Move, Don’t Remove, Those Ugly Roof Vents and Pipes

QUESTION: What is the purpose of the pipes that stick through the roof? They are ugly, and I’d like to do something about them. Any ideas?

ANSWER: Some of these pipes (the ones with caps above) are vents from gas appliances or vents from exhaust fans such as from kitchens and bathrooms. The uncapped pipes are sewer vent pipes.

All are important, and cannot be eliminated, but they can sometimes be relocated to other parts of the roof where they are less obtrusive. The sewer vent pipes usually create the greatest clutter on a roof, and fortunately, they can be joined together within the attic, thus eliminating all but one or a few of them from coming through the roof.

We once saw all the vents clustered in the attic, then vented through a fake chimney, resulting in a completely uncluttered roof. But there are limits on how far different vents can be relocated. Note that you may need several different contractors to do all this--a plumber, a heating contractor, a roofer.

Use Copper Piping for New Bathroom

Q: My house is plumbed with galvanized water pipes. I’m adding a bathroom. Should it be plumbed with galvanized or copper, and are there any precautions to observe?

A: Your building department will probably dictate that you use copper for the new bathroom, since new additions must conform to current code.

But even apart from that, it would be foolish not to take advantage of the latest technology, in this case, copper pipe. Be sure your plumber or general contractor knows to install “dielectric couplings” between the two materials wherever they join to minimize corrosion.

Treat Old Paint as if It Contains Lead

Q: I have an old house that needs paint, and the paint needs a lot of preparation. Do I need to be concerned about lead in the old paint?

A: Yes! The risk of lead poisoning is a real threat and must be considered. Tests for lead are not expensive, but you could instead simply treat all the old paint as if it contains lead and avoid any removal techniques (such as scraping or sanding) which might create a hazard.

You may wish to refer to back issues of the “Old House Journal” at your library. They cover this and other topics of interest to owners of old houses.