Plumbing

Supply lines and drains run in the belly of the home, insulated and wrapped, and enter the living space through the floor. That location shapes everything: leaks happen out of sight, and the first evidence is often a soft floor or a smell rather than visible water.

Find and label your main water shut-off now, before you need it. Also locate the shut-offs under sinks and behind toilets. In an emergency, knowing where the valve is turns a flood into a puddle.

Older homes may have polybutylene supply piping, usually grey plastic. It has a history of failure at fittings and many insurers ask about it. If your home has it, get an opinion on replacement rather than waiting for the failure.

Check under every sink twice a year, look for staining or softness around toilets and the tub, and glance at the belly wrap during crawl-space inspections. A sagging or stained belly wrap usually means water has been running above it, possibly for a long time.

When something does leak, dry the structure as well as fixing the pipe. Water that has soaked floor decking and insulation will keep causing damage after the plumbing is sound, and wet insulation in the belly does not dry on its own.