Many Vero Beach homes sit on a concrete slab, so a leak can soak walls and flooring before you ever see a puddle. Florida humidity keeps that moisture from drying on its own, and mold growth can begin in as little as 24 to 48 hours.
Water in the house right now? Call and tell us what you see. We will help you stop it and plan the dry-out.
Call (772) 477-0363Open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Emergency: Any time
Water categories at a glance
| Category | What it means |
|---|---|
| 1 | Clean water from a supply line, caught within 48 hours. |
| 2 | Water from a washer, AC line or garage that has mixed with debris. |
| 3 | Sewage or outside flood water. Also any water left more than 48 hours moves up one category. |
Mold can take hold within 24 to 48 hours of getting wet. Call (772) 477-0363
Slab construction, a high water table and warm air change how water moves through a house here. These four situations explain most of what we see.
A water heater or washer in the garage can push water under the shared wall. The sloped garage floor sends the surface water out the door and looks dry, while the closet or bedroom drywall on the other side soaks it up.
If the garage floor is damp, check the wall on the other side.
Coastal humidity works against drying. Indoor air that stays damp gives mold what it needs.
Time pushes water down the ladder. Clean water left for more than 48 hours is treated as the next category up.
A leak in an empty seasonal home can run for weeks before anyone knows. By then the water has usually reached more than one room.
Mold work follows containment and HEPA filtration practices, so spores stay in the work area and out of the rest of the house. We look for the moisture source before any cleanup starts.
Offices, shops and rental units need to be dry and open again quickly. We plan the work around your space, your tenants and your insurance paperwork.
Pumps and extractors pull standing water out of floors, closets and garages before it spreads.
Air movers and dehumidifiers dry walls, framing and subfloors, with readings taken each day.
Supply line breaks and leaks under the slab, from shutoff advice to drying the affected rooms.
Garage water heaters, washer hoses and dishwashers that soak the wall next to them.
Clogged condensate lines and overflow pans that wet ceilings, closets and air handler rooms.
Wind-driven rain, window intrusion and flooding after a named storm moves through.
Wet insulation and sagging drywall below a roof leak, dried and opened up only where needed.
Moisture meters and thermal imaging trace hidden water to its source behind walls and under floors.
Tile, laminate, vinyl plank and wood floors, with drying methods matched to each type.
Leaks found after months away, when water has had time to reach every room.
Drywall, baseboard and flooring replacement once the structure has dried to normal readings.
People search for water damage in plenty of different words. If yours is on this list, the service beside it covers it.
| If you are looking for | See |
|---|---|
| Flood cleanup, a flooded garage or standing water removal | Emergency Water Extraction |
| Wet carpet drying and carpet water removal | Water-Damaged Floor Drying |
| Drying out a wet house with dehumidifiers and air movers | Structural Drying |
| Broken pipe, supply line or plumbing leak cleanup | Burst Pipe and Slab Leak Cleanup |
| Finding a hidden leak or mapping moisture inside a wall | Water Leak Detection |
| A washing machine, dishwasher, ice maker or water heater leak | Water Heater and Appliance Leaks |
| AC drain overflow or a ceiling stain under the air handler | AC Leak Water Damage |
| Hurricane water damage, storm flooding or wind-driven rain | Storm and Hurricane Water Damage |
| A roof leak, wet attic insulation or a sagging ceiling | Roof Leak and Ceiling Damage |
| Toilet overflow, sewer backup or septic backup | Sewage Cleanup |
| Cupped hardwood, lifted tile or swollen laminate | Water-Damaged Floor Drying |
| Mold testing, mold cleanup or a musty smell | Mold Removal |
| Drywall replacement, baseboards or a rebuild after a leak | Water Damage Repair |
| A leak found in a vacation home, a rental or a house left empty | Seasonal and Vacant Home Damage |
| Water damage in an office, store, restaurant, condo or HOA building | Commercial Water Damage |
| Moisture readings and photos for an insurance claim | How we document every job |
Not on the list? Call (772) 477-0363 and describe what you see. If it is outside what we do, we will say so.
We ask where the water is coming from and help you stop it, starting with the main valve and the breakers.
We ask what is wet and what kind of floors you have.
Inspection with moisture meters and thermal imaging finds the wet edge.
Extraction and drying begin, with readings taken each day.
Mold check, cleanup and repair finish the job.
| Cause | Where it shows up | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Burst pipes and slab leaks | Wet or warm spots on the floor, a water meter that moves when everything is off, a hissing sound, an unexpected rise in the bill. | Turn off every fixture and watch the meter. If it still moves, shut the main valve and call a plumber and us. |
| Water heaters | Pooling in the garage or closet, damp drywall on the shared wall, rusted tank base. | Look at the base of the tank and the pan under it. Check the wall on the far side of the garage. |
| Washer hoses | Wet floor in the laundry room, swollen baseboards, stains on the wall behind the machine. | Pull the machine out and check both hoses and the valves. Rubber hoses that are bulging or cracked need replacing. |
| AC condensate lines | Water at the air handler, stained ceilings below an attic unit, a tripped float switch. | Check the drain pan and the line outlet. A line clogged with algae backs water into the pan and over the edge. |
| Roof leaks after storms | Brown ceiling stains, bubbling paint, drips from light fixtures, wet attic insulation. | Look in the attic with a flashlight after rain. Stay out of any room where the ceiling sags. |
| Wind-driven rain | Wet window sills and walls on the windward side, water under exterior doors. | Check window seals, door sweeps and the wall base on the side the wind came from. |
| Toilet and sewer backups | Gurgling drains, water coming up in tubs or floor drains, sewage smell. | Stop using water in the house and keep people and pets out of the area. This is Category 3 water. |
| Septic overflow after heavy rain | Slow drains, wet or sunken ground over the drain field, odor outside or at floor drains. | Note where the water shows up and keep people away from it. Call us and your septic service. |
| Home type | How water behaves | What we check first |
|---|---|---|
| Mainland slab home | Water spreads across one flat floor and wicks into the bottom of walls. Saturated ground can add moisture from below. | Readings along the slab edge and the bottom of the walls. |
| Older raised home | Water collects under the floor, where old lines leak and damp air sits against the subfloor. | The underside of the subfloor and the joists. |
| Barrier island home | Sand drains rain, but surge and high tides bring salt water that leaves residue behind. | Water type and salt exposure, then hidden leaks. |
| Seasonal or vacant home | A slow leak runs for weeks and reaches several rooms before anyone notices. | Every room, closet and cabinet base. |
Tell us where the water is, how far it has spread and whether there is a musty or sewage smell. It helps us decide what equipment to bring and what category of water we are dealing with.
Tile, laminate, hardwood and carpet all dry differently. Knowing the floor type early tells us whether we can dry it in place or need to lift part of it.
Give us the time you first saw water and whether you have shut off the main valve or the breakers. Mold may begin growing as soon as 24 to 48 hours after materials get wet, so the clock matters.
Take photos and video of the water, the damage and the source before you move anything. Our moisture readings go in the file too, and your insurer can see both.
It depends on where the water came from. If the AC drain line is the source, switch the system off at the thermostat and the breaker so it stops adding water. If you see or smell mold, keep it off, because the blower can push spores through the ducts into other rooms.
For a pipe leak with no musty smell, the AC is not the concern. The wet rooms are. Call us if you are unsure and we will tell you what to do for your situation.
Damp materials can start growing mold in 24 to 48 hours, according to EPA guidance. Warm, humid air along the Treasure Coast leaves little room to wait.
Wet drywall, insulation and baseboards that stay damp past two days carry the highest risk. Fast extraction and drying is the best way to keep mold from starting.
It depends on your policy, the cause of the loss and how quickly it was reported. Many policies treat a sudden event like a burst pipe differently from a slow leak that went unnoticed. Read your policy or ask your agent, and report the loss early.
We cannot promise coverage and we do not take assignment of benefits. What we do is document moisture readings and photos that you can share with your insurer.
Most jobs take several days, but the range is wide. It depends on how long the water sat, what the floors and walls are made of, and how humid the weather is.
We take moisture readings every day and keep drying until the materials return to normal levels. Dry-looking walls can still be wet inside, so we go by the meter and not by eye.
Cost depends on the water category, the square footage that got wet and how many days of drying the structure needs. A small kitchen leak and a flooded slab home are very different jobs.
We look at the damage first and then explain what it will take. See our pricing page for how estimates are put together.
Shut off the main water valve first. Then take photos and video before you move anything, and note the date you found it.
If the house smells musty, leave the AC off and do not run fans through the rooms. Call us and your insurance company the same day, and ask a neighbor or property manager to check on any other seasonal properties you own nearby.
Water in the house right now? Call and tell us what you see.
Call (772) 477-0363
