A slab-level room fills while the drainage pump is down
What homeowners notice
After a long rain, a homeowner in Kenner sees water coming under the back door of a slab-level room and across the floor toward the kitchen. The street drain beside the house is not taking the water away, and the surface outside has turned into a shallow pond.
What we do
The crew confirms the power in the room is off, then pumps the standing water from the lowest corner first with submersible pumps and a wet vacuum. It reads the floor edge and the wall base with moisture meters, marks the highest reading on the wall and sets air movers low against the wall to dry the slab edge and the lower drywall.
What to expect
The room is cleared of standing water, the wet drywall is removed only to the marked height, and the readings are logged on each return visit until they fall back to the normal range for each material.
Varies with the depth and the readings typical visit
A dishwasher seal leaks through an apartment floor
What homeowners notice
A tenant in a Metairie apartment notices a damp patch on the kitchen floor and a stain on the ceiling of the unit below. The dishwasher seal has been weeping for some time, and the water has run under the cabinet toe kick and into the subfloor.
What we do
The crew shuts off the dishwasher supply and power, removes standing water and opens the toe kick to read the cabinet base and subfloor. It checks the ceiling of the unit below with a meter and records the readings in both units, then sets drying equipment in the kitchen cavity and the ceiling space.
What to expect
The swollen toe kick and the soaked subfloor patch are removed and replaced by the trade the owner chooses, and both units are logged with photographs and readings until the structure reads dry.
Varies with how far the water traveled typical visit
Yard water comes in over a front threshold after rain
What homeowners notice
After a heavy afternoon of rain in Westwego, water spreads across the front yard, pools against the door and crosses the threshold into the hall. The hall floor is wet along the door, and the baseboard on the entry side has started to lift.
What we do
The crew walks the yard to see where the water is running, then removes the standing water in the hall from the door inward. It reads the wall base and the floor edge along the entry side, marks the readings and removes the lifted baseboard and the drywall where the readings stay high.
What to expect
The entry point is noted for the yard drainage and the homeowner's chosen trade, the hall dries to its normal readings over several visits, and the photographs and readings are kept in date order for the record.
A storm lifts shingles and rain reaches the ceiling below
What homeowners notice
After a windy storm in Destrehan, the homeowner sees a dark stain spreading across the bedroom ceiling and drips from a ceiling light. The attic above is damp, and the shingles on one side of the roof have lifted.
What we do
The crew makes the room safe, switches off the light fitting above the drip and catches the water. A tarp is secured over the opening once it can be reached safely, the attic is cleared of standing water and wet insulation is removed where it will not dry, and the ceiling drywall is read at each point of the stain.
What to expect
The tarp keeps further rain out of the opening, the ceiling drywall that reads wet is removed and the attic framing is dried and logged. The roof repair is arranged separately by the homeowner with a roofer of their choice.
Water stands in a crawl space and the floor above turns soft
What homeowners notice
After a long wet spell in Harvey, the homeowner notices a damp smell rising through the living room floor and a soft spot near the hall. The crawl space vents sit at the level of the yard, and the homeowner can see a dark line on the foundation block.
What we do
The crew checks the power, then pumps the standing water from the access point. It reads the joists, the subfloor and the sill plate from the access, clears debris that has washed in and sets air movers and a dehumidifier to dry the space from below. The soft area of the subfloor is read and noted for the homeowner's chosen carpenter.
What to expect
The space is pumped and dried to the readings, the soft subfloor is documented rather than covered over, and the floor above is not repaired until the crew confirms the framing reads dry at the marked points.
Varies with the depth of the water and access 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.
