What to Do in the First 24 Hours After Water Damage in Conway, AR

Minute 0–5: Stop the Source and Cut the Power

If water is still flowing, the single most valuable thing you can do is stop it. For a burst pipe or appliance leak, shut off the main water valve — usually near your water heater, in a utility closet, or outside near your meter. Every homeowner in Conway should know exactly where this valve is *before* they need it.

If water is anywhere near an outlet, appliance, or light fixture, go to your breaker panel and kill power to the affected area. Water and electricity don't mix, and a few seconds of caution beats an emergency room visit.

For a storm or flood where the source is outside, skip to step two and focus on personal safety — don't wade into standing water if there's any chance it's touching live wiring.

Minute 5–30: Document Everything Before You Touch It

Before you move a single piece of furniture, take photos and videos of every affected room from multiple angles. Your insurance adjuster will ask for this. Shoot wide for context and close for detail — soaked baseboards, wet ceiling tiles, damaged electronics, everything.

Include timestamps where possible. Modern iPhones and Android phones embed these automatically, but it doesn't hurt to get your phone clock in frame during a video walkthrough.

If you can safely identify the source of the water damage, photograph that too — the burst pipe, the leaking washing machine connection, the overflowing toilet. A clear cause speeds up claims enormously.

Minute 30–60: Call a Restoration Company — Not Just a Plumber

A plumber fixes the pipe. A restoration company dries the house. You need both, but you need the restoration company on-site first if there's standing water or saturated materials, because mold can start growing within 24–48 hours.

Call a local, IICRC-certified restoration team — Eclipse Custom Solutions arrives in Conway within 60 minutes, 24/7. We stabilize the damage while the plumber handles the underlying repair, and we coordinate with your insurance carrier from the first visit so you're not double-paying for work.

Avoid out-of-state 'storm chaser' companies that show up after big weather events. Conway has plenty of local, certified teams that will still be around in a year if a warranty issue comes up.

Hour 1–4: Start Safely Mitigating (What You Can Do While You Wait)

If the water is clean (Category 1 — supply line, appliance hose, rainwater), you can help by mopping up standing water, moving undamaged furniture to dry rooms, and lifting wet rugs off hardwood floors. Do not use a household vacuum for more than a few gallons — it's not built for it.

Do not touch Category 2 (gray water) from dishwashers, washing machines, or clean toilet overflows, or Category 3 (black water) from sewage or floodwater, without the right PPE. That's the restoration team's job.

Open windows if weather permits and it's safe. Run ceiling fans. Pull curtains and rugs away from walls. Every bit of airflow helps — but it won't substitute for industrial drying equipment.

Hour 4–24: Prevent the Second Wave of Damage

This is where most homeowners go wrong. They mop up the visible water, the house feels dry, and they think the worst is over. Meanwhile, moisture has wicked up drywall, soaked into subfloors, and pooled behind kitchen cabinets where no fan will ever find it.

Professional thermal imaging and moisture meters will tell you what your eyes can't. A restoration crew will map the actual moisture footprint (it's almost always bigger than the visible wet area) and set up air movers and dehumidifiers in the right spots — not just where you saw the water.

By hour 24, wet drywall should be pulled back or fully drying under controlled airflow, carpets should be lifted, and baseboards should be removed if the behind-wall is wet. If none of that has happened by the 24-hour mark, you're on a fast track to mold remediation.

What NOT to Do in the First 24 Hours

Don't run the HVAC system if water has reached the vents or the ductwork — you'll spread moisture and contamination to rooms that are dry.

Don't use bleach on mold-prone surfaces. Bleach is a surface cleaner that makes things look white while leaving moisture (and roots) underneath. It doesn't kill mold in porous materials like drywall or wood framing.

Don't throw away damaged items — at least not yet. Your insurance adjuster needs to see them, or at least see documented proof. Photograph everything, and let the restoration company help you itemize.

Don't sign a full contract with the first company that knocks on your door after a storm. Verify IICRC certification, check Google reviews, ask for a written scope of work, and confirm they're local. Conway has enough legitimate options that you never need to gamble.

A Quick Conway-Specific Note

Central Arkansas has two seasonal hazards that drive most of our emergency calls: spring severe-weather flooding (March–May) and winter pipe freezes (December–February). If you own a home here, knowing your main shut-off valve and insulating your exposed pipes are the two cheapest hours of preventive work you'll ever do.

And if you're already past the 'preventive' stage and standing in ankle-deep water right now — call us. We'll be there in 60 minutes.