Pipe leak and mold cleanup in Little Haiti, 33150
In Little Haiti, the water that does the most damage usually comes from inside: a supply line that finally gives out in a pre-1960 duplex, or a drain that pushes sewage back up during a cloudburst.
Little Haiti sits higher than the bayfront, so tidal water is rarely the issue here. The trouble is the age of the plumbing and how fast the drains fill in a heavy storm, and Kelda Restoration handles both with our own crews and equipment.
At a glance
- Area
- Little Haiti
- From our office
- 1428 Brickell Ave, Floor 3
- Phones
- Answered 24/7
- Most calls
- Burst Pipe Water Damage
We cover Little Haiti from about 54th Street up to the city line at 80th Street, including Lemon City and Little River. Most calls here involve burst or leaking pipes in older buildings, drain and sewer backups after heavy rain, and mold behind walls and under sinks. Call (786) 947-0034; we answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Pre-1960 buildings and a mostly rented stock
A 2015 FIU housing study found that 53 percent of Little Haiti's housing units were built before 1960. About a third of the stock is single-family detached homes, with duplexes and small three- and four-unit buildings making up a large share of the rest.
Most households here rent; the same study put renter-occupied units at 73.9 percent. In a duplex or fourplex, one leak often crosses a shared wall, so the tenant next door may see the stain before the tenant whose pipe failed. We check both sides of the wall whenever we can get access.
Old supply lines, overloaded drains and the Little River
Pipes in buildings this old have had decades to corrode at fittings and joints. A pinhole leak inside a wall can run for months before it shows as bubbled paint or a soft baseboard, and by then mold is often growing on the back of the drywall.
Heavy rain causes a different problem. When drains and sewers are overwhelmed, water can come back up through the lowest fixture in the house, and during the June 3 to 4, 2022 storm a sewage overflow was reported at 6464 NE 4th Court in the Little River area. That northern edge drains to the Little River, which the South Florida Water Management District ranked its second most vulnerable area because of repeat flood losses and low-lying septic systems that regularly flood.
Working in shared walls and small apartment buildings
In a small multi-unit building we start by finding the shutoff, which is not always labeled, and stopping the water before anything else. Then we map moisture with meters and a thermal camera so we know how far it traveled across floors and into the next unit.
Mold work follows Florida's rules. Our own mold inspection is visual, with moisture meters and thermal imaging, and any lab testing or clearance testing goes through an independent assessor. We set up containment so dust does not spread to neighbors, remove the growth and fix the leak that fed it.
Next door to Little Haiti
The same crews cover the Upper Eastside to the east, the Design District and Wynwood to the south, and Liberty City across I-95 to the west. To the north, El Portal is close enough that we treat it as part of the same run.
All of it is reached from our office at 1428 Brickell Avenue. Call first so we can bring the right equipment, because a sewage job and a clean supply-line leak need different gear on the truck.
Where water and mold start in Little Haiti
Housing built before 1960
More than half of local housing units predate 1960, so original supply and drain plumbing is still common.
Higher ground, inside risks
At about 7 feet above sea level, with pockets near 14 feet, Little Haiti sees more pipe and drain damage than tidal flooding.
Little River septic flooding
The water management district ranks the Little River area as its second most vulnerable, citing low-lying septic systems that regularly flood.
Cloudburst sewer overflows
In June 2022, a sewage overflow was reported on NE 4th Court in the Little River area during a major storm.
Services we run most in Little Haiti
Burst Pipe Water Damage
Split supply lines and failed fittings, from shutoff to dry-out.
See the serviceSewage Backup Cleanup
Category 3 water removed, porous materials cut out, surfaces disinfected.
See the serviceWall & Drywall Mold Removal
Mold inside wall cavities and on drywall faces cut out and cleaned.
See the serviceKitchen & Cabinet Mold Removal
Mold under sinks and behind cabinets from drain and dishwasher leaks.
See the serviceLeak Detection & Moisture Mapping
Thermal imaging and meters to trace hidden water inside walls and floors.
See the serviceWater Damage Restoration
Extraction, drying and repair after any water event in a home or unit.
See the serviceLittle Haiti: questions we hear
My neighbor's leak came through our shared wall in Little Haiti. Who do I call first?
Call the landlord or owner, then call us at (786) 947-0034. We can stop the water if the shutoff is reachable, dry both sides of the wall and record moisture readings and photos so the owners have a clear record of where the water came from.
Does Little Haiti flood like Miami Beach?
Not usually. Little Haiti sits about 7 feet above sea level, compared with about 4 feet in Miami Beach, so tidal flooding is less of a concern. The bigger risks here are aging pipes and drains that back up in heavy rain, especially near the Little River.
Can you tell me if the mold in my Little Haiti apartment is dangerous?
We inspect visually with moisture meters and thermal imaging to find the growth and the leak behind it. If you want lab sampling, we arrange it through an independent assessor, because Florida keeps mold assessment and remediation separate. The CDC notes that people with asthma or mold allergies can react more strongly, so tell us if anyone in the home has those conditions.
Sewage came up through the tub in my Little Haiti home. What should I do until you arrive?
Stop running water in the house, keep everyone out of the affected room and do not try to mop it up with household cleaners. Open windows if it is safe to do so. When we arrive, we extract the water, remove soaked porous materials and disinfect what stays.
Other places our crews cover
Water damage in Little Haiti? Call our crew lead.
A person answers every call, day or night. Tell us what got wet and when it started, and we will tell you what happens next.