Plumbing in Lawrence Manor

Lawrence Manor housing and pipes

The original streets of Lawrence Manor are lined with solid brick bungalows built in the 1950s. Inside, many still have cast-iron stacks, clay sewer laterals and copper supply lines, with galvanized pipe surviving in some unrenovated houses. Rebuilds on these lots have become common, giving the area a blend of original and freshly replaced plumbing.

Cast-iron drains corrode from the inside and can crack along the bottom of horizontal runs. The first sign is often a damp spot or sewer smell in the basement that comes and goes.

Common calls here

• Sewer smells from dry traps or cracked cast iron; our guide to smelly drains explains the causes.
• Lateral replacement where clay has broken down, see sewer line replacement.
• Updated bathrooms in original layouts through bathroom renovation plumbing.

A seldom-used floor drain loses the water in its trap and lets sewer gas into the basement. Pouring a jug of water into it every few weeks fixes that particular smell at no cost.

Flooding and sewers

Lawrence Manor sits on gently sloping land, and some streets have a history of flooding in very heavy rain. Bungalows with basement apartments have the most to protect. Backwater valves, downspout disconnection and clear grading all help.

Long-time owners sometimes ask whether original cast iron should be replaced pre-emptively. Usually not. If a camera shows sound pipe, it can serve for years more; targeted repairs make more sense than a full replacement.

Inside a 1950s brick bungalow

These houses were built solidly, and their bones generally remain sound. The plumbing is another matter after seventy years. Cast-iron stacks can still have decades left, but their horizontal sections in the basement floor are where corrosion concentrates. A camera can see scale, holes and sags that are otherwise hidden under concrete.

Bathrooms are often original or once-renovated, with a tiled tub surround and a wall-hung sink. Updating them usually involves new supply lines, a new shower valve and reworking the drain to suit modern fixtures.

Rebuilt houses in the area are large, with more drains feeding the same size street sewer. Owners of both old and new houses benefit from a backwater valve, but in an older house it may be the single most protective change.

Watering gardens is a summer habit here, and many old hose bibs are not frost-free. Replacing them with frost-free models before winter avoids a hidden leak in the wall.

Getting to Lawrence Manor

We reach Lawrence Manor from the Allen Road, Lawrence or Bathurst. Street parking is generally easy. Our older-home buying checklist is useful here, and other areas are listed in our enclaves.