Water Where It Shouldn't Be: What to Do in the First Two Days
Make it safe first: stay out of standing water if the power might be on, and leave if you smell gas. Then stop the water, take photos and video before you clean anything, and start drying. The EPA says to dry water-damaged areas within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold. Pull out soaked carpet pad, wet insulation and anything porous you can't dry in time. Make temporary repairs to prevent more damage, but check with your insurer before permanent ones.
Water on the floor is a clock, and the good news is that the first two days are mostly about things you can do yourself. Make it safe, stop the water, take pictures, and get it drying. The EPA says water-damaged areas should be dried within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth. Get that part right and there may never be a mold job at all.
Hour zero: make it safe
Before you grab a mop:
- Power and water don’t mix. Ready.gov says don’t touch electrical equipment if it’s wet or if you’re standing in water. The CDC says to shut off power at the main breaker if wiring may be wet, but if you’d have to stand in water to reach the panel, call an electrician instead.
- Smell gas? Leave. Get out and call for help from outside, per the CDC.
- No generators indoors. Not in the basement, not in the garage, not near a window. The CDC’s safety page explains the carbon monoxide risk.
- Stay out of floodwater that came in from outside, which can carry more than mud.
Stop the water
Shut the main water valve if it’s a plumbing leak, or the valve at the fixture if there is one. For a roof or window leak, a tarp and a bucket buy you time. If you don’t know where it’s coming from, that’s worth sorting out quickly. Tips are in how to find a hidden leak.
Document before you clean
The Pennsylvania Insurance Department’s advice after storms is to take photos or video before cleaning or making repairs, make temporary repairs to prevent further damage, hold off on permanent repairs until the insurance company has inspected and approved them, and save every receipt. The CDC adds: photograph anything you throw away. Keep a simple log of who you talked to, with the date, name and title, as the state’s homeowners guide suggests.
Get it drying
| Do now | Wait on |
|---|---|
| Remove standing water | Permanent repairs, until insurance weighs in |
| Pull up soaked carpet pad and rugs | Painting or sealing anything |
| Open windows if it’s dry outside; run fans and dehumidifiers | Closing up any wall that got wet |
| Move belongings off wet floors | Throwing out anything big before it’s photographed |
| Cut out wet insulation and drywall if they can’t dry in time | Running the furnace or AC if the ducts got wet |
The EPA’s flood guidance is to clean and dry the house and everything in it within 24 to 48 hours if you can. Fans help, but the EPA says not to use them if mold is already visible, because they can spread it. The CDC, through the Pennsylvania Department of Health, says porous items that stayed wet more than 48 hours and can’t be cleaned and dried, like carpet, drywall, upholstery and insulation, should come out. How to decide is in what to throw away after mold.
When to call for help
- The water was sewage or came in from outside
- More than a small area is wet, or water got into walls or ceilings
- You can’t get it dry in two days
- It smells musty or you see spots
Bigger drying jobs are covered in drying out a house after water damage. If it was the sump pump, start with the sump pump quit.
A Gettysburg note on water from outside
Gettysburg gets precipitation every month of the year, about 44.5 inches a year by NOAA’s normals for the Eisenhower National Historic Site station. Stevens Run runs through the borough in a concrete channel, and Rock Creek runs along the east side of town. If water came in from outside, check your property on the FEMA flood map. More local context is on the Gettysburg housing data page.
It can all be fixed
I’m John Calhoun. A leak that gets dried fast is usually a small problem, and plenty of people handle that part on their own. If it’s past what you can dry, or you’re not sure it’s dry, my mold remediation work starts with a moisture meter and a straight answer. The overview of mold remediation in Gettysburg, PA covers how a job runs from there.
Sources
- EPA, A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home (PDF)
- EPA, Flood Cleanup Infographic (PDF)
- CDC, Natural Disaster Safety
- PA Department of Health, Mold After a Disaster (PDF)
- Ready.gov, Floods
- PA Insurance Department, advice on claims after storms and flooding
- PA Insurance Department, Homeowners Insurance Guide (PDF)
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center
Questions about the first two days
Does homeowners insurance cover mold after a leak?
It depends entirely on your policy. The Pennsylvania Insurance Department's homeowners guide lists mold and flood among common exclusions, and suggests asking your agent directly whether your policy covers mold. The state also notes that flood damage isn't covered by most homeowners policies. Call your agent or company early, document everything, and keep a log of who you talked to, with the date, name and title.
Should I use bleach on everything that got wet?
No. Bleach doesn't dry anything, and drying is what prevents mold. For hard surfaces, cleaning with detergent and water and drying them completely is the EPA's approach. If you do use bleach on something, the CDC says no more than one cup per gallon of water, with the windows open, and never mixed with ammonia or other cleaners. Porous materials that stayed wet too long usually need to go, not get bleached.
Is it too late if it's already been three days?
Not necessarily. The 48 hour figure is a guideline, and the EPA says mold won't always appear right after it. Keep drying, get the wettest porous material out, and watch for musty smell or spots over the next few weeks. What changes after a couple of days is that you should assume some materials, like soaked drywall at the bottom of a wall or wet carpet pad, may not be worth saving, and a moisture reading becomes more important.
- Locally owned in Gettysburg
- Four years in business
- Independent, not a franchise