Flood & water damage restoration in Hertfordshire & Essex

A burst pipe, a leaking appliance, a failed tank in the loft, water coming through the ceiling from the flat above, a river or surface-water flood: however it got in, water keeps doing damage for as long as it is left in the building. Plaster softens, floors lift, timber swells, and within a few days mould starts.

Tell us what has happened, where, and how to get in. The cause changes how we treat the building and how the insurer treats the claim, so we start recording it from the first call.

What counts as water damage

• Escape of water – burst or leaking pipes, radiators, tanks, washing machines, dishwashers, showers and baths. This is the most common insurance claim in the UK and the wording insurers use.
• Storm and flood – rain, surface water, river or groundwater entering the building.
• Leaks from neighbouring properties – common in flats and terraces.
• Sewage and backflow – contaminated water, which has to be handled and disposed of differently from clean water.
• Fire-fighting water – after a fire, the water used to put it out often causes as much damage as the fire. See
  fire and smoke damage restoration
  .

What to do before we arrive

• Turn off the water at the stopcock if the leak is internal.
• Switch off electricity to the affected area at the consumer unit if water is near sockets, lights or appliances. If in doubt, leave it to us.
• Move furniture and belongings out of the wet area if it is safe to do so. Put foil or plastic under furniture legs that have to stay.
• Take your own photos before anything is moved. They help the claim.
• Do not use a domestic fan heater to dry walls – it dries the surface and leaves the wall wet behind it.
• Report the claim to your insurer as soon as you can; you do not need to wait for us.

Make safe. We isolate the water supply if it is still running, check the electrics in the affected area, and identify any immediate hazards such as sagging ceilings.

Survey and record. We photograph every affected room, take moisture readings across walls, floors and ceilings, and map where the water has travelled. Water goes further than the visible stain – under floors, behind skirting, into party walls.

We classify the water (clean, grey or black) on arrival because it decides what can be dried in place and what has to come out.

We pump or vacuum out standing water, lift saturated carpets and underlay, and remove materials that cannot be dried: soaked plasterboard, chipboard flooring, MDF skirting, insulation.

Where plaster, flooring, kitchen units or decoration cannot be saved, we strip out the damaged materials as part of the drying stage, bag and dispose of them, and document what was removed. Stripping out more than necessary costs the claim; stripping out less leaves damp or smell behind.

Replacement is carried out once the building is dry and the scope is agreed. See strip-out and reinstatement.

Drying a building is not a matter of leaving a dehumidifier running and hoping. Each material has a known dry level, and we measure against it. We set up dehumidifiers and air movers matched to the size of the space and how wet it is, revisit to log readings, move or adjust equipment as areas dry out, and only sign the property off as dry when the readings say so.

See structural drying and moisture monitoring for how this works in detail.

At the end you get a drying report showing the readings from first visit to last, which is what the insurer needs before approving reinstatement. If there is a claim, the same report goes to the insurer or loss adjuster.

Most water damage work is paid for by buildings insurance. We are used to working inside a claim. If you are a policyholder, we can talk to your insurer or adjuster directly once you have reported the claim. If you are an insurer or loss adjuster looking to instruct us, see how we work with insurers.