JJ's Custom Plumbing and Heating » Blog

Ensuite bathroom addition

jj — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 06:00:31 +0000

Here is the first bathroom renovation that we had taken any pictures on. The customer wanted to add an ensuite bathroom to there house. here is a quick picture of the tiled shower with 2 shower heads. One a 3 function hand shower and a rain shower on the opposite side of the shower, hanging over top of the built in bench seat. Unfortunately this is the only picture taken on the job, but as you can see in the picture we added a vessel sink and faucet. The toilet is located behind the camera in a private room enclosed by a pocket door.

Baseball training facility

jj — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 06:00:53 +0000

Here are a few pictures of a sports med and physio therapy and baseball training facility we took care of in North Vancouver. Two bathrooms, both with 2 shower stalls, double vanity, womens with 2 toilet stalls and mens with one toilet and one urinal. These pictures were taken during construction and I currently do not have any of the finished product. We will do our best to try and get back to take finished pictures.

Bathroom Renovation in new west

jj — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 06:02:37 +0000

Here is pictures of a bathroom renovation in new west. The area had limited space allowed for the project . It was determined that a wall hung toilet was the best route to ensure proper drainage without having to raise the floor with limited height from floor to ceiling. Unfortunately these were really the only 2 pictures we have of this project.

The Kuris family volunteer renovation project

jj — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 22:18:23 +0000

This project was basically like BC’s very own version of extreme home makeover. The Kuris family suffered a tragic loss earlier this year. We were honoured to be involved in helping this family move past this tragedy and look forward to the future!

Here is their story….
Five years ago Shelley and Sam Kuris purchased their dream home, a distinctive Tudor-style house on an acre of land in Whonnock, in East Maple Ridge. While there was much work to be done on this forty year old home they cheerfully did what they could while relying on Sam’s modest wages. Shelley focused on raising their three children; Jack (now 12), Silver (7) and Liam (5).

On January 22, 2011 tragedy struck the Kuris family. Sam, a loving and dedicated husband and father was killed at work, crushed when thrown from a toppling forklift. Since this time Shelley has been left to care for their three children while facing the daunting prospect of addressing the many significant challenges this house presents.

Shelley’s kitchen was completely unworkable. Wiring was inadequate and the oven was not operational, forcing Shelley to use a basement suite kitchen to cook for the family. Kitchen cupboards were falling apart and counter space virtually non-existent. The dining room was unfinished and completely unusable. The chimney was filled with insulation and had no proper chimney cap. There was evidence of both interior and exterior mould. Flashing, gutters and front door needed to be replaced as did the deck. The driveway was cracked in several places.

The Home Team, JJ’s Custom Plumbing and other amazing local businesses and volunteers in the area helped to transform Shelly’s home into a peaceful, workable place for her and her children.

While Shelly and the kids flew off to Disneyland, volunteers spent 10 days transforming the home and yard. A brand new exterior, including hardie stucco boards and stone work as well as a new roof, kept with the tudor style that Shelly loved. As well as a revamp on the yard, gardens and driveway. Added to the home was a renovated garage with a new garage door and a brand new room was finished above, adding extra needed space. Inside, new flooring was installed, as well as paint throughout. A newly renovated kitchen and dining room opened up the space between the two and brought in more light. General decorating and reorganizing was done to make the job complete. Shelly, Jack, Silver and Liam returned home and were very excited to be in their new space. All of this was accomplished with the help of many volunteers, friends and local businesses. Here are some pictures of the project.

Kuris Family arriving home after their 10 day disneyland trip

JJ’s Owner and employee Jon O’Brien were busy holding the tarps up for the “big reveal”

We are awaiting all of the before pictures and will then be editing this post. But for now… without further delay, here are the after pictures!!! Enjoy…

Exterior…

main floor bathroom

Silver’s Bedroom

Jack and Liam’s bedroom and attached play room

Autographed pictures of Luongo and Burrows! lucky kids…lol.

Shelley’s Room

Shelley used to have to go into the basement (3 storey house,) to do laundry, so we added laundry upstairs to make life easier. and left laundry in the basement for possibility of renting out the basement suite as an income helper.

upstairs bathroom

basement living space

pictures of the back yard and new soccer field

main floor living room

Dining room

Main floor Kitchen

These are all of the pictures that we had taken during the project. We are awaiting more before and after pics from the cornerstone home team and will post them as soon as we receive them. Hope you enjoyed.

Coquitlam bathroom and laundry renovation

jj — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:19:00 +0000

This bathroom was a laundry room/bathroom combo. Our customer wanted to seperate the laundry room and the bathroom to make things more functional. We helped design the layout to help keep costs down. (toilet stayed in place, shower changed size and slight placement, old sink was capped and moved to where the old laundry was.) the bathroom was not 100% complete when these pictures were taken. some trim, shelving and paint were still in the works.

Customer moved laundry to an unfinished area of the basement and designed the room themselves. adding cupboard space and a wash sink. Thanks again Mark and Cat, it was a pleasure working for you. All the best to you and the kids. You have a lovely family and it was fun to be a part of this project and visiting with you all!

Voted Best Plumbing Company in Vancouver

jj — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 07:05:44 +0000

At JJ’s Custom Plumbing, we take pride in providing our customers with honest and reliable information; to provide proper, long-term solutions for your plumbing needs. We pride ourselves in giving you, the customer, peace of mind and long-term solutions, thus allowing us to honour and back all of our workmanship with one year warranties on all labour that we provide.

We are proud to announce that JJ’s Custom Plumbing was the winner of the HomeStars Best of 2010 Award for the Plumbing category in Vancouver BC.

Thank you to all of our loyal customers for the support.

If you are not a current client please read all of our reviews on HomeStars and contact us for any of your plumbing, heating and drainage needs.

“We are proud to anounce that we were a finalist for the “2009 Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.”

As stated at the awards show, “It is no surprise that Justin Johnson, of JJ’s Custom Plumbing is up for the “Service Award”; He provides such great customer service that his company is one of the highest rated plumbing companies in the Lower Mainland according to the Better Business Bureau. Johnson listens to clients’ needs, suggests possible solutions, provides high quality workmanship, gives DIY (Do It Yourself) ideas and provides a one-year warranty on all workmanship. “

Drain Tile Cleaning

jj — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 05:10:06 +0000

Rainy season is approaching fast, and during this season it is very common for houses to flood. Help prevent water damage in your house by maintaining your drain tiles and make sure to have them cleaned every 3 years for most houses, and every 2 years for houses in marshland area’s. By maintaining your drain tile system and ensuring that they are not blocked, partially constricted, collapsed, or have root growth in them, you can prevent the stress and cost of dealing with a flood in your basement or crawl space. If your drain tiles are experiencing any of these issue’s, the water table will then be able to rise above the footing of your foundation, putting hydrostatic pressure on the foundation and water will eventually find the path of least resistance into your home, by saturating and seaping through the foundation or even worse causing cracks in the foundation.

If you have just recently purchased a house or are looking to buy, we recommend finding out when the last time the drain tiles were properly inspected and cleaned.

If you would like to set up an appointment to inspect your drain tiles or would like some advice, please feel free to contact us.

Cleaning your garberator

jj — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 17:44:34 +0000

A quick and easy method is the baking soda and vinegar trick followed by placing ice cubes in the garberator, turning on water and turning on the garberator.

Another option is to make ice cubes with vinegar instead of water and pour a bit of baking soda in the garberator, drop in the vinegar cubes, turn on hot water and the garberator.

The ice cubes will help to clean off the blades of the garberator, while the baking soda and vinegar will help to avoid any smells or fruit fly’s to come from the garberator.

Kitchen/Bathroom sink clogs

jj — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 21:09:36 +0000

Please note: While we have done our best to offer useful information, these tips are only suggestions. We recommend you ensure you’ve contacted a licensed plumber.

Preventing Kitchen Drain Clogs

No plumbing problem is more common or more frustrating for our customers, than a clogged drain.

•Kitchen sink drains most often clog because of a buildup of grease or soap scum that traps food particles.
•Soap and hair are often the culprits in bathroom drains.
•Drains can usually be cleared easily and inexpensively, but taking some simple precautions will help you avoid blockages. Proper disposal of kitchen waste will keep sink drain clogs to a minimum.
•Never pour grease down the kitchen sink.
•Never wash coffee grounds down the sink. Instead throw them out.
•Avoid using chemical cleaners, particularly if you have brass, steel, or cast-iron p-traps and/or drain pipes; some caustic chemicals can corrode metal pipes.
•Clean floor drain strainers. (Some tubs, showers, and basement floor drains have strainers that are screwed into the drain opening.) You can easily remove these strainers and reach down into the drain with a bent wire to clear out accumulated debris. And be sure to clean the strainer.
•Clean pop-up stoppers in the bathroom sink and the tub/shower regularly. Lift out sink pop-ups once a month and rinse them off.
•Keep the sewer pipes from the house free of tree roots that may invade them. If roots are a particular problem in your yard, you may need to call in professionals once a year or so to clear the pipes. We will use an electric power auger to cut out the roots.
•Flush the drain-waste and vent systems whenever you go up onto your house roof to clean out downspouts or gutters. Run water from a garden hose into all vents, giving them a minute or two of full flow. Remember to have your vents cleaned properly with a jetter every 5 years to completely clear all build-up and debris in order to avoid blockages and sewage back-up.

noisy pipes

jj — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 21:06:22 +0000

Pipes Making Noise?

Pipe noises range from loud hammering sounds to high-pitched squeaks. The usual causes range from loose pipes, water logged air chambers, or most commonly, water pressure that’s too high (Pressure Regulating Valve should be replaced in this situation.) Anchoring exposed pipes is a simple solution; other remedies such as anchoring pipes concealed inside walls, floors or ceilings, or may call for a professional.

Banging
Pipes are usually anchored with hammer clips or pipe straps every 5 to 7 feet for horizontal runs, 6 to 8 feet for vertical.

•If your pipes bang when you turn on the water, you may need to add straps, cushion the pipes by insulating them, or both.
•When you anchor a pipe-especially a plastic one-leave room for expansion.
•NEVER use galvanized straps on copper pipes.

Squeaking
Only hot water pipes squeak. As the pipe expands, it moves in its clip/strap, and friction causes the squeak.

•Solution: Cushion it as you would a banging pipe.

Water Hammer

This noise occurs when you turn off the water at a faucet or an appliance quickly. The water flowing through the pipes slams to a stop, causing a hammering noise.
Check for:

•Loose Pipes

Remedy:

•Anchor the pipes.

Check for:

•Faulty air chambers/Hammer Arresters. These lengths of pipe or cylinders (in the case of hammer arresters,) installed behind fixtures and appliances, hold air that cushions the shock when flowing water is shut off. They can get filled with water and lose their effectiveness.

Remedy:

•To restore air to the chambers, turn off the water at the main shutoff valve. Open all the faucets to drain the system. Close the faucets and turn the water on again. The air chambers should fill with air. (In the case of the hammer arrester if this does not work then they will need to be replaced.)

Check for:

•Water pressure that’s above 70 psi (pounds per square inch).

Remedy:

•To lower the pressure, install a Pressure Regulating Valve (PRV.) Give us a call if you do not feel comfortable in doing this yourself.
• In houses that were built in the late 80′s to the late 90′s and have grey plastic (poly-b) waterlines it is highly recommended to change your PRV every 8 years to avoid waterlines bursting.