Montgomery County, MD
Roof leak, mold & water help in Takoma Park, MD 20912
Takoma Park's bungalows and Victorians sit under big old trees that fill gutters, drop limbs on porch roofs and shade damp basements. When water gets past the roof or foundation, we find it, dry it and clean up mold.
Takoma Park homes and apartments, from Old Town on Carroll Avenue to the streets along Sligo Creek and Long Branch, get help from JEC Restoration with roof and gutter leaks, wet basements, mold, smoke and sewage. Phone (202) 989-3053 day or night; someone always picks up and talks you through what to do first.
Why do Takoma Park bungalows and Victorians leak at the porch and the eaves?
Takoma Park grew as a streetcar and railroad suburb, and much of its housing dates from the 1880s through the 1930s: Victorians with deep porches, Craftsman houses with low-pitched roofs and wide eaves, and whole streets of modest bungalows. Later decades added garden apartments and small apartment buildings, many of them rentals. The older houses share a set of weak points that show up every time it storms.
Porch roofs are the first. They are low-slope, tied into the main wall with flashing that ages, and they collect leaves and twigs from the trees above. When the flashing fails, water runs down inside the front wall and stains the plaster beside a window. Gutters come next: one tall oak can fill a gutter in a single fall afternoon, and an overflowing gutter dumps water along the foundation or behind the fascia. Dormers, valleys and old chimney flashing round out the list. Inside, plaster on lath, old-growth framing and fir or oak floors all hold water longer than modern materials, so drying takes patience.
Most-called services in Takoma Park
Ceiling Leak Damage
Ceiling leak damage work deals with water trapped above a ceiling from a roof, a bathroom, a radiator or an air conditioning line.
How we handle it
Basement Mold Removal
Basement mold removal cleans or removes growth on foundation walls, framing, finished drywall, carpet and stored contents below grade, then corrects the moisture that caused it.
How we handle it
Sewage Backup Cleanup
Sewage backup cleanup is the removal of wastewater and the porous materials it soaked, followed by cleaning, disinfection and drying of the affected area.
How we handle it
Storm & Flood Cleanup
Storm and flood cleanup covers water that enters a home from outside during heavy weather: flash flooding at basement doors and window wells, overflowing areaway drains, wind-driven rain through walls and windows, and roof openings from fallen limbs.
How we handle it
Mold Remediation
Mold remediation is the controlled removal of mold growth from a building.
How we handle itHow do Sligo Creek, old trees and old basements combine in 20912?
Sligo Creek runs through the city in its own wooded park, and Long Branch drains the eastern side. Streets that slope down toward either stream carry runoff through yards and into window wells, and the houses lowest on those slopes have higher groundwater. Many of the older basements have brick or stone walls and were dug shallower than modern ones, with floor drains tied into old clay or cast-iron laterals.
The tree canopy cuts both ways. Shade keeps houses cooler, but it also keeps roofs, siding and basements damp, and moss and algae grow on shaded north slopes. Roots work into old sewer laterals, which is a common cause of basement floor drain backups here. Storms bring down limbs that puncture porch roofs or knock gutters loose, and the rain that follows goes straight in. In the humid summer months, a basement without a dehumidifier can grow mold on stored furniture and cardboard even without a leak.
Typical calls we get from Takoma Park
Fallen limb through a porch roof
A storm drops a branch onto a bungalow's porch roof, and rain runs into the front wall and the living room ceiling. Once the roof is tarped, we push dry air into the wall cavity and across the ceiling, with dehumidifiers pulling the moisture out, testing the plaster before deciding what comes down.
Root-clogged lateral and a floor drain backup
Wastewater rises through a basement floor drain in a 1920s house. When the plumber has the pipe open again, we strip out affected carpet and drywall, disinfect the floor and walls, and dry the space while keeping the rest of the house sealed off.
Mold in a basement apartment closet
A tenant finds mold on shoes and the back wall of a closet in a basement unit. We set containment, remove the affected drywall, HEPA vacuum and treat the framing, then recommend a dehumidifier and a look at the gutter above that wall.
Overflowing gutter behind the fascia
A clogged gutter on a Craftsman house spills behind the fascia and down inside a bedroom wall. A thermal camera shows how far the water traveled; we open a small section and dry the framing and plaster without disturbing the rest of the room.
What changes when the wet space is a Takoma Park rental unit?
Many Takoma Park houses have a basement or attic apartment, and the city has a large share of rental housing. When a tenant's unit is affected, we work with both the owner and the occupant: we explain which rooms will have equipment, how long drying is likely to take, and whether the space can stay in use. After a sewage backup, the affected area is closed off until it is cleaned, disinfected and dry.
Street parking is tight on many blocks near Old Town, so we plan where our van will sit and keep hoses and cords clear of sidewalks. Exterior repairs in the historic district may need review, so check with the city and county before changing anything visible from the street. For roof and porch leaks, drying a wet porch or bedroom ceiling covers the inside work. For the damp lower levels, see mold removal in basements, and for floor drain backups, our sewage cleanup treats the water as Category 3 from start to finish.
Typical homes in this part of the DC area
Nearby areas we also cover
Questions from Takoma Park homeowners
A tree limb damaged my Takoma Park porch roof in a storm. What should I do first?
Stay off the roof and away from any wires. Get the roof tarped as soon as it is safe, because the next rain will push more water into the wall. Inside, move furniture, photograph the damage and turn off power to any wet light fixtures. Then phone us at (202) 989-3053 to get the wall and ceiling drying before the plaster and framing stay wet for days.
Why does my Takoma Park basement floor drain back up when it has not rained?
A backup on a dry day usually means a blockage in your own sewer line, usually roots that have pushed into the joints of an aging clay or cast-iron pipe. Running the washer or a full bathtub pushes water down the line until it has nowhere to go but the lowest opening, the floor drain. Have a plumber camera the line, and treat the backup as sewage during cleanup.
Can we stay in a Takoma Park house while the basement apartment dries out?
Usually yes, if the water was clean and the upstairs is unaffected. Equipment runs around the clock and makes some noise, and we keep the basement door closed to hold in the dry air. If the water came from sewage or we are removing mold, we seal off the lower level with plastic sheeting and negative air pressure so nothing spreads to the rest of the house.
Water or mold trouble in Takoma Park?
Call JEC Restoration any time. We answer 24/7 and talk through what you are seeing before anyone touches a wall.