Water Extraction
Water extraction is the first (and most urgent!) step in water damage repair—using powerful pumps and vacuums to remove standing water from floors, carpets, or walls before drying begins. It’s like “super-sucking” water out of your home!
Why Speed Matters:
- Prevents saturation: Stops water from soaking deeper into materials
- Reduces damage: Every minute counts to save floors/drywall
- Slows mold growth: Mold can start in as little as 24 hours
Tools Pros Use:
🚛 Truck-mounted extractors (for floods—sucks up hundreds of gallons/hour)
🧹 Portable wet vacuums (for smaller leaks)
🌀 Subfloor drying systems (injects air under floors to push water out)
Example: After the washing machine overflowed, the crew used extraction to pull 50 gallons of water from the soaked carpet in 20 minutes.
⚠️ DIY Warning: Shop-vacs can’t handle large floods—standing water can ruin them (and electrocution risks!).
💡 Pro Trick: Extraction removes ~90% of water—drying handles the last 10% hidden in materials.
🌊 Visual: Like bailing out a sinking boat… but for your living room! 🚣♂️➡️🏠
« Back to Glossary Index