Water damage questions

For clean water caught early, several days of equipment is common. Tile over a slab, hardwood, cabinets and water that sat for a while all stretch that out. The meter readings decide when it is finished.

Not always. Well-bonded tile over a slab can often stay while the room dries. Loose or hollow-sounding tiles, swollen laminate and wet carpet pad are a different story. Ask the contractor to show you what they found.

For the first inspection, yes, so you can approve what gets removed. After that, ask the contractor how often they need to come in to check readings and move equipment.

Ask the contractor. Running the air conditioning often helps pull humidity down, but some setups work better with the HVAC adjusted or vents covered. Keep windows closed on humid days unless they tell you otherwise.

Concrete absorbs water and releases it slowly, which matters under tile, wood and vinyl. That is one reason drying on a slab can take longer than people expect.

Drying capacity depends on the volume of the space and how much material got wet. A contractor sizes the equipment to the room and adjusts after the first readings.

SAWS describes that run, from the meter to the building, as the customer-owned service line (SAWS service lines). A break on the street side of the meter belongs to SAWS; call 210-704-SAWS (7297).

Insulation and the back of drywall hold water for a long time with no air moving. Meter readings tell you whether a wall is drying or just looking dry.

Many Texas policies cover sudden and accidental water damage, but every policy differs. Read the Texas Department of Insurance's water damage guidance and ask your insurer.

Most Texas home policies don't cover flood. Flood coverage comes from a separate policy, often through the National Flood Insurance Program, and most flood policies have a 30-day waiting period (TDI home insurance guide).

The City points residents to FEMA's flood maps and to BexarFlood.org for roads closed by high water (city flood page).

Drywall that sat in floodwater is usually cut out above the water line, because it wicks contaminated water upward. Clean-water leaks are a different case.

Only in narrow cases. Under SAWS's Sewer Lateral Reimbursement Program the blockage has to be in the right-of-way, street, alley or easement, marked by your plumber with a green-paint X, and SAWS reimburses the plumber's normal charges for locating it. A blockage on your side is not reimbursed (SAWS).

The Texas Department of Insurance lists backup of sewers or drains as an optional endorsement you can buy (TDI guide). Check your declarations page or ask your agent.

Small, contained spills on hard floors can be handled with gloves, boots and disinfectant. Once sewage reaches carpet, drywall or more than one room, the EPA advises bringing in a professional experienced with contaminated water.

A dry stain can hide wet insulation or damp framing above. A moisture meter on the ceiling and a look in the attic settle it.

San Antonio's no-permit list covers cosmetic work such as painting and repairing sheet rock; roofing is not on it. Ask the roofer, or Development Services at 210-207-1111.

Stop the water first. If rain is still coming in, a tarp from a roofer comes before drying. A restoration contractor can often coordinate both.

Plumbing work generally does. Homeowners must use licensed trade contractors for new plumbing components, except for limited homestead work (Development Services). Ask the plumber to pull the permit.

Look for swollen cabinet bases, lifting laminate, a musty smell or a water bill that jumps. A contractor's meter and thermal camera can trace the wet area.

If water reached the subfloor or the cabinet base, yes, have it checked. Trapped moisture under cabinets is a common source of mold.

Without cleaning, a long time, because odor sits in porous materials. Removing the residue and treating the air and surfaces is what clears it.

Check your own policy and ask your insurer. The TDI home insurance guide explains how claims and deadlines work in Texas.

Light soot can often be cleaned off. Heavier residue usually needs cleaning, a stain-blocking primer and paint.

No. It is a referral line. The call is passed to an independent contractor, and Texas law requires that contractor to hold a TDLR mold remediation license for regulated work. Verify the license before you hire.

The Texas Department of Insurance says mold on an item damaged by a covered loss can be covered, but most policies don't include mold cleanup and testing unless you added that coverage (TDI).

Quickly enough that the EPA sets a one-to-two-day target: it asks homeowners to get wet materials dry within 24 to 48 hours of the leak (EPA).