Homes and streets of Milliken
Milliken occupies the top of Scarborough, around Kennedy Road and Steeles Avenue East, with the City of Markham directly across Steeles. Its residential streets were largely built from the 1970s into the 1990s, with detached two-storey homes, semi-detached houses and townhouse complexes. The commercial side is lively, with large Asian shopping plazas such as Pacific Mall drawing visitors from across the region.
Milliken GO station on the Stouffville line serves the area, and the Milliken Park area provides open space on the eastern side.
Common plumbing issues here
Most Milliken homes are younger than those to the south, so original fixtures and equipment are the main story rather than corroded metal pipe.
- Original copper supply lines and fittings starting to show pinholes
- Sump pumps installed with the house that have never been replaced
- Kitchen drains clogged by grease from heavy daily cooking
- Toilets and faucets from the build date wearing out
- Townhouse complexes with shared drains and stacks
Homes from this era were often built with weeping tile connected to a sump pit. A pump that has run every spring for thirty years is living on borrowed time, and a failure during a storm is the worst way to find out.
Local water and sewer notes
Milliken is served by City of Toronto water and sewer. Sewer laterals here are usually plastic, which is good news for root problems. The main concerns are surface water and groundwater, since the area is flat and some streets drain slowly in heavy rain. Downspouts should discharge well away from foundation walls.
Many larger Milliken homes run two or three bathrooms, a busy kitchen and a laundry room off one water heater. When showers start running cold in the morning, the tank may simply be undersized for the household, rather than broken. That is worth knowing before paying for a repair.
Jobs we handle in the area
- Sump pump installation and replacement
- Kitchen plumbing for renovations and new sinks
- Kitchen drain cleaning
- Tankless water heater installation for larger households
- Garbage disposal installation
Many Milliken households cook at home every day, often with woks and plenty of oil. Wiping pans before washing and keeping grease out of the sink makes a real difference. The grease disposal guide has simple habits that help.
Nearby zones
To the south lies L'Amoreaux, and to the west is Steeles. Agincourt is a short drive south down Kennedy, and Markham begins just across Steeles Avenue. Homes along both sides of Steeles were built in similar years, so they tend to need the same kind of care.