Why do drains block in Montréal buildings?
Many older plexes and houses here have cast-iron drain stacks. After decades of use, the inside of cast iron roughens and builds up scale, which catches grease, hair and paper. Kitchen lines are the worst, because cold pipes in winter make cooking fat set quickly.
Other common causes include:
- Tree roots entering older clay or cast-iron lines at joints.
- Wipes and hygiene products labelled flushable that do not break down.
- Pipes that sag, which leaves a low spot where waste settles.
- Floor drains in basements that fill with silt and debris.
In a plex, a blockage in the shared stack tends to show up first in the lowest unit. That means the ground-floor or basement tenant often sees the overflow, even though the blockage may be above them.

