If your house was built after 2005, it probably has a fire suppression system (sprinklers), especially if it is an attached property in neighborhood #34. You can verify this by looking for sprinkler heads high on the inside walls. This is a good thing because if you should have a fire the sprinkler heads will start pouring water on the fire even before the fire department arrives.
The water is fed to the sprinkler heads by 11/2 inch plastic tubing running through the walls. This requires that you follow protocols when hanging anything on a wall. The wallboard is one half inch thick so caution must be observed when putting nails or screws into the wall or when drilling holes for anchors.
Six of your neighbors have punctured these water lines and done water damage to their houses that ranged from several hundred dollars to five thousand dollars.
To hang a picture, you should use commercial grade picture hanger hardware where the nail or nails go into the wall at a downward angle. The maximum nail length should be ¾ inch. Longer nails will extend beyond the inner edge of the wall and may puncture the water lines.
To hang heavier objects like a large mirror or shelving, you may need to drill a hole for a drywall anchor or a molybolt. To avoid drilling into the water line put a piece of tape on the drill bit at the 1/2 inch mark so that you do not drill into the waterline that may be directly behind where you are drilling the hole. After drilling the hole you, still need to check that there is not a water line a little further back. You need to probe the hole with a stiff wire. A cake tester will work fine. There should be about four inches of space behind the hole you drilled. Now that you have checked for water lines in the wall it is safe to mount the drywall anchors or molybolts.
If for any reason you get a water leak in the sprinkler system, you need to act quickly. If you have an attached property home, the water shut off is in the locked fire-suppression closet behind your complex. You do not have a key so you must dial 911 and ask for the fire department to come to your house and turn off the water. If you have an unattached property home, the fire suppression water valve is in the utility room or in the basement. You should turn off the water to minimize the damage.
If you have suggestions for future tips or have questions about maintenance around your home submit them toask.the.woodchucks@gmail.com.
