The pavers by the back step have dropped about a centimetre since winter. There's a damp strip along the side passage that never quite dries out, and on still evenings the courtyard carries a faint smell you'd rather not name. So you did what every...
A copper pipe rarely fails all at once. It usually starts with something easy to dismiss: a faint green crust on a joint under the laundry tub, a patch of floorboard that feels slightly soft, or a water bill that's crept up without anyone taking...
Most people never give their sewer a second thought until it starts talking back. A gurgle in the shower drain. A toilet that needs three flushes. A plumber standing in the backyard, torch in hand, muttering that the pipe "should be right here". In homes...
Most people meet their shower drain properly for the first time on a bad morning. You're already running late, the water's ankle-deep and rising, and you're standing there wondering how a drain that worked perfectly last week has decided to hold a small lake hostage....
Think about how many times a day your kitchen sink swallows something it probably shouldn't. Coffee grounds tipped from the plunger, the greasy film rinsed off last night's roasting tray, the little bits that slip past the strainer while you're not paying attention. Every one...
The drains inside your house get all the attention. The kitchen sink, the shower, the toilet, you notice those the moment they play up, because they're right in front of you every single day. The drains outside are a different story. They sit under a...
The plumber packs up the jetter and gives you the verdict you were half expecting: invasive tree roots. Not a few stray hairs, but a solid mat sitting in a joint six metres past your back step. He turns the camera screen around and says...
Ask around your block and you'll discover that each neighbour has got a go-to drain trick. Some swear by a jug of boiling water, someone's nan insists a fistful of salt does the job, and there's always one friend convinced a warm bottle of cola...
It usually starts small. A patch of lawn that stays soggy long after the rain has cleared, a faint whiff near the side path, or a toilet that gurgles like it's trying to tell you something. By the time most homeowners cotton on, the crack...
Sydney's Inner West is defined by its character. Federation cottages, Victorian terraces and turn-of-the-century workers' homes line the streets of Balmain, Glebe, Newtown, Annandale, Leichhardt, Rozelle, Stanmore and Petersham, giving the area its unmistakable charm. Beneath that charm, however, sits drainage infrastructure that is often...