5 Steps to Take After Your Portland Home Suffers Water Damage

October 28, 2021

Summarize with

family room after water damage restoration contact us

Water damage. No one wants to deal with it. Whether caused by a leaky pipe or an unexpected hurricane, water damage can quickly ruin your home and your belongings. If your home suffered water damage, there are a few steps you should take to help mitigate the damage. We discuss them below, as well as how an experienced water damage restoration company can be your best resource.

1. Turn Your Electricity Off (if it is safe to do so)

Water and electricity don’t mix so the first thing you should do before cleaning up is shut your electricity off. You should only do this if it is safe to do so. If it is safe to do so, wear the proper protective equipment such as rubber gloves and rubber boots.

If it is not safe to turn the power off yourself, call an electrician who can come out to assist you.

2. Call Your Insurance Company

The next thing you should do is call your insurance company. Calling your insurance company is your best defense in protecting yourself and what you’ll have to pay out of pocket. Take photos of the damage before you clean it up so the insurance company knows how severe the damage is.

3. Assess the Damage

Once you have a call out to your insurance company, your next step is to assess the damage. By assessing the damage, you can develop a strategy that will help you determine what your next step will be. For example, if the water damage is in a small, contained area, you might only need a few towels to get the area cleaned up.

However, for larger jobs, you might need several tools such as buckets, a wet-dry vac, a dehumidifier, and proper disinfectants. Since water damage isn’t an everyday occurrence for most homeowners, chances are you might not have this equipment handy. This is where a call to a professional water damage restoration company comes in.

4. Start the Repairs

As mentioned above, you may be able to handle small jobs yourself by placing towels down to soak up the excess water. If the water damage is severe, you should get a bucket to start collecting the water to bring it outside. Once you’ve removed the water from your home, remove your damaged belongings from the premises. You should focus on items that are upholstered, as this is where mold can commonly set in.

5. Dry Out Your Home

After you’ve removed the water, focus on drying out the affected area as much as possible. Drying your home after water damage is important because it can offset the development of mold. Mold can develop in as little as 24 hours after water damage. When it grows, it can trigger allergies and make respiratory conditions such as asthma worse. Furthermore, mold causes sleep disorders and even anxiety and depression.

You can dry your home in several ways. If the temperatures allow, open up the windows in the damaged room to allow for a cross-breeze. If this isn’t possible, turn on your air conditioner. You will also want to use a dehumidifier to soak up the excess moisture. Studies show that drying your home within the first 24 hours after water damage significantly lowered the risk of mold growth.

How a Professional Water Removal Company Can Help

Some jobs are just too big for you to handle on your own. This is where the assistance of a water damage restoration team comes in handy. Hiring a water damage restoration company has several benefits. First, they can categorize the type of water damage so they know how to properly clean and disinfect. Second, they have all the equipment you need to properly clean up the mess. This includes everything from air movers to dehumidifiers and wet-dry vacs. Last, a water restoration company can make repairs to damaged floors, drywall, and other areas of your home that may have been damaged in the flood or leak.

Hiring a water damage restoration professional after water damage is your best defense against mold development and restoring your home to the way it was. Taking these five steps can help mitigate the damage until the pros arrive.

Did Your Home Suffer Unexpected Water Damage? Call the Water Damage Removal Pros at PNW Restoration For Help

Suffering unexpected water damage is overwhelming. However, with help from PNW Restoration, it doesn’t have to be. The water removal technicians at PNW Restoration have the tools and resources needed to clean up the mess and get your home back to normal. Call us today at 971-247-3470 to schedule a water damage restoration appointment. We also offer 24/7 services in the event of an emergency.

Table Of Content

1. Turn Your Electricity Off (if it is safe to do so)

2. Call Your Insurance Company

3. Assess the Damage

4. Start the Repairs

5. Dry Out Your Home

How a Professional Water Removal Company Can Help

Did Your Home Suffer Unexpected Water Damage? Call the Water Damage Removal Pros at PNW Restoration For Help

For 24/7 Emergency Response call

Water, Mold & Fire Damage Restoration Services in Portland, OR

Call: (503) 352-5209

Latest post

What to Do After Mold Remediation Before Reconstruction Starts

September 21, 2026

Commercial Mold Remediation: Containment in Occupied Buildings

September 21, 2026

Does Renters Insurance Cover Smoke Damage From Another Unit?

September 21, 2026

How Long Does Drywall Take to Dry After a Leak?

September 21, 2026

Storm Damage Restoration Cost: What You Pay For

September 21, 2026

Why Fire Suppression Water Must Be Dried Before Smoke Repairs

September 21, 2026

Your Source for Local, Trusted Restoration Services

At PNW Restoration, we are committed to providing exceptional restoration services to get your property back to its best condition.

Experienced Professionals

Our team is highly trained and experienced in all aspects of property restoration.

Customer Satisfaction

We prioritize customer satisfaction and work closely with you throughout the restoration process.

IICRC Certified Firm

We adhere to the highest standards of restoration practices.

Insurance Assistance

We assist with insurance claims to make the restoration process as smooth as possible.

Testimonials

Don't just take our word, See why our customers love us

    
 
 
       Posted on Google  
   
   Mai Green 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We had an incredible experience with PNW Restoration after discovering water damage in our home. They were incredibly responsive, arriving at our house within a few short hours. As it was our first time dealing with a flood, we were grateful for their thorough approach. Bryan Becker, the Project Manager, and Nick Peterson, the Lead Water Technician, took the time to walk us through the damage and explain their plan to fix it. Throughout the entire process, they clearly communicated every step, ensuring we understood everything. Their daily check-ins were reassuring, and their over-communication, kept us informed and at ease. They even provided invaluable support during the frustrating insurance claim process. We highly recommend PNW Restoration for their professionalism, responsiveness, and excellent customer service. Thank you, Bryan and Nick, for making a stressful situation much more manageable!
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Tom Giamario 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Fast  and comprehensive mitigation response. Jakeb is caring and responsive. Kylie and Nick  doing the work were professional and friendly while working hard. Restoration has  been a little more difficult with scheduling and less than reliable subcontractors.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Jennifer Humphrey 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. A recent small leak in a bathroom pipe has turned into a major restoration project. We were referred to PNW Restoration and I am so glad we were. Jakeb Shelton the project manager contacted us immediately and answered all our questions (we are novices) about what to expect from our insurance company and the project. He is handling contact with the insurance adjuster, saving us a multitude of headaches. Every one of the PNW employees who have worked on the demolition phase of our project (Kylie, Nick, Wade, Brett and all the others whose names I can't recall) have been polite, accommodating and unbelievably hard workers. Every question we have asked, no matter how minor, has been answered immediately and satisfactorily. The project continues into the rebuild phase and I am confident the employees we will work with in the future will be just as great. I cannot recommend PNW Restoration more highly. Awesome, awesome customer service, too!
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Tim Hoth 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Jake was the project manager and helped take care of a sewer line issue I was having. Brett, Kylie, and Noe came and did a tremendous job making sure all of my furniture and hardwood flooring was covered and took care of doing new vapor barrier and insulation and water cleanup under my house with little room to work in. They were flexible on timing and made sure cleanup was done well!
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Jen Jen 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Based on my tenants’ experience with PNW, the company performed quality work and the staff are thoughtful about the tenants’ needs. I am sincerely grateful for this positive feedback.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Steve Nielsen 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Bryan at PNW has been terrific in our repair of our house. Excellent service and responsive. Recommend very highly.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Josie Wolf 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Thank you, PNW for being available on short notice next day bases. We really appreciate you coming out to our location.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Johanna Hastay 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. PNW Restoration came to my rescue after a water damage event required the removal and demolition of my entire kitchen down to the subfloor. Jake was my remediation project manager and his team, especially Wade, Brett, and Matthew were amazing! Everyone has been extremely responsive, helpful, tidy, fun, and supportive during a very stressful time, all while helping me with my insurance company. They are a great company and willing to go above and beyond. They’ve provided all the guidance and care that you could ask for and I look forward to working with them to get the kitchen back up and running.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Lindsay Prange 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Had a great experience with Jake and Bryan from PNW Restoration! They were prompt and professional with scheduling and showed up exactly when they said they would. They got right to work and conducted a thorough inspection of our crawlspace, providing a detailed report of exactly how they could help mitigate our mold concerns. Highly recommended!
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Christine McCulloch 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We really appreciate the work that PNW team did when we had major water damage from our attic, 2 floors and the crawl space. They were all extremely professional, always gave me a call to make sure that someone would be home when they came, and they respected the house and space when they were in it. They also outsourced some stuff and made sure those teams also represented them well. In all, PNW team were genuinely wonderful people and made one of the hardest periods of our life, manageable.