Never hurts to poke around and be a little paranoid with these old builds... they love to surprise you.
Couldn’t agree more about the surprises. Last winter, I had a call where the homeowner swore everything was “up to code” because the inspector said so years ago. Turns out, a pipe was routed right up against an exterior wall behind the kitchen cabinets—no insulation at all. Infrared didn’t catch it since the cabinets blocked the scan. Sometimes you just have to pull stuff apart and look. Relying only on gadgets is asking for trouble, especially in houses built before the ‘80s.
Funny how often “up to code” just means “nobody’s looked behind the walls in decades.” I’ve seen pipes run through attic spaces with zero insulation, too—just waiting for a cold snap to burst. When I check an older place, I always start with a visual inspection under sinks and in the basement, then trace lines as far as I can. If something feels off, I’ll pull a kickplate or even a cabinet back. Curious—do you ever use those little inspection cameras, or do you just go straight to opening things up? Sometimes I wonder if I’m overthinking it, but then again, those hidden surprises keep popping up...
Honestly, you’re not overthinking it at all—those “hidden surprises” are exactly why I’m always a little suspicious of anything labeled “up to code.” I do use a cheap inspection camera sometimes, especially in crawlspaces or behind walls where I really don’t want to start pulling things apart unless I have to. It’s saved me from making unnecessary holes more than once. But yeah, sometimes you just have to open things up if something feels off. Your approach sounds pretty solid to me—better safe than sorry, right?
Totally get where you’re coming from—those inspection cameras are a game changer for sure. I’ve found that even with one, though, you can’t always catch everything, especially if there’s insulation or weird framing in the way. I’m still haunted by the time I trusted “up to code” and ended up finding a sketchy DIY splice behind drywall. Sometimes I think “up to code” just means “no one’s looked too closely yet.” I’d rather check twice and patch a hole than deal with a flood later.