Our Water Damage Restoration Process
Every job follows the same order: make it safe, document, remove the water, map the hidden moisture, take out only what can't be saved, dry the structure, check it every day until it reads dry, then repair. Here's what happens at each step and why, so you know what to expect from the first call to the final reading.
Mitigation vs. Restoration
Water mitigation is the urgent part: stopping the damage from spreading by removing water and drying the building. Restoration is what comes after: repairing or replacing drywall, flooring, cabinets and paint. Mitigation has to be finished, with dry readings, before restoration starts, or moisture gets sealed in behind new materials.
The Steps
1. The Call
We ask where the water came from, how long it's been there, which rooms and floors it reached, and whether the power is safe. You get an arrival time and safety steps to take while you wait.
2. Safety Check
The crew checks electrical hazards, sagging ceilings and structural damage, and confirms the water source is stopped.
3. Inspection and Water Category
We identify the source and the water category: Category 1 (clean, like a supply line), Category 2 (gray, like washer discharge) or Category 3 (black, like sewage or floodwater). The category decides what can be dried and what must be removed.
4. Water Removal
Submersible pumps handle deep water; truck-mounted or portable extractors pull water out of carpet, pad, hard floors and concrete. Standing water extraction comes first because removing water is far faster than evaporating it.
5. Moisture Mapping
Thermal imaging cameras and moisture meters show where water traveled inside walls, along ceiling joists, under flooring and beneath cabinets. Each wet area is marked and recorded, and readings are taken from dry materials elsewhere in the home for comparison.
6. Removing What Can't Be Saved
Soaked carpet pad, wet insulation, swollen baseboards and drywall that's crumbling or wicked contaminated water are removed. Everything that can be dried in place stays. For sewage and floodwater, porous materials it touched are removed and surfaces are cleaned and disinfected.
7. Structural Drying
LGR dehumidifiers pull moisture out of the air; air movers push air across wet surfaces so water evaporates. Wall cavities, ceilings and hardwood get targeted drying systems. Equipment runs around the clock; see how long drying usually takes.
8. Daily Monitoring
We return every day to take readings at each marked point: moisture content in materials, plus relative humidity and grains per pound in the air. Equipment is moved to follow the wettest areas.
9. The Dry Standard
The job is dry when readings from the wet materials match the same materials in unaffected parts of your home. Not when it looks dry, and not on a set day.
10. Repairs
Once everything reads dry, damaged drywall, insulation, flooring, trim and paint can be replaced and finished.
Equipment We Use
| Equipment | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Submersible pumps | Remove deep standing water |
| Truck-mounted and portable extractors | Pull water from carpet, pad and floors |
| Thermal imaging cameras | Find hidden wet areas without cutting |
| Moisture meters | Measure water inside drywall, wood and concrete |
| LGR dehumidifiers | Remove moisture from the air as it dries |
| Air movers | Speed evaporation from wet surfaces |
| Wall-cavity and floor mat drying systems | Dry inside walls and under hardwood |
| HEPA air scrubbers | Filter airborne particles during mold or sewage work |
What You Get at the End
- Photos of the source and damage, taken before anything was moved
- Moisture maps showing where the water went
- Daily readings from every marked point
- A record of what was removed and why
- Final readings showing the structure met the dry standard
These are the same records we use when working with your insurance adjuster.
Process Questions
What happens after I call?
We ask a few questions about the water, give you an arrival time and safety steps, then arrive to make it safe, document, remove the water and start drying the same visit.
How long will the equipment run?
Usually several days, until readings reach the dry standard. Concrete, hardwood and large losses take longer.
Why are you cutting drywall?
Only where it's swollen, crumbling, soaked with contaminated water, or hiding wet insulation that has to come out. Drywall that's wet but firm is usually dried in place.
Can I turn the equipment off at night?
It's best not to. Drying depends on continuous air movement and dehumidification; turning it off lets humidity rise and slows the job.