With the current highly competitive state of the housing market, many people are choosing to waive the standard home inspection in hopes of gaining an edge over other buyers. But opting out of an inspection comes with a huge risk, especially if the house is more than 20 years old.
One of the biggest areas of concern: plumbing.
“We’ve had several customers recently who told us they just bought their house, and now they have to replace the plumbing,” says Amrit Singh, owner of DrainPro Plumbing in Kent.
A common problem with the plumbing in older homes is that the pipes are usually concrete or clay, which get worn down over time. The pipes can break or develop leaks, or the worn down material of the pipe can catch on waste or debris, causing clogs to build up. If the problem gets big enough, the only solution is to replace the whole system.
Repiping a home plumbing system traditionally involves a lengthy, expensive, and disruptive process of excavation and pipe replacement with PVC piping. Once it’s finished, most homeowners then also have to hire a landscaper to repair the damage to their yard.
But a relatively new method known as trenchless repiping or relining can save time and money.
“We only have to excavate at one access point, and then we can insert a new lining into the existing pipe system from that one location,” says Singh. “It minimizes excavation, and it’s much less of a headache for the homeowner.”
Singh says that a typical relining job takes one to two days, as opposed to up to a week or more for the traditional method. “It also doesn’t tear up your lawn,” she adds.
“Replacing your plumbing system the traditional way is really expensive, and so is paying every month for snaking or hydro jetting to remove clogs. In the long run, relining is a cost-effective solution.”
Most plumbing companies who use the relining method subcontract the work to another service, but DrainPro does their relining in-house. “Because we do it ourselves, we can control the pricing, so we’re able to pass the savings on to our customers,” says Singh.
As a plus, Singh notes that the resin material DrainPro uses for relining has a warranty of up to 80 years.
“If people do their due diligence when buying a new house, they can find these problems,” says Singh. “Replacing your plumbing system the traditional way is really expensive, and so is paying every month for snaking or hydro jetting to remove clogs. In the long run, relining is a cost effective solution and is definitely worth it.”
DrainPro Plumbing is located in Kent and serves the greater Puget Sound region. They provide a range of services in addition to relining. Visit online at www.drainproplumbing.net.
