sure that they are safely filed away. Notes can be easily corrected and added to so they can reflect changes made over the course of the project, or from different projects that have effected the area.

Houston plumbers advise that notes and images should include details about the pipes, shut off valves, and other information. Future projects will go much smoother, when they are able to reference the documentation before going into the project. Detailed documentation can also help keep things safe, by detailing where shut off valves are located and even different ways to shut off only sections of plumbing. These notes can be as detailed as you want to make them. If they are ever required for part of an inspection, the details will pay off. If an inspection agency does not have enough information, they may cut out sections of the wall to make sure things are done according to code. Your notes may be able to stop inspectors from taking this sort of approach.

Even if the project seems simple, document what has been done and the condition that you have found things in. Plumbing professionals can take these notes and find problem areas in your plumbing system and can make sure that they do not accidentally disturb plumbing without realizing it. The documentation can be used to augment what your licensed plumber already has on file, giving them a complete picture of your plumbing setup.