Serving Lake Helen
Wind-Driven Rain Intrusion Lake Helen, FL
Wind pushes rain sideways through window frames, stucco and the base of the wall. The roof can hold and the house still take water. The walls on the side the wind came from are traced first, at windows, sliders, the base of the wall and the soffits. Block that took on water is dried from inside the closed building rather than left to the outdoor air.
Shut off the water, then pick up the phone
Often needed alongside
- Humidity & Moisture Drying
When the outdoor air is wetter than the building, opening windows adds water. Drying means a closed building and conditioned air.
- Storm Surge & Tidal Flooding
Surge and tidal water rise from the ground up and carry salt and silt with them. Anything porous they soaked is treated as contaminated.
Frequently asked questions
Why are the board edges soft on a board-and-batten wall of an old Lake Helen house?
Board-and-batten keeps rain out only while each narrow batten covers the joint between two wide boards. As a batten shrinks, splits or pulls loose, rain runs into the joint and soaks the board edges beside it, and the cooled room behind slows their drying. Many of Lake Helen's historic houses use this siding, so checking each batten's fit after a dry spell is worthwhile.
Does yard shade affect a Lake Helen septic field?
It can. Lake Helen has some 998 homes with septic systems on record. A drain field depends on the ground above it giving water back to the air between storms, and sun and grass help it do so. Under the dense shade of old yard trees the ground stays wet longer, so after a run of July rain the field has less room for the household's water.
What should be checked under a manufactured home on a shaded Lake Helen lot?
The ground and the belly wrap. About one Lake Helen structure in nine is a manufactured home, and on a lot under heavy shade the soil beneath the skirting stays wet long after a July storm. The cooled ducts in the belly hang in that damp air, and water condenses on them. Clear skirting vents and a sheet of plastic over the soil keep that air drier.
These questions also sit on the Lake Helen page, next to its numbers.