Practical advice from the dispatch deskYour First Hour After a Leak or Flood
The steps you take before the crew pulls up can save a floor, a wall, or an entire room. None of this replaces professional drying, but it buys you time.
Start by stopping the water. Locate the main shutoff and turn it clockwise as far as it will go. In older homes near downtown Corralitos it is often in the basement on the front wall where the line comes in from the street. In newer subdivisions it is usually in the garage, a utility closet, or near the water heater. If you live in a condo or apartment, the shutoff for your unit may be under a sink or behind an access panel, and building maintenance can shut the riser if needed.
Make the area safe. If water has reached outlets, power strips or the panel, do not wade through it to flip the breaker. Call the utility or wait for the crew. Keep an eye on the ceiling. Bulging or sagging drywall is holding water and can drop without warning, so keep everyone, pets included, out from beneath it.
Document everything before it moves. Take wide photos of each room, then close-ups of the source, the waterline on walls, and damaged belongings. A quick walk-through video with the date visible is even better, and your adjuster will appreciate it.
Get some air moving, carefully. If the power is safe and the water is clean, open interior doors and run a few household fans to keep air moving across wet surfaces. Do not open windows on a hot, humid day, since you will pull more moisture into the house than you remove. In winter, keep the heat on so pipes do not freeze again and materials keep giving up water.
Get belongings up off the floor. Move rugs, electronics, paperwork and anything with sentimental value to a dry room. Put foil squares or plastic lids under furniture legs so finish and rust do not bleed into wet carpet. Leave built-ins and heavy pieces for the crew.
What to avoid: Never use a household vacuum on wet flooring, do not crank the HVAC thinking it will help, and do not rip out drywall before it has been photographed and measured. If the water came from a toilet, a floor drain or outside, assume it is contaminated and keep your hands out of it.
Then call. The sooner a crew starts extraction, the more of your home stays in place instead of ending up at the curb. If you are unsure about any of this, our dispatcher can walk you through it while the contractor is on the way.