Plumbing in Coates

Homes in Coates

Coates is one of the newer neighbourhoods in Milton's growth area, filled with townhomes and detached houses built over roughly the last decade or so. Streets are recent, landscaping is still filling in, and plenty of owners moved in when the paint was still wet. Basements are frequently unfinished, which tempts people to add rooms, and bathrooms.

New construction brings its own pattern of plumbing calls. Things are rarely worn out. Instead, they were installed quickly, or they settle as the house and soil settle together.

Common plumbing calls here

• Fixture leaks at supply connections that were not tightened fully.
• Toilets that run because a fill valve was set too high.
• Basement rough-ins being finished into new bathrooms.
• Water softener and filter installations for owners tired of scale.
• Questions about which issues the builder must fix.

For the last point, our pamphlet on new-build plumbing warranties sets out the general Tarion framework. In broad terms, Ontario's new home warranty includes coverage for defects in plumbing systems during the second year, but you must report defects through the proper process and within the deadlines.

Water, drains and the local ground

Milton's municipal water from Halton Region is the supply here, and it is hard enough to notice on glass shower doors within months. The soil is typically clay. New lots can have backfill around the foundation that is still settling, which can affect grading and the way water drains away from the house.

Service lines in new homes are usually modern plastic. If you ever need the line from the street replaced or repaired, our page on water line replacement explains how that works.

Settling in

The first couple of winters in a new house often reveal small things. A pipe in an exterior wall that gets cold on the windiest nights, a hose bib with no interior shut-off, a floor drain trap that has dried out and lets sewer smell into the basement. None of these are dramatic. Pour a jug of water into floor drains every few months to keep the trap full, and note any cold spots for the builder or for us.

Getting a plumber out

Phone us with the details. We will ask whether the house is still under warranty, because sometimes the right answer is to call the builder rather than us. When it is our work, we arrive, explain what we see, and fix it. Coates sits close to Scott and other new neighbourhoods we serve regularly.

Owners planning a basement bathroom should look at the rough-in already in the floor before buying fixtures. Not every builder rough-in is placed where you would want the finished room to be.