Water Damage Cleanup in Stonewall, Mississippi

How does a Stonewall call relate to the towns to the south?

Stonewall is about 30 km from the centre of Meridian, on a bearing a little west of due south. Enterprise is its nearest neighbour on the list, about 7 km away, and Quitman is about 14 km off. Pachuta and Shubuta are further south and west, at about 18 km and 22 km.

The towns in this southern group are close enough that one storm can reach several of them. The phone line sends whichever crew is free, and a crew working near Enterprise or Quitman may be the nearer one to a Stonewall house.

On the map Stonewall lies almost directly south of the city centre, so it is one of the towns furthest from Meridian on that side of the list. Pachuta is about 18 km away and Shubuta about 22 km, which makes the southern towns a loose cluster rather than a line of suburbs.

What kind of storm opening is most likely on a Stonewall house?

Wind that lifts shingles, a ridge cap or a soffit is the most likely route for storm water into a house in this town. Rain then runs along the framing, and it can enter a wall or ceiling some distance from the opening.

A tree limb that lands on the roof can break the decking and leave a gap that the shingles hide. The crew covers the gap, removes the wet insulation and dries the framing, and the roofer makes the repair.

What should a Stonewall homeowner do before the crew arrives?

Close the main shut-off if a pipe has split, and keep clear of standing water near outlets, cords and the panel. If the panel is in the wet area and the power is off, leave it alone and say so on the phone.

Photograph the damage from the same spot before anything is moved, and note the time you saw it. A list of the items in the affected room, made before they are touched, is part of a complete record.

How is a wet crawl space or subfloor dried in this town?

A crawl space that has taken rain is checked with readings on the joists, the subfloor and the ground. Standing water is pumped out, and the wet insulation hanging from the joists is removed before the framing is dried.

Humid air slows the drying, so the dehumidifiers may run for several days. The crew does not call the space dry until the readings show it.

Whatever the drying method, the crew records the starting readings at the same marked points so the change is visible. A wet area that reads high on the first visit and falls steadily over the next checks is the sign the plan is working, and the record is kept with the photographs.