Emergency Water Damage Restoration
This is the call for water that's coming in right now. We get a local specialist on the way to stop the source, pull the water out and start drying the same day.
Call Now: (888) 596-0163Water in the house? Call now, and we'll find you a local specialist.
Maybe a pipe let go, maybe the storm found a way in. Either way, you don't have to sort this out alone. Call us from Wishek, North Dakota, and we'll put you in touch with a restoration specialist from our network, with truck-mounted extraction and dehumidifiers for the drying that follows.
Call Now: (888) 596-0163Someone picks up, day or night.
Housing here is older than in 69% of the 28,807 places on our list. Age alone won't cause a leak, but it does mean more pipe that's been in the wall a long time.
That's drier than 85% of the 30,291 places we track. Dry places aren't off the hook. Hard ground sheds water fast, so one big storm can run straight to your door.
A look at the roof, gutters and downspouts before June is the cheapest repair you'll ever make.
Flooding leads the list here. Floodwater is never clean, so anything it touches needs more than drying. Not counted here: 3 more for things like fires or the pandemic.
Before anyone arrives
You don't have to do all of this. Do what's safe, in this order, and leave the rest.
Look for the main valve near the meter or where the line comes into the house, and turn it slowly, since older valves can stick. If it's one fixture, its own shutoff valve will do.
If you can reach the breaker panel without stepping in water, switch off the wet rooms. If you can't, leave it alone, stay out of the water and tell us when you call.
Before you clean up, photograph the water, where it came from and whatever it damaged. Your insurance company will ask, and you only get one chance at those shots.
Move rugs, papers, photos and electronics to a dry room, and prop furniture up off the wet floor. Everything else can wait.
If the water is clean and the power's safe, open interior doors and run the fans you have. Stay out if it's sewage or floodwater, and keep that air away from the rest of the house.
The clock on mold is roughly 24 to 48 hours, which is why we'd rather hear from you early.
Typical build year
By now, most homes from this era have had some plumbing replaced, and the leftover sections are usually the risk. Look for gray galvanized pipe next to newer copper or plastic, because those joints can corrode. If you've had a few sewer backups, the old line itself may be the cause.
It's also worth replacing rubber washing machine hoses with braided steel. It's a ten-minute job, and those hoses cause a surprising number of flooded laundry rooms.
Call Now: (888) 596-0163
This is the call for water that's coming in right now. We get a local specialist on the way to stop the source, pull the water out and start drying the same day.
Call Now: (888) 596-0163
The more water that comes out at this stage, the less has to be dried later. Pumps and extraction units clear carpet, pad, hardwood and tile, then everything the water touched gets cleaned.
Call Now: (888) 596-0163
Floodwater is never clean. It carries soil and sewage, so mud and silt get cleared, soaked drywall and insulation get cut out, and what stays gets disinfected.
Call Now: (888) 596-0163
If your home has a basement, a failed sump pump or a backed-up drain can fill it fast. It gets pumped out, the concrete and block get dried, and someone finds out how the water got in.
Call Now: (888) 596-0163
Air movers and dehumidifiers run until the meters say your walls, subfloor and framing are back to normal. Not until they look dry. Until the readings prove it.
Call Now: (888) 596-0163
Once the structure is dry, the drywall, flooring, trim and paint go back. You'll have photos and notes for your claim along the way.
Call Now: (888) 596-0163The mountains and high plains
Cold is the main story, but not the only one. Pipes freeze when the heat fails, or in any wall that's a little too exposed. Then comes the melt, with more water than frozen ground can take. And a hailstorm in July can open up a roof in minutes.
Basements are common across the region, along with frost-protected plumbing that can still fail when the heat goes off. Insulated walls with vapor barriers can hold water inside the cavity. Second homes and cabins may sit empty long enough for a small leak to turn into a very big one.
Snowmelt is the big one. While the ground's frozen, none of it soaks in, so it runs toward low spots and window wells. On the plains, heavy clay holds it against the wall. In the mountains, rock does much the same.
Don't be fooled by the dry air. A wall can feel fine in a day or two and still be wet in the middle, so a moisture meter, not your hand, decides when the job's done. Deep readings matter most behind vapor barriers.
When you call
The call itself is short. Tell us your address in Wishek, what got wet and if it's still coming in. We'll connect you with a restoration specialist from our network who covers McIntosh County, and they'll tell you what they can do and when. It doesn't matter if it's a house, a rental or a business.
Water travels through walls without leaving a mark, so the first step is measuring, not mopping. A thermal camera and moisture meters map the wet area. Next comes the question of what's in the water. Category 1 is clean supply water. Category 2 has been in contact with something, like a dishwasher overflow. Category 3 is sewage or floodwater, and it calls for containment: plastic sheeting, plus negative air machines with HEPA filters, so nothing spreads through the house.
Most of the job is drying, and it's slower than people expect. Extraction units, often truck-mounted, take out the bulk water. Air movers and low grain refrigerant (LGR) dehumidifiers then do the long, loud work of pulling moisture out of walls and floors. Desiccant units come in when it's too cold or the materials are too dense for LGR machines. Psychrometric readings, which are daily checks of temperature and humidity, tell the specialist if the setup needs changing.
The finish line isn't when things look dry. Readings from dry wood and drywall in your own house set the target, called the dry standard, and the equipment stays until the wet areas reach it. That's the IICRC S500 standard for water damage at work, and those daily records are what your insurance company wants to see.
Don't write everything off just because it's wet. Clean-water carpet can usually be dried where it sits, with new pad underneath. Hardwood floors respond well to floor drying mats if you get to them early, though you may see some cupping for a while. And drywall usually needs a flood cut near the floor, not a whole new wall.
Things change when the water's dirty. Anything soft that sewage or floodwater reached, such as carpet, pad and insulation, gets thrown out. Hard surfaces get cleaned and treated. Have a professional look at any gas appliance that got wet before you turn it back on, and don't walk on a floor that's gone spongy.
Calls come to us from homeowners, landlords and business owners across Wishek and McIntosh County. Give us your address, and we'll find out who's closest.
Often within hours. Our network covers McIntosh County, and we'll look for whoever can reach you soonest. Storms are the exception, because every crew in the area gets busy, so please don't wait to see if it gets worse.
Some of it, yes. A bit of clean water on tile is a job for a mop and a fan. It's different when water has got under the flooring or into a wall, or when it's dirty. Household fans can't dry a wall cavity, and sewage isn't safe to handle.
It depends on how much got wet and for how long. A fresh leak in one room could be dry in a couple of days, while a soaked floor and walls may need a week. You'll see daily readings, so you'll know how it's going.
Hardwood is more forgiving than people think. Floor drying mats pull moisture up through the boards, and refinishing can take care of what's left. Carpet can usually stay if the water was clean, as long as the pad's replaced. If the water was dirty, it can't.
Often, but not always. Insurers tend to pay for sudden leaks and not for long-term seepage. Flooding from outside needs its own policy. Call your insurance company early, and keep the moisture logs and photos, since they make the claim much easier.
The sooner drying starts, the less has to come out. One call gets a local specialist moving toward you.