The reason that a good plumbing contractor searches your home before they start any work on a renovation is to make sure that there are no hidden surprises that crop up during their work. This might even mean opening up the walls. However, hidden surprises tend to crop up anyway, especially if your house is older and hasn’t had a renovation in many years. Here are some problems a contractor would look for.

Old Plumbing Pipes

One of the biggest hidden problems of a bathroom remodel is old plumbing. Some houses were fitted with plumbing pipes made of lead, cast iron or even clay. These pipes can be corroded and are impossible to properly join up with more modern materials such as PEX. They’ll need to be removed and replaced.

A Surprising Amount of Mold

Some contractors and homeowners are shocked at the amount of mold they find when they start to do a bathroom renovation. However much mold is found, it needs to be cleaned up before the work can begin.

The Nests of Unwanted Guests

People are also shocked at how many vermin live in and around their home plumbing systems. This doesn’t just include insects, spiders, centipedes and whip scorpions but mice, rats, snakes and other reptiles and amphibians. Even animals as large as opossums have been known to hang out in plumbing systems. Plumbing cavities often become nesting grounds where animals raise their young, hunt prey and leave waste.

Weird Plumbing Hookups

Jerry-rigged plumbing connections are not uncommon in old homes. These connections, such as a pipe leading from the sink in one bathroom to drain into the bathtub of the adjoining bathroom, are wildly out of code and must be corrected.

Dry Rot and Water Damage

Dry rot and unexpectedly bad water damage are other hidden menaces that eat at wooden structures and can make bathroom renovation particularly difficult. Like mold, pests and weird plumbing, dry rot and water damage need to be mitigated before work can begin.

Janky Electrical Wiring

Sometimes the contractor finds electrical wiring that’s been so badly installed in the bathroom that it’s a miracle no one was electrocuted. Fixing this calls for the expertise of an electrician before the remodeling can proceed.

Discovery of Asbestos

Few things cause a bathroom remodel to grind to a halt faster than the discovery of asbestos in the walls or floors. Asbestos is carcinogenic but was a very common material used in older homes. If it’s found, it must be removed by a professional trained to remove it. To do this may mean you’ll need to move out of your home for a few days.

A complete renovation of a bathroom can be challenging, but the results are worth it. If you are in the market for a bathroom remodel in Adrian, Michigan, get in touch with our professionals at Multi Craft Construction.