Water Damage Restoration in Martinsville and Henry and Patrick Counties, VA

The city and two counties

Martinsville is an independent city. Henry County surrounds it, but the city isn't part of the county. Its ZIP code, 24112, also takes in surrounding Henry County addresses, and our service area follows that ZIP. In Henry County, Ridgeway is an incorporated town; Bassett, Collinsville, Stanleytown, Fieldale, Axton and Spencer are unincorporated communities. To the west, Patrick County's seat is the town of Stuart, and Patrick Springs, Woolwine, Critz, Ararat, Claudville and Meadows of Dan are unincorporated communities spread across the county.

The land rises from east to west. Henry County is rolling Piedmont cut by the Smith River and its creeks. Patrick County climbs toward the Blue Ridge, and Meadows of Dan sits up on the plateau at the top, where winters run noticeably colder.

Housing: older and more varied

Homes here span a long stretch of time. In Martinsville and the older Henry County communities there are early-twentieth-century frame houses, brick bungalows and mid-century ranches on established streets. Out in the county there are farmhouses, newer brick and vinyl-sided homes on larger lots, and manufactured homes. Many houses have been added to over the decades.

Crawl spaces are common, and basements appear mostly where a lot slopes enough for a walkout. Older plumbing, galvanized supply lines in homes that were never repiped, and connections to appliances in utility rooms and crawl spaces are all regular sources of water.

Wells, septic and public water

Martinsville and parts of Henry County are on public water and sewer. Across much of rural Henry County and most of Patrick County, homes draw from a private well and drain to a septic system. That affects a water loss in several ways. Switching off the well pump at its breaker may be how you stop the water. A pressure tank, a split line from the well, or a pump in a crawl space can be the source. And after a toilet overflow or a drain backup, the condition of the septic system matters to how cleanup is planned.

Freezes, storms and slopes

Winter cold snaps split lines in crawl spaces, well houses and exterior walls, especially at higher elevations in Patrick County, and the leak often appears only as things thaw. Summer storms bring heavy rain that runs downhill toward foundations, and houses tucked into a slope or near a creek see water against their walls. Tree cover keeps gutters full through the fall.

Distance and access

Properties here are spread out along two-lane roads, gravel drives and private lanes, and some are a long way from the main highways. We'll be straightforward about when a crew can reach you, rather than promise a time.

Services most requested here

• Frozen pipe bursts
• Structural drying
• Burst pipes
• Sewage and septic backups
• Appliance leaks
• Storm and heavy rain

Martinsville, Henry and Patrick: common questions