Downpipe & Extension Services in Toronto & the GTA

Eavestroughs collect the water, but downpipes decide where it ends up. An average roof sheds a remarkable volume of water in a single storm, and all of it funnels through just a few downpipes. If that water is dumped at the base of the wall, it soaks the soil around your foundation and increases the pressure on basement walls, window wells and floor joints.

That's why a disconnected, crushed or short downpipe can cause problems out of all proportion to its size. It's one of the simplest and most affordable parts of your home's water management, and one of the most important.

Downpipes take abuse from lawn mowers, ladders, snow shovels, ice and debris. These are the issues we repair most often.

The goal is to move water well away from the foundation and onto ground that slopes away from the house. A widely used guideline is to discharge water at least 6 feet from the foundation wall, using an extension, splash pad or re-routed downpipe as needed.

Water should also not be directed onto a neighbour's property, across sidewalks or onto driveways where it can freeze into a slip hazard in winter. Sometimes the best solution is moving the downpipe to a different corner of the house altogether.

Many older homes in Toronto and surrounding municipalities were built with downpipes connected directly into the underground sewer system. During heavy storms, that extra water can overload the sewers and contribute to basement flooding across the neighbourhood. For this reason, the City of Toronto and several other GTA municipalities require or encourage downspouts to be disconnected and redirected to the surface where it's safe to do so.

Disconnection involves cutting the downpipe above the ground connection, capping the sewer pipe and adding an elbow and extension to send water across the lawn. Rules, exemptions and programs vary by municipality, so it's worth checking your city's current requirements. We can handle the work and make sure the water is directed safely away from your home.

Winter is hard on downpipes. Meltwater that refreezes inside an elbow can block the pipe and split the seams, and long extensions can freeze to the ground. A late-fall eavestrough cleaning that clears every downpipe goes a long way toward preventing these problems. Flip-up or removable extensions are useful where snow removal is a concern.

If you notice icicles forming at the top of a downpipe or water spilling over the gutter near an outlet in winter, the pipe is likely blocked with ice and should be checked once temperatures allow.