Mishap with plumbing

[TonyW]

A few days ago decided that I had had enough of creaking flooring in upstairs bedrooms. As the first bedroom was due to be re decorated and have new carpet I took the opportunity to fix the chipboard flooring using Spax screws leaving the existing nails in place.

In spite of using one of these

This happened (apparent only today). I had managed to screw the pipe securely to the joist :evil: The black tape is my temporary repair. It was the only thing I could find at Homebase at just after 5pm

This could have layed undiscovered for ages - the leak actually ran between wall cavity

At the end of the day this accident was due to my carelessness in not checking more thoroughly, however isn't cutting a notch to run pipes and cables bad practice - surely it weakens the joist and runs the risk of pipe being punctured

I am sure that I used the "Tracker" over all intended screw areas. It should have identified the pipes particularly as they actually lie slightly above the joists (the chipboard floor must have pushed them down.

I think I should replace the tracker with something a little better to identify wiring and pipework as I am intending to do the whole upstairs area. Anyone have any suggestions (without breaking the bank)?


Cheers
Tony

 

[Digit]

Very bad practice. I once saw an 8in deep beam with 6 inches removed.
I think the plumber worked on the basis that once the boards were back no one would be any wiser.

Roy.

 

[Rich]

I agree it's bad practice but on old builds sometimes you have no choice but to fit in where you can, those in the trade would realise the dangers and look out for them, of course on new builds you can install the ideall carcassing, but I daresay in 50 years time they will have the same problems, if it's any help for next time, get a self tapping screw and wrap ptfe tape around it under the head and screw it into the nail hole, it makes a good and watertight temporary repair, but don't forget, it IS ONLY temporary.
regards,
Rich.

 

[momo]

I hate workmen who do that to you, done that myself in Bramley when putting in a shower and cut the floorboard up with a power saw, set it for the depth of the board and cut the top of the pipe clean in half.

Mind you its not half as bad as the silly one I did a few weeks after, I spotted a 3" pipe coming from the floor in the kitchen, it looked dead and had what looked like a lump of wood in the end, out came the hacksaw and I cut it to floor level.... mains water went everywhere..... mad ten mins looking for the stopcock and calling the council out.

 

[Karl]

Tony

Bad luck mate

I think the kind of bad practice you talk about is all too common - as others have said, once the boards are back down, who's to know the difference????? I regularly see live mains wires run in a channel on top of the joist, and the board sat on top of the wire. Crazy.

As for detectors, I don't bother with them - I have yet to find one (and i've tried plenty) that actually works accurately. There was a thread recently on the subject. Bosch do an all singin and dancin detector - gives you a 3d image of what's behind the intended drilling area. But its about £600. Check out APTC if you want to have a look.

Cheers

Karl

 

[Digit]

The most unfortunate example of this sort of thing happened to me with the first home my wife and had together. The electrics were US. When the socket for the immersion heater was installed the feed cable was plastered over. The second fix chippy then came round to fit the skirtings.
Being a little smarter than the average Bear he eyed up the position of the socket and drove his nail in a couple of inches to the left to miss the cable.
Unfortunately the sparks was also a little smarter than the average and had not run the cable vertically, but slightly to the left!
Bingo!

Roy.

 

[TonyW]

Thanks to all for your comments and tips. Just had the plumber leave after completing the repair :shock:

As to being "bad practice" I now understand that it is accepted (following certain guidelines) to notch joist to run plumbing.

Maybe I have been watching too much Holmes on Homes "existing code just not good enough" . Surely it would be safer to insist that metal plates be laid over this type of pipework and/or flooring should be marked to show runs and depths. I know that this would add some cost to projects - hopefully not too much.

Cheers
Tony

 

[Digit]

Damn all cost to plate over, there are all sorts of metal work available to builders at very low cost. It might be accepted practice, after all the pipe either has to pass over or through the beams, but protection or marking is logical.
We cover cables after all.

Roy.

 

[Woody Alan]

Not that it helps any, but when I had to notch in some pipes as a retro fit (plastic not available then) I had a fat marker pen and drew the pipe routes on the floor above them, because I knew if anyone was going to hole a pipe it would be me .

Alan

 

[Digit]

I did the same thing Alan. Checked everything, left the system to run for a few days before putting the floor back down. Drove the nails in and three days later there's a wet patch on the ceiling.
One nail had hit a nail that I had had to punch below the board when I lifted them. My nail did a 90 degree and just pierced the ****y pipe!

Roy.

 

[StevieB]

Aye, we have all done it - never underestimate the stupidity of the last house owner to bodge the property you have just bought! I replaced the kitchen in our last house, very last thing to do was change the light fittings. Took down the old fitting, put up the new one and put the fixing screw straight through a water pipe. Who the hell runs a mains water pipe within 20mm of a b****y light fitting :evil: Had a devil of a job repairing it without taking down lots of ceiling.

Best one in the current house - had the central heating replaced when we moved in, gas fitter points to 3 feet of steel pipe sticking out of the floor, capped at one end and says to me thats your old gas pipe mate, I have run a new one from the meter so you can hack that off. Its only a steel mains water pipe. Muggins here hacksawed it off a floor level - could I get a fitting on the end of the pipe - could I twittery. Had to dig out the floor to get a capping nut on it. :roll:

I am sure there will be others as I go through the rest of the house!

Steve.

 

[Digit]

Well if there's a prize for the daftest mistake an ex-neighbour of mine was in with a good chance. Bought himself a concrete sectional garage and assembled it with the door facing up his garden. Opposite side to his drive!

Roy.