These are typical stories of how the work usually goes, not records of completed jobs. They show the order of steps, the decisions a technician makes and the record that is left at the end. Each one describes a common kind of call in Montgomery.
After a heavy storm, water comes under a front door and spreads across the living room and hallway. The carpet is soaked and the bottom of the wall is dark.
What we do
The power to the room is confirmed safe, then standing water is pulled with extractors and the carpet pad is removed. Walls are read with meters and the wall base is opened where the readings stay high, and air movers and dehumidifiers are set to dry the subfloor.
What to expect
The subfloor and the framing reach the dry readings over several visits, the hallway floor is kept, and the owner receives the readings, the photographs and the list of removed materials for the insurer.
Garage wall after storm water runs across a low lot
What homeowners notice
Storm water pools at the low corner of a lot and reaches the garage door. The stored boxes are wet, and the drywall at the base of the shared wall has darkened.
What we do
Standing water is removed from the garage and the boxes are set aside for the owner to see. The shared wall is read at intervals, the bottom of the drywall is opened, and the cavity behind it is dried.
What to expect
The wall reaches the dry level, the owner has a note of the low corner and the grade, and the downspout is flagged for a repair by a contractor who does that work.
Bedroom ceiling stain after a roof leak in a storm
What homeowners notice
A ring appears on a bedroom ceiling the morning after a storm with wind. The stain is small but the ceiling feels soft near its centre.
What we do
The room is made safe and the ceiling is checked from below. The attic is read, the wet insulation is removed and the rafters are followed back to the likely entry at a vent pipe. The drywall is opened to the wet line and the cavity is dried.
What to expect
The framing dries to the target, the ceiling is ready for finishing, and the likely entry point is given to a roofer, who makes the repair.
A hissing sound from behind the kitchen wall is followed by a damp patch that grows along the baseboard. The water meter keeps moving with the taps closed.
What we do
The main is closed first, then the standing water is removed. The wall is opened at the wet line and the split is located by the technician, who asks a plumber to repair it. The cabinet base is dried from behind.
What to expect
The plumber repairs the line, the wall dries to the readings, the cabinet base is kept, and the owner receives the readings and a map of the water path.
Shut-off in minutes, then a day of work typical visit
After heavy rain, the owner finds water on the soil under the house and a damp smell in the rooms above. The floor near the back door feels cool and soft.
What we do
Access is planned at the hatch, the standing water is pumped out and the discharge is sent well away from the house. Insulation that has taken in water is removed and the joists and subfloor are dried from below and read from above.
What to expect
The framing dries to the target, the soft spot above is checked and reinforced by a builder, and the owner is given a note of the vent and grading that a contractor should review.
A morning to pump, then several visits typical visit
A water heater in a closet begins to leak from its base, and the water runs under the closet door into the hallway. The hallway carpet and the closet floor are wet.
What we do
The heater is shut off safely and the cold supply is closed. The water is removed from the closet and the hallway, the closet floor is probed for softness and the hallway carpet pad is removed. The area is dried and read until dry.
What to expect
The closet floor reaches the dry level, the hallway floor is kept, and a plumber is asked to decide whether the tank can be repaired or should be replaced.
Shut-off in minutes, then a few visits typical visit
During a storm, water and waste come up through a basement floor drain and spread across the floor. The owner keeps the basement door shut and calls the line.
What we do
Protective gear is used and the water is removed with equipment that can handle contaminated water. Carpet and porous materials are removed, hard surfaces are cleaned and disinfected, and the space is dried. A plumber is asked to check the drain line.
What to expect
The basement is dry to the readings, the materials removed are listed for the insurer, and the drain line is checked by a plumber before the room is used again.
A day to remove, then several visits typical visit
Water comes in under a loading door and spreads into an office suite with carpet tile and a drop ceiling. The reception area stays dry, but the back offices are wet.
What we do
The suite is divided into zones with the building manager, and the power to the wet zones is checked. Carpet tiles and ceiling tiles that hold water are removed, the plenum is checked, and each zone is dried on its own schedule while the reception area stays open.
What to expect
Each zone is recorded on a floor plan with its readings, the building manager has a schedule for each zone, and the owner receives a zone-by-zone record for the insurer.
Zone by zone over several days typical visit
Have the same problem?
Call and tell us what you see. We will tell you what it likely is and what it usually costs before anyone drives out.
