Reading Room
Plain-language guides for Toronto homeowners: what to check, what to do, and when to put down the wrench and pick up the phone.
Licensed & insured · details on request
Where the main water valve hides in Toronto houses and condo suites, how to tell gate from ball valves, and what to do if yours is seized.
Read moreGrab a house key and a magnet and head to where the water pipe enters your basement. Here is how to tell lead from copper and steel.
Read moreWipes, floss, grease and pills: what jams Toronto drains and sewage plants, and where each item should go instead of down the pipe.
Read moreHow to date a tank from its label, the signs that it is near the end, and the habits that buy a water heater a few more years.
Read moreHow a backwater valve keeps a surcharged Toronto sewer out of the basement, where it sits, and what it asks of you once installed.
Read moreConditional offer on a Toronto century home? Check the service pipe, supply lines, drain stack and sewer lateral before the deadline.
Read moreWhy so many older Toronto laterals are vitrified clay, how roots and shifting soil break them, and the choices once they start failing.
Read moreThe flapper, the fill valve and the chain: twenty minutes of homeowner work that stops a running toilet and the water it wastes.
Read moreWhat moderate hardness means for kettles, taps and tanks in Toronto homes, and how to decide whether a softener is worth having.
Read moreCopper and PEX both carry Toronto water well. Cost, lifespan, freezing, noise and repairs compared for homeowners planning a repipe.
Read moreCaustic drain openers rarely reach the real clog. What they do to old pipes and to the next person who opens the line, and what works.
Read moreDry traps, failed wax rings, cracked stacks and blocked vents: how to track down where sewer gas is getting into a Toronto house.
Read moreHow Ontario condo declarations, unit insurance and the cause of a leak decide who pays when water moves between suites.
Read moreWhy Toronto asks homeowners to cut downspouts off the sewer, how the job is done, and where roof water should go once it is free.
Read moreThe lowest opening in the house deserves attention: keeping its trap wet, its grate clear and its line able to take a sudden flood.
Read moreThe best plumbing emergency is the one that never happens. These guides cover shut-off valves, winter preparation, flood readiness and the warning signs that something is wearing out. Each one is written for Toronto homes and Ontario conditions.
Got a question no guide answers? Call (365) 389-6437.