Your first fifteen minutes back
- Close the main water valve before exploring the house.
- Turn off power to wet areas at the panel only if the panel and the floor around it are dry.
- Open a door or window for fresh air if there is a strong musty smell.
- Video a slow walk through every room before touching anything.
- Look at ceilings and walls on lower floors, not just where the water started.
- Note the thermostat setting and indoor temperature; insurers often ask whether heat was maintained.
Why time changes the job
When water runs for hours, it mostly sits on floors and in the bottom of walls. When it runs for days, it fills cavities, saturates subfloors, migrates into rooms far from the source, and climbs drywall well above the floor line. In a two-story Parker home with a finished basement, a second-floor leak can reach all three levels.
Water that sits also changes in quality. Clean water absorbs dirt and organic material from the materials it soaks into, so long-running losses are often handled with more removal and cleaning than a quick one. Mold growth can begin on wet materials within a few days, so visible spotting after a long absence is not unusual.
The claim may be harder as well. Many policies require the home to be heated when vacant in cold weather and may limit coverage if a house was left unoccupied for an extended period. Read the vacancy and freezing provisions of your policy before a long trip, not after.
The first two days
- Hour 1
- Water off, hazards checked, everything photographed. Call the insurer to open a claim.
- Hours 2 to 6
- A plumber finds and repairs the source. A restoration company starts extraction and maps moisture across every affected level.
- Day 1 evening
- Decisions on removing saturated drywall, insulation and pad. Expect more removal than for a fresh leak.
- Day 2
- Drying equipment running, containment set up if mold is visible, contents moved or packed out. Ask about temporary lodging if the house is not livable.
Before the next trip
- Main valve
- Close it if nobody will be home for more than a day or two, and leave the heat on.
- Heat
- Keep the thermostat at a moderate setting in winter; a furnace that quits while you are away is a common way pipes freeze.
- Check-ins
- Ask a neighbor or friend to walk through the house every couple of days, including the basement.
- Alarms
- Connected water and temperature sensors can alert your phone when something goes wrong.
General information for Parker, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.