Repiping a house or rerouting a water line fixes the plumbing. It also leaves holes: in ceilings where the new lines run, in walls where they drop to fixtures, and around the water heater where everything ties in. Those openings have to be closed, textured and painted so the rooms look like nothing happened.
This post covers why homes get repiped or rerouted, what the walls and ceilings look like afterward, and what the put back work involves, using a condo reroute in Ventura that we worked on last week.
Why homes get repiped or rerouted
- Slab leaks. When a line under the foundation fails, rerouting it through the walls and attic is often simpler than breaking up the floor. Our post on the signs of a slab leak covers how those get found.
- Repeated pinhole leaks. Old copper that keeps leaking in new spots usually means the whole system is wearing out.
- Old galvanized pipe. It corrodes from the inside, which shows up as low pressure and discolored water.
- Water damage that already happened. A leak that soaked a wall is a good time to replace the pipe that caused it instead of patching one spot.
What the walls and ceilings look like after a reroute
On the Ventura condo, our photos from September 21 show the unit empty, with bare concrete floors, and the openings from the reroute still visible:
- Strips of new drywall and joint compound across the ceilings where the new lines were run.
- Wall cavities open at the plumbing, with copper lines and a newer white line visible inside.
- The water heater closet opened up around the pipes that feed it.
- Insulation exposed in the open walls.
How the put back work goes
- Protect the unit. Floors get covered and plastic goes up so dust from sanding does not travel through the home. On this job that meant red rosin paper on the floors and plastic sheeting taped around the work areas.
- Close the openings. New drywall is cut in, screwed to the framing and taped.
- Mud and sand. Joint compound goes on in coats, with sanding in between, until the patch sits flush with the old wall.
- Match the texture. This is where patches usually give themselves away. The walls here have a light texture and some of the ceilings have a heavier acoustic finish, so each one had to be matched separately.
- Prime and paint. Patches get primed so they do not flash through the new paint, then the whole wall or ceiling is painted so the color is even.
By the September 23 photos, most of the walls were closed, textured and painted. Our drywall and painting page covers that side of what we do.
How long the put back takes
On the Ventura condo, the photos run over three days: open walls and taped patches on September 21, containment and texture work on September 22, and painted walls on September 23. That pace depends on a few things:
- How many openings there are and how big they are.
- Drying time for joint compound. Each coat has to dry before it is sanded and the next one goes on.
- Texture matching. Heavier ceiling textures take longer to blend than a light wall texture.
- Whether the home is occupied. Working around furniture and people adds setup and cleanup every day.
Older homes need extra care
Cutting into walls and ceilings in an older building can disturb materials that need special handling. Under the EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting rule, anyone paid to do work that disturbs painted surfaces in homes built before 1978 has to be certified. Older acoustic ceilings are also worth testing before anyone scrapes or sands them. That is one more reason to use a crew that handles this kind of work every day.
Repipe or spot repair?
A single leak in otherwise healthy pipe can often be repaired in place. Repeated leaks, low pressure, discolored water or a slab leak are signs that the system needs more than a patch. A plumber makes that call. Once the plumbing is done, the openings still have to be repaired, and if water got into the walls before the leak was found, that area needs to be dried first. Our post on water damage in plaster walls vs drywall explains how each one handles it.
FAQ
How many holes does a repipe leave?
It depends on the layout. Expect openings in the ceiling where lines run, at each fixture and around the water heater. Some routes need only a few small cuts, others need long runs opened up.
Can I stay in the home during a repipe?
Many people do, but there will be days without water and some dust. The unit on this job was empty while the work was done.
Who fixes the drywall after a repipe?
Some plumbers include patching, many do not. Ask before the work starts. If the patching is not included, a drywall and painting crew handles it after the plumbing passes inspection.
What if the old pipe already caused water damage?
Then the wet material has to come out and the area has to be dried before anything is closed up. We cover what that costs in our breakdown of water damage restoration costs in Ventura County.
Need the walls put back after a repipe?
Total Restoration handles water damage restoration in Ventura and the repairs that follow across Ventura County, Santa Barbara County and Santa Clarita. Contact us and we will take a look.