What lies under these streets
Ajax began as a wartime munitions town and grew into a large suburb between Pickering and Whitby. Its oldest streets, south of the 401, include postwar houses built in the 1940s and 50s. Larger subdivisions followed through the 1970s, 80s and 90s, and newer areas have filled in north of Rossland Road.
Below the streets, Ajax is on Durham Region's municipal water and sewer. Older neighbourhoods may still have laterals of clay or cast iron, while newer homes have PVC. Inside, copper and ABS are common, with PEX in recent construction.
Seasonal trouble spots
Ajax faces Lake Ontario, and wind off the water brings sharp cold in winter. Pipes along exterior walls, under kitchen sinks on outside walls, and in garages are the usual freeze points. When it happens, frozen pipe thawing should be done gently and without open flame.
Spring rains bring the risk of basement flooding in lower-lying areas near the lake and creeks. Sump pumps and backwater valves are well worth having in those zones.
Holiday seasons put a heavy load on kitchen drains. Grease poured down the sink after a big meal cools and hardens in the pipe.
Typical calls from this area
- Blocked kitchen sinks, which call for proper kitchen drain cleaning rather than repeated chemical treatments.
- Water heaters that are noisy, leaking or failing to keep up with family demand. Water heater repair handles many of these, and replacement is the answer for others.
- Leaking fixtures and toilets in homes with original builder-grade parts.
- Basement bathroom additions and laundry relocations.
Many Ajax water heaters are rentals. If yours is rented, check your agreement before arranging repairs, since the rental company may be responsible.
Booking a visit
Ajax is a short drive west along the 401. Call us, describe what you are noticing, and we will offer you an honest estimate of timing. For urgent problems, mention it right away on the phone.
We explain what we discovered and what it will take before starting work. If you are farther west, see our notes on Pickering.
Older streets south of the 401
Ajax's original postwar houses have now had seventy-plus years of use. Many have been extended, renovated and replumbed in parts, which leaves a patchwork of materials. If you own one, look at the main drain stack in the basement. Cast iron with rust weeping at the joints, or a mix of cast iron and plastic held together with rubber couplings, is worth having looked at before a leak forces the issue. Clay laterals under these lots also tend to attract roots from the mature trees along the street.
A short look now usually costs far less than a weekend emergency later.