SERVPRO Assists Local Darien Property Owners With Storm, Ice Dam Damage Restoration Services

1/25/2021 (Permalink)

Storm damage can cause excess water to gain entry into your home. Contact our technicians for water removal and to remediate.

The Techs Bring Advanced Equipment and Methods To Handle Darien Storm, Ice Dam Damage With Rapid Response

The city of Darien was initially part of Stamford and in 1737 went by the name Middlesex Parish. Later, in 1820 the townspeople bestowed the name Town of Darien and incorporated the township. The original land deal came between the early planters from Europe and the local tribe in the area, the Siwanoys also known as "the south people." The tribe lived in small settlements of wigwam houses covered in bark and lived peacefully hunting, fishing, and tending their corn crops. Unlike many areas where people set up homesteads in regions known as Indian Territories, there was little animosity between the groups. The original township was much smaller until the purchase of additional land around the area known as Pine Brook in the Goodwives River's vicinity. The original settlement of people consisted of 49 people, some of whom were family groups. All tried their hand to create self-sustaining farms and trade with the local tribes for some of the things they needed to get through the harsh winters in the area. This area of the state averages 30-inches of snow yearly, and while the rest of the United States receives about 38-inches of rain, Darien sees over 50-inches on average, making it an excellent place to grow crops. The top crops still produced in the area are:

• Corn
• Onions
• Beans
• Greens

The 1700s saw the township of Darien develop roads by cutting down the heavily forested areas. Soon afterward, the settlement grew, and the need for basics such as school, mill, dam, and general store was established. The roads originally were only wide enough for a footpath. The County Road got widened to accommodate carts and travelers on horseback and became the main highway connecting New York and Boston. Many well-known people traveled the road, including George Washington.  In the late 1700s, the trail underwent improvements that resulted in a regular stagecoach schedule that made a roundtrip from Darien to New York every two weeks, which further helped the area thrive.

Darien's town was the target of raids during the American Revolution by local Tories who fled to nearby areas and frequently disrupted local meetings. During church services, the Tories captured a minister and forty-seven men in attendance and transported them across the Sound. The men were kept as prisons of the British for five months before getting exchanged and freed by the Tories.

In the early 1800s, the stagecoach discontinued the route, but years of work brought improvements to the Turnpike Road (now known as Post Road), and a daily mail service got established. The small community continued to grow, and shops providing items such as:

• Hats
• Shoes
• Clothing
• Furniture

More expansion happened in Darien as the railroad line from New Haven arrived in the mid-1800s. Until this occurred, the town relied on Gorham's Mill's harbor to import and export goods produced in the township. Up until the railroad arrived, the city was inhabited by roughly one thousand farmers, cobblers, fishers, and merchants that made a living through coastal trading. The railroad changed that demographic and caused an uptick in the population numbers as more immigrants from Ireland and Italy moved to the town after working on building the railroad.

Benjamen Fitch, a local philanthropist in Darien, built the first home for veterans of the Civil War in 1864. He purchased land to build the Spring Grove Veterans Cemetery. When soldiers residing in the house passed away and needed a fitting burial place to honor their contribution and service. Later the home got expanded to include children orphaned by the war. The VFW Post 6933 building is the only standing structure left from the original Fitch veterans home, and it was constructed from the chapel.

Post-Civil War saw a boom in Darien that resulted in former farmland getting developed into residential areas, and this upgrade attracted the attention of affluent citizens of other regions including New York and built vacation homes along the shoreline as the land could still get purchased at a low price making it an ideal investment. From the late 1800s until 1933, the Stamford Street Railway, a trolley service, ran in the area and served the Darien area for local transportation. However, the real growth in the township happened in the 1950s when the Connecticut Turnpike came through. This took the general population from a few thousand residents to more than 20,000.

What Is The Best Way To Handle Storm, Ice Dam Damage To A Darien Roof?

With even a small scale winter storm, ice dam damage to Darien homes can be an issue. There are a few ways to prevent ice dams, but professional assistance should get brought in to remediate this problem. The longer this problem waits for cleanup to begin, the more damage it can do to the roof, interior, and gutters on the home.

People in other areas of the country may not have ever heard of an ice dam, but they are common in Northern New England. There are actions homeowners can take to reduce the risk of this issue becoming a problem; however, the only way to prevent this from happening is to ensure your property has: 

• Better sealing 
• Thorough insulation 
• Venting in the eaves and attic

SERVPRO technicians have experience handling the remediation of ice dams. They know the secondary damages it can bring to a house beside the water's apparent damage; if the sheathing remains wet, mildew and rot have the potential to form. The techs inspect around the dam to see if the roof or gutters have allowed water into the home when the melted water backs up behind the ice and drips into the insulation, ceilings, and walls. The techs can locate areas of water within the building materials by using their moisture detection equipment and probes.

SERVPRO technicians have various methods for dealing with an ice dam, depending on how large it is. DIY removal methods can be hazardous without the proper tools and training in safe removal procedures and should not get attempted. 

SERVPRO of Darien / New Canaan at (203) 966-6264 comes when local residents need assistance with storm, ice dam damage to their Darien properties.