Sullivan’s Island is a year-round community of homes people actually live in, many of them old, and that changes how a repair should be approached.
These are homes, not rentals
Unlike the islands either side, most properties here are lived in by their owners rather than turned over weekly. That means the right answer is usually the durable one rather than the quickest fix that gets through the season. We would rather do a repair once, properly, than come back.
Old cottages have layers
Homes around the older Stations have often been added to and updated across several generations. You frequently find three eras of plumbing in one wall, with fittings adapted between sizes that were never meant to meet. Understanding what is already there matters before changing any of it.
What is worth protecting
Original heart pine, plaster, panelling and period tile cannot be replaced with a trip to a supplier. Good work here is mostly about reaching the failure without damaging what surrounds it — from a closet, from below, or from an adjoining room.
Salt reaches everything
Hose bibs, exposed pipe under raised homes, and outdoor shower valves all corrode faster here than a few miles inland. Anything fitted outside should be specified for coastal conditions rather than simply adequate on the day.