Typical multi-unit problems
- Kitchen stack backing up into lower-floor sinks
- A ceiling stain or drip fed by the unit upstairs
- Suite shut-off valves seized, so a small repair means draining a riser
- Low pressure on upper floors or noisy booster pumps
- Garage and storage-room floor drains that smell or back up
How we trace a leak through floors
- We start in the suite with the visible damage and note its exact position.
- The suite above is checked: under sinks, tub and shower surround, washer box, toilet base.
- If nothing is wet there, we look at the shared risers or the stack in the wall chase.
- A moisture meter and thermal camera narrow it down before any drywall is cut.
- The repair is made at the source, and we note what failed for the board or insurer.
In most Ontario condominiums the declaration splits responsibility between the corporation and each owner.
From the counter
Who owns what
In most Ontario condominiums the declaration splits responsibility between the corporation and each owner. Shared stacks and risers usually belong to the common elements, and the owner usually looks after the taps, toilet and valves inside the unit; declarations vary. Read the declaration, or ask your manager, before anyone opens a wall. We will describe the failure in plain terms so the right party can be billed.
Rental buildings in Flemingdon Park, Lansing and along Yonge
Older mid-rise rental buildings across North York were plumbed with cast-iron stacks and galvanized branch piping that is often still in service. Kitchen stacks fill with grease from dozens of suites, and the bottom floor usually sees the backup first. Jetting the stack from the roof vent or the top clean-out, followed by a camera check, deals with the whole run instead of one suite at a time.
What managers usually ask for
- Tenant notice before the water goes off; we supply the start and end times
- Access to mechanical rooms and roof hatches
- A list of suites entered and what was done in each
- Photos of the failed part
Questions
Can you shut off just one suite?
Only if the suite has working isolation valves. Many older buildings have seized valves, and replacing them is often the first job so later repairs do not need a riser shutdown.
Do you work with property management companies?
Yes. Most multi-unit work is booked by a manager or superintendent, and we report back to them.
How the job runs
- You callDescribe what is dripping, backing up or cold, and the cross streets.
- We ask questionsAge of the building, pipe type if you know it, where the shut-off is.
- We open it upTrap off, clean-out open or wall cut: find the actual fault before quoting the fix.
- We test itOpen each tap on that run, watch the joints dry and show you what came out.