1. Check for electrical hazards
If water is near outlets, power strips, baseboard heaters or the breaker panel, stay out of it. If you can reach the panel from a dry spot, switch off the rooms that are wet. If the panel is wet, leave it alone and mention it when you call.
Look up, too. A ceiling that sags or bulges is holding water and can drop without warning. Keep people and pets out from under it.
2. Stop the water
- Pipe, water heater or appliance: close the main shutoff. In a lot of Lynnwood houses it is in the crawl space, the garage, or under the kitchen sink.
- Toilet or sink: turn the small valve behind or under the fixture.
- Water from the unit above you: knock on the neighbor's door and call the building manager or HOA. Most buildings have a shutoff that only staff can reach.
- Sewage coming up a drain: stop running water anywhere in the house. Every flush adds to it.
- Rain coming in: you can't stop the weather, but you can clear a clogged gutter or downspout if it is safe, and move things off the floor.
3. Call for help
Call a water damage company now, before you try to clean up on your own. Getting a crew on the way while you work through the rest of this list saves time. Call us and we will connect you with a local company.
4. Photograph everything
Before you move or throw out anything, take wide shots of each wet room and close-ups of the damage, the source if you can see it, and anything you plan to throw away. Short videos are even better. Your insurance adjuster or HOA will ask for these.
5. Move what you can
Carry rugs, electronics, papers, photos and anything made of fabric to a dry room. Put foil or plastic under furniture legs so stains don't transfer to wet carpet. Leave heavy furniture for the crew.
6. Tell the right people
- Homeowners: call your insurance company and start a claim.
- Condo owners: tell your HOA or property manager, then your own insurance.
- Renters: tell your landlord in writing, and call your renters insurance if you have it.
What to skip
- Running a household vacuum or shop vac on sewage.
- Turning on ceiling lights or fans in a room with a wet ceiling.
- Putting box fans on wet carpet and hoping for the best. It dries the surface and leaves the pad and subfloor wet.
- Waiting a day to see if it dries on its own.
Related services in Lynnwood
- Emergency water removal: Water pumped and extracted, wet carpet pad and drywall pulled, drying equipment set the same visit.
- Burst and leaking pipes: Frozen pipes, failed supply lines and old galvanized plumbing that finally gave out.
- Condo and apartment leaks: Water coming through the ceiling from the unit above, or leaking into the unit below.