Water, Fire & Mold Damage Restoration in South Hills

South Hills at a glance

Kanawha Restoration serves South Hills (25314) with water extraction and drying, storm and roof leak cleanup, fire and smoke cleanup, and mold removal. On these slopes, water almost always arrives from above: runoff into lower levels, rain through a roof a tree limb opened, or a leak upstairs that runs down through the house.

Big homes on steep, wooded lots

South Hills rises from the south bank of the Kanawha opposite downtown, with Bridge Road and Loudon Heights Road winding up through it. The neighborhood has some of Charleston’s larger homes, many built between the 1920s and the 1960s, on wooded lots so steep that houses have a full story exposed on one side and buried on the other. Greenbrier Gardens, Oakwood, Joplin and the Davis Creek area fill out the ZIP code, with newer homes mixed in.

Large, multi-level houses on steep lots with tall trees create a particular set of risks. There is more roof to leak, more lower-level space to flood, more plumbing running through more floors, and trees that can come down in storms.

Water damage on hillside lots

Runoff into lower levels. Water from the slope above collects against the uphill foundation and retaining walls and pushes through into finished lower levels. It usually shows up as wet carpet along the back wall or water at the floor-wall joint after heavy rain. Flooded basement cleanup covers the drying, and how to reduce the risk of basement moisture covers drainage.

Storm and tree damage. High winds bring limbs and whole trees down on roofs. Once the roof is open, rain soaks the attic insulation, ceilings and walls below. The first job is to cover the opening; emergency board-up includes tarping roofs. Then the water is extracted and the structure dried. Storm and flood damage explains the rest.

Leaks in multi-level homes. A failed supply line in an upstairs bathroom can travel through two floors before anyone sees it, following joists and pipes down through ceilings and wall cavities. Drying has to follow the water all the way down. Ceiling and drywall water damage covers what has to be opened.

What we check in a South Hills home

• The uphill foundation wall, retaining walls and floor-wall joint
• Attic insulation and roof decking after storm damage
• Every ceiling and wall below an upstairs leak, floor by floor
• Hardwood floors and plaster in older homes
• Drainage around the house that sends water toward the foundation

Fire and smoke damage

In a large home with several floors and open stairways, smoke from a kitchen or basement fire travels upward fast and settles in rooms far from the fire. Cleanup has to cover every floor the smoke reached, the HVAC system and often the attic. Smoke damage cleanup explains the process.

Mold in basements, attics and crawl spaces

Wooded lots stay shaded and damp, which keeps exterior walls and roofs wetter for longer. Lower levels built into the hill are the most common mold spot, followed by attics after roof leaks and crawl spaces under older homes. Attic mold removal and basement mold removal explain how each is handled.

Keeping water away on a hillside lot

• Clean gutters often; leaves from wooded lots clog them quickly.
• Extend downspouts and make sure they discharge downhill, away from the house.
• Have large trees near the house checked by an arborist, and remove dead limbs over the roof.
• Keep retaining wall drains and weep holes clear.
• Run a dehumidifier in the lower level in summer.

Nearby areas

South Hills overlooks Downtown Charleston and borders Kanawha City, South Charleston and Spring Hill. All are part of the local restoration help in Charleston described on this site.

South Hills restoration FAQs