Water damage? The first 24 hours matter
A step-by-step checklist for the first day after a leak, burst pipe or flood. What to do in the first hour, what to photograph, and why speed decides how much you lose.
Water damage is a race against the clock. The longer water sits, the further it wicks into plaster, skirting, subfloors and wall cavities, and the sooner mould takes hold. Queensland Health warns that mould can start growing within 24 to 48 hours of materials getting wet, so the actions you take today decide how much of your home you keep.
Work through this list in order. If water is still flowing or there is any risk to power or safety, deal with that first.
In the first hour
Stop the source. Turn off the mains water at the meter for a burst pipe or failed flexi-hose. For a roof or stormwater leak, you cannot stop the rain, so move to containment.
Kill the power to affected areas at the switchboard before you step into any standing water. Water and electricity together can be fatal. If you are not sure, stay out and call an electrician.
Get people and pets out of contaminated water. Floodwater and sewage backflow (Category 3, or black water) carry bacteria and should be treated as hazardous, not just wet.
Before you clean up: document everything
Photograph and video every affected room, the water line on the walls, damaged contents and the source of the water, before you move or throw anything away. Insurers assess what they can see, and once you have cleaned up, the evidence is gone.
Make a written list of damaged items with rough purchase dates and values. Keep receipts for anything you buy for emergency repairs or drying.
Start drying, carefully
Move what you can to a dry area, lift furniture off wet carpet, and get air moving. Queensland Health advises opening doors and windows and running fans or an air conditioner on dry mode to speed drying. Porous items that stay wet for more than two days, such as carpet underlay, mattresses and some insulation, often cannot be saved and may need to go.
Do not use a household vacuum to remove water, and do not put the heating on and shut the house up, which just feeds mould. For anything more than a small clean-water spill, this is the point to call a professional restoration company with commercial extraction and drying gear.
Call it in
Contact your insurer as early as you can to start the claim and ask what your policy requires. Then get a water damage restoration provider on site fast. Structural drying done properly in the first day or two is far cheaper than tearing out mouldy walls a fortnight later.
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