Water Damage, Mold and Restoration Companies in the Washington, DC Area

What Makes Washington, DC Different

The District is full of row houses with basement units. Heavy summer storms can overwhelm older sewers and push water up through basement drains, and many older parts of the city have sewers that carry storm water and sewage together. Treat any basement backup as sewage. Shared walls and flat roofs also mean a leak next door can become yours.

Summers are hot and humid, and mold grows quickly on anything that stays wet for a day or two. Winters bring hard freezes and the occasional big snow, which splits pipes in outside walls and forms ice dams on roofs. Nor’easters and the remnants of tropical storms bring heavy rain, and low areas near the Potomac and the Anacostia can flood.

Much of the housing was built well before 1978, so lead paint is likely in older rooms, and asbestos may be in pipe insulation, flooring or plaster. Test before you sand, scrape or demolish. This matters most in homes with young children.