The first hour matters most
Water keeps moving after the leak stops. Drywall wicks it upward, subfloor holds it, and mould becomes a real risk somewhere between 24 and 48 hours. What you do before the crew arrives changes the size of the repair.
- Stop the source. Shut off the main water valve — basement, front wall, near the meter. Turn clockwise until it stops.
- Cut power to wet areas at the breaker panel, but only if the panel is dry and you are not standing in water.
- Lift what you can. Get furniture legs, boxes, and electronics up off wet carpet.
- Photograph everything before you move or throw anything out. Your insurer will want it, and so will the crew.
- Do not run a household vacuum on standing water, and do not open windows if it is below freezing outside.
Sewer backup is different. Treat that water as contaminated: keep people and pets out of the area, do not try to clean it yourself, and tell us it is a sewer backup so we send a crew with the right protective equipment.
What a restoration crew actually does
- Extracts standing water with truck-mounted or portable units.
- Pulls baseboards and drills weep holes so wall cavities can dry instead of trapping water.
- Sets air movers and dehumidifiers, then monitors moisture readings for several days.
- Removes material that cannot be dried — soaked insulation, underpad, and sometimes the bottom foot of drywall.
- Documents moisture logs, which is what an insurance claim is largely built on.
Insurance, briefly
Tell your insurer early, on the same day if you can. How water damage is handled varies a lot between policies — sudden internal escape, overland flooding and sewer backup are often treated differently, and what yours includes is a question for your insurer or broker, not for us. Keep every photo and receipt either way.
Still leaking?
If the water has not stopped, the pipe is the emergency. Start a burst pipe call and we will route you to a plumber first.
Prefer to talk? Call (780) 555-0100 and we will take it down for you.