Water damage in your apartment: what to do in the first hour

Stop the water first

Everything else waits until the water stops. If it's coming from a fixture in your apartment, close the valve that feeds it: under the sink, behind the toilet, behind the washer or on the line to the dishwasher. Turn clockwise, firmly but without forcing an old valve until it snaps.

If you can't find a valve, or it won't close, call the super. In apartment buildings the water to a line of apartments is controlled by a riser valve in the basement or a shaft, and only the building staff should close it. In a house, the main is usually where the water line enters, in the basement or a front closet.

If the water is coming from above, you can't stop it yourself. Call the super or managing agent right away and knock on the door upstairs. Our guide on leaks from the apartment above covers what happens next.

Make the room safe

Water and electricity are the first risk. If water is near outlets, a power strip or a ceiling light, turn off that circuit at the panel, but only if you can reach the panel without standing in water. If you can't, stay out of the room.

A ceiling that sags or bulges is holding water and can come down, plaster and all. Keep people and pets out from under it, and move what you can out of the way from the side. Wet floors are slippery, and wet hardwood can be a trip hazard as boards lift.

Don't use a household vacuum on standing water, and don't turn on a ceiling fan under a wet ceiling.

Document before you move anything

Take photos and a short video of the source, the water on the floor, the stain on the ceiling and anything damaged, before you start cleaning up. Include a wide shot of each room and close-ups. Your phone's timestamp matters later.

Write down when you noticed the water, what you saw and who you called. Keep damaged items rather than throwing them out; your insurer may want to see them. If the water came from another unit, note which one and when you told the building.

Protect what you can

Lift rugs, papers, books, electronics and anything with sentimental value off wet floors. Put aluminum foil or plastic lids under furniture legs so stain and swelling don't spread from the wet floor into the wood. Open closet doors and drawers in wet rooms so they don't trap moisture.

If it's dry outside, open windows to move air. Don't try to dry walls with a hair dryer or space heater, and don't start pulling up flooring. Pulling wet carpet or boards before they've been read often ruins what could have been dried in place.

Who to call, and in what order

Call the super or managing agent if the source is in the building's pipes or another unit. Call a restoration company for extraction and drying; the sooner water is out, the more can be saved. Then call your insurer to open a claim, and tell your neighbor below if water may have reached them.

When you call us, we'll ask where the water is, how long it's been there and whether it's stopped. That tells us what to bring. The extraction and drying usually start on the same visit.

What not to do in the first day

Don't wait to see if it dries on its own. Walls and floors can feel dry and still hold water inside, and that's where mold starts. Don't paint over a stain, close up an opened wall or put flooring back until readings say the materials are dry.

And don't throw out damaged belongings before they've been photographed and listed. Once they're in the dumpster, they're very hard to claim.