Flood and storm water cleanup in Durham

Going back in

Wait for the all clear from officials; fast water that only reaches your shins can still take your feet out from under you. If the water got as high as the outlets or the breaker panel, let an electrician look before anyone flips a switch. Wear boots and gloves, plus an N95. Then, before you touch anything, take video of every room, the stain line on the walls and the outside of the house. The adjuster will want the house as the river left it.

What goes to the curb

Porous things that sat in flood water don't come clean. Carpet goes, pad goes. Drywall and insulation get cut well above the stain line, commonly two feet or more, so the wall cavity can be disinfected before it dries. Tile and concrete can stay if cleaned, and so can most framing once it dries. Any food or medicine the water reached is trash. Have the company name each item on its removal list and why, and photograph the pile at the street.

The water under the house

Plenty of Durham houses never get flood water on the living floor and still have a flood job, because it pooled in the crawl space. The vapor barrier is soaked, the batts between the joists sag with water, and the floor framing wicks it up from below. For weeks after, that space feeds humidity into the rooms above. The fix is to pump it dry, pull the ruined insulation and plastic, dry the joists until they read normal, and replace what was removed. Skip a step in August and you will smell it by September. Mold and the Durham summer.

Who floods

Two different systems. The Eno floods the north side, worst at the bend by Rippling Stream Road and High Meadow Road. The creeks flood the middle and south of the city, and they produce more claims: ZIP 27707 on the Hope Valley side has 97 federal flood claims, mostly along Third Fork and New Hope creeks. The crests and claims, mapped by ZIP.

Which policy

No. According to the North Carolina Department of Insurance, homeowners policies do not cover flood damage, and storm water rising into the house from outside counts as flood. You need a separate flood policy, usually from the National Flood Insurance Program, which pays up to $250,000 on the building and $100,000 on contents and generally takes effect 30 days after purchase. Rain coming in through a storm-damaged roof is different and usually goes on the homeowners claim. A storm can produce both kinds of claim at the same address. A limb through the roof and the rain that followed it are a homeowners matter, even if the yard was under water at the same time. Ask the crew to keep the two areas separate in their photos and moisture logs. More on North Carolina claims.

Cost

The $7 to $7.50 per square foot is the cleanup alone. Tear-out, crawl space work and rebuilding come on top. When water has gone deep into hardwood or concrete (class 4 in industry terms), Fixr's range is $20,000 to $100,000. North Carolina requires a licensed general contractor for any rebuild at or above $40,000. Published costs.