Your Home Isn't a Template. Neither Is My Work.

A lot of Nichols Hills homes were built between the 1930s and 1960s. Even the ones that have been beautifully renovated on the inside may still be running on original cast-iron drain lines and galvanized supply pipes behind the walls. Cast iron corrodes from the inside — tree roots find the cracks, mineral deposits narrow the flow, and one day the line collapses. Galvanized supply pipes do the same thing in reverse — they narrow until water pressure drops and a weak joint gives out. The signs are subtle at first: slow drains, slightly lower water pressure, a faint musty smell near an exterior wall. If you notice any of those, get a plumber to scope the lines. If you're already seeing water stains, bubbling paint, or soft spots in the floor, call me. I'll bring a moisture meter and a FLIR thermal camera. I can tell you exactly where the water is — without cutting into anything.

This is exactly the kind of work I'm equipped for. Homes in Nichols Hills often have irreplaceable contents — antiques, art collections, heirloom furniture. When smoke or water reaches those items, the wrong cleaning technique can cause permanent damage. I use dry-sponge techniques for soot removal to avoid chemical damage to delicate finishes. I run HEPA air scrubbers for continuous particle elimination. For the most delicate pieces — gilded frames, lacquered surfaces, textiles — I coordinate with professional conservators. Every impacted item gets inventoried and handled individually. I don't run a generic cleanup. I treat every item as if it can't be replaced — because in most Nichols Hills homes, it can't.

Some streets in Nichols Hills were designed with the original 1929 layout — winding roads, no curbs, no underground storm drainage. When you add 35 inches of annual rainfall and Oklahoma's red clay soil that expands when wet and holds water against your foundation like a sponge, you get pooling. What I recommend: make sure your grading slopes away from the foundation on all sides. Extend downspouts at least 6 feet out. If you have a French drain, have it inspected — they clog with roots and clay over time. Consider a sump pump for any below-grade space. And if water has already gotten in — even once — call me. I'll check for moisture behind your baseboards, under your floors, and in your crawl space or basement. One rain event can start a mold colony you won't smell for 30 days.

Electrical panel fires are one of the most common fire scenarios in older homes — and Nichols Hills has plenty of pre-war and mid-century electrical systems. The fire itself is often contained quickly, but smoke is sneaky — it travels through wall cavities, ductwork, and into adjacent rooms. If you have irreplaceable items in storage near the garage, the concern isn't the fire damage itself — it's the smoke residue that settles on every surface. My approach: full inventory of affected items, dry-sponge soot removal on delicate surfaces, HEPA air scrubbers running continuously, and professional conservator coordination for the most sensitive pieces. I clean the rafters, the ductwork, the in-wall cavities — everywhere smoke hides. If you have smoke damage near valuable items, don't let a franchise tech with a can of deodorizer near them. Call someone who understands what's at stake.

Yes. Nichols Hills homes are often insured through high-value carriers — Chubb, AIG Private Client, PURE, Cincinnati Insurance, sometimes USAA. These policies have higher coverage limits, appraisal-based valuations, and more thorough adjuster processes. I document everything in Xactimate — moisture readings, thermal imaging, line-item breakdowns, photographic evidence for every affected area. I've worked with adjusters from every major carrier. The documentation I provide isn't something they have to argue with — it's evidence. I also understand the difference between replacement cost and actual cash value policies, which matters when you're dealing with custom finishes and specialty materials. My job is to make the claim airtight so you get what your policy owes you.

This is one of the reasons I invested in low-grain refrigerant dehumidifiers instead of conventional desiccant units. Custom hardwood floors — the kind you find in Nichols Hills, often wide-plank white oak or imported species — require controlled evaporation. Too much heat cracks marble. Too much airflow warps hardwood and pops seams. I use strategic air mover placement, monitor moisture content twice a day with a pin-type meter, and adjust the drying profile based on the material. Marble gets different treatment than oak. Oak gets different treatment than engineered flooring. I don't blast and leave. I monitor and adjust until the readings hit baseline. It takes longer. It costs the same. And your floors survive.

Wine cellars and basements are the highest-risk spaces for mold after any water event. They're below grade, they have limited airflow, and they're often kept at cool temperatures — which means moisture doesn't evaporate naturally the way it does in a sun-lit room upstairs. If a pipe leaks above or behind a wine cellar wall, that moisture can sit for weeks before you notice. Mold thrives in exactly those conditions — cool, damp, dark, undisturbed. If you've had a pipe leak, sump pump failure, or even foundation seepage in a below-grade space, I'd check it. I use a combination of moisture meters and FLIR thermal imaging to find wet spots behind walls and under flooring without cutting into anything. If there's mold, I contain it, remove it, and verify spore levels with post-remediation air testing.

The larger companies send a technician who has to call a regional manager before making a decision. That tech may have never worked in a home with a wine cellar, an art collection, or marble floors. When you call 405-896-9088, you get me — Phil Sheridan, the owner. I make decisions on-site in real time. I understand the difference between drying a standard slab home and drying a 4,000-square-foot home with imported flooring and below-grade spaces. I'm IICRC certified, I'm a service-disabled veteran — Oklahoma Army National Guard, six years, Afghanistan 2011–2012 — and I document every job to the standard your insurance carrier will accept without argument. I don't have a national ad budget. I have a Google page with 5-star reviews and hundreds of jobs across the OKC metro.