Housing at a glance: Doncrest
- Typical eras
- Early to late 1980s detached homes
- Common pipe
- Type M copper supply, ABS drains, cast iron at some stack bases
- Watch for
- Moved fixtures, original stops, aging tanks, basement venting
Kitchens coming apart
- When a Doncrest kitchen is gutted, we usually find a 1½-inch ABS drain dropping through the floor under the sink and copper supplies with chrome compression stops soldered on in 1985. Moving the sink to an island means a new drain path through the joists and a vent solution, sometimes an air admittance valve, if code permits one there. Planning that before the cabinet order saves a lot of grief.
- It is also the cheapest moment to swap the stops for quarter-turn valves and put a proper dual-outlet valve on the hot line for the dishwasher.
Bathroom layouts
- Original main bathrooms here have a tub-shower against the outside wall and a toilet beside it on a 12-inch rough-in. Homeowners often want a walk-in shower instead of the tub. That means a larger drain, usually 2-inch, a properly sloped base or a linear drain, and a new pressure-balanced valve. We set the valve depth to suit the tile thickness so the trim sits flush.
- If the toilet moves even a few inches, the closet bend under the floor moves with it, and joists may be in the way. We look from the basement before anyone commits to a layout.
What we check in these homes
- Island sink drain and vent route
- Tub-to-shower drain size
- Closet bend position before moving a toilet
- Power-vent clearances on tank swaps
- Basement toilet gurgling from poor venting
Tanks and basements
- Water heaters in Doncrest are usually on their second or third tank. Many are power-vented through the rim joist. When replacing, we check the vent run length and the termination clearance from windows, since a bigger tank may need a different vent setup.
- Finished basements from the 1990s sometimes added a bathroom with a toilet that gurgles every time the tub upstairs drains. That is a venting shortcut, and it can usually be fixed by tying in properly while the ceiling is open.
Under the yard
- Sewer laterals in this part of town are mostly PVC from the original build. They resist roots, but settling soil can create a sag near the foundation where solids collect. A main that plugs every couple of years with paper and grease rather than roots points to that kind of belly, and a camera will confirm it.
- Spot-correcting a belly near the house is a modest dig compared with replacing the whole line.
Richmond Hill note: most houses here sit on York Region municipal water with fairly hard supply, and many basements have a floor drain tied to the sanitary lateral. Mention both on the phone; it changes what goes on the truck.
Want a second opinion on your own pipes first? Dial (365) 363-1575; the person answering holds the wrench.