Water Damage Restoration in Wyncote, PA

What does Tookany Creek have to do with Wyncote?

Tookany Creek drains the area. Tookany is the name for the parts of the roughly 30-square-mile watershed outside Philadelphia, and the creek becomes the Tacony once it crosses the city line. At the bottom of the system is Frankford Creek.

Jenkintown Creek, right beside Wyncote, is part of the same system. WHYY reports that its watershed is about 98 percent developed and highly impaired, which means storm runoff reaches the creek fast. County planners name Cheltenham among the places hit by Tookany flood damage.

Where exactly the water will go on a given street is something this page does not claim to know. What is true is that a creek with a developed watershed rises quickly, so a basement near it is worth watching in a storm.

There is a lesson in the numbers. A watershed of about 30 square miles, drained by a creek that runs through dense neighborhoods, does not need much time to rise after a cloudburst. That is true for any house near the creek and not only for Wyncote.

What should I know about a house this close to a commuter station?

Neighborhoods built around a rail stop tend to be older, and older houses tend to have older systems. The housing mix for Wyncote itself is not something the research for this site pins down, so it is best to treat each house as its own case. A technician identifies the pipe material, the foundation type and the age of the finishes on arrival.

Whatever the age, the first steps are the same. Close the main shut-off if the source is inside, stay clear of water near outlets and photograph before moving anything.

A licensed plumber repairs the pipe or heater, and the crew takes care of the water. The water damage restoration page explains the full process.

Why is a Wyncote call different from one farther away?

The crew is dispatched as fast as one is available, and no one can promise an arrival time. But Wyncote's location, next to Jenkintown, means it is among the nearer places on the map.

For repairs, the permit authority is the township. Ask your township or borough building office what a repair needs, and ask the contractor for a Pennsylvania registration number. Pennsylvania's rule is that most contractors doing home improvements register with the Attorney General, with a written contract for work above $500.

A contractor's registration can be checked on the Attorney General's website.

What are the seasonal risks?

Winter cold brings frozen pipes, and a frozen pipe often leaks only when it thaws. Spring thaw and rain on wet ground raise basement seepage. Summer thunderstorms and tropical remnants, mostly in August and September, are the biggest creek risks.

Humid summers mean a wet cellar can grow mold. The EPA's advice is to dry within 24 to 48 hours. See the frozen pipe page for the winter case.

What happens when a house sits empty near a commuter line?

Wyncote's station is described as one of the busier ones on the SEPTA Regional Rail system, and neighborhoods like this have residents who travel for work and for the holidays. A house left empty over a long weekend can run water for days after a pipe fails or a heater leaks.

Vacant houses and unheated rooms freeze first in winter. Advice many utilities give is to keep the heat at 55 degrees or higher when away, open cabinet doors on exterior walls and know where the main shut-off is. A neighbor with a key is worth more than most gadgets.

If you come home to water, shut off the main, stay out of standing water near outlets and call. Take photographs before you move anything, because moisture readings and photos support a claim.