WE PIPE LLC
In Maspeth's 1920s–1940s brick row houses, a bathroom that hasn't been renovated since the 1970s or 80s typically has original half-inch galvanized supply with significant internal corrosion, cast-iron waste connections that may be leaking at the slip joints, and at least one compression fitting added by a previous owner that's now the weakest link in the system. In our experience, opening walls during a gut renovation in these houses reveals a slow supply leak more often than not, usually at a sweated joint that never got done properly.
An owner on Rust Street hired us for a full gut bathroom renovation. When the tile contractor demo'd the walls, they found what we commonly see in Maspeth buildings this age: a sweated joint on the hot supply had been weeping for years, leaving visible staining on the wood framing and slow rot at the subfloor adjacent to the vanity wall. The previous owner had done a cosmetic renovation years earlier, new tile over old, without touching the plumbing. The leak had been going since at least that last tile job, possibly longer. The framing next to the vanity wall showed active mold on the stud face. The leak had been going long enough to colonize the wood, not just stain it.
Demo'd all the supply rough-in back to the riser, replaced everything with new properly soldered copper: new stubs to the toilet and vanity positions, new quarter-turn angle stops at each fixture. The GC replaced the wet section of subfloor before we reinstalled. Reset the toilet flange at the correct height for the new tile. Came back for trim-out after tile was set: connected the vessel sink faucet and drain, set the toilet, confirmed all shutoffs opened and closed cleanly. Documented the work with photos for the homeowner's records, important if they ever sell or apply for permits on future work. Two-year slow leak gone. Bathroom is solid. Took photos of the original condition, the framing damage, the new rough-in before close-up, and the pressure test gauge. Homeowner kept copies for the building file and for any future sale disclosure.
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