A local plumber says his company has been trying to keep up with an increase in service calls after the recent storms.
He said that if your sump pump isn’t working, you could be in trouble with all of the recent rain we’ve been getting in the D.C. area.
Especially with more people refinishing their basements.
“Very few basements are just like an old unfinished basement where you store things in any longer. People have expensive flooring, expensive furniture. So we wade into some real messes,” said Kenneth Griffin, owner of Ken Griffin Plumbing based in Howard County, Maryland.
Griffin said he’s seen more people getting battery backup sump pumps to help save their basements if the primary pump fails or if the power goes out.
“I tell people there’s no one fail-safe system, but the two systems together do a pretty good job,” Griffin said.
And before the next storm?
“Make sure your down spouts are free, your gutters are free and that the water is getting away from the house at the bottom of the downspout.”
Tim Wiskman, co-owner of Maryland Roofing says they have been busy after several recent storms.
“A tropical storm a month ago, a tornado last week, who knows what’s coming next week,” Wiskman said. “It’s kind of been one thing after another.”
He said that he sees homeowners often get a new roof and then forget about it. And he says that can be dangerous if a lot of rain or a powerful storm comes along.
“Don’t forget that your roof needs maintenance too. Folks have a real tendency to forget about it because they can’t really see it, but roofs need sealant; they need the trees cut back from it,” Wiskman said.
