About Bassett
Our main service area is Northern Virginia. We also connect property owners in Martinsville and Henry and Patrick counties with crews that work here, and this page is about Bassett homes.
Bassett is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in western Henry County, with no town government; the county provides services. It stretches along the Smith River valley and Route 57 northwest of Martinsville, with Stanleytown just to the east and Fieldale and Collinsville downriver.
Much of the housing is older: frame and brick houses from the early and middle twentieth century, set close together on hillside streets that climb away from the river, with brick ranches and newer homes farther out. Because the land is steep, many houses have a basement on the downhill side and a crawl space under the rest.
Public water, or a well?
If you're on public water, the main shut-off is usually near where the line enters the house, often in the basement or crawl space, or at the meter box near the road. Close it and the leak stops. It's worth finding that valve now and making sure it turns: valves in older homes often seize after years of not being used.
On a well, closing a valve isn't quite enough. Turn the well pump off at its breaker, close the valve after the pressure tank, and open a faucet on the lowest floor so the tank's stored pressure drains out there. The pressure tank, its fittings and the line up from the well can all be the leak.
Drains matter as much as supply. Where a home drains to septic, water that backs up through a floor drain or tub is treated as contaminated, and soaked porous materials are removed. On public sewer, a backup is handled the same way; the difference is who you call about the line. Either way, a sewer smell under a bathroom is worth investigating early.
Find your main shut-off before you need it, and turn it once a year. In an older house, that's the valve most likely to stick.
A family house nobody's living in right now?
Call About an Empty PropertyCrawl spaces on a slope
The crawl space under a Bassett hillside house is often tall at one end and barely a foot high at the other, with the uphill wall holding back the ground. Water finds it from every direction: runoff from the slope above, a gutter emptying next to the foundation, a split pipe in a cold snap, a drain line weeping from a bathroom overhead.
Once it's there, water sits on the soil or vapor barrier and raises the humidity under the whole floor. Fiberglass insulation between the joists soaks it up and sags, and it almost always has to come out. The joists, sill plates and subfloor absorb moisture slowly and release it slowly.
Drying starts with extracting standing water and pulling wet insulation and torn barrier. Dehumidifiers go into the crawl space itself, usually with the vents closed so humid summer air isn't drawn in, and air movers push dry air into the far corners. The low end of a sloped crawl space is the hardest to reach and often the last to dry.
Bassett service area
We connect homeowners, landlords and families looking after a relative's house across ZIP code 24055: the valley, the hillside streets and the county roads beyond. Some roads are narrow and steep, so tell us how to reach the house; we'll be straight with you about when a crew can arrive.
ZIP codes served: 24055
Public water or well, we'll help you shut it off.
Talk to a Restoration ProSupply lines and the connections that fail
Most indoor leaks in older Bassett homes come from small parts rather than the pipes themselves. The flexible line to a toilet or faucet, the little shut-off valve on the wall behind it, a rubber washing machine hose, the line to an icemaker or a dishwasher connection: all of them sit under constant pressure and age without showing it. Braided covers can hide corrosion, and rubber hardens and cracks.
Many of these homes also carry a mix of plumbing from different decades: galvanized steel in one run, copper in another, newer plastic where something was fixed. The joints between them are common weak points.
Replacing rubber washer hoses with braided stainless ones, checking supply lines when you're under a sink, and swapping old angle stops for new ones prevent many of these losses.
Crews who know the Smith River valley roads.
Speak With Someone LocalRunoff, gutters and the hill
On a valley slope, rain arrives from uphill as well as from the sky. Water running down a hillside yard reaches the back wall of the house first, and a basement or crawl space set into the hill takes it in wherever there's a gap. Mature trees keep gutters full every autumn, and an overflowing gutter adds a roof's worth of rain to the same spot.
Clean gutters, downspouts carried well away from the house, a swale or small drain to steer uphill runoff around the foundation, and window wells kept clear of leaves usually make the biggest difference.
Services for Bassett homes
- Frozen Pipe Burst Cleanup
- Structural Drying & Dehumidification
- Sewage Backup Cleanup
- Storm & Heavy Rain Water Damage
- Appliance Leak Water Damage
- Burst Pipe Water Damage
Around Bassett
Bassett is part of our Martinsville, Henry & Patrick service area. Neighboring pages cover Stanleytown, Fieldale and Collinsville.
Scope and price agreed with you before any work.
Call for Upfront PricingBassett water damage questions
Is Bassett a town?
No. Bassett is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Henry County, with no town government; the county provides services. The nearest incorporated town in the county is Ridgeway, to the south. We serve all of ZIP code 24055.
We look after a parent's empty house in Bassett. What should we check?
Keep the heat on at a moderate setting through the winter, or shut off the water and drain the lines. Visit after hard freezes and heavy rain, and look in the crawl space if you can. A cheap temperature and leak alarm will alert you if the furnace fails or water appears.
Does septic change the cleanup?
Yes. Water that backed up from the septic system is treated as contaminated, so soaked carpet, pad and lower drywall come out and surfaces are cleaned before drying. Have the system checked before it's used normally again.
Why did the leak only show up after it warmed up?
While the pipe was frozen, the ice sealed the split. When it thawed, water began to flow through it. Check crawl spaces and exterior walls after any hard freeze.
Why not just open the windows?
For much of the year, outside air here is humid, often more humid than the air in the house. Opening windows can slow drying. Dehumidifiers with the house closed do more.
What problems do cast-iron drains cause in older Bassett homes?
Cast-iron drains in older homes corrode from the inside and crack along the bottom. A sewer smell under the house or a damp patch below a bathroom is often the first sign. A plumber can camera the line.
Our Bassett yard slopes toward the house. Does that matter?
On a hillside lot it matters a lot. Regrading, or a swale that carries water around the house, keeps runoff from reaching the foundation.
Why can't you give a price over the phone?
The price depends on how far the water spread, which takes readings to know. The crew measures, explains the scope and agrees the price with you before any work begins.
Can mold start after a leak?
Moisture left in building materials can allow mold growth, commonly within a day or two under the right conditions. Growth damages materials and causes odor, which is one reason drying starts promptly. If you have health concerns, speak to a medical professional.