Water damage restoration in Newport News, VA

How is a call from Newport News planned?

A call from Newport News starts with the water, the room and the source. The technician asks for the street address and the nearest crossroads, because the five ZIP codes on the line cover a range of different streets.

On arrival the crew checks the building and removes the water. The readings follow across the rooms and the cavities, and the drying plan is explained before any material is removed.

What does the distance from Suffolk mean?

Newport News is about 32 km north-east of downtown Suffolk by ZIP centroid. The trip is long, and the technician gives an honest estimate of the wait when the call is taken.

The distance does not change the work. The readings, the targets and the written log are the same as for any other address.

Five ZIP codes serve Newport News. A homeowner should give the street address and say whether the house has a lower level, a crawl space or a slab, so the crew arrives with the right equipment. The technician asks the same questions for every address, and the answers decide how the first hour is spent on site, whatever the code on the envelope.

What water reaches houses in the wider Hampton Roads area?

Matthew in October 2016 brought more water to Hampton Roads than the forecast had suggested, and it reached houses through the ground, the drains and the roof. The region's experience is a reminder that the forecast gives an average and not the water a single house will take.

Houses near low streets and drains are the most likely to take storm water. Rain that gets through a roof edge in a storm with strong wind is a second common route, and the crew reads both.

Water in a Newport News home is measured in the same way as anywhere else. A flooded lower level, a wet crawl space and a leaking supply line each produce readings that tell the crew where to work next, and the homeowner is shown those readings before the drying plan is agreed.

What should a Newport News homeowner prepare?

Mark the main valve and the electrical panel, and check that both can be reached without standing in water. Keep the crawl space and cellar access clear.

Photograph the lower levels while they are dry, and note the storm forecast and any water you see during the storm. Those records help the insurer later.