I get where you’re coming from, but I don’t think it’s always worth gutting everything just because the walls are open. My place is from the 40s, and yeah, we found some old plumbing, but not all of it was shot. Ended up just fixing what was leaking and left the rest. Two years later, no issues yet. Sometimes you gotta weigh the odds and your budget—full replacements aren’t always necessary if things look solid.
Sometimes you gotta weigh the odds and your budget—full replacements aren’t always necessary if things look solid.
That’s reassuring to hear, especially as someone just starting out. I keep reading that “if the walls are open, replace everything,” but honestly, my budget’s tight and I’d rather not fix what isn’t broken. Did you do any kind of inspection on the pipes you left, or just go by visual checks? Trying to figure out how much I should stress about hidden issues...
- I totally get where you’re coming from—money adds up fast on these projects.
- When I did mine, I checked for any obvious corrosion or leaks, but didn’t replace every single pipe just because the walls were open.
- If stuff looked solid and wasn’t ancient, I left it alone. Sometimes you just have to trust your gut (and your wallet).
- Not saying ignore red flags, but you don’t have to rip out everything if it’s in good shape.
I’m with you on not gutting everything just because the walls are open. I’ve done a handful of remodels, and honestly, if the pipes look decent and aren’t from the Stone Age, I leave them be. No sense burning cash on “what ifs” that might never happen. The trick is knowing when to walk that line—sometimes your gut (and budget) are smarter than the urge to go overboard.
I get the logic behind not replacing stuff just because it’s exposed, but I’m a little more cautious—maybe it’s just first-time nerves. Here’s how I looked at it:
- Pipes might look fine, but age isn’t always obvious. I found a tiny pinhole leak in a “good” copper line after demo. Would’ve missed it if I hadn’t poked around.
- If you’re already paying for demo and drywall, the extra cost to swap out old supply lines or drains isn’t huge compared to patching later if something fails.
- Some insurance companies actually ask about updated plumbing, which could matter down the road.
I get not wanting to blow the budget on “what ifs,” but for me, peace of mind was worth a few hundred bucks in new PEX. Maybe overkill, but I’d rather not open up finished tile again in five years... That said, I probably overthink stuff—paralysis by analysis is real.
