Unionville is the part of Markham people picture on a postcard: the brick storefronts of Main Street, the mill pond at Toogood Pond, and streets of heritage houses that were built long before anyone thought about PEX or backwater valves. We love working here, but we also know that plumbing in a century-old home rewards patience far more than speed.
Many houses around Main Street, Fred Varley Drive and the older lanes off Carlton Road still carry a mix of materials from different decades. It is common to open a wall and find galvanized steel feeding a newer copper branch, or a cast-iron stack tied into a plastic drain from a later renovation. Each joint between old and new is a place where trouble tends to start.
Plumbing in Unionville Homes
The problems we see most in Unionville come with age. Galvanized supply lines corrode from the inside, so water pressure fades slowly until a shower barely trickles. Clay and cast-iron sewer laterals crack or shift, and mature maples along the street send roots into every gap. Slow basement drains and a gurgling floor drain are often the first hints.
Because many of these homes have original trim, plaster walls and finished floors worth protecting, we plan access before we cut. We run a camera through the drain first, trace supply lines from the basement where we can, and lay drop sheets and floor protection on every route through the house. If a heritage-designated property needs exterior work, we talk through timing and restoration with you before digging.
We also get plenty of calls about fixtures in older Unionville homes. Original toilets rock on worn flanges, bathtub drains leak into the ceiling below, and old compression shutoffs seize just when you need them. If you are planning a kitchen or bathroom update, we can show you which old lines are worth keeping and which should go while the walls are open, so the new finishes are not sitting in front of hundred-year-old pipe.
Services We Offer in Unionville
Map of Unionville
Unionville Plumbing FAQs
Can you replace old galvanized pipes without tearing apart my plaster walls?
Usually we can route much of the new supply piping through the basement, closets and existing chases, opening walls only where there is no other path. We show you the plan first so you know exactly where access is needed.
Why does my Unionville basement drain back up after heavy rain?
In older homes it is often a cracked or root-filled clay lateral, sometimes combined with weeping tile tied into the sanitary line. A camera inspection tells us which, so you are not paying for guesswork.
Do you work on heritage-designated homes?
Yes. Inside the house the work is standard plumbing done carefully. For exterior digging or visible changes on designated properties, we recommend confirming any requirements with the City of Markham before work begins.