Historic Downtown water damage restorationolder materials, more care

Settlers from the Peters Colony founded the area around 1846, and it briefly served as Dallas County's temporary seat. On April 29, 1856, a tornado killed at least nine people and destroyed most buildings, and the county seat moved on to Dallas.^[1] So what stands downtown today came later, including homes from 1884 to 1899 on the city's walking tour.^[2]

That matters for water damage in one simple way. A building from that era can have been altered many times. It may have original wood floors over a raised frame, later plumbing of several generations and walls of plaster, wallboard or paneling, sometimes all in one room. You have to look at what's there.

Unlike the slab homes in the newer parts of town, some older buildings may have raised wood floors. If yours does, water can drop through into the space beneath, wetting soil, sills and joists, and that space needs ventilation or drying in its own right. Check for a hatch, and be careful down there, since you might meet wet soil, old wiring and pests.

Old wood floors deserve care. They are often thicker than modern floors, and they can recover surprisingly well if the water is removed and the drying is slow and controlled. Rushing it with high heat can cause cracks and gaps.

Old pipes may show up as galvanized supply lines, cast iron drains, or a mixture of replaced and original sections. Galvanized pipe corrodes from the inside, which reduces pressure and discolors water before it starts leaking. Cast iron drain lines can crack or scale. Repairs in one place can put new stress on the old section next to it, so ask the plumber for an overall view, as well as a fix for this leak.

Permit rules still apply. Cedar Hill requires state-licensed trades to register, and plumbing permits run through Building Inspections.^[5][6] Also, bear in mind that an older shutoff may not close fully. Test it before you need it, and with a plumber's help if it looks fragile.

Cedar Hill has five homes on the National Register, and since 2006 the city has run a Historic Designation Marker program for the downtown area, which it describes as bounded roughly by West Belt Line Road, Highway 67 and Cooper at Broad.^[1][4] Designation can affect what you may change, particularly on the outside. The city's page does not set out approvals, and we haven't checked individual buildings, so call the city before you replace windows, doors or visible finishes.

It's usually safest to treat original materials as worth keeping until shown otherwise. Label what comes off, keep samples of trim and floor, and take photos so that a repairer can match them later.

Commercial and mixed-use buildings downtown raise an extra question: who is responsible? A lease may split responsibility for plumbing, roof and fit-out between owner and tenant. Report any water to the other party in writing straight away, take photographs and check your lease and insurance. A separate commercial policy may apply. This site's content is aimed at homes, so ask the contractor whether they handle commercial work.

Older roofs and parapet walls collect water differently from modern pitched roofs. Flashing, tired mortar and old windows can all let water through. A stain under a window in heavy rain may be a window problem, or it may be something higher up in the wall. Have a roofer or mason take a look before you repaint, since interior fixes won't hold if the water is still getting in.

Original materials may be harder to work with but they're also hard to replace, and they often survive better than people expect. A plaster wall that can be dried and repaired or an old floor that settles back is often a better outcome than a new finish that doesn't suit the building. On the other hand, contaminated water, failed wiring and rotten structure need to be replaced.

Ask each trade to explain its reasons. Anyone who says everything must go without looking first is telling you more about their process than about your building.

Tell the contractor the rough age of the building, whether it is a home or a business, and whether there are any known hazards, such as old paint or suspect flooring. Parking and hose access can be tighter on older streets, so mention what's outside. If you know that the building is designated, say so at the start.

The City of Cedar Hill publishes a National Register walking tour that gives a sense of how old these buildings are. It lists the home Dr. Rufus Alston Roberts built at 210 South Broad Street in 1884, E. E. Straus's two-storey home at 400 Cedar Street from about 1884, William Bryant Jr.'s house at 398 South Broad Street from 1889, an 1895 Victorian cottage at 800 West Belt Line Road and Tip Hawkes's home at 132 North Potter Street from 1899.^[2]

Houses of that age predate modern plumbing standards, so any pipes in them were added or replaced later. We have no information about the condition of these or any other buildings, and we name them only to show the period. Their owners would have a much better idea of what's inside the walls.

Water and old wiring are a bad combination, and this is the first thing to think about after a leak in an older building. Knob-and-tube or old cloth-covered wiring may still be around in a building of this age, hidden behind later work, and it wasn't designed to be wet or buried in insulation. If water has reached a wall, a ceiling light or the panel, switch off that circuit from a dry place if you can. Otherwise, wait for an electrician. Don't assume a working light means safe wiring.

Ask the restoration contractor to confirm circuit loads before plugging in equipment. Drying machines draw a lot of power, and old circuits may not cope with them.

Older buildings tend to manage moisture by letting walls and floors dry out, while modern materials often try to keep water out altogether. Mix them carelessly and you can trap water. Cement-based patches on soft old plaster, plastic sheeting in the wrong place or vinyl floors on an old wood subfloor can all hold moisture where it does harm. That doesn't mean new materials are always wrong. It means each change should be thought about, and asked about, in the context of the whole building.

It's another reason to hire people who've worked on older houses. Ask them what they've done before, and ask to see a similar repair if possible.

When a house dates from the 1880s or 1890s, its bathroom was probably added long after it was built, and often more than once. Those rooms may sit in a converted porch or a rear addition, with a floor that's a different height and drains that run a long way to reach the sewer. They're usually the first place to look for water trouble. Check the wall behind the tub, the floor around the toilet and the framing below, if you can get to it. A slight slope or a soft board near a tub is a sign to take seriously.

Older streets were not laid out with today's rainfall and paving in mind, and the area around a building may have been raised or resurfaced many times. Watch how water moves on your block during a heavy rain, from a safe place. If water is reaching your door from the pavement, report blocked inlets to the city and ask a contractor about the threshold. Small changes at the door can make a real difference, and they often need no change to the historic fabric.

Older buildings can raise extra questions with insurers, particularly about wiring, plumbing and replacement of period materials. Ask your agent how your policy would treat original plaster or woodwork after a covered loss, and whether matching is included. A sample standard form excludes wear and tear and deterioration, so keep records showing that you've maintained the building.^[7] Good photographs and receipts are your best support, and they take very little time to organize before anything goes wrong.

Ask for any history of leaks and repairs, and look at the space under the floor if there is one.

Old wood and plaster dislike sudden swings. After a loss, bring the building back to its normal conditions gradually, not all at once.

Back to all of Cedar Hill. Nearby pages: Bear Creek, High Pointe, Lake Ridge.

Related help for Historic Downtown: water extraction, structural drying, sewage backup cleanup, fire damage restoration and smoke damage cleanup. First time dealing with this? Read the first hours after water damage.