Patrick Springs in brief
Our main service area is Northern Virginia. We also connect property owners in Martinsville and Henry and Patrick counties with local crews, and Patrick Springs is one of the Patrick County communities we cover.
Patrick Springs is an unincorporated community in eastern Patrick County, with no town government; the county provides services. It lies between the Town of Stuart to the west and the Henry County line to the east, with Spencer beyond the line and Critz to the south.
Homes include older frame houses, brick ranches, newer single-family homes and many manufactured homes, on roadside lots and rural acreage. Crawl spaces are the usual foundation. Most homes rely on private wells and septic systems.
Well and septic, in plain terms
With a private well, the water in the house comes from a pump that fills a pressure tank. When a pipe breaks, the tank keeps pushing water out after the pump shuts off. To stop it, switch off the pump at its breaker, close the valve on the house side of the tank, and open the lowest faucet so what's left in the tank drains there.
Tenants often don't know where the breaker or tank is. Landlords can save a lot of damage by labelling both and showing each new tenant.
Septic changes what happens after. Water that came back up through a drain, shower or toilet is treated as contaminated; porous materials it soaked are removed and the area is cleaned before drying.
We'll guide you to the pump breaker and tank valve.
On a Well? Call UsFive things people assume, and what's actually true
"If the floor looks dry, it's dry."
Surfaces dry first. Carpet pad, the subfloor, the bottom of the drywall and the insulation under a crawl-space floor can stay wet for days after the room looks fine. Moisture readings, compared with dry materials elsewhere in the house, are the only reliable test.
"It's a small leak, so it's a small problem."
A slow drip from a supply line under a sink can soak the bottom of the cabinet, the subfloor and the floor framing below for weeks before it shows. Small leaks in empty rentals are some of the costliest because nobody is there to see them.
"The pipes are new, so they won't leak."
Even in a house with updated pipes, the short connections usually fail first: toilet and faucet supply lines, the little angle-stop valves on the wall, washing machine hoses, the water heater's connectors and the icemaker line. They're under constant pressure and they age quietly. Replacing them every several years, and whenever a rental turns over, prevents a lot of calls.
"Turning off the pump stops the leak."
Only once the pressure tank has emptied. Open a low faucet after switching the pump off.
"Nobody looks under the house, so it doesn't matter."
The crawl space is where most losses here end up. See below.
Wet insulation or standing water under the floor.
Call About Your Crawl SpaceWhat happens in the crawl space
Supply lines and drains in most Patrick Springs houses run under the floor. When one leaks or splits in a freeze, water pools on the soil or vapor barrier and soaks the fiberglass between the joists. That insulation sags and holds water against the wood, raising humidity under the whole house. A soft spot in the floor or a musty smell is often the first sign anyone notices.
Drying starts with pumping out standing water and removing the wet insulation and torn barrier. Dehumidifiers go under the house with the vents shut, air movers push dry air into the corners, and the crew reads the joists and subfloor each visit until they match dry framing. In a manufactured home, the belly wrap underneath is opened and the wet insulation inside removed.
An empty rental in winter should have heat on or the water off. Either one, not neither.
Patrick Springs water damage questions
I rent my house and found water. Who do I call first?
Stop the water if you can, then tell your landlord straight away. You can also call us: we can help stop the water and start drying, and we'll need the owner's approval for anything beyond that. Photograph your own belongings, and keep your own records.
My rental near Patrick Springs is empty until spring. What should I do?
Either keep the heat at a moderate setting with a temperature alarm, or switch off the well pump and drain the lines. Close the crawl-space vents and disconnect hoses. Have someone check the house after hard freezes and heavy rain, including underneath if possible.
Should we worry about a manufactured home in Patrick Springs?
It needs its own check. A leak under the floor soaks the insulation held by the belly wrap, out of sight, and supply lines under the home freeze if the skirting is damaged. Drying means opening the wrap and working from below.
Which pipes in a Patrick Springs house freeze first?
Lines under the floor near crawl-space vents or damaged skirting, pipes on outside walls, anything in an unheated well house, and outside spigots.
Why does a Patrick Springs room still smell once it looks dry?
Moisture is still somewhere: the pad, the drywall's bottom edge, insulation or the crawl space below. Readings find it.
Tree roots keep blocking the line from our Patrick Springs house. What can be done?
Roots get into joints in the line to the septic tank. A plumber can camera it, clear it and repair the damaged joints.
How do clean, gray and black water differ at a Patrick Springs house?
Clean is supply water; gray has been used, as from a washer; black has come from a toilet with waste, a septic backup or outside runoff. The dirtier it is, the more porous material gets removed.
What should I tell you when I call from Patrick Springs?
Where the water is, what caused it, how long it's been, whether it's clean or drain water, who owns the house, and how the crew gets in.
How can a gutter problem end up in a Patrick Springs basement?
Overflowing gutters dump the roof's rain beside the foundation and into the crawl space. Clear them and extend downspouts.
Split line in an empty rental after a cold snap?
Call About a Frozen PipeServices for Patrick Springs homes
- Frozen Pipe Burst Cleanup
- Structural Drying & Dehumidification
- Sewage Backup Cleanup
- Storm & Heavy Rain Water Damage
- Appliance Leak Water Damage
- Burst Pipe Water Damage
Patrick Springs service area
We connect homeowners, tenants and landlords across ZIP code 24133. It's a rural area, so we'll give you an honest estimate of when a crew can arrive and help you stop the water in the meantime. If you're a landlord calling about a tenant's report, tell us who can let the crew in.
ZIP codes served: 24133
Communities near Patrick Springs
Patrick Springs is part of our Martinsville, Henry & Patrick service area. Neighboring pages cover the Town of Stuart, Critz and Spencer in Henry County.
Old supply lines and patched plumbing are routine.
Call About an Older Home