Advice from the job site
Water, fire and mold advice for New York homes and buildings
Short, practical guides for the moment you need them. Written by Wallace Blackwell, our restoration guides editor, from the questions people ask us on the phone.
How to use these guides
If water, smoke or sewage is in your home right now, call first and read second. These guides are for the hour after the call, for making sense of what the crew is doing and for decisions that come later: insurance, costs and who does the work.
Nothing here replaces advice about your own policy or your own building. Where rules differ between co-ops, condos and rentals, we say so.
When it's happening
Read these with the water still on the floor.
Water Damage in Your Apartment: What to Do in the First Hour
The order that protects your apartment, your neighbor's ceiling and your claim.
Leak From the Apartment Upstairs in NYC: Who Handles What
Who stops it, who pays and what to put in writing when the water comes from above.
Sewer Backups in NYC Basements: Causes and Prevention
Why city basements back up in cloudbursts, and what actually prevents it.
Oil Burner Puffback on Long Island: What to Do
What a puffback is, what to do in the first hour and what not to wipe.
Frozen Pipes in NYC Apartments and Houses: Prevent and Respond
Where pipes freeze, how to prevent it in a cold snap and what to do when one splits.
After a Kitchen Fire: The First Days
Safety, soot, firefighting water and what to keep in the first days after a stovetop fire.
Understanding the job
What the crew is doing, and why it takes as long as it does.
Category 1, 2 and 3 Water: What the Labels Mean
Clean, gray and black water, and why the label changes what comes out.
How Long Water Damage Drying Takes
Why drywall dries in days and plaster doesn't, and how you know it's done.
How Fast Mold Grows After a Leak, and How to Stop It
The 24 to 48 hour window, where mold starts and how drying stops it.
After a Fire: Which Smoke-Damaged Belongings Can Be Saved
Which things clean up after smoke and which usually don't.
Mold in a New York Rental: Who Handles What
What tenants and owners usually handle, how to report it and what a real fix involves.
Planning, money and choices
Prices, policies, storm prep and picking who does the work.
What Water Damage Restoration Costs in New York, NY
Published price ranges, what moves a city job up or down, and how to read an estimate.
Flood vs. Water Damage: Which Policy Pays in New York
Why flood and water damage are different policies, and what that means after a storm.
How to Choose a Restoration Company in New York
Questions to ask on the phone before anyone starts pulling out walls.
Getting a Long Island Basement Ready for Storm Season
Gutters, grading, sump pumps and window wells before the next storm.
Nor'easter and Hurricane Prep for City Buildings
Roof drains, windows, basements and records before a nor'easter or hurricane.
Reading this with water on the floor?
Stop reading and call. We answer 24/7 and will talk you through the next steps.