08/29/2026
Hanging pictures or decor throughout your home can go wrong quickly if you run into what one of today's customers unfortunately dealt with.
Most times, it takes months or years for a screw to rust away inside the pipe and produce a noticeable issue. But when a fastener catches a heavy-use waste stack or vent pipe just right, it causes an immediate leak every time water runs from upstairs—or lets sewer gas seep right into the home.
Puncturing an active drain line leaks wastewater whenever a sink runs or a toilet flushes above. Catching a dry vent stack won't drip liquid right away, but it opens a path for sewer gas and rainwater to trickle inside the wall cavity.
While the screw often acts like a temporary plug at first, moisture slowly corrodes the metal until it gives out completely and leaves an open hole. Before hanging heavy decor, or pictures trace above and below for cleanouts or roof vents, and use a stud finder to help try to keep your walls and plumbing safe.
Issues like this can occur to anyone, and if something like this happens to you we're just a phone call away!
