A Happy Family

Professional plumbing is necessary and you must get someone who knows their stuff. Otherwise, you can figure out how to live with constantly blocking sinks and worse. Imagine living in a flat where the drainage system is so horrible that dirty kitchen water from upstairs runs into your kitchen and floods your floor! All because of bad plumbing!

What you need is a professional. How do you recognize one? Anyone can come up to you and claim to be a plumber, good at fixing stuff and that they will get everything flowing in a few. This might be pure bravado. You need to find someone who has been tried and tested and found to be worthy. The easiest way to do this is via the internet by searching, for instance, San Diego plumbing if that is where you live.

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While the skills are what will sell a professional, attitude matters too. You do not want to deal with someone who gets the jobs done, but is disrespectful and their tardiness makes you lag behind on your own errands. That can be supremely annoying. Here are signs to look out for in a professional.

1 Tardiness is not part of their description

If they say they will be there at 10:00 AM, so they will, give or take five minutes. Should anything unexpected come up, they will let you know in good time.

If you find someone who will not commit to a precise time of arrival, be prepared to wait all day. If s/he is going to arrive earlier than agreed, they will call and let you know that too and also find out if you are available at that time. Such a person is not only a professional, but also respects your time and their work. You have landed one of the good ones.

2 They respect your home

They will not bring in the entire outside world into your home. A professional will remove their shoes and clothing that is likely to leave a trail of dirt on your floors and carpets. They know they are there for a very short time but you live there.

They will also be careful about causing any damage to your property in the course of their work. If there is something close by that could get damaged, they will ask you to move it.

Once they have completed their work, they will tidy up after themselves, not leave the mess to you to clean up. You will want to call them back if you ever need plumbing services again or refer them to friends and family.

3 They bring the right tools with them

A professional will have made an assessment of the job at hand in order to know what tools they need. You do not want to deal with someone who keeps running to their workshop and back because they keep discovering something that needs different tools. The only reason he or she would ask for or go for new equipment is if a complication arises.

Professionals in any field steer clear of excuses. If anything crops up that were unforeseen, as will sometimes happen, they are ready to give plausible explanations and make amends where they can.

4 If you ask for their credentials, they will gladly show them

Professionals are proud of their achievement and will not demur at being asked to show their credentials. The credentials you should be interested in are:

Insurance (or are they bonded?)
Valid license
References
Certificates

All documentation must be up to date and valid. Should you decide to call up references, ask them about the overall attitude and professionalism of the plumber; not just if they can get the job done.

5 They will give you clear and concise estimates

No guesswork involved here. A plumber worth their salt will give you a clear estimate and make adjustments where possible. The estimate includes the cost of materials to be used as well as labour. They will also tell you if they bill by the hour or by the job to be done and how much they charge for extra time. You should feel free to ask for a list of the materials that are needed.

6 They should be ready to answer any questions you have

Of course you will have questions about the project, however simple or complex it may be. A professional plumber knows that you are asking questions out of curiosity or to understand the process. They do not assume that you want to test their knowledge or expertise.

A good plumber will not only willingly answer the questions you ask, but also make the answers simple enough for you to understand. One who bombards you with plumber jargon is only showing off and leaving you confused.

If you are curious about why they are using one particular method instead of another, assuming you have some plumbing knowledge, they should have no qualms about explaining that to you.

7 They should be available to correct any errors

Mistakes happen and if they do in this instance, a good plumber should be ready to correct them without feeling slighted. Even if the mistake is on your part, the plumber should be able to explain patiently what the issue is, and why it should be left as it is. If you have a jumpy character who figures you are belittling their efforts, you are in for a really long day.

8 Customer services

Any professional wants to ensure that their client is satisfied with their services. They will call you up and ask if you have any concerns and promptly address them. They will also own up to any issues you bring up that they were not comfortable with, apologize and make amends if they can.

A professional plumber obviously wishes to not only retain you as a client, but also have you refer them to others. They could actually request you to be a reference. If you were happy with their services, it is the least you could do.

It is relatively easy to access plumbers as you can look them up on the internet by simply typing San Diego plumbing or your specific area of residence, so look them up and ensure that you look at their ratings.

If you’ve decided to finish your basement, you probably already know that this project will require a considerable amount of time and effort, and that you’ll need professional assistance to make sure that your basement looks its best. However, there are a few things you can do yourself to finish your basement and make it a space that your family can enjoy. Remember these tips when you want to turn your basement into a livable space.

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Make sure there are no water issues in the basement before you start building. Drips coming through the walls or small pools of water in various areas of the basement are a sign that there is leakage somewhere. Look outside to ensure that the ground and foundation are not wet or contain openings that could lead to water damage. Ask a plumber and contractor to help you get rid of these issues before you add anything else to the basement space.

You should also be aware of building codes before you begin the basement renovation process. Check with your city and county to see if you need permits to do any construction projects in your basement. This is essential if you’re doing electrical or plumbing work in this area of your home, so you’ll need to have an inspector come out and make sure everything is up to code.

Once you’ve decided to finish your basement, you’ll need to think about the fasteners in the floors and walls of the space. In most cases, these parts of the basement are created from block, masonry, cement or brick, which means that you’ll need more than a hammer and nails when you’re attaching the framing for the walls and/or windows. It may be best to rent a fastener that is power-actuated, or to hire a contractor who is experienced in this area of work to complete this part of the project for you.

Making sure the air is clear and clean in your basement should also be a priority. After you take care of any water issues, there’s still the possibility that your basement could be significantly more damp than the rest of your home. Add a vapor barrier between the floors and walls before you start framing and finishes these areas to make sure that moisture doesn’t get trapped and cause mold, mildew and damage.

Finally, ensure that you have an offset space even after you create the vapor barrier. This is because moisture could still be a problem, especially if you live in areas that rain a lot. Make an offset from the outside wall of your basement by adding metal or wood slats that can make the wall more level. It’s also best to keep out the cold air and welcome the warmth in so that the basement space will be comfortable for you and your loved ones to spend time in. Insulation is required for this, so check your local codes to ensure that you’re in keeping with the regulations in your area.