Water Damage Restoration in Downtown Nashville

How does a mid-rise building change a water call?

A water loss in a mid-rise building can run down a riser or a chase to several floors, and each floor has its own readings. The owner or manager is given a record for each unit or floor.

The building's shared systems are checked with the owner before any opening is made, so the crew does not disturb a live riser or a fire system.

What do historic blocks need in a water loss?

Historic masonry, old plaster and plank floors hold moisture for longer than modern materials, and a loss in a historic building is read with that construction in mind.

The drying is slower and more deliberate, and the readings are logged on the masonry as well as on the framing.

What should a downtown owner check before storm season?

Check the roof drains, the gutters and the downspouts, and make sure they carry water away from the walls and the lower floors. A blocked roof drain can send water down the face of a building.

Check the basement drains and any shared floor drain, and clear them before heavy rain.

Historic masonry and moisture

Historic masonry holds moisture for a long time, and water that enters a historic wall can reach the plaster and the framing behind it. The readings are taken on the masonry as well as the interior finish, and the drying is slower than in a modern building.

Shared utilities in a downtown block

Downtown blocks share utilities such as risers, meters and sewer connections. The crew identifies the shared lines with the owner before any opening is made, so the work does not disturb a service to the adjoining building.

A seasonal record for the property

Downtown building owners benefit from a written schedule for the roof drains, the scuppers, the basement floor drains and the entrance thresholds. The schedule is kept with the building records, and each check is dated, so the owner can show when each part of the system was last checked.

Downtown Nashville: how water travels through a mid-rise

In a mid-rise building water travels down through the structure, not only across the floor. A leak on an upper floor can run along a riser, through a service shaft and into a unit several levels below, and the readings have to follow that route. The crew asks the building manager for the plan of the shafts and the risers, where the manager has one.

Renters and owners divide the cost as their leases and policies set it. In a building with several owners, the shared structure is governed by the building's own rules, and a tenant should notify the manager and the owner in writing, with a copy kept. The record of each unit's readings is kept under its own number.

Downtown Nashville is about 26 km from the center point. The crew sets its arrival time with the manager at the first call, and the entry rules and the unit number are the first details to have ready.