Water Damage, Mold and Restoration Companies in the Des Moines Area

What Makes Des Moines Different

Des Moines grew up where the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers meet. In the flood of 1993 the rivers overtopped levees and swamped the city’s water works, and much of the city went without tap water for days. Levees and flood walls have been raised since then, but low neighborhoods near the rivers and creeks still carry real flood risk, and floodwater damage needs a separate flood policy.

Most homes here have basements. Spring rain and snowmelt raise groundwater, and water seeps in through cracks and along the base of the wall. Heavy summer storms can overwhelm a sump pump or back sewers up into floor drains. Test the pump every spring, add a battery backup, and ask a plumber about a backwater valve.

Winters are long and cold. Pipes in exterior walls, garages and crawlspaces freeze, and the leak often shows up during the thaw. Spring and summer bring hail, tornado warnings and straight line winds. Many homes in the older parts of the city were built before 1978, so test for lead paint and asbestos before any demolition.