Water Damage · Nassau County
Burst pipes and water-heater failures happen everywhere; in Nassau, nearly every home has a basement, and when a sump pump fails in a storm it floods fast.
Overview
Nassau County is dense, older suburbs, mostly single-family homes but also plenty of condos, co-ops, and apartment complexes, and nearly every home has a basement. That is where most water damage ends up. Burst pipes, water-heater failures, appliance leaks, and frozen pipes hit Nassau homes like anywhere, but the basements change the story: sump pumps run hard here, and when one fails during a storm the basement floods fast. The South Shore, Freeport, Long Beach, Oceanside, and Massapequa, adds coastal and surge flooding on top, and the county's aging homes hide plenty of old plumbing waiting to give out.
Long Beach, Island Park, Oceanside, Freeport and Baldwin sit low along the bays and canals. Some streets flood with high tides even without a big storm, and when a storm lines up with the tide, water reaches garages, lower levels and ground floors. Saltwater and storm runoff are dirty water, so soaked drywall, insulation and floors are usually removed rather than dried. Mechanicals that sat in water, like the boiler, water heater and electrical panel, need a licensed tech to check them before they're turned back on. See storm and flood damage. Here is how long drying usually takes in a finished basement or a split-level lower level.
Nassau has a lot of split-levels, ranches and capes. In a split-level, the lowest level is partly below grade and is usually where a leak or a flood ends up, along with the laundry room and the heating equipment. In homes with finished basements, water runs under carpet and laminate and wicks up into drywall. We measure what's wet before deciding what comes out, and dry the rest in place.
Parts of Nassau still run on cesspools instead of the sewer. When a cesspool is full or failing, waste backs up into the lowest drain in the house, usually a basement shower, toilet or floor drain. That's sewage, not clean water, so it gets handled with protective gear, removal of porous materials and disinfection. You'll also need a cesspool company to pump it out and check the system, or it will happen again. See sewage cleanup in Nassau.
Flood Records
The National Weather Service keeps a log of past tidal flooding at local gauges. Its Freeport record notes widespread flooding south of Atlantic Avenue in June 2012 and December 2014, and 2 to 3 feet of water on roads there in December 2022.
The Reynolds Channel record lists March 2010, when 1 to 2 feet of water from the channel flooded over many streets in Long Beach. The logs also cover Island Park, East Rockaway and Lido Beach, so if your block shows up in either one, keep stored items off the lower-level floor.
Split-Levels
We seal the lower level off and dry it as its own room. Plastic goes up across the half-flight of stairs, so the dehumidifiers pull water out of that level instead of the whole house.
The back wall of the lowest room is usually below grade and the front wall often isn't, so water tends to collect on the uphill side. That's where we take readings first, and where we cut the drywall if some of it has to come out.
Laminate and engineered floors on a slab can hold water underneath while the top feels dry, so we lift a row and check. Our moisture readings decide when the level is done, not the calendar.
Sump Failure
When a sump pump quits in a storm, the first job is staying safe, the second is finding out why it stopped.
Once the lower level reads dry, the same crew can handle the rebuild, from new drywall on the below-grade wall to fresh flooring on the slab.
Where We Work
From the Five Towns and the South Shore to Garden City, Hempstead, Hicksville, and the North Shore, we cover all of Nassau County 24/7. Call 646-543-2242 any time for Nassau, North Shore or South. See our water damage restoration process.
Questions
Yes. That is one of our most common Nassau calls. We extract, dry, and check for hidden moisture before mold sets in.
Yes, including coastal and storm-surge flooding in Freeport, Long Beach, Oceanside, and Massapequa.
Yes. We cover all of Nassau County, from the South Shore towns to the North Shore.
It depends on your policy. Many homeowners policies only cover backups with a separate sewer or drain backup endorsement, and some exclude cesspool failures. Check with your agent, and photograph everything before cleanup starts.
Not always. FEMA defines a basement as any area with its floor below ground level on all sides, and FloodSmart lists basement contents as not covered. A lower level with a door at grade may be classed differently. Ask your flood insurance agent.
Water, fire, mold, or sewage, one call starts the recovery. We show up fast and we do not leave until it is done right.
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We'll call you right back, and give you a free estimate. For an active emergency, the fastest way to reach us is by phone, day or night.