Plumbing in Downtown Burlington

Homes and streets in Downtown Burlington

The core of the old town runs along Brant Street from the lake up toward the railway, with Lakeshore Road, Elizabeth Street, Locust Street and John Street forming the grid around it. Some of the oldest houses in the city stand on the side streets near Spencer Smith Park, many built in the early twentieth century with brick walls and stone or block foundations. Newer mid-rise and high-rise condominiums now line the waterfront and Brant Street, and the shops of Village Square sit just off Pearl Street.

That mix means one block can hold a 1920s house with original drain lines and a twenty-storey tower with shared risers and a building superintendent.

Plumbing problems common here

• Aging drain lines. Older houses here often have cast iron stacks and clay laterals running under mature trees, which invite roots and cracks.
• Galvanized supply pipe. Sections of old steel line sometimes survive behind walls, slowly narrowing and lowering pressure.
• Condo leaks. A failed supply hose or toilet seal on one floor can reach the unit below within minutes.
• Shop and restaurant drains. Grease and heavy use put commercial drains under steady strain.

Basement water also matters close to the lake, where the August 2014 storm reminded many owners how quickly sewer backup can happen.

Jobs we get called for most

Calls from the downtown area most often involve drain cleaning, sewer line repair, leak tracing in condos, and urgent work through our emergency plumbing service. Older houses here are also frequent candidates for whole-house repiping and backwater valve installation.

For shops and offices, see commercial plumbing.

Getting to you

Parking is the main practical matter downtown. Let us know when you call whether there is a driveway, a visitor space or a loading area, and whether the building needs our van registered with security. For condos, tell us the building's rules for water shutdowns, since some require notice to management before a riser can be closed. We bring the tools and parts that fit through a lobby and up an elevator.

Older houses near the lake

When we open a basement wall in a house near the lakefront, we often find a history in the pipes: a short run of lead or galvanized line, copper added in the 1960s, and plastic from a later bathroom. None of it is a crisis on its own. Knowing what is there lets you plan replacement on your timeline rather than during a leak. If you own one of these homes, a walk-through of the basement plumbing is a useful hour.