Drying Out After a Leak or Flood: What to Do First

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A burst supply line, a leaking water heater, or water coming in after a storm: the first two days decide whether you’re drying a room or ripping it out.

The first 48 hours

1. Stop the water and shut off power to wet areas if it’s safe to do so.
2. Take photos of everything for your insurance claim before you move anything.
3. Get standing water out with a wet vac or pump.
4. Pull up wet rugs and pads, and move furniture off wet floors.
5. Run dehumidifiers and fans nonstop. The EPA advises drying water-damaged areas and items within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth.

What to dry with

Fans move air across wet surfaces, and the dehumidifier pulls that moisture out of the air. You need both. For a wet room, a high-capacity unit with a drain hose beats a bucket model you have to empty every hour.

When drying isn’t enough

• Drywall that stayed wet, is soft, or is swelling at the bottom usually needs to be cut out. See our water-damaged drywall repair.
• Laminate and vinyl plank flooring that cups or separates usually needs replacing. See our water-damaged floor repair.
• Any water from outside, a sewer backup or flooding is contaminated. Porous materials it touched should be removed, not dried.

Keeping it from coming back? See whole-house dehumidifiers.