I Have Water Damage in My Sarasota Home. What Should I Do First?
First, determine whether water is still actively entering the property.
If you can safely stop the source, do it.
Depending upon the cause, that might mean:
- Shutting off a fixture
- Shutting off an appliance supply
- Closing a local plumbing valve
- Turning off the home's main water supply
- Stopping use of an overflowing fixture
- Having the appropriate contractor stop a roof, plumbing or HVAC leak
Do not enter standing water where electrical hazards may be present.
Once the immediate source has been controlled, the next question is:
Where did the water go?
That is where professional water-damage mitigation begins.
The visible water is not necessarily the entire water loss.
Water can migrate into:
- Drywall
- Baseboards
- Wall cavities
- Insulation
- Cabinets
- Flooring
- Subflooring
- Wood framing
- Bottom plates
- Concrete
- Adjacent rooms
A professional restoration company should determine the extent of the water migration, not simply clean up the puddle you can see.
Do I Call a Plumber or a Water Damage Company First?
Sometimes you need both.
The answer depends upon whether the source of the water is still active.
If a pipe is broken and continuing to discharge water, the immediate priority is to stop the water.
A plumber may need to repair the plumbing failure.
But repairing the pipe does not tell you whether the building is dry.
Consider a supply line that leaks inside a wall.
The plumber may replace the failed line in 30 minutes.
The plumbing problem is now fixed.
But water may already have entered the:
- Drywall
- Insulation
- Bottom plate
- Studs
- Flooring
- Adjacent rooms
That is a water-damage restoration problem.
The plumber fixes the plumbing. The restoration company addresses the resulting water damage.
If the source has already been stopped, you can generally contact the water-damage restoration company immediately.
Do I Need a Water Damage Company for a Small Leak?
Maybe.
The size of the visible leak doesn't necessarily tell you the size of the water damage.
A small amount of water sitting on a nonporous tile floor that was immediately cleaned up may require very little additional work.
A relatively small leak occurring behind a cabinet or inside a wall for several days can be an entirely different situation.
What matters is:
- How much water escaped
- How long it was leaking
- Where the water traveled
- What materials became wet
- Whether those materials can dry naturally
- Whether moisture is concealed
- The source and category of the water
If you aren't sure, the sensible first step is inspection and moisture testing.
Don't assume you need a major restoration project.
But don't assume you don't need one simply because the visible puddle was small.
How Do I Know If Water Got Inside My Walls?
You usually cannot determine that reliably by looking at the wall.
Drywall can absorb moisture.
Water can also migrate along the bottom of a wall and into the wood framing.
A wall can look completely normal while moisture remains inside the assembly.
Professional restoration companies use moisture-detection equipment to investigate areas affected by a water loss.
Depending upon the conditions, that can include:
- Moisture meters
- Penetrating moisture measurements
- Non-invasive moisture detection
- Thermal imaging as an investigative tool
- Direct inspection
- Moisture mapping
Thermal imaging can help identify suspicious temperature patterns, but it does not by itself prove that a material is wet.
The condition should be confirmed using appropriate moisture-testing methods.
What Should a Water Damage Company Do When They Arrive?
The exact procedure depends upon the loss, but the initial objective should be to understand the problem before blindly setting equipment.
A professional water-damage inspection should establish:
What happened?
Is the source stopped?
What type of water is involved?
Where did the water travel?
What materials are wet?
What can reasonably be dried?
What needs to be removed?
What equipment and drying strategy are appropriate?
Depending upon the loss, the restoration process may include:
- Inspecting the affected areas
- Identifying the source and confirming it has been stopped
- Determining the extent of water migration
- Taking moisture readings
- Extracting accessible water
- Removing materials when necessary
- Establishing a controlled drying environment
- Installing air movers and dehumidification
- Monitoring moisture conditions
- Adjusting the drying system as materials dry
- Documenting the drying process
- Verifying that appropriate drying goals have been reached
The objective isn't to leave a bunch of machines in your house.
The objective is to get the structure dry.
How Do I Choose a Water Damage Company in Sarasota?
Start by asking questions about how the company determines what is wet and how it determines when the structure is dry.
That will tell you considerably more than asking how many air movers the company owns.
Ask:
- Are you experienced in professional water-damage mitigation?
- Are your technicians trained in structural drying?
- What moisture meters do you use?
- How will you determine where the water traveled?
- Will you document the initial moisture conditions?
- How will you determine what can be dried instead of removed?
- How often will you monitor the drying?
- What drying goals will you use?
- Will you check framing and bottom plates when necessary?
- How will you know when the drying equipment can be removed?
- Will I receive documentation of the work performed?
A professional restoration company should be able to explain its process in language you understand.
You do not need to know structural drying.
That's why you're hiring someone who does.
Should My Water Damage Company Be IICRC Certified?
IICRC training and certification are valuable indicators that restoration professionals have received education in recognized restoration principles and practices.
The ANSI/IICRC S500 Standard for Professional Water Damage Restoration provides an established professional framework for water-damage restoration.
But certification alone does not make every technician equally experienced.
Ask about the actual person responsible for evaluating and managing your loss.
ServiceMaster SRQ owner Christopher Whittaker is IICRC Applied Structural Drying (ASD) certified, advanced training specifically focused on drying water-damaged structures.
That matters because structural drying is not simply equipment placement.
It requires understanding:
- Water migration
- Building materials
- Psychrometry
- Evaporation
- Dehumidification
- Moisture measurement
- Drying goals
- Equipment performance
- Concealed moisture
- When materials can be saved
- When materials need to be removed
Should I Call My Insurance Company Before a Water Damage Company?
You do not necessarily need to wait for the insurance company before taking reasonable action to protect the property from continuing damage.
Read your policy and contact your insurance carrier promptly when you believe you have a covered loss.
But regardless of coverage, reasonable action should be taken to stop ongoing water intrusion and prevent unnecessary additional damage.
Waiting for an adjuster while water continues spreading through the building generally makes no sense.
You can document the conditions with photographs and video before emergency work begins when it is safe and practical to do so.
The restoration company should also document the affected areas and work performed.
Coverage decisions ultimately belong to the insurance carrier under the terms of the individual policy.
Will My Insurance Company Choose the Water Damage Company?
Your insurance company may recommend or have relationships with restoration contractors, but a recommendation should not prevent you from asking questions and understanding who is working on your property.
The restoration contractor works on your building.
You should understand:
- What work is being proposed
- Why it is necessary
- How the contractor determined the affected area
- What documentation will be produced
- What you are authorizing
Insurance coverage and restoration necessity are related issues, but they are not exactly the same question.
The contractor determines what it believes is necessary to properly mitigate the water damage.
The insurance carrier determines what it believes is covered under the policy.
Can a Water Damage Company Help With My Insurance Claim?
A restoration company can provide valuable documentation associated with the loss and the work performed.
That can include:
- Photographs
- Moisture readings
- Moisture maps
- Equipment records
- Drying documentation
- Work authorizations
- Estimates
- Invoices
- Documentation of removed materials
The restoration contractor is not the insurance adjuster and should not promise coverage.
But good restoration documentation can help establish what happened, what was affected and what work was performed.
That distinction matters.
Should I Take Pictures Before the Water Damage Company Starts?
Yes, when it is safe and practical.
Your phone is an excellent documentation tool.
Take photographs or video showing:
- The source if visible
- Standing water
- Affected rooms
- Wet flooring
- Damaged cabinets
- Wet ceilings
- Staining
- Contents affected by the loss
- The overall condition of the area
Do not delay necessary emergency mitigation for hours simply to create a perfect photo collection.
But documenting the condition before work begins can be useful.
The restoration company should create its own project documentation as well.
What Is the Difference Between Water Extraction and Water Mitigation?
Water extraction is the physical removal of accessible liquid water.
Water mitigation is broader.
Mitigation can include:
- Extraction
- Moisture inspection
- Removing unsalvageable affected materials
- Creating drying access
- Protecting unaffected areas
- Structural drying
- Monitoring
- Documentation
If you have several inches of standing water, extraction is obviously important.
But the job is not necessarily finished when the standing water disappears.
Extraction gets the water you can remove. Structural drying addresses moisture remaining in the building materials.
What Is Structural Drying?
Structural drying is the controlled process of removing moisture from wet building materials and the surrounding air.
The basic principle is:
Wet moves to dry.
Professional dehumidification creates a drier environment around the affected materials.
Air movers move that drier air across wet surfaces and promote evaporation.
Moisture moves from the material into the air.
The dehumidifier removes that moisture from the air.
The process continues while moisture conditions are monitored until the affected materials reach appropriate drying goals.
That is very different from simply putting fans in a room.
Why Are There So Many Fans in My House After Water Damage?
Air movers are used to promote evaporation from wet surfaces.
But air movers are only one part of a professional drying system.
The moisture evaporating from the structure enters the surrounding air.
That moisture then needs to be removed through dehumidification.
The drying system therefore combines:
Air movement + dehumidification + moisture monitoring.
More equipment does not automatically mean better drying.
The equipment should be appropriate for the actual conditions and adjusted as the structure dries.
How Long Does Water Damage Take to Dry?
There is no universal number of days for every water loss.
Three days is a common initial structural-drying period, but that does not mean every structure will be dry after exactly three days.
Drying time depends upon:
- Materials affected
- Amount of saturation
- How long the materials were wet
- Temperature
- Humidity
- Accessibility
- Concealed moisture
- Equipment capacity
- Drying conditions
The restoration company should monitor the affected materials and determine when they have reached appropriate drying goals.
The calendar doesn't determine when your house is dry. The measurements do.
Can I Turn the Drying Equipment Off at Night?
Generally, no, unless the restoration company instructs you to do so.
Professional structural-drying equipment is normally intended to operate continuously during active drying.
Repeatedly shutting down air movers and dehumidifiers disrupts the controlled drying environment.
Humidity can increase.
Evaporation can slow.
The dry air pocket can deteriorate.
Depending upon the conditions and length of the interruptions, repeatedly turning equipment off can substantially increase the total drying time.
If noise or equipment placement is causing a problem, contact the restoration contractor rather than unplugging the equipment.
Can Water Damage Cause Mold in Sarasota?
Moisture is one of the conditions necessary for mold growth, so unnecessary delays in addressing wet building materials can increase the opportunity for microbial growth.
Sarasota's warm, humid climate makes moisture management particularly important.
But finding water damage does not automatically mean that your home now has a mold-remediation project.
The appropriate response is to:
Stop the source. Determine what became wet. Remove unnecessary water. Establish appropriate drying. Monitor the materials.
If evidence of microbial growth is discovered, that condition can then be evaluated separately.
What If I Already See Mold After the Water Damage?
Tell the restoration contractor.
Visible suspected microbial growth can change how the affected area should be evaluated and handled.
In Florida, mold assessment and remediation are also subject to state requirements and licensing rules in circumstances where those laws apply.
Do not simply spray the visible area with bleach and assume the problem has been solved.
The important questions become:
- What caused the moisture?
- Has the moisture source been corrected?
- What materials are affected?
- How extensive is the condition?
- Is professional mold assessment or remediation appropriate?
Water mitigation and mold remediation can overlap, but they are not automatically the same service.
Does Wet Drywall Always Have to Be Removed?
No.
Wet drywall can sometimes be dried in place.
Whether it should remain depends upon factors such as:
- Water source
- Water category
- Amount of saturation
- Duration
- Material condition
- Wall construction
- Insulation
- Accessibility
- Evidence of microbial growth
- Ability to establish effective drying
A professional restoration company should not automatically tear out every piece of drywall that gets wet.
But it should not leave materials in place simply to avoid demolition when those materials cannot reasonably or appropriately be dried.
Can My Floor Look Dry While Water Is Still Underneath It?
Absolutely.
Surface appearance can be misleading.
Water can migrate beneath flooring and into:
- Underlayment
- Wood subfloor
- Concrete
- Adhesive systems
- Adjacent wall assemblies
A tile floor may look perfectly normal while moisture remains in surrounding materials.
A wood or laminate floor may begin showing changes after moisture has already migrated underneath it.
That is why professional moisture inspection matters.
What you can see is not necessarily everything that got wet.
How Do I Know the Water Damage Company Actually Dried My House?
Ask for the measurements.
A professional restoration company should be able to explain:
- What materials were originally wet
- What the moisture readings showed
- How those readings changed
- What drying goals were being used
- Why equipment was adjusted or removed
- How the company determined drying was complete
For walls, simply showing that the drywall face is dry may not tell the entire story.
The bottom plate and framing can remain wet after the drywall begins returning to dry conditions.
Concrete also requires material-appropriate testing.
The company should be able to demonstrate drying – not simply tell you that three days have passed.
What Are Red Flags When Hiring a Water Damage Company?
Be cautious if a company:
- Cannot explain what materials are wet
- Does little or no moisture testing
- Sets equipment without explaining the drying plan
- Cannot explain how drying completion will be determined
- Automatically removes everything without considering whether materials can be saved
- Automatically leaves everything in place regardless of contamination or material condition
- Promises that your insurance company will pay for everything
- Cannot explain its documentation process
- Treats structural drying as nothing more than equipment rental
Water-damage restoration requires professional judgment.
You are hiring someone to make decisions about your home.
You should be comfortable asking why.
Is the Cheapest Water Damage Company the Best Choice?
Not necessarily.
The most expensive company isn't automatically the best either.
The better question is:
What am I actually receiving?
A lower estimate can become very expensive if concealed moisture is missed and repairs have to be performed twice.
Likewise, unnecessary demolition can dramatically increase reconstruction costs.
Good mitigation attempts to find the balance:
Remove what needs to be removed. Dry what can appropriately be dried. Document what happened. Verify the result.
Do I Need an Emergency Water Damage Company in Sarasota?
If water is actively entering the building, standing water is present, substantial materials are wet, sewage is involved or electrical hazards may exist, the situation may require immediate professional attention.
If the source is already stopped and the affected area is small, the situation may be less urgent.
But "emergency" does not mean panic.
It means taking appropriate action while the problem is manageable rather than unnecessarily allowing the damage to continue.
What Should I Tell the Water Damage Company When I Call?
Give them the information you know.
Useful information includes:
- Property location
- When you discovered the water
- Where the water appears to be coming from
- Whether the source is stopped
- Whether standing water is present
- Rooms affected
- Type of flooring
- Whether ceilings or walls are wet
- Whether sewage or contaminated water may be involved
- Whether electrical hazards are present
- Whether you have already contacted insurance
You do not need to diagnose the loss yourself.
That's the restoration company's job.
Why Hire a Local Sarasota Water Damage Company?
Local experience matters because Sarasota properties regularly present conditions associated with:
- High outdoor humidity
- Air-conditioning systems
- Condensate-line failures
- Plumbing leaks
- Roof and storm intrusion
- Slab construction
- Seasonal and vacant properties
- Hurricanes and severe weather
But simply putting "Sarasota" in a company name or webpage doesn't establish expertise.
Look at the company's actual work.
Look at its case studies.
Look at how it explains structural drying.
Look at its credentials.
Look at whether it can show you what it does when real buildings get wet.
Current Sarasota search results are crowded with restoration companies emphasizing 24/7 response, extraction, drying equipment and insurance assistance.
Those things matter.
But homeowners should also ask:
Who is actually making the drying decisions once the truck arrives?
Why Choose ServiceMaster SRQ for Water Damage in Sarasota?
ServiceMaster SRQ is a local Sarasota-area restoration company providing professional water-damage mitigation and structural drying.
Our approach is based on determining what actually became wet rather than simply treating the visible area.
That can include:
- Water extraction
- Moisture inspection
- Moisture mapping
- Structural drying
- Professional dehumidification
- Air movement
- Monitoring
- Evaluation of concealed structural materials
- Documentation
- Appropriate removal of affected materials when necessary
ServiceMaster SRQ owner Christopher Whittaker is IICRC Applied Structural Drying (ASD) certified.
That advanced structural-drying training matters because every water loss is different.
The objective isn't to see how much demolition we can perform.
It isn't to see how many pieces of equipment we can leave in your house.
The objective is:
Find the water. Remove what can be extracted. Determine what can appropriately be saved. Create the right drying environment. Monitor the structure. Adjust the drying system. Verify that the affected materials are dry.
What Makes ServiceMaster SRQ Different From a Company That Just Sets Drying Equipment?
Equipment does not dry a building correctly by itself.
Someone has to understand what the equipment is doing.
A professional restoration company should continually evaluate the structure.
If one wall is dry and another remains wet, the drying system should respond.
If the drywall is dry but the bottom plate remains wet, the wall assembly isn't necessarily finished.
If a material isn't responding as expected, we need to determine why.
If equipment is no longer necessary, it should be removed.
Structural drying is a managed process – not a fan rental.
Can I See Examples of Water Damage Jobs ServiceMaster SRQ Has Actually Done?
Yes.
One of the purposes of the ServiceMaster SRQ Learning Center and our water-damage case studies is to allow homeowners to see how these principles are applied to actual restoration projects.
Rather than asking you to simply accept marketing claims, our case studies can show:
- What caused the loss
- What we found
- What materials were affected
- How the loss was mitigated
- What equipment was used
- What challenges existed
- How the structure was dried
- What the final outcome was
That lets you evaluate the work for yourself.
I Need a Water Damage Company in Sarasota Right Now. What Should I Do?
If water is currently entering the building:
Stop the source if you can safely do so.
If there may be an electrical hazard, do not enter standing water.
If a plumbing, roofing, HVAC or appliance repair is necessary to stop continued water intrusion, contact the appropriate trade.
Then contact a professional water-damage restoration company to determine what became wet and what needs to be done about it.
If you are documenting the loss for insurance, take photographs and video when it is safe and practical.
And don't wait for visible materials to "look dry."
Water can be inside the structure long after the puddle disappears.
Frequently Asked Questions About Water Damage in Sarasota
Who do I call for water damage in Sarasota?
Call a professional water-damage restoration company to inspect the affected property, determine where the water traveled and establish mitigation and structural drying when necessary. If the source remains active, you may also need the appropriate plumber, roofer, HVAC contractor or other trade to stop it.
Who can dry out my house after a leak in Sarasota?
A professional water-damage restoration company with appropriate structural-drying equipment, moisture-detection instruments and trained personnel can establish and monitor the drying process.
Should I call a plumber or water restoration company?
If plumbing is actively leaking, a plumber may be needed to repair the source. A restoration company addresses the water that escaped and the resulting wet building materials. Many losses require both.
What company handles water removal in Sarasota?
Water-damage restoration companies perform water extraction and structural drying. Water removal is only one part of mitigation because moisture can remain inside building materials after standing water has been extracted.
How quickly should I call a water damage company?
Once immediate safety concerns are addressed and the source is stopped when safely possible, unnecessary delay should be avoided. The longer materials remain wet, the greater the opportunity for additional damage.
Will a water damage company work with my insurance?
Restoration companies commonly provide documentation, estimates, invoices, photographs, moisture records and other information that can be used during an insurance claim. The insurance carrier ultimately determines coverage under your policy.
Does water damage always mean mold?
No. Water damage does not automatically mean a mold-remediation project exists. Promptly controlling the moisture reduces conditions favorable to microbial growth.
How can I tell whether my wall is still wet?
Appearance and touch are unreliable. Professional moisture-detection equipment can be used to evaluate drywall and, where appropriate, structural components such as bottom plates and framing.
Can water damage be hidden?
Yes. Water can migrate behind walls, underneath flooring, into cabinets, insulation, framing and other concealed areas.
How do I know when my house is dry?
The restoration company should use appropriate moisture measurements and drying goals to document progress and determine when affected materials have reached acceptable drying conditions.
Need a Water Damage Company in Sarasota, FL?
If you're standing in your Sarasota home looking at water damage and wondering whom to call, start with the problem in front of you.
Stop additional water when safely possible.
Then determine what got wet.
ServiceMaster SRQ provides professional water-damage mitigation, water extraction, moisture inspection and structural drying throughout Sarasota and surrounding Southwest Florida communities.
We don't determine that a building is dry because the puddle disappeared.
We don't determine that it is dry because the drywall looks normal.
And we don't determine that it is dry simply because the equipment has been there for three days.
We measure the structure.
If you need a water damage company in Sarasota, contact ServiceMaster SRQ and tell us what happened.
We'll help determine the next step.