Yeah, magnets are underrated for sure. Saved me more than once when my stud finder decided to lie to my face. And about plumbing documentation—honestly, half the time I think the builders just winged it. Found pipes running diagonally behind drywall once...like, seriously? Who does that? At this point, I just assume every wall hides a plumbing surprise and proceed with caution.
Gotta disagree slightly on the diagonal pipes thing—it's not always builders winging it. Sometimes they're working around weird structural issues or last-minute design changes. I've seen some pretty sketchy stuff behind walls, but usually there's a reason (even if it's not a good one). Still, you're right about caution...I've learned the hard way to never trust documentation fully. Always poke around gently first—better safe than soaked.
"Always poke around gently first—better safe than soaked."
Haha, couldn't have said it better myself. Documentation is more like a rough guideline than gospel truth. I've opened walls expecting neat diagrams and found pipes zigzagging around beams or random electrical runs. Usually there's logic behind the chaos, even if it's just "we ran out of space." Still, your advice about caution is spot-on...slow and steady saves you from surprise showers.
I've seen enough "documentation" to know it's usually more fiction than fact. Sometimes I wonder if the original installers just scribbled something down quickly at the end of a long day, figuring no one would ever really check. One time I opened up a wall expecting a simple straight run (just like the plans showed), but instead found this weird loop-around that looked like someone was trying to dodge an invisible obstacle—no logic at all.
But honestly, it usually comes down to rushed jobs and patchwork fixes over the years. Each plumber does their own thing, and nobody bothers updating the diagrams. If you really want to save yourself headaches, make your own notes every time you open something up. Snap a quick photo or sketch it out on your phone—it takes seconds and can save hours of frustration later when you're standing there scratching your head wondering what genius decided to route pipes through studs diagonally...
You're spot on about the documentation being more fiction than fact sometimes. I've opened walls expecting a straightforward run and found pipes zigzagging around like they're dodging ghosts or something. But honestly, I don't think it's always laziness or rushing—sometimes plumbers hit unexpected obstacles mid-job. Maybe they ran into wiring, ductwork, or structural beams that weren't marked clearly, and they had to improvise on the fly.
Your idea about snapping quick photos is great advice. I started doing that myself a few years back, and it's saved me countless headaches. Another thing that's helped me is jotting down quick notes right on the studs or drywall (if it's getting covered anyway). Just a quick scribble with measurements or directions can be a lifesaver later.
Anyway, you're definitely not alone in this frustration. Plumbing's full of surprises—some good, some...well, you know how it goes.
