Who handles water, fire and mold damage in Kensington, MD?

ServiceMaster NCR restores Kensington homes and businesses after water, fire and mold damage. Our Rockville office serves Montgomery County, and our crews extract water, dry the structure, clean soot and smoke residue, remove mold-damaged materials and document the work for your insurance company. We are available 24/7.

Kensington is a small town with a long memory. It was incorporated in 1894, and it grew around a stop on the B&O Railroad's Metropolitan Branch that was first called Knowles Station. Developer Brainard Warner laid out a planned Victorian community here, and the town still describes itself as a Victorian-era garden suburb.

That history is still standing. The Kensington Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, and the Noyes Library for Young Children has been in its building since 1893. The whole town covers about half a square mile, with Connecticut Avenue as its main road and Antique Row along Howard Avenue.

For restoration work, old houses matter. A Victorian with plaster walls, original wood floors and a stone foundation does not take on water or smoke the way a newer house does, and it should not be dried or cleaned the same way either.

What causes property damage in Kensington?

Property damage here usually traces back to a short list of causes:

• Summer thunderstorms. Montgomery County averages about 43 inches of precipitation a year, and storms are common in the warm months. Heavy rain finds old roofs, window wells and basement walls.
• Aging plumbing. Homes that have been updated in stages over a century often have a mix of pipe materials and fittings.
• Frozen pipes. Winter brings freezing weather, and pipes in uninsulated walls or crawl spaces can split.
• Humidity. Summers are hot and humid, which keeps basements and crawl spaces damp.
• Kitchen and electrical fires. Smoke moves quickly through the open wall cavities found in some older framing.

How does ServiceMaster NCR handle water damage in a Kensington home?

We follow the same order on every water job and adjust the methods to the house:

1. Inspect and measure. We find the source, confirm it is stopped, and map the wet areas with moisture meters.
2. Extract standing water. Pumps and extractors remove water from floors, carpet and pad.
3. Protect what can be saved. Furniture is blocked up or moved. Original trim, doors and flooring are flagged so they are dried in place when possible.
4. Remove what cannot be dried. Soaked insulation, swollen particleboard and materials wet by contaminated water such as sewage are taken out.
5. Dry the structure. Air movers and dehumidifiers are set for the materials in the room. Plaster and old hardwood are dried slowly to limit cracking and cupping.
6. Monitor and record. We log moisture readings on each visit until they match a dry part of the house.
7. Clean and repair. Surfaces are cleaned, and repairs are planned once everything is dry.

What should I do before help arrives?

A few steps limit the damage without putting you at risk:

• Shut off the water at the fixture or the main.
• Stay out of rooms where water has reached outlets or cords until the power to that area is off.
• After a fire, wait for the fire department to say you can go back in.
• Take photos and video of every affected room before moving things.
• Move rugs, books, artwork and antiques to a dry room.
• Leave soot on walls alone. Wiping it can set the stain.
• Call your insurance company and ask what your policy says about the damage.

How is fire and smoke damage restored?

Fire restoration starts with securing the house: boarding openings, tarping the roof and drying the water left from putting the fire out. Then charred materials come out, and every surface the smoke reached is cleaned with a method matched to the type of soot.

In a Kensington Victorian, that list of surfaces is long. Think of carved trim, stair balusters, pocket doors, plaster medallions and old wood floors. We clean these by hand where we can so original details stay in the house. Smoke odor is treated after cleaning, and surfaces that still hold a smell are sealed before paint.

If your home is in the historic district, exterior repairs may need review. Check with the Town of Kensington and Montgomery County before exterior work begins.

What does mold remediation involve?

Mold needs moisture, so the work starts with finding and fixing the water source. That may be a foundation seep, a damp crawl space, a slow plumbing leak or a bathroom without enough ventilation.

From there, we contain the work area, remove materials that cannot be cleaned, clean the remaining surfaces and dry the space. We take moisture readings at the end to confirm the materials are dry. In older Kensington basements with stone or brick walls, we also talk with you about grading, gutters and dehumidification so the moisture does not return.

Do you help Kensington businesses too?

Yes. Kensington's shops, offices and restaurants sit close together along Connecticut Avenue and Howard Avenue, and some are in older buildings with shared walls.

For an antique or furniture dealer, the building is only part of the loss. Inventory needs to be moved, listed and dried or cleaned with care. We set up the work to protect stock first, keep a written inventory of anything that leaves the building, and schedule around your hours where the job allows.

Frequently asked questions from Kensington property owners

Can plaster walls be saved after water damage?

Often, yes. Plaster holds up to water longer than drywall, but it dries slowly and can separate from the lath behind it. We test it, dry it gradually and tell you plainly if a section has come loose.

My Kensington home is in the historic district. Does that change the restoration?

It changes the planning. Interior drying and cleaning go ahead as usual, with extra care for original materials. Exterior repairs may need review, so ask the Town of Kensington and Montgomery County what applies to your property.

My basement gets damp every summer. Is that water damage?

It is a moisture problem worth checking. Hot, humid summers keep below-grade rooms damp, and over time that shows up as musty odor, peeling paint or mold on stored items. A moisture inspection shows where it is coming from.

Do you serve the areas around Kensington?

Yes. Our Rockville office serves Montgomery County, including nearby Chevy Chase, Bethesda, North Bethesda and Silver Spring, as well as the neighborhoods along Rock Creek.

Who should I contact about property damage in Kensington?

If your Kensington home or business has water, fire, smoke or mold damage, contact ServiceMaster NCR. We will inspect the property, explain what we find and lay out the work in plain terms.