Orlando, FL
Water is running. Do these four things.
- 00 Shut the water off The main valve, usually where the supply enters the house. If it is an appliance, the tap behind it.
- 01 Kill power to the wet rooms At the breaker, not at the socket. Do not walk into standing water to reach it.
- 02 Photograph before you move anything Your policy asks you to stop the damage growing. It also asks you to prove what was there.
- 03 Start the drying clock EPA puts mold growth at 24 to 48 hours after materials get wet. That window is the whole reason to hurry.
Goes to an independent contractor. Nothing is booked until you say so. Calls may be recorded.
Orlando, by the numbers
Around here it is hurricanes, and a homeowners policy does not answer for that water.
Homes of this vintage may carry polybutylene supply, which splits along the pipe rather than at a joint.
Two different jobs
Water first: a plumber replaces whatever failed, and a restoration crew dries the building. Your policy usually pays the second and not the first, which is why the two invoices arrive separately. Water damage in Orlando →
Mold later: EPA puts the do-it-yourself line at about 10 sq ft, and in some states the company that tests may not be the company that removes. Mold removal in Orlando →
Goes to an independent contractor. Nothing is booked until you say so. Calls may be recorded.
Renting in Orlando?
The number above will not help you: a contractor cannot take a building job from a tenant. Repairs are the owner’s obligation in most states. What a tenant can do →