Emergency Water Damage Restoration
Most water damage happens in the first day. The water soaks up the drywall, into the carpet pad and subfloor, and swells the bottoms of your cabinets while you're still working out who to call. So call us first, at (888) 596-0163. Our network of local restoration specialists takes emergency jobs at any hour, so the water can be stopped and the drying started today.
Call Now: (888) 596-0163Someone picks up, day or night.
How an emergency job follows the IICRC S500
The IICRC S500 is the rulebook the restoration industry works to, and its first question is a simple one: what kind of water is it? Clean water from a supply line is Category 1. Dirty water from a washer or dishwasher is Category 2. Sewage, or floodwater from outside, is Category 3. The answer decides what can be dried where it is and what has to go. If the water's dirty, the area gets sealed off with plastic and the air gets filtered first, so the rest of your home stays clean. Every photo and reading from that first visit goes into a file for your insurer.
- Moisture meters and thermal cameras, to see how far the water has gone behind walls and under floors
- Truck-mounted extraction, which pulls water out of carpet and pad far faster than any shop vac
- Portable extractors and pumps for upstairs rooms, condos and deep standing water
- Air movers, set up to push dry air across wet walls and floors
- Dehumidifiers that pull the water out of the air, so your home keeps drying through the night
What happens on an emergency call
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Stop the water
First the water gets shut off, at the supply line, the main or the appliance. If it's storm water, the openings get covered. Nobody works in a wet room until the power there has been checked.
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Find the wet areas
Then they work out where the water's gone. It runs under baseboards and along the subfloor, so the wet area is almost always bigger than the puddle you can see. A moisture meter and a thermal camera show where it really ends.
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Extract
Standing water comes out with extraction machines. Every gallon pulled out now is a gallon the dehumidifiers don't have to deal with later, and that can take days off the drying.
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Set up drying
Fans and dehumidifiers go in the same day. Anything that can't be saved, like soaked carpet pad, gets pulled out. They'll keep coming back to take readings until your home is dry.
Emergency water damage questions
What should I do immediately after water damage?
Turn off the water at the main or at the fixture. If you can reach the breaker panel without standing in water, switch off the power to the wet rooms. Take photos and video. Move rugs and electronics somewhere dry, put foil or blocks under the furniture legs, and call (888) 596-0163 so the drying can start early.
How long does water damage restoration take?
Most homes need three to five days of drying once the water's out. Repairs come after that and can take one to three weeks, depending on what needs replacing. The biggest thing you can control is how fast the water comes out on day one.
Is it still urgent if the leak has already stopped?
Yes. Wet drywall, pad and subfloor keep holding water after the leak stops, and mold can start growing within days. The sooner the drying starts, the more of your home can stay instead of being cut out.
Does homeowners insurance cover water damage?
A sudden accident, like a burst pipe or a failed supply line, is usually covered. A slow leak over months, or water coming in from outside, often isn't, and flood damage normally needs its own flood policy. Hang on to the photos and readings from the first visit, because your adjuster will ask for them.
What is the difference between water remediation and restoration?
Remediation, which people also call mitigation, is stopping the damage: getting the water out, drying and cleaning. Restoration is the repair work afterward, putting your drywall, floors and finishes back.
Water coming in right now?
(888) 596-0163Call (888) 596-0163, day or night. We'll get a local specialist on the way to stop the water, get it out and start the drying.