Plumbing in Mountainside

Homes and streets in Mountainside

Mountainside sits north of the QEW and Mainway, roughly around Guelph Line and Mountainside Drive, with the Mountainside Recreation Centre and its outdoor pool near the middle. Homes date mainly from the 1960s and early 1970s: bungalows, back-splits and side-splits on modest lots, plus several townhouse complexes. Streets such as Mountainside Drive, Delaware Avenue and Cavendish Drive give the area a quiet, settled feel.

Plumbing problems common here

• Aging copper and galvanized lines. Original supply pipes may develop pinhole leaks or reduced flow.
• Cast iron drain stacks. These can corrode from the inside, especially along the bottom of horizontal runs.
• Frozen and burst pipes. Pipes running along exterior walls in split-level homes are prone to freezing in cold snaps.
• Scale. Moderately hard lake water slowly coats fixtures and the inside of tankless heaters.

Jobs we get called for most

Mountainside calls often involve burst pipe repair in winter, tankless water heater descaling, repiping and leak detection. Townhouse owners frequently ask us about toilet installation and fixture upgrades as original bathrooms are refreshed.

Getting to you

From central Burlington, Mountainside is a few minutes up Guelph Line. Most homes have their own driveway, while townhouse complexes usually have visitor parking. In split-level houses, mention the floor where the trouble is, and whether the crawl space is accessible, since that often decides where we start.

Townhouse complexes

Several Mountainside townhouse developments date from the late 1960s and 1970s. Units often share party walls, and pipes run on each side; water escaping from one can show up next door first. If you notice a water stain on a shared wall, it is worth checking your own fixtures and speaking with your neighbour or property manager before the damage spreads. In some complexes, the corporation maintains common drain lines and the owner looks after everything inside the unit.

Basements in split-level homes

Back-splits and side-splits put the lowest level partly below grade, with laundry and a washroom often down there. Those fixtures sit closest to the sewer connection and are the first to show a backup. A floor drain that bubbles when the washing machine empties deserves a prompt look, and a backwater valve is worth considering in houses that never had one. Our basement flood prevention review covers the details.

Many Mountainside owners are also updating original kitchens and bathrooms, which is the natural time to replace sixty-year-old valves and supply lines while walls are open.

A single visit can often cover several of these items, saving you repeat shutdowns of the main water supply.