Water Damage Restoration in Kensington, PA

Why do Kensington basements get sewage instead of just rainwater?

Combined sewers carry storm runoff and household wastewater in one pipe. In a downpour the pipe can fill beyond capacity, and the water has nowhere to go but up through the lowest drain it finds. In a block of rowhouses with cellars, that drain is usually in the basement floor, a laundry tub or a basement toilet.

The result is Category 3 water, the contaminated category in the IICRC S500 standard. Anything porous that it touches, such as carpet, pad, cardboard storage and lower drywall, generally has to be removed rather than dried. Hard surfaces can be cleaned and treated.

A free backwater valve through the Philadelphia Water Department's Basement Backup Protection Program may be available for homes that qualify. The sewage cleanup page explains the process and what to keep out of the water.

What is different about water damage in a mill-worker rowhouse?

These houses are narrow and deep, often two or three rooms stacked front to back. A single leak at the rear kitchen can follow the joists toward the front, and the same brick wall is shared with the house next door. Plaster ceilings and original lath hold water much longer than modern drywall.

Plumbing of that period may include cast-iron drain stacks and older galvanized supply lines. Both can corrode from the inside, so a slow leak behind a wall is a real possibility, and the wall may have been wet for a while before a stain shows. These are general patterns for the housing type, not a measure of any one house.

Cellar stairs tend to be steep and tight, and there may be no side access. Crews carry smaller equipment down by hand and plan their extraction hose routes through the front door.

How does Frankford Creek tie into water problems here?

Frankford Creek is the lower end of the Tookany/Tacony-Frankford system, which drains about 30 square miles. The upper part is called Tookany Creek outside the city and becomes the Tacony inside it, so rain in Cheltenham and Abington can end up here.

Most basement calls in this part of the city come from sewer backups and street ponding rather than creek overflow. But low blocks near the creek and the river are the ones a long, heavy storm tends to hit first. Flood from rising surface water is usually excluded from a standard homeowners policy, so it is worth asking your agent what yours says.

What can a Kensington homeowner do before the next big storm?

Keep the street inlet in front of your house clear of leaves and trash, since clogged inlets leave water standing at your door. Raise anything valuable off the cellar floor onto shelves or pallets. Know where the main shut-off is and make sure everyone in the house can find it.

Ask the water department about the free backwater valve program, and ask your insurer whether a water backup and sump discharge endorsement is part of your policy. These are the two steps that most often change how a sewage backup plays out.

Finally, think about the cellar itself. Stored boxes, rugs and upholstered furniture soak up sewage and flood water and rarely survive it, so shelves and plastic bins are cheaper than replacing contents. A cellar that is mostly empty also gives a crew room to set up extraction quickly.