screw through pipes ??

[davebates]

hi guys been to see a job earlier its a small toilet room that has been tiled about 3 months ago but it looks like the previous tiler has screwed through a a 15mm cold water pipe its a shame because it was a cracking job he screwed 6mm backer to the floor boards with the right sized screws but he has just hit the pipe when screwing the floor boards to the joist so after 3 months of gathering water the ceiling in the customers lounge has failed ive got to quote to re tile the floor the customer does not want the old tiler back as he told the tiler there wouldnt be any pipes under the floor boards but its got me slightly worried about one day hitting a pipe how do you guys go about making sure you dont do this ????

[blocko]

Run a pipe / wire detector over boards

[davebates]

ive got one but dont trust it alone what make is the best ??

[user123]

ive got one but dont trust it alone what make is the best ??

Dowsing rods...

[Mike]

why is it being re-done or have i mis understood? can the pipe not be repaired from underneath(the damaged ceiling?)

[blocko]

ive got one but dont trust it alone what make is the best ??

I only use it if I dont know what is under there and there are absolutely no other options left. You could always buy one of these........

SNAKE VISION ENDOSCOPE INSPECTION CAMERA SEESNAKE 10mm | eBay
Im buying one soon and Im sure will save the stress & worry

[davebates]

it could have been done from underneath but homeserve came in and ripped up half the floor

[Mike]

if some of the floor's up you should be able to see/feel/work out where the pipes are

[Bathfix Bob]

There is no sure fire way really, I have a detector but its rubbish. I once screwed through a gravity fed 22mm hot water pipe and the screw sealed the hole as it went it, trouble was after 4 or 5 months the hot water had somehow eroded the screw (wore the threads away) and then it leaked and built up on the dinning room ceiling, it swelled and swelled and swelled until it gave way one night.

When I got there hot water was pouring out into various kitchen based mixing bowls.

After that I bought an LCD inspection camera so I can drill a 15mm hole or two and have a proper butches under the floor.

[whitebeam]

How thick were the floorboards, I use 25mm turbo screws which should'nt go thru an existing floor...

[blocko]

How thick were the floorboards, I use 25mm turbo screws which should'nt go thru an existing floor...

Same here..... but in this case I believe the previous tiler was screwing the old floorboards down to the joists.

So many times I have had to mark out where joists have been notched out & pipes have been set in them. Very easily done I have to admit

After that I bought an LCD inspection camera so I can drill a 15mm hole or two and have a proper butches under the floor.

Yep.....as I said

[Mike]

How thick were the floorboards, I use 25mm turbo screws which should'nt go thru an existing floor...

it was screwing the floorboards into the joists. the pipe was probably in a notched joist

[Mike]

beat me to it blocko. i never work 'blind' anymore, i've hit too many pipes. if i'm not sure what's under there, i lift a board or 2 to check

[davebates]

wow i need one of those endoscopes !!!! the floorboards are just normal boards but by looks of it the purpose of the screw was to reinforce the board to the joist where there just happened to be a pipe

[Bathfix Bob]

I only use it if I dont know what is under there and there are absolutely no other options left. You could always buy one of these........

SNAKE VISION ENDOSCOPE INSPECTION CAMERA SEESNAKE 10mm | eBay
Im buying one soon and Im sure will save the stress & worry

I've got a Ridgid SeeSnake, blocko, they are a bit more expensive but have a better screen which is everything with these. It also have a yellow composite output so you can veiw on a bigger screen. And its water proof.

[whitebeam]

Mind you I've seen, rarely I might add, where the back of the floorboard has even been chiseled out to take some of the pipe work...

[blocko]

Great info...thanks Bob. You can also get USB ones. Dewalt & Milwaukee make them too. Lidl were selling them last week for less than £40

[blocko]

Mind you I've seen, rarely I might add, where the back of the floorboard has even been chiseled out to take some of the pipe work...

Worrying isnt it

[whitebeam]

I only use it if I dont know what is under there and there are absolutely no other options left. You could always buy one of these........

SNAKE VISION ENDOSCOPE INSPECTION CAMERA SEESNAKE 10mm | eBay
Im buying one soon and Im sure will save the stress & worry

I like that, could save on alot of stress...

[Mike]

i hit a pipe a few weeks ago, i plasterboarded a ply boxing(old stuff) on a wall to tile and all was good till home time and i switched the radio off and i heard a hissing noise. the pipes were in the middle of the boxing all the way up the wall till near to the ceiling were they were bent away from the wall ready to go around the joist in the attic above, this made the pipes right on the surface of the ply and one of my screws hit it. lucky i had gear in the van to repair it.

[Bathfix Bob]

Homeserve again!!

As said, I cant believe they trashed a perfectly good tiled floor to repair a 15mm pipe that could have been done from underneath, especially since the plasterboard was ruined.

I repaired that hot water pipe from underneath, granted it was under the shower tray though.

[Mike]

I only use it if I dont know what is under there and there are absolutely no other options left. You could always buy one of these........

SNAKE VISION ENDOSCOPE INSPECTION CAMERA SEESNAKE 10mm | eBay
Im buying one soon and Im sure will save the stress & worry

handy that, get it under the covers when the wife's in a mood

[whitebeam]

handy that, get it under the covers when the wife's in a mood

Easy tiger...........

[Bathfix Bob]

handy that, get it under the covers when the wife's in a mood

Seriously though.

I use mine probably once a week but it certainly has paid for itself, just keep it hidden in your van as the theives will have it.

[whitebeam]

Remember you are in the open forum which the public can view...lets keep it clean.

[pjc]

I would use 10mm backer board on floorboards and I would never use screws so I wouldn't have the problem

[pjc]

it could have been done from underneath but homeserve came in and ripped up half the floor

Can they be sued ?

[Sir Ramic]

I only use it if I dont know what is under there and there are absolutely no other options left. You could always buy one of these........

SNAKE VISION ENDOSCOPE INSPECTION CAMERA SEESNAKE 10mm | eBay
Im buying one soon and Im sure will save the stress & worry

Aldi had some in last week
ALDI - Sunday Special Buys 28th August 2011

[doug boardley]

same as Mike, I always lift a board or two to check where the pipes are, then give them a wide berth.

[Mike]

I would use 10mm backer board on floorboards and I would never use screws so I wouldn't have the problem

do you not screw the backer board down? (as well as adhesive) and the op said the pipe was hit due to the floorboards being screwed down to prevent deflection