With the recent storms in the St. Louis area, your home may have unexpected water enter due to the heavy rains and strong winds.

If this is your first water loss you may be feeling extremely overwhelmed and unsure of what to do. Check out our list of frequently asked questions during a water loss:

Should I go through insurance or not?

The choice to file a claim through insurance for this water damage depends on two things:

1. If the loss is covered under your insurance policy
2. If the cost for mitigation and repair is less than your deductible, it may be more cost-effective to skip the claim process and pay out of pocket.

How do I know if I’m covered?

Not all homeowners insurance policies cover the same types of losses, so the best (and fastest) way to know what is covered under yours is to contact your insurance carrier.

Should I contact a plumber for the repairs?

If your water is coming in from a sewer drain in your home, you would need to call a plumber to clear the line before we are able to start on your dry out/cleanup process. However, if the water is coming from a burst pipe or refrigerator, toilet, bathtub, or another source of running water, we can turn your water off for you and clean up the area while you wait for a plumber to come perform necessary repairs. If the water has seeped into your home through the foundation, there are some things we can do to start the mitigation process, such as removing any carpet or drywall needed to get to the source of the problem for a foundation expert to address.

Can Woodard determine the source or detect the leak?

If you are unsure where the water is coming in from, we may be able to guide you to the problem. Depending on what it is, we may be able to start the mitigation process while you wait for an expert to perform repairs.

Should I contact MSD?

If your water damage was caused by a sewer backup, it wouldn’t hurt to call MSD to see if it’s a covered loss. We do work with MSD’s insurance on covered losses, so we would be happy to help! If this is an MSD-covered loss, you will obtain a work order #/claim # from MSD, and they will also tell you if it is a Blocked Main or Overcharged Main and we will ask which one you have.

Are any chemicals that Woodard uses hazardous?

All of the chemicals we use are safe for your household and the environment. We keep an updated library of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) on all products we use, and would be happy to provide this information upon request.

When can someone come out?

Depending on the severity of your water damage, we will work with our Dispatch department to have a crew out to your house as immediately as possible. We will call you in advance to let you know we’re on the way.

What should I be doing before you get here?

Please try to have the source of the water resolved or have water shut off before we arrive. If you don’t know where your water shut off valve is, we would be happy to help you locate it. If possible, you may want to move any valuable items out of harm’s way and/or out of the water. The longer items sit in water, the worse the damage can be.

About Woodard Cleaning & Restoration

Woodard Cleaning & Restoration was founded in 1946 by Earl and Nancy Woodard. Located in St. Louis, Missouri, Woodard services the greater metro area (Illinois, St. Charles County, Jefferson County, St. Louis County, and many more). Woodard is proud to serve as the preferred provider for cleaning & restoration services. Our cleaning services include carpet, hard surface, furniture, and rug cleaning for both residential and commercial properties. We also provide water, fire, board-up, storm and smoke restoration services for residential and commercial clients. For information or questions submit a form online or call us at 314-227-3932.

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Updated 4/3/2014