A basement floor drain backs up in a Grant Park cottage during a stalled storm
What homeowners notice
Rain has been falling for hours when gray, foul-smelling water starts welling out of the basement floor drain of an early-1900s house in an older sewershed. It spreads under stored boxes and soaks the bottom of a finished stairwell wall.
What we do
The crew treats it as Category 3 from the first minute: protective gear, the area closed off, standing water extracted, and porous pieces such as soaked carpet, pad and the lower drywall removed. Surfaces and framing are cleaned and disinfected, air movers and dehumidifiers go in, and the technician explains that a plumber should scope the lateral for roots or a blockage.
What to expect
Readings come down to the dry goal after several days, the photos and moisture logs are available for the homeowner's insurer, and rebuild work is quoted only once the basement tests dry.
A day of cleanup, then several days of drying typical visit
Peachtree Creek spills over after days of rain and reaches a Morningside ground floor
What homeowners notice
After rain that has soaked the ground for days, a creek in the Peachtree Creek system leaves its banks overnight and a few inches of muddy water cross the lowest level of a house built before the upstream land was paved. Rugs, baseboards and the bottom of the walls are saturated, and silt coats the floor.
What we do
Because the water crossed the ground, the crew handles it as Category 3: it pumps and extracts, removes carpet, pad, insulation and low drywall that cannot be cleaned, shovels out silt by hand and disinfects what stays. Wall cavities are opened to dry, and dehumidifiers run until readings settle.
What to expect
The structure reaches its dry goal, the technician reminds the owner that flood damage is generally a separate insurance policy from homeowners coverage, and repairs are quoted after drying.
Two days of cleanup, then drying typical visit
Typical job
Cascade Heights
Tree & Roof Leaks
An oak limb punches through a Cascade Heights roof in a summer thunderstorm
What homeowners notice
A late-afternoon storm drops a large limb on a 1960s ranch on a wooded lot. It splits the sheathing over a bedroom, and rain drips through the ceiling into a soaked drywall sag, wet insulation and a puddle on the carpet.
What we do
After the owner clears the room and stays away from the damaged ceiling, the crew tarps the opening, pulls down the sagging drywall and wet insulation, extracts the carpet and sets air movers and a dehumidifier. A roofer is lined up separately for the permanent repair.
What to expect
The framing and subfloor dry to the target, photos of the limb and the interior are ready for the insurer, and the ceiling is rebuilt after the roofer finishes.
A few hours to tarp and extract, then drying typical visit
A leaking riser fitting in a Midtown tower drips through three stacked units
What homeowners notice
A resident of a mid-rise condo near Peachtree Street notices water coming from the ceiling beside the bathroom. The source is a fitting in a shared riser inside the unit above, and water has traveled down the wall cavity into the unit below it as well.
What we do
The crew coordinates with the building manager, who closes the riser section, then extracts from each unit and opens the ceiling and wall cavities along the line of travel. Meters and a thermal camera map each unit, and drying equipment is set for every one so no cavity is left damp.
What to expect
Each unit's readings are recorded for its owner and association, the plumber repairs the riser, and drywall and paint follow once the cavities test dry.
A day to extract and open walls, then a drying cycle typical visit
Typical job
Kirkwood
Crawl Spaces
Red clay holds water under a Kirkwood bungalow after a wet week
What homeowners notice
After a week of storms, a 1920s bungalow develops a musty smell and a springy spot in the hardwood. Under the house, the red clay is saturated, the foundation vents are blocked by leaves and the batts between the joists hang wet and sagging.
What we do
The technician crawls the space with a flashlight and meter, removes the wet batts, extracts standing water and sets low-profile dryers with a dehumidifier. A grading and gutter fix is recommended so the clay stops holding water against the foundation.
What to expect
Joist and subfloor readings come down, the cupped boards flatten as they dry, and the owner redirects the downspouts before the next heavy rain.
One day of removal and setup, then several days of drying typical visit
A cold-snap split in a crawl-space supply line floods a Decatur bungalow floor
What homeowners notice
After a few nights well below freezing, a household returns to a 1930s house and hears water running under the floor. A supply line in the unheated crawl space froze, split and let go as it thawed, wetting the subfloor and the hardwood above it.
What we do
With the main already closed, the crew extracts water, checks the floor with moisture meters, lifts a few boards and pulls wet insulation. Air movers and dehumidifiers go in, and a licensed plumber repairs the split line on a separate visit.
What to expect
The subfloor and hardwood reach the dry goal, moisture readings and photos are available for the homeowner's insurer, and any board replacement is quoted after drying.
A few hours to extract, then several days of drying typical visit
Have the same problem?
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