Deciding to build a granny flat is simple, designing and building the extension can be a lot harder. You'll have a lot of questions to answer along the way. Can you use a general contractor or is is better to use one who has built a lot of granny flats before? Is a template design better than a customised one? Should you let the person who'll live in the flat have a say in what it looks like? Luckily, I'm here to help. My name is Maria. We moved my Mum into a purpose-built granny flat last year, so I've had to answer all these questions and more. I thought it'd be useful for other people to see how we managed the process, so here we are — get reading!
Best Guide for Selecting and Installing Plumbing Pipes
Domestic water pipes could be the busiest accessories in your house considering the work they do. You need water for many of activities in the house. It has to keep flowing through the pipework and faucets for you to access it. The pipework also holds the water when you do not need it to flow through the taps and faucets. Certainly, all these processes affect comfort and costs in your home. There are a few things you must know and consider when choosing the plumbing pipes you want to install in your home. Here are some guidelines to help you make the right choice:
The Nature of the Water
The type of water flowing through your plumbing is the first thing you must consider when choosing what to install in your house. Water comes in two forms. Soft water is pure, fresh and has little to no mineral salts. On the other hand, it can also be rich in minerals and salts, which encourages corrosion and wearing of the plumbing material. Borehole water is a good example of hard water because it originates from inner soil layers that have lots of salts and minerals. Areas with hard water will limit you to plastic and PEX pipes because they are good at withstanding the corrosive action of the mineral salts found in hard water.
Exposure to Direct Sunlight
Sun rays have renowned benefits of lighting your world and providing vitamin D for your body. Sadly, most people are not aware of the damaging effects that the sun can have on some of their items such as plumbing pipes. Ultra-violet radiation for the sun gradually weakens plastics and certain types of rubber when there is prolonged exposure. Therefore, you should opt for copper or brass pipes in areas where your pipework has prolonged contact with the sun. The pipes will not grow over time.
The Surface of Water Flow
The key to effective plumbing is to minimise the energy needed to pump and push water through your plumbing pipes. Thankfully, you can use few tricks to ensure a smooth flow of water through the pipework. First, choose pipe with smooth interior surfaces. PVC plastic pipes should be the top of your list in this category. Secondly, go for something that requires a few joints over long distances. High-density polyethylene (HDPE) and PEX (cross-linked polyethylene) are ideal for pipework installation over long distances with little need for joints. With this, you will get your plumbing right.