Emergency Water Removal In Orlando: First-Hour Checklist

When water moves across floors and into walls, the first sixty minutes set the tone for the entire recovery. Take calm, deliberate steps while a professional water damage restoration team is on the way.

Make The Scene Safe

Shut power to affected rooms at the breaker, then close the home’s main water valve if a pipe burst. Watch for sagging ceilings, slippery floors, and any signs of outside contamination. Take quick photos for the claim file before moving items. For facilities, post wet floor signs, restrict access, and contact commercial water restoration to plan extraction and structural drying.

Stop The Source And Protect Belongings

Address the source if it is safe. Tighten a supply line, place a bucket under slow drips, and shut fixture valves. Move electronics, area rugs, and soft goods to a dry room. Slide plastic or foil under furniture legs to prevent staining. If wind-driven rain caused intrusion, stabilize openings and schedule storm damage restoration for board-up and temporary repairs. Facilities should document inventory and secure receiving doors before calling commercial storm restoration to coordinate cleanup.

Remove Standing Water

Use a wet-dry vac for shallow pooling and a squeegee or towels on hard surfaces. Do not run extension cords through water or use a standard household vacuum. Lift and tilt saturated cushions so they can drain, and pull back a carpet corner to check the pad. The goal is to stop wicking into baseboards and wall cavities until a crew arrives with high-capacity extractors.

Start Controlled Drying

Increase airflow with fans pointed across damp surfaces rather than straight at them. Run the HVAC fan to circulate air. Dehumidifiers help pull moisture from the air in closed rooms. Open windows only when outdoor humidity is lower than indoor. Hidden moisture can drive microbial growth within a day, so arrange mold remediation to inspect wall cavities, underlayment, and insulation. Facilities should log temperature and relative humidity, then bring in commercial mold remediation if readings stay elevated.

Triage Materials

Separate items that can be dried from those that should be discarded. Solid wood, tile, and concrete usually dry with proper airflow and dehumidification. Swollen baseboards, particle board, and saturated carpet pad often require removal to protect subfloors and prevent odors. Clean and disinfect hard surfaces that contacted grey or unknown water. Bag compromised porous items and label them for adjuster review.

Protect Indoor Air Quality

Close doors to unaffected rooms, replace HVAC filters, and avoid running central systems that could spread moisture without filtration. Professionals will map wet areas with moisture meters and infrared, set equipment by class of water and cubic footage, and rotate air movers so drying is even. If drywall readings remain high, a narrow base cut can speed recovery and reduce future repairs.

Coordinate The Next 24 To 48 Hours

Share your photos, notes, and a simple timeline with your insurer and restoration team. Ask for a written action plan that lists extraction steps, equipment counts, moisture targets, and safety measures. Confirm who handles contents cleaning, pack-out, and rebuild so mitigation flows directly into repairs with no gaps. For businesses, align scheduling with operating hours to cut downtime.

What The Crew Brings On Day One

Certified technicians arrive with truck-mounted extractors, antimicrobial treatments, calibrated air movers, and dehumidifiers sized to the space. They establish containment where needed, monitor moisture daily, and adjust equipment to hit drying goals. Clear reporting supports your claim and keeps everyone aligned on progress.