Water damage and mold guides
Practical answers from our drying jobs, written by Winston Albright, our Guides Editor and Restoration Project Lead.
These guides cover the questions people ask us most on real jobs: what to do in the first hour, how drying works, when mold becomes a problem, how condo leaks get sorted out and what your adjuster will want to see. Read what fits your situation, and call any time if water is already on the floor.
At a glance
- Written by
- Winston Albright
- Guides
- 12
- Topics
- Water, mold, condos, claims
Guides from our crews
AC drain line leaks in Miami condos
In a Miami condo, the air conditioner runs most of the year and pulls gallons of water out of the air. When the small drain line that carries that water away clogs, the w
Read the guideCan wet drywall be saved after a leak?
Wet drywall does not always have to come out. Whether it can be dried in place depends on what kind of water soaked it, how long it has been wet, and what is behind it.
Read the guideThe first 24 hours after water damage at home
The first day after a leak or flood decides how much of your home can be dried and kept. These are the steps that matter most, in the order we would take them ourselves.
Read the guideFlorida water damage claim deadlines
Florida shortened its property claim deadlines at the end of 2022, and many homeowners still go by the old rules. Here is the general timeline, and the records that make
Read the guideHow fast mold grows after water damage
After a leak, the question is rarely whether mold could grow. It is whether the wet materials dry before it does, and in Miami the margin is thin.
Read the guideHow long does structural drying take?
Most people want one number: how many days the fans will run. The honest answer is a range, and it depends on how much water got in, what it soaked, and how fast the air
Read the guideA hurricane season water damage plan for Miami
Most storm damage we see in Miami homes is water damage: rain driven through windows, roof breaches and street water at the door. A plan made in May is worth far more tha
Read the guideKing tides and street flooding in Miami
On a clear fall morning, salt water can bubble up through storm drains and spread across low Miami streets with no rain at all. For homes and garages on those streets, ki
Read the guideMold inspection vs mold testing in Florida
People often use mold inspection and mold testing as if they meant the same thing. They answer different questions, and in Florida the law also shapes who can do which pa
Read the guideWhy your closet smells musty, and how to fix it
A closet that smells damp when you open the door is telling you something. In Miami, that smell almost always comes from moisture the closet cannot get rid of, and the fi
Read the guideWater categories 1, 2 and 3 explained
Two leaks can soak the same amount of floor and still need very different work. The difference is what was in the water, and the restoration industry sorts it into three
Read the guideWho pays for a condo leak in Florida?
When water comes through your ceiling from the unit above, the first worry is the mess and the second is the bill. Florida law sets a general split between the associatio
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Water where it should not be? Call now.
A person answers every call, day or night. Tell us what got wet and when it started, and we will tell you what happens next.