Most special plumbers and heating engineers have high regard with what they do but have one common sentiment – most homes or properties prioritize design over functionality. Though it may be satisfying in the first few years, especially aesthetically, this practice may cost the homeowner a great deal of fortune when maintenance time comes. And it surely comes, only once or twice if you are lucky, in any home. Sometimes, there is no way around it but to destroy fixtures that cannot be replaced with the exact ones. Even companies with years of experience in the industry like Glow Flow in Doncaster have faced several of these issues and is left with no choice.

Most of the architectural finishes nowadays, both residential or commercial, only prioritizes design without bearing in mind that over time, these are still objects that will need attention and maintenance. Quick maintenance that only costs a few bucks may rise up to a few hundred. For instance, bathrooms nowadays are fully tiled for a cleaner minimalist finish. And for aesthetic purposes, pipeworks are deliberately hidden for obvious reasons, but they install permanent fixtures to hide it. This makes it very hard even for outstanding engineers like in Glow Flow to access the pipes that need work.

All fixtures need some kind of maintenance in the course of their lifetime. If you are lucky it may occur only once or twice. If pipework is fully tiled leaving no room for access, engineers are forced to destroy it. There will then be added cost for the replacement and reinstallation of new tiles, and that’s not the worst. The exact tile design may no longer be available in the market. A simple pipework maintenance lead to a full-scale renovation because of poor planning.

Early in the planning and designing stage, architects and homeowners must regard to the fact that that maintenance of pipework is inevitable, therefore they must leave ample room for access to it. Leave plenty of panels for access. This may be challenging to the designers and will sacrifice some of the aesthetic points but will prove economical and convenient in the long run.