Guides to dealing with water damage at home

Start with what to do after water damage if the water is still fresh. It covers safety, shutting off water, documenting the damage and the first calls to make. Then read the guide that matches your question. Each guide is short enough to read on a phone while you wait for help.

The guides draw on EPA guidance on mold and flood cleanup, the IICRC S500 restoration standard, Ready.gov and Delaware state sources. They are general information, not advice for your specific home; a contractor who has seen the damage, and your own insurer, have the final word on what applies to you.

If drywall or ceilings got wet, the wet drywall guide explains how contractors decide what stays and what is cut out. If you are waiting for equipment to finish, how long drying takes explains why the timeline varies. If the water came from a sewer, a creek or a sump, water damage categories explained shows why that changes what can be kept. And when it is time to deal with your insurer, working with your insurance adjuster covers the records and questions that help most.