Military Makeover: Our 2023 Plumbing Project
From our project archive: June 8, 2023.
In 2023, Gulfview joined a St. Petersburg home renovation for a military family through Military Makeover with Montel. After the production team’s invitation in January, we visited the home in February to walk through the plumbing work ahead.
The plumbing behind Military Makeover
The kitchen and two bathrooms were the starting point, but the plumbing needed attention beyond the visible fixtures. Deteriorated galvanized and cast-iron piping brought concerns about restricted flow, slow drains and leaks. Our work expanded to water and drain repiping, a new water service from the meter to the house, and essential drain-line replacement inside the walls and crawlspace.
We began work on March 9, 2023, and completed the kitchen, bathroom and additional piping work ahead of the city inspection stage. Much of that work would be hidden once the renovation was finished, but it was an important part of the home’s makeover.
From open walls to everyday comfort
Once the piping work was underway, the kitchen and bathrooms began to take shape. We prepared the shower-pan liner for testing, installed shower trim and connected the fixtures the family would use every day. In the kitchen, the finished sink and faucet were supported by a disposal and drain connections beneath the counter. The bathroom vanity brought another part of the renovation together.
A shared effort for Military Makeover
This was a shared effort. Hydrologic and Moen contributed fixtures and a shower-pan liner, and Gulfview contributed installation materials and labor for the project.
Thank you to the contractors, volunteers and production team who helped bring the renovation together. The first of the four episodes aired on May 26, 2023, sharing the project with viewers beyond the job site.
A renovation reaches farther than the new fixtures
A new kitchen or bathroom is easy to picture. The water lines and drains behind it are less obvious, yet they deserve attention before the finishing work begins. In this Military Makeover project, our work reached from the meter outside to piping inside the walls and beneath the home. That wider scope was part of this particular renovation; it does not mean every older home needs the same work.
For your own project, the starting point is what you want to change and what is already giving you trouble. A kitchen update might begin with a new faucet. Recurring leaks or slow drains raise a different question: should existing piping be evaluated while the area is accessible? We can help you separate the improvements you want from repairs the plumbing needs.
Your renovation, with fewer unanswered questions
You may love your home and still be ready for a bathroom that works better for you. Before choosing fixtures, it helps to talk through the plumbing that will serve them. Keeping the existing layout and moving a sink or shower can involve different work. Access to a crawlspace or a wall can also shape the options.
Tell us about your plans, the fixtures you hope to keep and any concerns you have noticed. We can discuss the plumbing portion with you, including where access may be needed and how it fits with the other work. That conversation gives you a clearer basis for choosing the project and comparing estimates.
If your immediate concern is drainage, explore our drain and sewer services. If new supply piping is being considered, our whole-home repiping page explains that separate part of the plumbing. You do not need to decide which service is right before getting in touch.
Planning work on an older home
If you’re planning work on an older home, look beyond the new fixtures when discussing the budget. Existing supply and drain piping, access and restoration all deserve a place in the conversation. Our repiping guide and access and restoration article explain some of the questions to ask.
Contact Gulfview to discuss your own plumbing project. We’ll help you understand the work your property needs and the scope of the proposed installation.
