Wandong
Blocked, burst or leaking in Wandong?
Blocked drains, burst pipes and leaks in Wandong, from the old seasoning works to the rebuilt streets, passed to a licensed plumber day and night.
Plumbing in Wandong
Terra cotta lumber, rebuilt homes and a registered church
Terra cotta lumber was made in the town until the early eighteen nineties, and it was used for St Michael's church and a small number of houses in Wandong. Walls of that material are likely brittle and hard to fix into, so drilling or chasing them for a pipe is done with care.
Many homes in Wandong were destroyed in the Black Saturday bushfires, and the rebuilt houses are likely to have newer pipework and tank connections than their neighbours. The age of a house is asked about before its drain material is assumed.
Jobs in Wandong
Old walls and newer services
Gutters and downpipes
Roof plumbing on older buildings, fixed without damaging brittle terra cotta.
Blocked drains
Drains of different ages side by side, older homes beside post-fire rebuilds.
Taps and repairs
Tap and fitting work in early houses where walls need careful drilling.
What it costs: hot water replacement cost, gutter replacement cost, toilet installation cost
Wandong questions
Church gutters, the old seasoning works and rebuilds
Does the church's heritage listing change gutter work?
Yes. St Michael's is on the Victorian Heritage Register, with a gabled corrugated iron roof, lancet windows and rows of decorative terra cotta consoles under the eaves. Gutter or downpipe changes usually need Heritage Victoria sign-off, and fixings must avoid the consoles.
Can a trench go through the old seasoning works site?
Not without checking. The Heritage Inventory lists the site for its archaeological significance to yield information concerning the daily lives of Wandong's early inhabitants, so Heritage Victoria is consulted before any dig nearby.
Why ask a house's age before a drain job?
Because the town mixes old and new. Early homes and post-fire rebuilds sit side by side, and their drains differ in material and layout, so the right repair depends on which is in the ground.
