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Damage first aid: what to do RIGHT NOW

A printable cheat sheet for the worst day of your week. We wrote this for the homeowner who's already standing in 2 inches of water and doesn't have time to read a guide. Skim it, do the steps, call us. We're on the way.

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Water damage

First 30 minutes after a leak, burst, or flood

  1. Shut off the water main. Usually in the basement, garage, or near the front foundation. Turn the valve clockwise until it stops.
  2. Cut power to affected rooms at the breaker panel — especially if water is near outlets, the furnace, or any electronics.
  3. Document the damage. 30+ photos. Slow video walkthrough. Get the source, the spread, the affected rooms, and any belongings BEFORE you move anything.
  4. Move what you can to a dry area — lifting furniture off wet carpet onto blocks if you can't relocate it.
  5. Call (317) 764-2375. We dispatch immediately and arrive within 2 hours. Don't wait for the insurance call — we start mitigation the moment we get there.
  6. Don't run your HVAC. It'll push water vapor into walls, ducts, and rooms that aren't damaged yet.
For burst pipes specifically: read the 60-minute playbook.
Fire & smoke damage

First 60 minutes after firefighters leave

  1. Do not re-enter until the fire department clears the structure. Active hotspots, weakened framing, and air contamination kill long after the visible flames are out.
  2. Get the fire report number. Ask the responding crew — you'll need it for the insurance claim.
  3. Don't touch soot. Touching, vacuuming, or wiping soot smears it into surfaces permanently. Walk around it, don't through it.
  4. Open windows ONLY if outdoor air is cleaner than indoor (rare on a fire day). Often it's better to keep the house sealed until pros assess.
  5. Photograph everything — structural damage, smoke staining, every affected room, every damaged item. Insurance values losses by what you can document.
  6. Call (317) 764-2375. Emergency board-up the same day. We secure the property before weather, animals, or vandalism adds insult to injury.
Storm damage

First 60 minutes after a tornado, severe wind, or hail event

  1. Make sure everyone is accounted for. Check inside and outside; storm debris can fall later.
  2. Look for downed power lines — stay clear, call the utility.
  3. Photograph the exterior before any debris cleanup. Roofs, siding, windows, fences, vehicles — carriers pay what you can prove.
  4. Tarp roof breaches if you can do it safely. If not, call us — we'll bring tarp and ladder crew within 2 hours.
  5. Don't sign anyone's paperwork on the day of the storm. Door-knocking "storm chaser" contractors flood Hamilton County after every event. Get an IICRC-certified, locally-based contractor.
  6. Call (317) 764-2375. Veteran-owned, headquartered right here in Noblesville. We don't disappear after the storm.
Mold discovery

What to do BEFORE you try to clean it yourself

  1. Don't disturb it. Wiping, brushing, or vacuuming visible mold releases millions of spores into the rest of the house.
  2. Find the moisture source. Roof leak? Slow plumbing drip? High humidity? Mold is a symptom — if you don't fix the source, it comes back.
  3. Photograph and measure the affected area. The EPA's general guideline: areas under 10 sq ft can sometimes be DIY. Above that, professional containment is recommended.
  4. Don't run the HVAC — it'll spread spores through every room with a vent.
  5. Keep pets and immune-compromised family members out of the affected area.
  6. Call (317) 764-2375. Free assessment. We tell you straight whether you need containment-grade remediation or whether it's small enough to handle yourself.
Sewage backup

This is biohazardous. DO NOT DIY.

  1. Get people and pets out of the affected area immediately. Cat 3 black water carries bacteria, viruses, and parasites.
  2. Don't walk through it — you'll track contamination into clean rooms.
  3. Shut off water at the main if the backup is ongoing.
  4. Open windows for ventilation if outdoor air is acceptable.
  5. Do NOT use shop-vac or wet-vac. It aerosolizes pathogens. Specialized Cat 3 extraction equipment is required.
  6. Call (317) 764-2375. Our techs come with full PPE, sealed containment, and OSHA-compliant disposal protocols.
Always remember

The 5 rules that apply to every disaster

  1. Safety first. No phone call, photo, or piece of property is worth getting hurt.
  2. Document before you touch. Photos and video win claims.
  3. Stop the source. Water, fire, smoke, mold — the source has to be stopped before mitigation works.
  4. Don't sign anything the same day from a storm chaser, public adjuster, or "contractor in the neighborhood."
  5. Call your restoration company BEFORE your insurance. We start mitigation immediately. Adjusters can't — and shouldn't — gate that.
Save (317) 764-2375 in your phone today. Future-you will be grateful. — Michael Talbot, founder

Save this number. Hope you never need it.

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