Berks County
Water damage & mold help in Reading, PA
Reading sits on the Schuylkill River in Berks County, southeast Pennsylvania. Hurricane Agnes in 1972 flooded the region, and heavy rain still sends the river and its creeks over their banks. Cold winters bring frozen pipes and ice dams, and the city's many 19th-century rowhouses have aging plumbing and old basements.
Areas served
Centre Park · Callowhill · Penn's Common · Glenside · Oakbrook
ZIPs include 19601, 19602, 19604, 19605, 19606, 19607
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Reading homes and water damage
Centre Park and Callowhill have 19th-century brick rowhouses with basements and aging plumbing. Shared walls mean a leak in one home can spread next door. Many rowhouses have basements with old stone foundations, original plaster walls and hardwood floors. Rowhouse roofs are often flat or low-slope and share drains, so a clogged drain on one roof can send water into the house next door.
River flooding
The Schuylkill River floods low areas in heavy rain, as during Agnes in 1972.
Frozen pipes
Cold snaps freeze pipes in older rowhouses and exterior walls.
Rowhouse leaks
Shared walls and roofs let water spread to neighboring homes.
Basement flooding
Old stone foundations let water in after heavy rain.
Ice dams
Snow and freeze-thaw cycles cause ice dams that leak into ceilings.
Sewer backups
Heavy storms overload older sewers and back water into floor drains.
Tropical storm remnants
Remnants of storms like Ida in 2021 bring heavy rain and flooding.
Older plumbing
Older homes have galvanized supply lines and cast-iron drains.
Common calls in Reading
- Water Damage in Reading
- Mold Removal
- Fire & Smoke Damage
- Sewage & Biohazard Cleanup
- Water damage restoration
- Burst pipe water damage in Reading
- Structural drying in Reading
- Ceiling water damage repair in Reading
- Emergency water extraction in Reading
- Flood damage cleanup in Reading
Also available: emergency water damage and all restoration services.
Reading at a glance
- County
- Berks County
- Neighborhoods
- Centre Park, Callowhill, Penn's Common, Glenside
- ZIP codes
- 19601, 19602, 19604, 19605, 19606, 19607
- Nearby
- Philadelphia, PA, Pittsburgh, PA, Allentown, PA, Scranton, PA, Harrisburg, PA, York, PA
Reading questions
Do I need a permit for repairs in Reading?
Cleanup and drying don't. Structural, plumbing and electrical repairs need permits from the City of Reading Department of Building and Trades.
Who pays when water comes through a shared rowhouse wall in Reading?
It depends on the source. Document the damage, notify your neighbor and contact your insurer quickly.
Helpful guides
Nearby and related areas
Water or mold damage in Reading? Get the right crew on it.
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