It never fails. Someone treks down to the basement with a heavy load of laundry precariously perched on one hip, and they find a flooded basement - not a fun surprise!

Don’t worry! Help is only a phone call away. Any top-quality water damage cleanup professional is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days of a year for emergencies like this. Call the professionals as soon as possible. It’s what they do!

Your second call should be to your insurance agency. Explain what happened, and be sure to tell them you have already called a professional water damage cleanup company. The insurance company may have important instructions for you regarding documentation requirements.

Should you have any independently insured items like heirloom rugs or furniture, artwork, or even books, be sure to let both your insurance company and your water damage cleanup professionals know as soon as possible. Often, property owners may believe their precious items are beyond restoration when they’re actually salvageable, especially if handled quickly!

The first step in water damage cleanup is a thorough evaluation and assessment of the damage. Even if the damage isn’t extensive, a professional company will provide you with a written plan of action and an estimated completion time. If repairs need to be made to stop water flow, that will take priority and can be handled by the water damage cleanup company, too.

Once the plan is agreed on, water extraction will begin. Removing the water as quickly as possible is an essential step in any cleanup process.

Water finds the path of least resistance, which means it often runs under walls, between rooms, and into nooks and crannies. A professional water damage cleanup company will use high-tech and innovative techniques to ensure that it is completely gone once they have extracted the water, not puddled under a wall or inside a doorway.

Water and moisture extraction means there will be no future mold growth issues, which can be a common problem when flooded basements are cleaned only by property owners.

Professionals will remove any soft goods like pillows, bedding, clothing, shoes, and even upholstered furniture to an off-site location where cleaning techniques, sanitizing, and deodorizing will occur. All items should be meticulously inventoried before leaving your property, and assurances should be made that nothing will be destroyed without express permission from the owner.

After all the water is extracted, professionals will bring industrial dryers and dehumidifiers to ensure all property is completely dry.

Should there be a need for repairs or replacement, the water damage cleanup professionals will handle contracting requirements as well. This peace of mind is one of the conveniences of calling in professionals. Homeowners appreciate dealing with only one company for the entire restoration.

Remember, this may feel like a once-in-a-lifetime catastrophe to you. But the water damage cleanup professionals you hire should make you feel reassured, confident, and in control of getting your life back together. If they don’t, you need to keep looking!