Rain causes trouble for homeowners

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Rain causes trouble for homeowners

Benton County Daily Record - Bentonville,AR*

By Brunk Staff Writer n jamieb@...

Sunday, May 11, 2008

http://nwanews.com/bcdr/News/61668/

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS - Benton County residents may have felt like

building an ark lately - considering the more than a dozen inches of

rain that has soaked the area the last two months.

The rainfall poses more problems than just blocked roads and

canceled outdoor activities - it can damage homes and in turn cause

severe health problems. The frequent flashflooding episodes in

recent months have caused many residents to discover they have a

water-intrusion problem. A water-intrusion problem, if not properly

abated, almost always turns into a mold problem. Mold not only

lowers a home's value but can cause serious health issues.

" When you have water intrusion in a building, that scenario can

(provide ) an environment to amplify the growing of mold, " said

, a scientist with EGIS, a local environmental

consulting company. " Mold can really take off and start growing. "

When Kerr of Bentonville found water in his basement after a

major rainfall in March, he knew he needed to get the problem solved

right away. He had standing water, a couple of inches worth, that

had seeped in between the wall and the slab.

" You can't keep up with it; you have to call a professional to help

you with it, " he said. " As soon as you see the water, you need to

call a water restoration company. The concern is that (the

moisture ) will get into the sheet rock and mold. "

Kerr called NWA Restore It of Bentonville, owned by Kerry Tyler.

Tyler said his company is usually pretty busy, but it's been

especially hectic this spring because of heavy rainfall. He compared

the recent rain problems to several years ago around Independence

Day when more than half a dozen inches of rain fell.

" We've had people affected this time who weren't affected then, " he

said.

The increase in affected buildings is because the ground hasn't been

given a chance to dry out between large rainstorms, thus not giving

the newly fallen rain anywhere to go.

Most of the problems have involved small amounts of water, except

for homes that are close to the Beaver Lake Dam and the White River,

Tyler said. He said many of the problems are in residential areas,

and it seems like many are in newer homes.

Another place where there's been many reported problems is Lowell.

Jeff , owner of Northwest Restoration Inc. in Springdale, said

one of his customers had a garage door broken down by a rush of

rainwater. The water then infiltrated the house.

There have been problems throughout northwest Arkansas, however.

said companies such as his have equipment to determine whether

a wall contains moisture that wouldn't be visible to the human eye.

Determining if mold has been allowed to develop can be done in

several ways.

" Look for stains or musty, damp smells, " said Tom Bramlett, owner of

A-Z Inspections in Fayetteville. One of the company's services is

mold abatement.

When customers believe they have a mold problem, Bramlett's company

will perform a visual exam as well as test the air quality. Mold is

constantly in our environment, but if the number of mold spores in

the area is higher inside than outside, there is a mold problem.

" Mold can affect the salability of a home, " he said. " If we can

document that they had the problem properly taken care of, it takes

care of that fear factor. "

Many times homeowners are referred to a water-restoration or mold-

abatement company by their insurance companies. son,

State Farm Insurance representative, said the first four months of

2008 have been very busy with storms, which means there has been a

large number of claims in northwest Arkansas.

" Overall, State Farm, the largest insurer of homes in Arkansas, has

seen millions of dollars in storm claims as a result of hail, wind

and tornado claims. Some of those claims involve water damage as

well, " he said via an e-mail. " For homeowners policies, there is

coverage for water damage that is wind-driven from above - such as

damage from a hole in the roof, missing shingles, or window or wall

damage.

" Homeowners policies, however, do not cover rising ground water or

flood damage, " son said. " Protection for flood water is

provided through the federal government as a separate flood policy. "

son said homeowners need to be aware of what is covered by

their insurance policies before a disaster occurs, as well as have a

disaster plan established to keep their family members safe in a

storm.