Water Damage Restoration in Huntingdon Valley, PA

How big a problem is Pennypack flooding here?

Pennypack Creek is 22.6 miles long and runs through Lower Moreland and Abington on its way to Northeast Philadelphia. Regional flood records name Lower Moreland, Upper Moreland, Abington, Horsham and Hatboro as places the Pennypack has damaged. The watershed covers about 56 square miles and about 640,000 people.

Those records put flood damage across the watershed at $7 million to $10 million, and they note that actual losses may be several times higher, because many homes along the creek have no flood insurance. That is the number to remember: the uninsured part is the biggest part.

Standard homeowners policies exclude flood, and a separate policy takes 30 days to become effective. See the flood damage cleanup page.

Hurricane Floyd in 1999 is on record as a deadly Pennypack flood, and the creek has flooded again in the decades since. A summary reports deaths along its banks, though the number is not one this page will quote.

Why does a three-township community make permits confusing?

Huntingdon Valley is not a municipality, so there is no Huntingdon Valley building office. Building, plumbing and electrical permits in Montgomery County come from the township or borough where the property sits, which here might be Lower Moreland, Abington or Upper Moreland. Bryn Athyn is a borough with its own office.

Ask your township or borough building office what your repair needs, and confirm which one covers your address. A mailing address does not settle it.

Pennsylvania's rule for most home improvement contractors is registration with the Attorney General, plus a written contract for jobs above $500.

What do ranchers, twins and stone houses mean for water damage?

Mid-century ranchers often have a basement with a sump pump, and a pump that fails with the power out turns seepage into a flood. Twins share a wall, and larger older stone houses can have deep stone basements that seep after long rain. These are common patterns, not measurements.

Ranchers have one floor, so a roof or water heater leak spreads across a large area quickly. Stone houses dry slowly and need monitored drying. A technician takes readings and sets the plan.

The sump pump failure page explains the cleanup and what an endorsement can cover.

In a rancher, the water heater often sits in a utility closet or basement corner, and an old tank can leak for weeks before anyone looks. A moisture meter finds the damp wall even when the floor looks dry.

What roads and routes matter when water is rising?

Huntingdon Pike and Welsh Road are the main roads, and low spots near the creek can flood in a big storm. Do not drive through standing water. Listen for National Weather Service warnings, and let the crew know if road conditions affect access.

A crew is dispatched as fast as one is available, and no one can promise an arrival time during a storm.

What does a stone house on a larger lot need after a wet spell?

Larger older stone houses often sit on grounds with their own slope, gutters and downspouts. When water is directed at the foundation instead of away from it, stone walls take the pressure. Mortar between the stones breaks down over decades, and water finds the joints.

Cleanup is extraction, tear-out of wet finishes and drying until readings are normal. Stone and plaster dry slowly, so equipment may run for many days. Preventing the next event is another trade's job: grading, gutters and wall repair.

The stone basement water damage page draws the line. Do not assume a dry week means a dry wall, because masonry can hold moisture long after the floor looks dry.

Because the community straddles three townships and a borough, ask your township or borough building office early, since a repair permit that is simple on one side of a line can differ on the other.