The Silent Killer of Athens, OH Water Heaters

If you’ve spent any time in the Sunday Creek Valley—whether you’re sitting on a porch in Glouster, hauling groceries up a steep drive in Trimble, or looking out over the old company houses in Jacksonville—you know the look. It’s that slight lean in the doorframe, the marble that won't stay put on the kitchen table, and that familiar, rhythmic creak when you walk across the parlor. Around here, we call it the "Glouster Sag." For many of us living in homes that have stood for a century or more, those uneven floors are just part of the "character" of an Appalachian house. But as a neighbor who’s spent years looking under the hood of these historic structures, I’m here to tell you that the sag isn't just "settling." It’s a story written in the very rocks beneath our boots and the heavy humid air that settles in our hollows. According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and the EPA, the forces of geology and moisture are constantly at work, trying to reclaim the wood of your home and return it to the earth. The Ground Beneath Our Boots: 300 Million Years of Mud To understand why your floor is dipping three inches toward the fireplace, you have to look back further than when the coal mines were booming. The hills of Athens County were shaped during the Pennsylvanian (323–299 mya) and Permian (299–252 mya) periods. Back then, Southeast Ohio wasn't a series of ridges and hollows; it was a flat coastal plain swamp. Over millions of years, those swamps deposited layers of sandstone, shale, clay, and mud. Today, those "rock types" form the surface of our southeasternmost counties. While sandstone makes for a decent foundation, the shale and deltaic mud prevalent in our region are a different story. These materials are softer and prone to uplift and erosion. When you build a heavy, timber-framed house on a steep hillside made of eroding shale and mud, you’re asking a lot of the earth. Over a hundred years, the steep terrain of the valley causes these soil layers to shift. This isn't just "movement"; it's the geological history of Ohio—shaped by dynamic geologic forces—acting on your foundation. The Crawlspace: The Great Attic of the Earth Most of our historic homes in Glouster and Trimble weren't built on concrete pads. They sit on stone piers or hand-laid brick foundations with a crawlspace underneath. These spaces, especially those with bare earth floors, are the primary source of structural trouble. The EPA data explains a process called capillary action. Think of the shale-heavy soil under your house like a giant sponge. Even if it hasn't rained in a week, that soil is wicking moisture from the damp hillsides directly under your floor joists. Because crawlspaces are relatively warm compared to the deep earth, that moisture doesn't just stay in the dirt. It evaporates, turning your crawlspace into a high-humidity chamber. When the relative humidity (RH) in that space climbs above 60 percent, you’ve moved past "damp" and into the "danger zone" for mold and rot. In our part of the state, where the summer air is thick enough to chew, keeping that humidity down is a constant battle. Understanding the "Stack Effect" You might be wondering, "If the problem is in the crawlspace, why does my living room smell like a damp basement?" The answer is a physical phenomenon known as the Stack Effect (or the chimney effect). While the provided sources don't use the specific term "Stack Effect," the EPA describes the mechanics perfectly: moisture can pass from a crawlspace into a building through cracks in walls, floors, and ceilings. As the warm air in your home rises and escapes through the attic or old window gaps, it creates a vacuum. To fill that vacuum, your house "sucks" air up from the lowest point—the crawlspace. This means that every bit of evaporated ground moisture, along with any mold spores growing on your joists, is being pulled directly into your living area. That "musty smell" isn't just an old-house scent; it's a sign that your home is breathing in the dampness of the earth through the "Stack Effect." When "Character" Becomes "Collapse": Signs of Joist Rot In an old Appalachian home, the floor joists are the bones. Usually made of old-growth oak or poplar, they are incredibly strong, but they aren't invincible. The EPA is clear: mold eats or digests what it is growing on. Because mold survives on organic material like wood, it will gradually destroy the things it grows on. If that moisture from the soil isn't controlled, it leads to structural damage. Here is how you can tell if the "Glouster Sag" has turned into "Glouster Rot": • Spongy Spots: If you walk across the kitchen and feel a "bounce" or a soft spot that wasn't there ten years ago, the mold has likely weakened the wood fibers. • Doors That Won't Latch: When joists rot and compress, the house settles unevenly. This pulls doorframes out of "square," meaning your bedroom door might suddenly start sticking or refuse to latch at all. • Stuck Windows: Much like doors, windows in a shifting foundation will bind as the frame twists. • Visible Mold on Joists: If you’re brave enough to look in the crawlspace, you might see "colorful mold growth" or white, fuzzy patches on the wood. If that wood is wet to the touch, it needs immediate attention. Preservation: Saving the Bones While Keeping the Soul Living in a place like Glouster or Jacksonville means we value our history. We don't want to turn these beautiful 100-year-old homes into sterile plastic boxes. The Technical Preservation Services (TPS) of the National Park Service emphasizes that "the greenest building is the one that’s already built". However, "preserving" a home doesn't mean leaving the rot alone. It means rehabilitating the structure so it can last another century. The key is moisture control. Modern construction often tries to "tightly seal" buildings, but without adequate ventilation, this can actually trap moisture inside and make the mold problem worse. In our old wood-framed homes, we have to allow the materials to dry quickly (usually within 24–48 hours). This often means a combination of structural reinforcement—replacing those rotted joists with treated lumber—and installing a vapor barrier over that bare earth floor to stop the capillary action before it starts. A vapor barrier is a layer of material that prevents the soil from releasing its moisture into your crawlspace air. When combined with proper ventilation or a dehumidifier to keep the RH below 60%, you stop the mold from "eating" your house. You keep the historic charm of the wavy glass windows and the original trim, but you give the house a solid, dry foundation to stand on. The Expert’s Verdict We live in one of the most beautiful, rugged parts of Ohio, but our geology and our climate are tough on buildings. You wouldn't leave a truck to sit in a swamp and expect the frame not to rust; we shouldn't expect our 100-year-old homes to sit over damp shale and mud without a little help. The "Glouster Sag" might seem like a permanent fixture of your home, but it’s actually a cry for help from the structure itself. Left unchecked, that sag leads to weakened floors, ruined drywall, and eventually, a threat to the structural integrity of the entire building. Don't let the damp hillsides of Athens County claim your family’s heritage. You can fix the rot, level the floors, and breathe cleaner air without losing an ounce of that Appalachian character we all love. 

Nelsonville is a city defined by its history. From the bricks beneath our feet in the Historic Public Square to the towering, century-old maples and oaks that shade the Near East Side and Fort Street, our trees are a source of pride and beauty. However, beneath the surface of these scenic neighborhoods, a quiet and destructive battle is being waged. Your home’s sewer line—specifically if you live in one of our many historic homes—is likely under siege by the very trees you admire. As a local plumbing professional, we see the results of this conflict every week: messy backups, expensive emergency calls, and structural failures that could have been prevented. In this guide, we will break down why Nelsonville’s aging infrastructure is particularly vulnerable and why acting now is the only way to avoid a $1,000+ sewer tap repair. The Hidden Enemy: Hair-Like Roots and Aging Clay Most of the residential sewer lines in Nelsonville’s historic districts are constructed of clay pipe. While clay was the standard of the industry for decades, much of the piping in our area is now 60 to 80 years old. Over such a long period, clay naturally degrades and becomes brittle, eventually developing tiny cracks. The problem is compounded by the natural movement of the earth. Over time, the soil shifts, which causes these old sewer pipes to move and creates small gaps and cracks specifically at the pipe joints. This is where the trouble begins. Trees are biological survivalists. Their root systems are constantly searching for two things: water and nutrients. To a mature tree on Fort Street, your sewer line is essentially a nutrient-rich underground spring. Tree roots as small as a human hair can sense the moisture escaping from those tiny cracks or joint gaps. These microscopic, "hair-like" roots find their way into the smallest opening and, once inside the pipe, they begin to feast. What starts as a single fiber quickly grows into a thick, matted "root ball" that can completely obstruct the flow of wastewater. The Danger of Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs) When roots obstruct a sewer line, the consequences go beyond a slow-draining sink. These blockages interfere with the proper operation of the entire municipal wastewater system. One of the most serious results of a root-clogged line is a Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO). An SSO occurs when sewage is forced out of the system—often into your basement or onto your lawn—because it has nowhere else to go. These overflows are not just a plumbing nightmare; they are a public health hazard and a violation of local utility regulations. According to the sources, no person is permitted to discharge material that causes an obstruction to the flow in sewers, and this specifically includes root obstructions caused by trees or vegetation on a property. The Financial Reality: Why Waiting Costs You Thousands In Nelsonville, the "wait and see" approach to sewer maintenance is an expensive gamble. If your sewer line fails or causes a major backup after standard business hours, the costs mount instantly. The Nelsonville Utilities Department operates from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday. If you experience a backup at night or over the weekend, you will need to call the After Hours Emergency Number at 740.753.1244. Be prepared: the city assesses a mandatory $200.00 After Hours Call Out fee for utility assistance during these times. Furthermore, if the damage to your service line is severe enough to require a new connection to the city main, you are looking at significant capital expenses. According to the current fee schedule established by Ordinance 55-18 and updated by Ordinance 06-22, a new Sewer Tap fee in Nelsonville is 1,000.00. This does not even include the costs of excavation, the 6,000.00 Street Bond if the road must be cut, or the labor for the repair itself. Your Legal Responsibility as a Homeowner It is a common misconception that the city is responsible for the sewer line all the way to the house. In reality, the owner of the property is responsible for all costs and expenses incidental to the installation, connection, and maintenance of their service lines. The technical guide is clear: tree roots are usually a symptom of a failing pipe, not the primary cause. Because roots generally do not grow into pipes that are free from defects, the burden of maintenance falls on you. In fact, under Section 206.3 of the utility regulations, property owners are prohibited from permitting a root obstruction to exist in a service line if it originates from vegetation on their property. If your tree’s roots damage the city's main system, you could even be held liable for those repair costs. Prevention: Rodding and Root Killers The good news is that you can manage this "symptom" with routine maintenance. For residents in the Near East Side and other tree-heavy areas, we recommend annual rodding of your sewer line using the largest root cutter possible for the size of your pipe. Additionally, many homeowners find success with foaming root killers available at local hardware stores. Timing is everything with these treatments. Tree roots grow most aggressively during the spring and fall. In our region, April and September are the most effective months to apply these products to catch new growth before it becomes a blockage. Schedule Your Sewer Camera Inspection Today Don't wait for a midnight backup and a $200 emergency fee to find out what's happening underground. The only way to truly know the condition of your aging clay pipes is with a professional Sewer Camera Inspection. Our high-definition cameras can travel deep into your service line to identify those "hair-like" roots and tiny cracks before they turn into a catastrophic failure. We can tell you exactly how much life is left in your line and whether a simple cleaning can save you from a $1,000+ sewer tap replacement. Protect your home, your wallet, and our beautiful Nelsonville environment. Call us today to schedule your inspection. Catch the problem before the roots take over!