Water damage in Etobicoke: what we see most
Etobicoke is defined by three rivers. The Humber forms its eastern edge, Mimico Creek runs down the middle through Kingsview Village and Islington, and Etobicoke Creek marks the border with Mississauga. On October 15, 1954, Hurricane Hazel sent the Humber over its banks and swept away homes on Raymore Drive. That night is the reason the ravines are parkland today and the reason Ontario regulates floodplain building. It also left the valleys lined with older homes that still sit close to the water table.
The housing runs in bands. The lakeshore communities of Mimico, New Toronto and Long Branch have small cottages and bungalows from the 1910s to the 1940s, many with shallow foundations and combined sewers. The Kingsway, Sunnylea and Humber Valley Village are 1920s and 1930s brick homes on stone or early block foundations. Central Etobicoke, including Eatonville, Islington, Alderwood and Markland Wood, is 1950s and 1960s bungalow country. Rexdale and Thistletown followed in the 1960s. Humber Bay Shores is a wall of glass condo towers built since 2000.
On July 8, 2013, Etobicoke was one of the worst-hit parts of the city, with streets around Islington Avenue and Rathburn Road under water and thousands of basements flooded. The City of Toronto has since designated several Etobicoke areas as Basement Flooding Protection Program study areas, and Etobicoke homeowners qualify for the city's subsidy for a backwater valve and sump pump. Winter adds its own risk, with lake-effect cold snaps freezing pipes in older uninsulated walls near the shore.
Creek-side groundwater in the ravine neighbourhoods
Homes backing onto Mimico Creek, the Humber or Etobicoke Creek sit on saturated ground for much of spring. Water pushes up through slab cracks and through the joint where the wall meets the floor. We see this in Humber Valley Village, Markland Wood and along the lower Humber. The fix starts with drying and ends with proper foundation drainage, which is where DryFort Waterproofing comes in after our work is done.
Lakeshore bungalows on combined sewers
Mimico, New Toronto and Long Branch still have combined sewer sections. A summer downpour brings sewage up the floor drain in a 1920s bungalow with a low basement and no backwater valve. The water is Category 3 and everything porous it touched, from carpet to the bottom of the drywall, is removed. We disinfect, dry and document it for a sewer backup claim.
Humber Bay Shores tower leaks
The towers along Lake Shore Boulevard West share risers and in-suite laundry across hundreds of units. A failed supply line or a plugged drain on an upper floor sends water through the ceilings of the suites below. Vinyl plank, laminate and engineered wood delaminate quickly. We coordinate with the property manager, shut down the affected riser and dry each suite while keeping a clear record for the condo's insurer.
How fast can you reach Etobicoke?
We reach south Etobicoke by the Gardiner and Lake Shore, central Etobicoke by the 427 and Dundas, and Rexdale by the 401 and Highway 27. A crew is normally staged in the west end, close enough that our target of being on site within 60 minutes holds even during a storm when the 427 is slow. Call the 24/7 emergency line.
Restoration services we provide in Etobicoke
- Emergency Water ExtractionWater extraction for Etobicoke basements after storm flooding, from Kingsview Village bungalows to Long Branch cottages.
- Sewer BackupSewer backup cleanup in the lakeshore communities of Mimico, New Toronto and Long Branch, where combined sewers still surcharge.
- Burst & Frozen PipesFrozen and burst pipe response for older Kingsway and Sunnylea homes where supply lines run through cold exterior walls.
- Flooded BasementsFlooded basement restoration in central Etobicoke, including the Islington and Rathburn streets that flooded in July 2013.
- Mould PreventionMould prevention treatment for ravine homes where a damp basement is a recurring spring problem.
- Tear-OutSafe removal of contaminated drywall, flooring and insulation before Rebuild Pro Contracting rebuilds the space.
Etobicoke neighbourhoods we serve
The Kingsway, Islington, Mimico, New Toronto, Long Branch, Alderwood, Humber Bay Shores, Sunnylea, Humber Valley Village, Eatonville, Markland Wood, Rexdale, Thistletown, Kingsview Village. If you are just outside these, call anyway: crews cover the whole GTA and the dispatcher will give you a real arrival window.
Questions from Etobicoke homeowners
My street in Etobicoke flooded in 2013. Am I in a Basement Flooding Protection Program study area?
Possibly. The City of Toronto has mapped dozens of study areas across the city, and several cover parts of Etobicoke that were hit hardest in 2005 and 2013. The city publishes a map of the study areas and their status. Whether or not you are in one, you can apply for the subsidy toward a backwater valve and sump pump today.
Is overland flooding from the Humber or Mimico Creek covered by home insurance?
Only if you have added overland water coverage, which became available in Ontario around 2015 and is not included in a basic policy. Homes in a mapped floodplain may not be able to buy it at all. Groundwater seepage is generally excluded. Sewer backup is a separate endorsement. Bring your policy when we arrive and we will help you sort out which coverage applies before we bill.
What do you do about the smell after a sewer backup in Mimico?
The smell comes from bacteria in the porous materials, not the air. Deodorizers do not fix it. We remove the wet carpet, underpad, baseboard and the lower section of drywall, then clean and apply an antimicrobial to the framing and slab before drying. Once the materials are gone and the space is dry, the odour goes with them.
Can you work with my condo's property manager at Humber Bay Shores?
Yes. We do it regularly. Property management usually needs to authorize access to the mechanical rooms and the affected suites, and the condo corporation's insurer and the unit owners' insurers each need their own documentation. We provide moisture maps and photos for both, and we bill directly whichever policy responds.