ResidentialPipes
Burst and Frozen Pipe Repairs
A pipe that freezes in a cold snap often holds until the thaw, then lets go all at once. Fast shut-off and a proper repair keep a burst pipe from becoming a renovation.
Exterior view of luxurious residential house with roofed parking and spacious backyard in snowy winter countryside.
- Leak traced with meter checks and moisture readings
- Walls and ceilings opened only where the pipe is
- Copper, PEX or ABS joined to match what is there
- Pressure-tested and left visible until it is proven dry
- Licensing details confirmed when you call
- Residential
- Commercial
- Markham & York Region
How the job runs
- A faucet gives only a trickle, or nothing, on a bitter morning.
- Frost on a visible pipe, or a bulge in the copper.
- A stain spreading on a ceiling below a bathroom.
- Hissing inside a wall after a deep freeze.
What's included on this job
What we open
The drywall or ceiling around the split, cut back to dry pipe on both sides.
What we bring
Tube cutters, propane torch or press tool, push-fit couplings, and a heat gun to thaw nearby sections.
What we replace
The split length of copper or PEX, plus any fittings that took the freeze.
How we prove it
Pressure back on, each joint watched, and the nearby lines checked for a second split.
Signs you need this
- Water through a ceiling after a cold snap
- No water from one tap while the rest run
- A bulge or split visible in copper
- Ice on a pipe in an outside wall or garage
Why pipes burst in Markham
Winters in York Region bring stretches well below minus twenty. Pipes that run through exterior walls, over garages, under bay windows or inside crawlspaces are the ones at risk. Hose bibs left connected to a garden hose are another common source; water trapped in the hose freezes back into the valve body. In older homes in German Mills and Bayview Glen, a kitchen sink against an outside wall is the usual suspect.
What to do right now
- Close the main shut-off.
- Open the faucets on the lowest floor to drain the system.
- If a pipe is frozen but not split, thaw it bit by bit with a hair dryer or a portable heater aimed from a safe distance. Never use an open flame.
- Call us, and your insurer if water has spread.
How we repair it
- We open only as much drywall as needed to reach the damaged section.
- We cut out the split pipe and replace it with copper or PEX to match the rest of the run.
- We look at why it froze: missing insulation, a draft from a rim joist, a pipe too close to the exterior sheathing.
- We suggest a fix for the cause, such as rerouting the line or adding insulation, so it does not happen again.
- We pressure-test before closing up.
From the van: Take photos of the damage before cleanup starts. Insurance adjusters usually ask for them.
Where one pipe froze, the next one along usually came close. We check the whole run.
What changes the cost
Where the burst is, how much finish has to come off, and whether the pipe needs to be rerouted all matter. Nights and holidays during a cold snap also affect timing.
Call before it gets worse
Every minute a burst pipe runs can mean a lot of water. Shut it off, then call.