Housing at a glance: Oak Ridges
- Typical eras
- Older cottage-era homes near Yonge plus large subdivisions from the 1990s onward
- Common pipe
- Copper and PEX supply, ABS and PVC drains in newer homes
- Watch for
- High groundwater, hard-working sump pumps, older private systems
Ground and groundwater
- The moraine stores a lot of water. Houses near the kettle lakes, Bond Lake, Lake Wilcox and the wetlands between them, often have weeping tile that collects water for much of the year, not just in spring. Here a sump that kicks on every few minutes through April is ordinary; one that has stopped is an emergency.
- We see a lot of sump pumps in Oak Ridges reach the end of their life early because they simply run so often. Cast iron pumps with vertical switches and a battery backup suit these basements best.
Older homes near Yonge
- The original village along Yonge Street and the side streets near it include older homes, some of which started as seasonal cottages and were expanded over decades. Plumbing in these houses is often a patchwork: galvanized steel spliced to copper, drains that were added room by room, and occasionally private septic or well connections from before municipal services arrived.
- When we work on one of these houses, we trace what is actually there before changing anything. A diagram of the house plumbing is often the most useful thing we leave behind.
What we check in these homes
- Sump pump age and backup capacity
- Discharge line freezing in winter
- Galvanized sections in older houses
- Builder rough-ins in the basement slab
- Second-floor laundry drain pans
Newer subdivisions
- The big subdivisions built in Oak Ridges from the late 1990s into the 2010s have PEX or copper supply, PVC drains and builder rough-ins in the basement. The usual service calls are first-time water heater replacements, basement bathroom rough-ins and sump pumps on their second or third replacement.
- Many of these houses have second-floor laundries. We recommend drain pans and leak sensors, especially over finished ceilings.
Winter on the ridge
- Oak Ridges sits higher and colder than the south end of town, and winter wind across the moraine finds every gap at the rim joist. Pipes along north walls and in bump-out kitchens freeze here more than elsewhere in Richmond Hill. Insulation and air sealing at the rim, and moving lines inward during renovations, prevent most of it.
- Sump discharge lines freezing solid in January are a classic Oak Ridges call; a freeze-relief fitting by the wall gives water an exit when the outdoor pipe ices up.
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.