Water Damage: What to Do in the First 24 Hours

The first hour

1. Shut off the water at the source or the main, if you can do it safely.
2. Cut power to the affected area at the breaker before stepping into standing water.
3. Move furniture, electronics, and anything with wooden legs off the wet flooring.
4. Photograph everything before you move it — your insurer will want it.
5. Call for extraction. Every hour of standing water makes the job larger.

Why speed matters

Mold can begin growing in 24 to 48 hours in damp material. Drywall wicks water upward, insulation holds it, and subfloor swells. The difference between a two-day dry-out and a demolition is usually just how quickly the water was extracted.

What not to do

• Don't use a household vacuum on standing water.
• Don't assume a fan alone is drying anything — air movement without dehumidification just relocates the moisture.
• Don't put down new flooring over a subfloor that hasn't been moisture-tested.
• Don't paint over or seal visible mold growth. It keeps growing behind the coating.

What professional drying involves

Extraction first, then commercial air movers and dehumidifiers placed to create real airflow across the wet materials, then daily moisture readings until the structure genuinely reads dry. If there's mold, we remediate it as a certified crew rather than covering it up — and we address the moisture source so it doesn't come back.