Thornbury
Blocked, burst or leaking in Thornbury?
Blocked drains, burst pipes and leaks in Thornbury, from the interwar bungalows to the postwar Housing Commission streets, passed to a licensed plumber day and night.
Plumbing in Thornbury
Bungalows, brick clay and a wet oval
Thornbury's houses are predominantly double-fronted weatherboard Californian bungalows, raised in the interwar years. Homes of that era usually went in with earthenware sewer pipes and galvanised water lines, so cracked clay joints under the floor and weak pressure at the taps are common calls.
Further east, the Housing Commission built its east Northcote estate on land still empty after the war. Galvanised supply pipe from that period has often scaled up inside, and a whole house repipe can make more sense than patching one burst.
The old Glen Iris brickworks dug deep here, and the clay pit was where the football field now is. Drains in brick clay and settled fill tend to dip and crack, which is why a camera run comes before any quote to clear them.
Jobs in Thornbury
Clay joints, scaled pipe and stormwater runs
Pipe relining
A sleeve through cracked earthenware under a bungalow floor, where lifting boards is the alternative.
Burst pipes
Scaled galvanised lines in postwar homes that split under pressure, found and dealt with.
Blocked drains
Stormwater lines that pond after rain, traced from the downpipe to the council drain.
What it costs: hot water replacement cost, gutter replacement cost, toilet installation cost
Thornbury questions
Stormwater to the kerb, wet ovals and heritage overlays
Who pays to clear a stormwater pipe between my house and the kerb?
In Darebin it is the owner. The local law makes each owner see that every stormwater pipe from the property to the council drain is properly constructed and repaired, gutters, downpipes and pits included. A fault past the council drain goes to council instead.
Why does my yard flood near Mayer Park?
Darebin is reworking the oval there to address ongoing drainage and turf surface issues, a sign the ground holds water. A flooded yard nearby may be a sagging or blocked stormwater line, or the council drain overloaded in a storm, so the line is filmed before anything is jetted.
Does the Thornbury Park Estate overlay affect external pipes?
It can. The Planning Minister put an interim (temporary) heritage overlay over the estate, covering contributory and significant properties. Before visible pipework or downpipes are replaced on one of those houses, the grading is confirmed, since a planning permit may be needed.
Are shopfront downpipes on the interwar strip controlled?
Yes. Darebin's heritage overlay covers the interwar shops, and their facades above the awnings are mostly very intact. Replacing a downpipe or roof plumbing on that face starts with a permit check with Darebin and a matching profile.
