Plumber in Cabbagetown

Housing stock and plumbing in Cabbagetown

Most houses here are narrow brick rows and semis from the late 1800s, with bay-and-gable fronts, shallow basements and rear additions. Bathrooms were added long after the houses were built, often squeezed into a back bedroom with drains dropped through the kitchen ceiling. Many houses sit in a heritage conservation district, which shapes what can be changed on the outside.

What we usually open up on a visit

On a typical Cabbagetown call we start in the basement, where the cast-iron stack drops through a low ceiling and turns toward the front wall. The cleanout there is often painted shut or buried behind a later wall, so the first job is getting a wrench on it. Upstairs, bathrooms in rear additions tend to have long horizontal drains crossing the kitchen ceiling, and we find sagging hangers and old lead joints. We carry short sections of no-hub coupling and cast-iron cutters so a cracked piece can be cut out and replaced the same visit, without tearing out the whole stack.

Common problems we see here

• Cast-iron stacks cracked along the seams, hidden in walls between row houses
• Low-ceiling basements where drains hang in the way of finishing
• Kitchen drains with long, flat runs that clog regularly
• Lead closet bends under second-floor toilets
• Frozen pipes in rear additions on uninsulated crawlspaces

Basement flooding and sewer laterals

Laterals here are typically old clay tile running under the front walk to the street, and the mature trees along the lanes and streets send roots into the joints. Many basements are low, so the floor drain sits close to the sewer level. A backwater valve and a camera inspection of the lateral are both worth considering.

Water lines, lead and older pipes

Lead water services were the standard when these houses were built, and some remain. If your water service comes through the front wall as dull grey pipe with a bulging joint at the meter, call us to check it. We also replace galvanized supply lines that restrict pressure to the upper floors.

Streets and landmarks we cover

We work from Parliament Street east to the edge of the Don Valley and from Gerrard north to Bloor, including Carlton, Winchester, Sackville, Sumach and Metcalfe streets, around Riverdale Farm, Wellesley Park and the Necropolis.

Common questions