Plumbing Service in Leslieville

Leslieville: the housing stock and its plumbing

Leslieville grew up around brickyards, market gardens and factories east of the Don River in the late 1800s. Many of its houses were built as modest worker cottages and row houses, a storey or a storey and a half, close together on the streets south of Queen Street East. Over the past few decades, many have been opened up, dug out and extended. That means we often find century-old cast iron stacks next to brand new PEX.

Trouble we run into most often

• Rust-choked steel water pipe that leaves upstairs showers feeble.
• Lead water services in houses that have not yet had them replaced.
• Basement underpinning that left drains at awkward slopes.
• Shared walls with neighbours, where one house's plumbing can affect the other.

Below the floor: drains, sewers and wet basements

Large parts of east downtown, including Leslieville, have older sewer systems. Heavy summer storms can overwhelm them. Houses with basement apartments or finished rec rooms have the most to lose. A backwater valve, sealed foundation cracks and downspouts directed away from the walls are the basic defences. Mature street trees also mean root intrusion is common in clay laterals here.

What happens when you ring us

Most Leslieville calls start with a narrow basement stair and a low ceiling, so we bring compact tools and short cable sections. On semis, we check whether the stack or lateral is shared before cutting anything, and we can talk to the neighbour with you if it is. If the work turns into a dig, we file the permit and book the inspection.