Vonore covers 11.75 square miles, and 2.94 of them are lake. That one number explains most of the calls we take here. Homes sit on slopes above Tellico Lake, lower levels are built into the hillside, and summer humidity never really leaves the crawl space. When water, fire, smoke or mold damages a house, Rocky Top Restoration runs the job from our Knoxville shop down US-411. We measure how far the damage really went, document it for your carrier, and rebuild what has to come out.
Call us any time on (865) 440-7449.
The town grew up at the confluence of the Little Tennessee River and the Tellico River. In 1979 the Tennessee Valley Authority closed Tellico Dam, and both rivers became part of Tellico Lake. The old river bottoms went under water. What was left above it became shoreline lots, coves and embayments like Creek Island Creek near the center of town.
Vonore had 605 residents in 1990. By 2020 the census counted 1,574 people in 715 households. That growth came after the reservoir filled, so a large share of local homes are subdivisions and lake houses built since the 1990s. Newer does not mean drier. Finished basements, walkout lower levels and long runs of PEX supply line behind drywall are where we find most of the water.
Most of the town is in Monroe County, but the eastern edge reaches into Blount County along Ninemile Creek and around Fort Loudoun State Historic Park. That matters when you are calling about permits or reporting storm damage. It does not change how we work the job.
For most homes, the lake is not what floods the house. Rain is. Heavy storms have closed roads and Monroe County schools before. On a sloped lot, that water runs downhill toward the foundation, finds the lowest door or window well, and ends up on a finished floor.
Every service runs out of the same Knoxville shop at 2339 Old Callahan Drive. One crew can carry a job from the first extraction to the final coat of paint. What changes here is where we look first.
Lower levels built into a hillside take most of the water. A failed sump pump, a clogged window well or a leaking water heater on a slab can soak carpet pad and the bottom foot of drywall overnight. We extract, open what has to be opened and dry the structure until the moisture readings say it is done. Read more on water damage restoration.
Kitchen fires and electrical fires are the common calls in newer homes. In an open floor plan with a vaulted great room, smoke rises and spreads fast. Soot settles on ceilings and in rooms the fire never touched. Our fire damage restoration work covers the burned area and the residue three rooms away.
Lake air keeps relative humidity high from late spring into fall. A crawl space with a torn vapor barrier or a basement with poor airflow holds that moisture against wood framing. Mold usually starts there, not after a dramatic flood. See mold remediation for how we contain and clear it.
Summer thunderstorms move through fast and hit hard. Open water gives wind a long run at the shoreline. Lakefront roofs, screened porches and large windows facing the water take the worst of it. Our storm damage restoration crews tarp, dry and rebuild in that order.
The older part of town grew along Depot and Hall streets, and many of those houses are well over 50 years old. That is the age of asbestos floor tile, pipe wrap and lead paint. Sewage backups are the other common call. Raw sewage is a containment job, not a mop job. Hazardous material remediation covers both.
Once the structure is dry, the walls and floors still have to go back. Lake houses often have custom trim, tongue and groove ceilings and stone around fireplaces that a supply house does not stock. We rebuild to match what is there. Start with RTR Construction.
See the full list on our services page.
A lake property is not a subdivision lot with a view. The layout of the house and the lot change how the first day goes.
On a hillside home, the main floor can look fine while the walkout level below is wet. Water from an upper floor leak also runs down through the framing to the lowest point. We start at the bottom and work up, so nothing gets missed.
Gutters that dump at the foundation, grading that slopes toward the house and a window well without a cover are the usual sources after a storm. If we dry the inside and leave the cause, the water comes back with the next storm. We note what we find and tell you before we go.
Plenty of lake houses sit empty for weeks at a time. A slow leak in an empty house has days to spread before anyone sees it. If you are not local, we can walk the house with you by phone, send photographs and keep the work moving.
Standard homeowners policies cover a burst pipe or a storm-damaged roof but generally exclude rising flood water. Your adjuster will want the cause of loss, moisture readings and photographs from day one. We record all of it as we go and work with your carrier directly, so the claim does not become a second emergency.
The town spreads along its highways and its shoreline more than into neighborhoods. We think about it in four areas.
US-411 and the retail corridor. The modern commercial strip runs along most of the town's stretch of US-411, out to the Sequoyah Marina where the road crosses the lake. We handle shops, restaurants and commercial buildings here alongside homes.
The old town along Depot and Hall streets. The library, town hall and many of the oldest houses sit here. This is where older plumbing, wiring and building materials turn up most.
Highway 72 toward Tellico Village. State Route 72 runs north toward Tellico Village and Loudon. Lakefront homes along this side have some of the largest finished lower levels in the area, and they are worth drying properly.
Highway 360 toward Fort Loudoun and Toqua. State Route 360 runs past Fort Loudoun State Historic Park, the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum and Toqua Beach toward the rural land at the foot of the mountains.
Nearby areas we also cover include Greenback, Maryville and Athens.
Almost always it is rain or plumbing. Storm runoff from a sloped lot, a failed sump pump, a clogged window well or a leaking water heater are the usual causes. We find the source before we start drying, so it does not happen again.
Generally no. Rising water from a lake or river is a flood, and flood coverage requires a separate policy. A burst pipe, an appliance leak or rain coming through a storm-damaged roof is normally a standard homeowners claim. We document the cause either way.
Yes. Many of our lake house calls come from owners who are not in town. We can walk you through shutting off water remotely through a neighbor or property manager, send photographs of everything we find and keep you updated until the work is done.
Often it is. Lake humidity in a vented crawl space keeps wood framing damp through the summer. A musty smell usually means growth has already started. We inspect, measure moisture and tell you what needs to happen before quoting any work.
We run out of north Knoxville, usually under an hour down US-411 or Highway 72 in normal traffic. We load for the full job before we leave, and we will tell you on the phone what we are bringing.
Yes. Through RTR Construction, the same company that removes the damage puts your home back together, from drywall and flooring to cabinets and finish work.
We know how lake houses here are built and where water goes in them. It might be a walkout basement after a summer storm. It might be a crawl space that has been damp all season. It might be a roof that lost shingles to wind coming across the water. The first step is the same. We find the full extent of the damage, write down what caused it and explain what has to come out before we quote the rebuild. Our lines are answered 24/7 on (865) 440-7449, and our team is fully certified.
See also: Greenback, Lenoir City and all the areas we serve.
