Water Damage Restoration in West Philadelphia, PA

Why does Cedar Park keep flooding?

Axios Philadelphia reported in October 2021 that Cedar Park floods chronically. The reporting pointed to repeated basement flooding in the neighborhood after heavy rain. Cedar Park is part of the older sewer area, where storm runoff and household wastewater share pipes.

A chronic problem means the same houses may need a plan rather than a one-time cleanup. Drying a cellar after each event helps, but so does keeping gutters and downspouts clear, directing roof water away from the foundation and asking about a backwater valve through the Philadelphia Water Department.

Whether a loss is covered depends on the cause. Sewer backup usually needs an endorsement, and surface flood needs a separate flood policy. Check your own policy.

Older blocks near the Schuylkill and the creek valleys sit lower than the hills around them, and storm water follows the street grade down to them. That is a general pattern for a neighborhood of this age, and a technician checks the actual path of the water when the crew arrives.

What happens when one half of a Victorian twin has a leak?

A twin is two houses sharing one central wall, often brick, sometimes with a stone cellar underneath. Water from a failed supply line, a bathroom leak or a roof leak can move along that wall and the joists that rest in it. The neighbor may see staining before you do.

Plaster over lath, tall ceilings and thick masonry are slow to dry. A technician measures moisture on both sides of the wall, because drying only the side where the leak started can leave the other half damp. Wet plaster that has softened or bulged is cut out so the cavity can dry.

Talk to the neighbor early. Neighbors in a twin often have to coordinate access, because equipment may need to run on both sides. See the rowhouse and twin water damage page for how those jobs are set up.

What should I know about deep stone cellars here?

Deep cellars under big older houses are often rubble-stone or brick with lime mortar that breaks down over decades. Water can come through cracks, through the walls and through window wells during long rain. Many have older drain lines that are cast iron.

A stone cellar that seeps is a different problem from a flood. Cleanup and drying are what a restoration crew does; waterproofing and foundation repair are other trades. The stone basement water damage page covers the line between them.

If the cellar is finished or used for storage, lift boxes off the floor and watch for a musty smell that returns after drying. That can be a sign that moisture is still in the wall.

What should a West Philadelphia homeowner do first when water appears?

Close the main shut-off if the water is coming from a pipe inside the house. In an older twin the valve is often on the cellar wall near the front, where the supply enters. If the water is coming up from a drain or through the wall, the main will not help, so stay out of the cellar and keep power off at the panel only if you can reach it dry.

Take photos of every wet surface, including the ceiling below and the wall you share with the neighbor. Move rugs and small furniture off wet floors. Open a window if the weather allows, but do not run household fans across sewage-contaminated water.

Call as soon as the situation is safe. A crew will ask about the cellar stairs, the ceiling heights and whether both halves of a twin are affected, so it can bring the right equipment on the first trip.