MATERIAL MARKET
PEX Expectations
Faster, Easier and Less Expensive than Old-fashioned Plumbing Methods
By Matt Weber, Photos by Hal Jones
The evolution of plumbing has given rise to PEX as a new standard in construction. Whereas traditional copper
supply lines still provide a very
strong, reliable connection for
water lines, the metal is much
more expensive to purchase and
more time-consuming to install.
PEX supply lines offer a comparatively easy-to-install solution, and
the material cost is much less.
For these reasons, professional
contractors are using PEX more
and more, and do-it-yourselfers
can take a cue from the pros.
WHY PEX?
“Builders around here have
pretty much moved exclusively
to PEX for new construction,”
says Richie Hamilton, profes-
sional builder/remodeler in
Birmingham, Alabama. “Since
copper is so expensive, a lot of
contractors have problems with
thieves breaking into homes
under construction and tearing
the copper right out of the walls
to get the salvage cost.” This
means not only are those con-
tractors forced to replace the
high cost of copper, but also
forced to spend time, money
and labor on reinstallation—not
a good prospect for a builder’s
bottom line.
