Water Damage Restoration Project in Westport, CT

The state of Connecticut has many unique features, some of which are due to our long history. One of those unique features is the prevalence of wood shakes and shingles on the roofs of our homes. When settlers first came to what is now Connecticut and started building homes, trees were plentiful and wood became an important building material.

Typically made from western red cedar and Alaskan yellow cedar, rustic wooden roofing materials have a beautiful, traditional look. They are also durable, particularly in our severe coastal and winter weather. They can stand up to rain, hail, snow, humidity, and wind, and they can tolerate both freezing and thawing well. Wood roofs also offer great insulation, keeping your Westport home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Because of their durability, high-quality cedar shingle roofs can last 20 to 25 years.

Although we now have more options than the early Connecticut settlers did, wooden roofs remain popular for the reasons listed above and also for their appearance. Wood roofs are a popular choice for traditional styles of homes with gable, gambrel, and hip roofs. Saltbox, Farmhouse, Dutch Colonial, Cape Cod or Tudor style homes all look great with wood shake or shingle roofs.

As durable as they are, wood roofs can still develop leaks and other issues. It’s important for homeowners to check their home regularly for leaks in order to prevent problems that can quickly cause major water damage. If you have a wood roof, you need to periodically inspect it for deteriorating shingles - especially near gutters and valleys.

At a recent project in Westport, Connecticut, Riverside Restoration helped a homeowner who was faced with a complex situation. Two upstairs bedrooms, a bathroom, and the first floor living room sustained water damage from a wood roof that leaked.

The water leaked into the ceiling of the top floor, and then down into the exterior wall cavity. When the temperature dropped, the wet insulation in the wall cavity froze. The wet, frozen insulation stuck to the exterior side of the wall, leaving behind fragments of insulation shown in our photos. There was also visible water damage to the ceilings and crown moldings throughout the backside of the house.

When large-scale water damage like this happens, it’s critical to get help fast. Quick action from a professional water damage restoration contractor can stop the problems from spreading, and even prevent additional issues like mold and mildew from developing.

Cleaning up after water damage can be a complex and occasionally messy project, so it’s important that you work with a contractor who knows how to protect you, their team, and the rest of your home. At this project, we set up full containment in the area where we were doing the restoration work. Then we established negative air prior to starting the remediation work. Setting up negative air pressure means that the air pressure inside the sealed work area is lower than the air pressure outside in the unaffected areas. This means that potentially contaminated air or other particles trapped inside the work area will not flow outside into the rest of your home. This prevents cross contamination of the other unaffected areas in the home.

Within the work area, we removed all of the damaged materials while using air scrubbers and structural drying equipment to remove even the moisture that you can’t see. An air scrubber is a portable filtration system that collects airborne particles and contaminants like mold spores and bacteria from the air. Our specialized drying equipment ensures that all of the damaging moisture is removed from every part of the affected areas before you begin the rebuilding and refinishing process.

If you are dealing with water damage from a roof leak, contact Riverside Restoration today. We can be onsite right away to stop the damage and start safely completing the water damage restoration process. We have the expertise and equipment to ensure a great result - contact us today to learn how we can help you get life back to normal as quickly as possible.

Location: Westport, CT