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FIELD NOTES FROM EAST ELMHURST

Water Damage Blog

Short, practical posts on what to do when water gets into a Queens house, with a lot of winter advice for freezing weather.

Plumber in a knit cap holds a wrench on a frosted copper pipe in a concrete basement wall with water dripping into a black bucket

Will Your Pipes Freeze This Winter? A Queens Checklist

Most frozen pipes in Queens are in the same few places. Here is where to look and what to do before the forecast drops into the teens.

Two technicians in blue and red shirts repair copper supply pipes inside an opened wall cavity beside a window with snow outside

A Pipe Just Burst. What Do You Do in the First 60 Minutes?

A burst pipe can put hundreds of gallons into a house in an hour. This is the order we would do things in, step by step.

Plumber in a knit cap works a wrench on copper supply lines running along a concrete block wall in a garage, with a drip tray on the floor

Frozen Pipe? Why Thawing It the Wrong Way Floods Homes

Thawing the pipe is the easy part. Finding out whether it split is the part that decides how much water you get.

Technician with a headlamp kneeling in a tight crawlspace, wrapping black foam insulation around a copper water pipe over a torn vapor barrier

Going Away This Winter? What Happens to a Pipe Left Alone

The worst burst pipe is the one nobody hears. If you travel in winter, or manage a vacant unit, here is how to avoid the call.

Technician in a respirator shines a flashlight on water-stained, peeling plaster beside a vanity while checking a bathroom wall for moisture

Why Does Your Ceiling Leak Days After the Snow Melts?

Flat roofs hide leaks until the snow melts. Here is what happens up there and what you can check from inside.

Two technicians in rubber boots wade through dark floodwater in an unfinished basement, one pulling a hose from a submersible pump

Dry All Year, Flooded in a Thaw: Why Cellars Take On Water

Snow does not flood a basement. The warm rain that melts it does, especially when the ground underneath is still frozen.

Technician in a respirator and white suit scrubbing dark mold from a concrete block basement wall beside a work lamp and a dehumidifier

How Fast Does Mold Grow in a Flooded Queens Cellar?

Mold starts on wet materials within a day or two. Here is what to look for and what removal really means.

Technician crouches beside a blue air mover on a wet concrete hallway floor while a coworker handles a hose near the opened wall base

Leak in a Rental: Who Pays, the Tenant or the Landlord?

In a rental, water crosses units and ownership lines. A few steps early on make the rest go smoother.

Technician pressing a moisture meter against exposed wall studs while a coworker lays plastic sheeting over the floor in the background

Does Insurance Cover Water Damage in New York? Not Always

Burst pipes are often covered. Sewer backup and floods often are not. Here is what to check in your policy before a loss.

Technician with a wand extractor on a soaked hardwood floor beside an opened wall while a homeowner watches from the doorway

Your Driveway Slopes to the Garage. Here Is Why That Floods

A driveway that slopes down to a garage or a basement door acts like a funnel when the street floods.

Two workers in white disposable suits and respirators lift a stained cabinet panel into a black contractor bag inside plastic-sheeted room

Why Does Sewage Come Up Your Cellar Drain When It Rains?

When the sewer fills in a cloudburst, the pressure pushes water back up the lowest drain. Here is how it works and what to do.

Restoration tech carrying a water-soaked wooden keepsake chest out of a flooded dining room while the homeowner watches from the entry

Calling a Water Damage Crew? Say These Things First

A good first call takes two minutes and saves an hour on site. Here is what the crew needs to hear.

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