Water Damage Restoration
Emergency Extraction to Full Rebuild

Category 1 (clean water) comes from a sanitary source like a burst supply line. Category 2 (grey water) carries contaminants — think washing machine overflow or sump pump failure. Category 3 (black water) includes sewage, rising floodwater, or any water that has sat for more than 48 hours. The category determines which materials can be saved, what safety protocols are required, and how your insurance claim is documented.

It depends on how long the water sat and whether the boards have cupped, crowned, or delaminated. If we start drying within the first 24 hours and the subfloor is still structurally sound, hardwood can often be dried in place using weighted drying mats and monitored dehumidification. Once moisture content returns to normal range (6 to 9 percent for most species), the flooring is re-evaluated. If warping is permanent, we remove and replace only the damaged sections so the repair blends with the existing floor.

We use truck-mounted extractors for high-volume water removal, weighted extraction tools for carpet and pad, LGR (low grain refrigerant) dehumidifiers for structural drying, high-velocity air movers to accelerate evaporation, FLIR thermal imaging cameras to locate moisture behind walls and under floors, and pin and pinless moisture meters to track drying progress daily. Every piece of equipment is commercial grade — not the rental-store units some companies use.

Mold prevention starts with speed. We begin extraction within 60 minutes of your call. After removing standing water, we apply EPA-registered antimicrobial solution to all exposed framing, subfloor, and sheathing. We then set dehumidifiers to hold relative humidity below 50 percent throughout the drying period. Moisture readings are taken daily and logged. If any material cannot be dried to target levels within the IICRC-recommended timeframe, we remove it. This documented approach also protects your insurance claim if mold questions come up later.

Xactimate is the estimating software used by almost every insurance adjuster in the country. When your restoration company writes the repair estimate in the same platform your adjuster uses, line items match up and approvals move faster. We build the Xactimate estimate on site using current local pricing data, attach daily moisture logs and photos, and submit it directly to your adjuster. This eliminates the back-and-forth that delays most claims.

If the damage is from a sudden and accidental event — burst pipe, appliance failure, storm — your homeowners policy almost always covers it. Filing a claim makes sense when repair costs exceed your deductible, which they usually do once drywall, flooring, and cabinetry are involved. We provide a free on-site assessment with a written scope of work so you can see the full cost before deciding. If you do file, we handle every step of the claims process for you.

We measure moisture content daily with pin and pinless meters at multiple points — framing, subfloor, drywall, and concrete. Drying is complete when all readings return to the dry standard for each material, which is typically within 1 to 2 percentage points of unaffected areas in the same home. We also monitor relative humidity and temperature to confirm conditions no longer support microbial growth. You receive a final drying certificate documenting every reading before we begin the rebuild phase.

Mitigation is the emergency phase: water extraction, demolition of unsalvageable materials, structural drying, and antimicrobial treatment. Its purpose is to stop the damage from getting worse. Restoration (also called reconstruction) is the rebuild phase: replacing drywall, painting, installing new flooring, hanging cabinets, and finishing trim. Most companies only do mitigation and then hand you off to a general contractor for the rebuild. We handle both phases with one team and one project manager, which keeps the job on schedule and eliminates finger-pointing between contractors.