Draincom was great! Given the rising costs related to flooding, we wanted to know how vulnerable we are in our Victorian semi. One company scoped the drains and proposed that we dig up the floor of our finished basement and replace the old clay pipes. When Eugene arrived from Draincom, he scoped beyond the interior drain system and discovered that we had a much more pressing problem in the drains outside the house than those under the basement. Our 130 year old clay pipes between the exterior wall and the property line were almost totally clogged with roots and the original trap was virtually full with 'stuff'. Eugene's careful examination of the entire system (which was provided without charge) made us aware of the numerous problems associated with such an old system, which provided a basis for us to prioritize our next steps. He also made clear the questions that were unanswerable during that first inspection, until he could scope the system from another vantage point, were laid out for our consideration. Eugene was thorough, knowledgeable and patient. As a result of his investigation, we had Draincom (Eugene, Anatole and their staff) replace the problematic section of the exterior pipe with new PVC and add cleanouts. The entire crew was reliable, punctual and skilled. One accident happened during the job, involving a piece of stone garden edging that was broken by the back-hoe - but that piece of limestone was replaced with a new, custom cut slab in a very satisfactory way.
Eugene and Boris then came to 'powerwash' the main drain under the house. I watched as the amazing camera and monitor revealed the condition of the drain pipe after being cleaned. This revealed a much clearer view of damage to the pipes that had been hard to detect when they were still full of cob webs and such. Because our basement is completely finished, Eugene recommended that regular maintenance of the pipes (i.e. 'powerwashing' every few years) would likely enable the system to work for some time. Ultimately, it will be necessary to replace these pipes, but it will be disruptive and expensive, so buying more time for the existing drain is appreciated.
Eugene's knowledge, patience and advice was a great asset as we assessed the plumbing issues of our drain system. There is more work to be done, but we have been able to understand and prioritize the work. And I'm sure we will have Draincom in again to deal with issues as we deal with them. Their prices are fair and their work is superior.
Thanks!
