Storm Water Damage Restoration in Morristown, NJ

Wet ceiling, soaked attic or water coming in around a window after a storm? We remove the water, dry what it reached and handle the damage inside homes, apartments and businesses in Morristown. Call [PHONE] any time. We aim to reach emergency calls in Morristown within 60 minutes.

Storm Water Inside? Do This First

1. Keep people safe, limit the spread, then call. Don’t wait for the rain to stop.
2. Stay away from downed power lines and anything touching them. Call the utility and 911 if a line is down.
3. Stay out of any room with a sagging, bulging or dripping ceiling. Water pooled above can come down without warning.
4. If water is near light fixtures, ceiling fans or outlets, don’t use them. Turn off power to that area at the breaker panel only if the panel is dry and you can reach it safely.
5. Put buckets under drips and move furniture, rugs and electronics out of the wet area.
6. Take photos and short videos of the leak and the damage, then call [PHONE]. We answer emergency calls 24/7.
7. Call a roofer too. We handle the water inside the building, and a roofer stops the water from coming in. See who fixes what below.

Where Storm Water Gets In, and Where the Damage Hides

Storm water finds the weak spot, then travels. The wet spot you see is often not where it started.

Where it gets in	What you may see	Where damage hides
Roof, flashing, vents or chimney	A stain on the ceiling, drips, a musty smell upstairs	Wet attic insulation, rafters and drywall above the ceiling
Skylights	Water around the frame, a stain next to it	Drywall and framing around the opening
Windows and doors	Wet sills, bubbling paint, a soaked floor beneath	Wall cavities and flooring along the edge
Siding and walls	A spot or stain on the inside wall	Insulation and sheathing inside the wall
Gutters and downspouts	Water at the foundation or in the basement	Basement walls, floors and the lowest rooms
A fallen tree or branch	A hole or cracked roof	The room and the attic under the hole

Roof Leaks: The Water Often Shows Up Far From the Hole

Water that gets under shingles rarely falls straight down. It runs along the roof deck and the rafters, soaks the insulation, then drips through the ceiling several feet away from the leak.

That is why a small ceiling stain can hide a much bigger wet area. The attic insulation holds water like a sponge, and it keeps the ceiling wet long after the storm ends. We use a moisture meter and a thermal camera to map the wet area, so we don’t miss what is behind the stain.

After the Storm: What To Check Around Your Home

• Some leaks show up hours or days later. Walk through the building once the storm passes and look for these.
• Ceilings and upper walls for new stains, bubbles or sagging paint
• The attic, if you can reach it safely, for dark or damp insulation and drips from the roof deck
• Window and door frames, and the floor beneath them, for dampness
• Gutters and downspouts for clogs, and the ground near the foundation for pooled water
• The basement and crawl space for damp walls, wet floors or a sump pump that is running nonstop
• Closets and corners on exterior walls, where a musty smell often shows up first
• Take photos of anything you find, even if it looks minor. If something is wet, call us before you decide it can wait.

Ice Dams and Winter Storms in Morristown

January nights in Morristown average in the low 20s°F, so snow and ice are part of the picture. A winter storm doesn’t have to bring rain to cause a leak.

How an ice dam forms

Heat escapes from the house into the attic and warms the roof. Snow on the roof melts, runs down to the cold eaves and freezes again. The ice builds into a dam, and meltwater backs up under the shingles and into the ceiling and walls.

What helps

Good attic insulation and ventilation keep the roof cold and the snow frozen.

Clear gutters let meltwater drain.

Use a roof rake from the ground to pull snow off the lower roof. Don’t climb up, and don’t chip at the ice with tools. You can damage the roof or get hurt.

If an ice dam has already pushed water inside, call us for the water, and a roofer for the roof. Frozen pipes are a separate winter problem. See burst pipe cleanup.

How We Clean Up After Storm Water Gets In

1. Check for hazards. We look for electrical risks, sagging ceilings and slippery floors before we start.
2. Control the water. If a ceiling is holding water, we release it safely with small openings and catch it, so it doesn’t collapse.
3. Extract standing water from floors and carpet. See our page on emergency water removal.
4. Find the wet areas with a moisture meter and a thermal camera, including the attic when it is safe to reach.
5. Remove what can’t be dried, such as soaked insulation, drywall and ceiling material.
6. Dry the structure with dehumidifiers and air movers (high-powered fans). Our structural drying page explains the process.
7. Check moisture readings on each visit. Repairs start after the readings say the structure is dry.

Water coming in right now? Call [PHONE]. We answer emergency calls 24/7.

Who Fixes What: the Roof and the Water Damage

Storms in Morristown

Morris County’s hazard plan lists river and urban flooding among the most likely flood risks in the county. Hurricane Ida in September 2021 dropped about half a foot of rain on Morristown, closed local roads and sent the Whippany River over its banks.

Heavy rain tests every weak spot at once: the roof, the windows, the gutters and the basement. Not all of that water arrives from above. If water rose from outside and spread through the building, see our page on flood cleanup. If it came in at the foundation, see flooded basement help.

Wet Insulation and Mold After a Roof Leak

Attics are warm, dark and poorly ventilated, which is a good place for mold. Mold can start within 24 to 48 hours in warm, damp spaces, and wet insulation stays damp for a long time.

Signs to watch for are a musty smell upstairs, dark spots on the ceiling, a stain that grows, or paint that bubbles. If you see them, read about mold after water damage or call us.

What Affects the Cost of Storm Water Damage Cleanup

• These are the main factors.
• How much water got in. A single ceiling stain and a soaked attic are very different jobs.
• How many areas it reached. Ceiling, walls, attic and floors each add work.
• What it soaked. Insulation, drywall and flooring need different work.
• Access. Tight attics and steep stairs slow the work.
• How long it sat. The longer the water stays, the deeper it soaks.
• What comes after. Some jobs end at drying. Others need repairs. See rebuilding after drying.

Call [PHONE] and describe what happened. We can tell you what the job is likely to involve.

Questions About Storm Water Damage

Storm Water Inside Your Morristown Home or Business? Call Now

Call [PHONE] any time for water emergencies. We aim to reach emergency calls in Morristown within 60 minutes. For repair planning and other questions, call during [HOURS].