I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve actually had the opposite experience. My sketches end up looking like a toddler’s treasure map—by the time I’m back under the house, I can’t tell if that’s supposed to be a drain or a mutant octopus. Photos at least give me something real to compare, especially if I force myself to take a wide shot and then a close-up. The trick is naming them right away, or else it’s just chaos in the gallery... but when I do, it saves me from my own “artwork.”
I totally get the mutant octopus thing—my sketches always end up looking like some kind of cryptid sighting, too. But honestly, I’m still not 100% sold on photos either. I mean, yeah, they’re better than my “art,” but half the time I’m crawling around under a house, my phone’s covered in dust, and the lighting’s garbage. I’ll snap a pic and later it’s just a blurry mess with a pipe somewhere in the shadows. Or I’ll think, “I’ll remember what this is,” and then two days later, I’m staring at a close-up of... something metal? Maybe a fitting? Could be a spider web.
Naming the photos right away is smart, but I always forget. Or I’ll label it “main drain” and then realize I have three photos called “main drain” and no clue which is which. It’s like my phone’s trying to prank me.
Honestly, I wish there was some magic app that just mapped everything out for you as you go. Like, “Hey, dummy, this is the cleanout you just looked at.” Until then, I’m stuck with a combo of bad sketches, questionable photos, and a lot of squinting at both. Maybe one day I’ll figure out a system that actually works, but for now it’s just organized chaos.
Anyway, glad I’m not the only one whose “documentation” is basically a guessing game half the time.
It’s like my phone’s trying to prank me.
Man, that hits close to home. I’ve tried using voice memos too, thinking maybe I’d remember more if I just talked through what I was looking at, but then I end up with a bunch of muffled audio clips that sound like I’m narrating a horror movie under someone’s crawlspace. Half the time I can’t even hear what I said over the furnace or whatever.
I’ve started marking pipes with painter’s tape and scribbling notes on them, but even then, dust and moisture wipe it off before I’m done. Honestly, I’ve given up on having a “perfect” system—just try to get enough info to not have to crawl back under there twice.
Curious—has anyone actually found a labeling method that survives the mess? Or is it just about picking your battles and hoping for the best?
I’ve started marking pipes with painter’s tape and scribbling notes on them, but even then, dust and moisture wipe it off before I’m done.
Been there. I tried Sharpie on duct tape once—figured it’d last longer. Nope. Mold and condensation just ate it up. At this point, I just keep a notebook with rough sketches and hope my handwriting’s legible later. There’s no magic bullet, just damage control.
At this point, I just keep a notebook with rough sketches and hope my handwriting’s legible later. There’s no magic bullet, just damage control.
I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve had some luck with industrial-grade pipe markers. They’re not cheap, but the ink is oil-based and stands up to condensation, even a bit of abrasion. You still have to clean the pipe first—any dust or grease and it’ll flake right off—but it’s lasted me through a couple of years in some pretty damp crawlspaces.
For more complex systems, I’ve started making laminated tags with cable ties. I print out the info, laminate it, and just zip-tie it to the pipe or valve. Not foolproof—if you’re in a spot with a lot of vibration, they can work loose—but it beats trying to decipher my own chicken scratch months later.
Honestly, no system is perfect. Paper notes get lost, tape falls off, tags get grimy. It’s just a matter of finding what fails the slowest for your setup.
