Emergency Home Repairs in Manchester, NH

First, make it safe

A general contractor usually isn't the first call. Water still running? Shut off the main. Call a plumber. If it's reached outlets, fixtures or the panel, kill the power at the breaker, but only if you can get there without standing in water. Then call an electrician. If you smell gas, get out and call the gas utility from outside.

Those trades stop the damage. The carpenter comes in after, to fix what the damage left behind.

Before anything gets torn out, take pictures. The wet areas, the source, the damaged belongings. An adjuster will ask for those first. Once cleanup starts, they're gone.

Water damage: subfloor and drywall

Water that sits in a floor soaks into the subfloor. Particleboard swells. Old plank subfloor can too, and both lose strength. The damaged sheets get cut out back to the joists. The framing dries. Then new subfloor goes down. One of the owner's photos shows that stage: a floor opened down to the joists, new plywood sheets going down, a cordless drill resting on the boards.

Wet drywall usually gets cut out a foot or two above the water line so the wall cavity can dry and the soaked insulation can come out. Closing damp material back up inside a wall is how a leak turns into a mold problem.

In a pre-1978 house, cutting out painted plaster or drywall disturbs old paint that may contain lead. EPA's RRP rule makes a narrow allowance for true emergencies. The lead-safe cleanup still applies once the urgent part's over. What that looks like from your side is in EPA's Renovate Right pamphlet.

Storm damage to siding and roofs

Wind lifts shingles. It unlocks vinyl panels. A falling limb goes through both. The first job is getting the house dried in: a tarp over the roof opening, or sheathing and wrap patched over a hole in a wall. The permanent fix comes after the weather clears and the insurer has seen the damage.

A tarp nailed through its middle just leaks through the nail holes. It has to run up over the ridge and be battened down at the edges. Please stay off a wet or icy roof. That's a job for someone with fall protection.

Structural damage, like a cracked rafter or a wall pushed out of plumb, is a different class of repair. Check with the City of Manchester Building Division about a permit and inspection before it gets closed back up.

Doors that won't lock

After a forced entry the damage is usually in the jamb, not the lock. The strike side splits along the grain, and a new deadbolt in split wood holds nothing. A stopgap is screwing the door shut from inside, or bracing it, until the jamb can be fixed.

The proper repair is a new jamb section or a new pre-hung door, with the strike plate fastened by long screws into the framing behind it. Doors are on Crimson Maple's regular service list, so this is the same work done with more urgency.

Why it is on the list, and what to send

Devin's own line is "I’m a General contractor that can do anything from frame to finish." After damage, that range matters. One leak can mean subfloor, drywall, trim, paint and flooring in the same room, and all five are on his service list.

The business's line is "Message us a photo — we’ll get you a number." On an urgent job, send damage photos, a wide shot of the room or wall, and a line about what happened and when. Then pick up the phone: (603) 722-3344. Availability changes day to day. Ask Devin.