Kendall's Has Ghosts. Your Crawl Space Has Mold. One of Those Problems I Can Fix.

That 'musty old house smell' is almost certainly mold. Most pier-and-beam homes in Noble were built in the 1950s-60s without vapor barriers. Ground moisture rises directly into the crawl space. The wood joists and subfloor absorb it. After decades, mold colonies are established on every organic surface down there. That musty smell in your living room is crawl space air migrating upward through every gap in your subfloor. It's not charm — it's elevated spore counts. I test the air, inspect the crawl space, and if it's mold, I contain, remove, and install a vapor barrier to prevent recurrence.

In a house that age, yes. Galvanized steel pipes corrode from the inside over decades. When a hard freeze hits — and Noble gets into the teens regularly — the weakened pipe can't handle the pressure. It bursts in the wall or under the floor, and water runs until someone finds it. Noble is a bedroom community — most people work in Norman or OKC. That means the house sits empty 8-10 hours a day. A pipe can burst at 10 AM and run until 6 PM before anyone notices. I recommend knowing where your shut-off valve is, insulating exposed pipes before freeze season, and calling me immediately if one does burst.

Parts of Noble have real flood risk, particularly along Dave Blue Creek and the low-lying areas near the North Canadian River floodplain. When 4-5 inches of rain falls in a few hours, those drainage areas overwhelm fast. Standard homeowners insurance does NOT cover flood damage — you need a separate flood policy. If water gets in, the 24-48 hour mold window starts immediately. Call me, not your insurance company first. I start drying while they start processing.

If the home was built before 1978, lead-based paint is possible. If built before 1980, asbestos may be present in flooring, insulation, or pipe wrapping. This matters for restoration because when those materials get wet, disturbing them improperly creates airborne hazards. I identify potential asbestos and lead during assessment. If present, I coordinate with licensed abatement specialists before removing any water-damaged materials. You cannot cut into wet drywall if there's asbestos behind it.

It means a leak can run for 8-10 hours before anyone notices. A burst pipe at 10 AM dumps water until 6 PM. A slow leak under the kitchen sink can saturate the subfloor for weeks without detection. In Noble, where many homes have pier-and-beam foundations, that water goes straight down into the crawl space — and nobody sees it. I recommend smart water sensors at supply lines and shut-off valves if you leave the house empty during the day. If you come home to water, call me before you do anything else.

It's possible. During heavy flooding, surface water can infiltrate a well if the casing isn't properly sealed or if floodwater reached the wellhead. Contaminated well water can introduce bacteria and sediment. Have the water tested by a certified lab. If the well was compromised, I handle the interior damage from any flooding that accompanied the contamination. The well itself needs a well service company — I coordinate with them so you're not managing two contractors.

Yes. Noble sits on expansive clay that swells when wet and shrinks when dry. That constant cycle stresses foundations — cracks form and widen over years. Those cracks become water pathways during heavy rain. Hydrostatic pressure pushes water up through slab cracks into your living space. I handle the water damage; a foundation specialist handles the crack. Often you need both working together.

Yes. Smoke from a nearby grassfire infiltrates through every opening — windows, doors, HVAC intake, attic vents. The particulates embed in soft materials: carpet, upholstery, curtains, clothing. The HVAC system recirculates them throughout the house. Even after the smoke clears outside, the odor persists inside because the particles are trapped in fabrics and duct lining. I use thermal fogging to neutralize smoke odor at the molecular level and clean the HVAC system to stop recirculation.