Practical advice from the dispatch deskYour First Hour After a Leak or Flood
What you do before the crew arrives can save a floor, a wall, or a whole room. None of this replaces professional drying, but it buys you time.
Stop the water first. Find the main shutoff and turn it clockwise until it stops. In older houses near downtown Hooper it tends to sit in the basement along the front wall where the street line enters. In newer subdivisions, check the garage, a utility closet, or the area by 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 is near outlets, power strips or the electrical panel, do not walk through it to reach the breaker. Call the utility or wait for the crew. Watch the ceiling. Drywall that bulges or sags is holding water and can come down without warning, so keep people and pets out from under it.
Photograph it all before anything moves. Shoot wide photos of each room, then close-ups of the source, the waterline on the walls, and damaged belongings. A quick walk-through video with the date visible is even better, and your adjuster will appreciate it.
Start 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. Keep windows shut on hot, muggy days, since outside air will add more moisture than it takes away. In cold weather, leave the heat on so pipes stay thawed and wet materials keep releasing moisture.
Get belongings up off the floor. Move rugs, electronics, paperwork and anything with sentimental value to a dry room. Slide aluminum foil or plastic lids under furniture legs so stain and rust do not transfer into wet carpet. Leave built-ins and heavy pieces for the crew.
Things not to do: Do not run a household vacuum on wet floors, do not turn the HVAC on high hoping it will dry things out, and do not start tearing 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 any of it feels unclear, the dispatcher can talk you through it while the contractor is driving over.