Water Damage, Mold and Restoration Companies in the Rochester Area

What Makes Rochester Different

Rochester winters are long and snowy, and lake effect bands off Lake Ontario can bury the area fast. Ice dams form along the eaves of older homes with little attic insulation, and meltwater backs up under the shingles into ceilings and walls. Pipes in exterior walls, porches and unheated basements freeze and split, and the leak usually shows up during the thaw.

Much of the housing in the city and inner suburbs was built long before 1978. Lead paint is common, and old plaster, boiler pipe wrap and floor tile may contain asbestos, so test before you tear anything out. Most homes have basements on stone or block foundations that seep during spring snowmelt and heavy rain.

Lake Ontario ran at very high levels in 2017 and again in 2019, and waves and high water damaged homes along the shore. Inland, a working sump pump with a battery backup, clean gutters and a backwater valve on the sewer line prevent a lot of damage. Never run a generator in a garage or basement during a winter power outage, because carbon monoxide kills quietly.