From busted sump pumps, ice dams, obstructed gutters, missing downspouts to frozen pipes, water has been finding its way into people's basements this winter. "There was only one other year that was comparable to this, six or seven years ago," said Bryan Ballard, water damage supervisor with ServiceMaster 380 in Cedar Rapids. "In December, there was snow and rain on top of each other, then more snow, and then melting. ... We are kind of preparing for the worst right now." Winter usually is a slow time for leaky basements but not this year. Several area companies that deal with prevention or emergency extraction say there has been a surge they rarely see. The scary part is, they are just now coming up on what is traditionally the busiest time of the year. ServiceMaster, which focuses on emergencies, typically has 10 to 15 jobs per week, but since December, it has averaged four per day, Ballard said, including 60 in one week in early March. On a typical call, they first assess danger points, such as mold, wet electrical boxes or caving ceilings, and then they use high powered hoses to suck the water from the basement, sometimes saving rugs and carpet pads. Ballard said he expects the busy season to continue, particularly if it starts to rain. "We are kind of preparing for the worst right now," Ballard said. "The ground (has been) really frozen, as that starts thawing out and we get rain on top of that, it's going to run into the basement like water over concrete. Homeowners are going to be pretty disappointed when they don't have water damage insurance." Source: http://www.press-citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080319/NEWS01/803190333/1079
