Putting new pipes in a renovation; what type of pipes to install in your house?

Putting new pipes in a renovation; what type of pipes to install in your house? The changes in the pipes of your house are very important, the adequate function of your house’s water supplies depends on there being no leaks or damages so much in your house. A damaged pipe can be very costly, and it can also be harmful to your health if you’re not careful.

Until the seventies, it was common in homes that the pipes were made of lead. Lead is not only highly polluting, but it can pass into drinking water, creating serious health problems. If you still have lead pipes in your home, it’s very important to replace them with new ones that do not put your health at risk.

Nowadays, if you ask plumbers for an estimate, you will see that the installation includes pipes made of different materials, such as copper, PEX, and many more materials.

Metal pipes

Metal pipes are the most commonly used for household water. There are currently three main types of metal piping:

 Galvanized metal pipes

Thanks to galvanizing, the metal does not corrode, but these are heavy and expensive pipes. They were used for many years for building connections, but nowadays plastic pipes are used, which are just as strong, cheaper and much more durable.

Stainless steel pipes, What type of pipes to install in your house?

Although they are very effective, they are too expensive, so it’s very rare to find them. They are mainly used in buildings next to the sea, since stainless steel withstands very well the corrosion of saltpeter.

Copper pipes

The most commonly used in homes.

Copper is cheap, easily malleable, very resistant, does not give taste to water, does not burn and withstands both cold and hot water.

They are available in standard sizes, so it’s very easy to find spare parts for repairs.

Plastic pipes

Although they have the same advantages as copper pipes, pipes made of different types of plastic are generally used for sewage, but are not as common inside homes.

PVC pipes

They are very effective with cold water, but PVC does not support hot water well, deforming easily with heat. For this reason they are not very used, since the normal thing is to be able to count on both supplies.

PEX pipes, What type of pipes to install in your house?

Contrary to PVC pipes, pipes made of PEX plastics withstand extreme temperatures very well, both high and low, being used, for example, in boiler systems.

CPVC or multilayer pipes

The most used in homes, they support both cold and hot water and their characteristics are very similar to those of copper pipes. Their measurements are the same as those of copper pipes, adapting to the standard measurements.

Copper or CPVC (multilayer) pipes?

Both pipes have very similar characteristics, so most of the time the choice will be based on price or availability.

Proponents of CPVC argue that it has the advantage that it can be installed without joints, which makes it much safer.

They also give as a point in its favor its lighter weight, which facilitates transportation.

Those who prefer copper, say in its favor that it’s somewhat more durable and is also much easier to find, which allows it to be sold for cheaper prices.

How to install the pipes in a reform?

If you are going to make a full renovation of a bathroom or kitchen surely you have considered changing the installation of pipes, especially if these are already many years old.

But have you thought about the possibility of installing it outside instead of under the floor?

More and more people are requesting the exterior pipes to make your integral reform due to several reasons:

Advantages of external piping

If an integral renovation is made it’s easy to camouflage the water pipes on the outside so that they can be seen as little as possible. Especially easy in the kitchen, since the furniture can cover them almost completely, but allowing easy access to them. In this way, if there is a leak, it will be located quickly and can be repaired without having to cut into the wall or floor.

When installing the furniture, access to the pipes should be guaranteed in a more or less simple way, so that as little as possible has to be dismantled in the event of having to do any work.

Pipes on the outside also allow future changes to be made much more easily. For example, if over time it’s decided that the kitchen is expanded or changed in design and the place of the sink or dishwasher is changed, it will be much easier to make the new installation for water intake and drainage and, of course, we will save the chopping.

It’s not necessary to remove the old installation to place the external pipes, just cancel the old ones and make a new system. This is especially important if you want to keep the floor and tiling that you already have in the new reform. Covering the existing holes is easy, since they are located in an area where there is furniture and there will probably be again after the renovation.

Disadvantages of external piping, What type of pipes to install in your house?

The main disadvantage of external plumbing is aesthetic, especially when it comes to the bathroom. In the bathroom not too much furniture is placed and therefore it’s easy to see, at least partially, the water pipes. One option to avoid this is to place the pipes through the ceiling.

In this case you can ask for ideas to the company of reforms that is responsible for the integral reform of the bathroom, as they will have experience hiding these pipes.

For example, when these are attached to the floor or ceiling, there are baseboards and plaster decorations that can cover them with a nice result and in case of failure are easy to remove and very cheap to replace.

In this case, the hand of a good professional is also very noticeable, because they can leave a job well done both from the point of view of function and aesthetics, causing minimal inconvenience.