Danforth Village: the housing stock and its plumbing
Danforth Avenue grew quickly after the Prince Edward Viaduct opened in 1918, linking it to downtown across the Don Valley. The streets north and south fill with brick semis and detached homes from that era, many with front porches and finished basements. Danforth Village, further east, has smaller homes built for working families. Houses here are generally sturdy, but many still have early plumbing in the basement.
Trouble we run into most often
- Clay sewer laterals with roots from the large street trees.
- Cast iron drains cracking at the base of stacks.
- Undersized water services, often half-inch.
- Older water heaters venting into masonry chimneys.
Below the floor: drains, sewers and wet basements
Many of the side streets drain toward the Don Valley and older combined sewers. Basement flooding has occurred during heavy storms. Sump pumps, backwater valves and good grading all help. Disconnecting weeping tile from the sewer line, with a sump pump, can lower the risk of sewer water reaching the foundation.
What happens when you ring us
On the Danforth we ask early about the water service size, because many of these 1920s houses still run on a thin pipe that limits every fix upstream. Basement apartments are common, so if a tenant is affected, we will arrange access around them and keep their water on as long as possible.
Booking a visit in this neighbourhood
Ring the line
Say what is dripping, backing up or banging. Water still flowing? We guide your hand to the valve first.
Find the cause
The plumber traces the fault, with a scope or gauge where one earns its keep.
Pick the fix
Options come in everyday language, and nothing starts until you choose.
Repair & prove it
We finish, run the water to prove it, wipe up and leave a short written record.
Calls we field, answered plainly
Are Danforth houses on combined sewers?
Many older parts of Toronto have combined sewers. Check with 311 or the City for your street.
How can I tell if my service is too small?
Look at the pipe entering the house. A thin pipe, about the width of a pencil, is often half-inch.