Frequently asked questions

No. We don't run our own crews. Water Damage Restoration Pembroke Pines is a referral service: we connect you with an independent local restoration company, which does the inspection, gives the estimate and does the work. See our referral disclosure.

No. Our service is free to you. The restoration company may pay us for the referral. Whatever you agree with them is between you and that company.

Ask for their Florida license number and check it with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation at myfloridalicense.com. It takes a minute and shows the license status. Florida licenses mold remediators separately, so ask for that one too if mold is involved.

As soon as it is safe. Water keeps moving into walls, floors and cabinets after the leak stops, and in South Florida's humidity mold can start within a day or two. Early drying usually means less has to be torn out.

It depends on your policy and the cause. Sudden, accidental leaks are often covered; slow leaks, rising floodwater and sewer backups often aren't unless you have flood insurance or the right endorsement. Call your insurer early and keep photos.

Usually not. It depends on how much is affected, whether there is contamination, and whether the kitchen and bathrooms are usable. The contractor will tell you after the inspection.

Calls are taken from all Pembroke Pines ZIP codes: 33023, 33024, 33025, 33026, 33027, 33028 and 33029, and from Hollywood, Cooper City and Davie. Some of those ZIPs cross city lines; what matters is that a company serving your address is available.

As soon as it is safe to start. Warm, humid conditions let mold take hold on wet drywall within a day or two, faster than in a dry climate. Early extraction usually means less has to be torn out.

Sometimes. Clean water caught early can often be dried in place with the wall opened only along the bottom. Drywall that has swollen, crumbled or been soaked by contaminated water generally has to be cut out.

Often three to five days for a typical clean-water loss. Tile over slab dries faster than hardwood, and anything that sat for days takes longer. Drying should end when the readings say dry, not on a fixed day.

Often, if it is clean water and extracted within a day or two. The pad underneath usually has to go. Carpet soaked by sewage or by water that came in from outside normally can't be saved.

A room or two usually takes an hour or two. The drying afterwards takes days, not hours.

If the water soaked into carpet, pad or under the flooring, you need at least a moisture check. A dry-looking tile floor can hide wet drywall along every wall it touched.

Rain that gets in because wind damaged the roof or windows is usually a windstorm claim under the homeowners policy, often with a separate hurricane deductible. Water that rose from the ground, the street or a canal is flood, which standard policies exclude and a flood policy covers. Ask your insurer which applies.

Water that ran across a yard or street picks up dirt, fertilizer, bacteria and whatever was in the swale. Restoration standards treat it as contaminated, so porous materials it soaked usually can't be reliably cleaned.

Clear gutters and yard drains, check that the lot slopes away from the house, fit door sweeps and garage thresholds, and have the roof looked at before June. Know where your main water shutoff is.

Only after the roof is fixed and the ceiling has been metered dry. Painting over a damp ceiling traps moisture and hides mold that keeps growing in the insulation above.

Policies generally cover sudden damage from a storm, often with a hurricane deductible, but not wear and tear on an old roof or a leak that was ignored for months. Report it promptly and keep photos.

You usually can't from below. A restoration contractor meters the ceiling and checks the attic above the stain. Wet insulation feels heavy and compressed and often smells musty.

Usually a clogged condensate drain line, a cracked or rusted drain pan, a failed float switch or a frozen evaporator coil that thaws all at once. An AC contractor can tell you which. The water damage is a separate problem once it has reached the walls or floor.

It starts clean, but it sits in a pan and a drain line full of algae and dust, so it is usually treated as gray water (Category 2). Carpet pad and drywall it soaked for long are commonly removed.

Have the drain line cleared and the float switch tested at each service, pour a cup of vinegar down the line monthly during the summer if your AC contractor recommends it, and check the closet floor when you change the filter.

It can be. Sewage can carry bacteria, viruses and parasites. Avoid contact, keep children and pets out, and leave anything larger than a small spill to people with the right protective equipment.

Usually not. Carpet and pad soaked with sewage are normally removed. Tile, terrazzo and some furniture can be cleaned and disinfected.

Possibly. Cast-iron drain lines of the age found in many 1960s and early 1970s South Florida homes corrode from the inside and eventually collapse. A plumber's camera inspection will show it. Some homeowners policies have covered the resulting damage, so talk to your insurer before you accept a quick fix.

Many standard homeowners policies exclude sewer backup unless you added a water backup endorsement. Check your policy and ask your insurer.

Not always. If you can see or smell mold, the priority is finding the moisture and removing the growth. Testing helps when the source is hidden, for a real-estate sale, or to confirm a large job was done properly. Florida licenses mold assessors separately from remediators, so you can hire one who isn't doing the removal.

Any mold can cause allergy and breathing problems, especially for sensitive people. Color doesn't tell you the species or the risk. Treat it all the same way: fix the moisture and remove it properly.

Usually only when it follows a covered, sudden water loss, and often with a cap. Mold from humidity, a long-term leak or a neglected AC is commonly excluded. Check your policy.

Often because the air handler, its closet or the ducts have growth from a condensate leak or from a system that runs oversized and never dries the air. Have the AC closet and drain line looked at first.

Typically three to five days for clean water caught early. Hardwood floors, concrete block and water that sat for days take longer, and high indoor humidity slows everything.

Air movers shift a lot of air and dehumidifiers give off heat. Warm, moving, dry air is what pulls water out of materials.

Better not. Drying works because it runs continuously. Ask the contractor before switching anything off.

That depends on the contractor's schedule, your location and, during a hurricane, on the roads. They will tell you when you are connected. We don't promise arrival times we can't control.

Make the property safe and stop the water first. Then call your insurer to report the claim. Most policies expect you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage, which includes starting mitigation.

Small, clean spills on tile, maybe. Water that reached drywall, carpet pad, cabinets or the ceiling needs extraction and moisture readings, or it dries on the surface and stays wet inside.