The first 48 hours after water, fire or mold damage
What you do in the first two days shapes how much of your home can be saved and how smoothly your claim goes. Here is the checklist we walk our own clients through. Print it, or keep this page open on your phone.
48hours
Everyone: safety first
Get people and pets out if it isn't safe.
Sagging ceilings, a smell of gas, sparking outlets or standing water near electrical: leave and call for help.
Shut off what you safely can.
Water at the main shutoff. Power to wet areas at the breaker, only if you can reach it without standing in water.
Don't disturb old materials.
In a home built before 1980, don't scrape, sand or tear out flooring, siding or pipe insulation. It may contain asbestos.
Water damage
Stop the source.
Shut off the main water valve or the valve at the fixture.
Photograph before you move anything.
Wide shots of each room, close-ups of damage, the source of the leak, and serial numbers on damaged appliances.
Move valuables and furniture out of the water.
Put foil or blocks under furniture legs that can't move.
Start drying, and call a professional.
The EPA says water-damaged areas should be dried within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth. Wet walls and subfloors need commercial equipment and moisture readings.
Fire and smoke
Wait for the fire department to clear the building.
Don't go back in until you are told it is safe.
Leave the heat and air conditioning off.
Running the system can push soot through the ducts into rooms the fire never reached.
Don't wipe soot off walls or furniture.
Soot smears and sets into surfaces. Professional cleaning saves more.
Keep damaged items until your adjuster sees them.
Photograph everything. Don't throw anything out yet.
Mold
Find and fix the moisture.
Mold needs water. Until the leak, humidity or drainage problem is fixed, it will come back.
Don't paint over it.
Paint traps moisture and mold, and the growth keeps going underneath.
Know when it's too big for you.
The EPA says areas larger than about 10 square feet, or mold after a lot of water damage, call for professional remediation.
Get independent testing.
Testing by a third party, not the company doing the removal, gives you and your insurer an objective answer.
Your insurance claim
Call your insurer and get a claim number.
Write down the name of everyone you talk to and the date.
Ask about additional living expenses.
If the home isn't livable, many policies help with a hotel or short-term rental. Keep every receipt.
Prevent further damage.
Policies generally expect it. Emergency drying and protection are part of that.
Check your contractor.
Look up the license on the Virginia DPOR website, ask for a certificate of insurance and references, and be wary of anyone demanding a big deposit at the door.
Sources: EPA, A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home; EPA, Mold Cleanup in Your Home.
Need help now?
Call (757) 520-5190. Our emergency line is answered 24/7.
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