Water keeps doing damage after the leak stops. It wicks up drywall, soaks insulation and sits under flooring. The work has two parts, and FMGC does both: get the water out, then dry the structure until the moisture readings say it is dry.
Why the first two days matter
The Texas Department of Insurance tells policyholders to dry the area as soon as they can, because mold can start growing within a day after a leak (TDI). The EPA gives the same window from the other side: dry water-damaged areas and items within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth (EPA).
What to do before we arrive
- Stop the source if you can: the main water valve, the appliance supply line, or a tarp over a roof opening.
- Stay away from wet electrical equipment. If water reached outlets, cords or the panel, leave the power to an electrician.
- Photograph and video everything before anything is moved.
- Keep the damaged items. TDI says not to throw away any damaged items until your adjuster has seen them (TDI).
- Call your insurance company and write down the claim number.
How extraction and drying work
- Inspect and map the wet area. Moisture meters find where the water traveled, which is usually farther than the visible stain.
- Extract standing water from floors, carpet and pad.
- Open what has to be opened. Wet baseboard, saturated drywall and soaked insulation come out so the framing can dry.
- Set air movers and dehumidifiers sized to the space.
- Read and log moisture on a schedule until the framing, subfloor and slab match a dry reference reading from an unaffected part of the building.
- Hand you the drying log. Your adjuster may ask for it, and it helps show what has to be rebuilt.
What gets dried and what gets replaced
- Usually dried in place: framing lumber, concrete slabs and solid wood trim.
- Usually replaced: carpet pad, batt insulation, saturated drywall and swollen particleboard.
- Moldy porous materials: the EPA notes that absorbent materials such as ceiling tiles and carpet may have to be thrown away if they become moldy (EPA).
What insurance usually covers
TDI says most homeowner and renters policies cover sudden and accidental water damage, and that policies usually will not cover damage from gradual leaks. Mold from a flood would not be covered, because home policies do not cover floods (TDI). Flood coverage is a separate policy.
Commercial buildings
Offices, retail spaces and multifamily units dry the same way, with more attention to keeping the rest of the building open. We section off the wet area, protect finished floors on the path in and out, and schedule noisy work around your tenants where we can.
Common questions
- How fast does a wet building need to be dried?
- As fast as it can be done. The Texas Department of Insurance says mold can start growing within a day after a leak, and the EPA says to dry water-damaged areas and items within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth.
- Does FMGC do the extraction and drying, or only the rebuild?
- Both. FMGC extracts the water, dries the structure with air movers and dehumidifiers, logs the moisture readings, and then rebuilds what could not be saved.
- What if you find mold?
- Work in that area stops. Texas requires companies that do mold-related work to be licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation unless exempt, and FMGC does not hold that license. A licensed mold professional handles it, and we resume afterward.
- Will insurance pay for the drying?
- The Texas Department of Insurance says most homeowner and renters policies cover sudden and accidental water damage, and that policies usually will not cover damage from gradual leaks. Home policies do not cover floods. Your policy and your adjuster decide what is paid.
Sources: Texas Department of Insurance, When are water damage and mold covered by insurance?; U.S. EPA, A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home; Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Consumer Mold Information Sheet.