DIY? DI-DON'T! Call First In Restoration for Your Water Damage

Did your house just have a water disaster? Maybe a pipe burst, your washing machine decided to revolt or maybe your sump pump decided to stop working during a heavy rain. Either way, your floors are soaked, your walls feel damp and now you’re wondering—can I dry this out myself?

Short answer: Nope.

Long answer: You might think cranking up some box fans and opening your windows will do the trick, and dry up your space, but water LOVES to hide in places you can’t see with your naked eye. Water can show up under floors, inside walls and even in the air (Georgia is already humid!). If you don’t dry your home out thoroughly, you could end up with mold, warped floors and structural damage down the road.

Call First In Restoration before you do anything. But here’s a water damage guide to help.

Step 1: Remove Standing Water

First things first—get the water out before it causes more damage.

What you can do: Grab some towels, a mop or a wet/dry vacuum for small areas. Try to move any furniture and rugs to a dry spot to prevent further issues.

What won’t work: A regular vacuum. (Believe us, this won't just break your vacuum it will give you the shock of your life).

What First In Restoration Does: We bring in high-powered commercial grade extraction pumps to remove water fast—because the longer the water sits, the worse it will get.

Step 2: Dry the Air Not Just the Floor

Even when the water looks like it's gone, it’s still hanging around in the air and inside of your walls. That’s Mr. Mold's favorite place to hang out at. Let's just hope he doesn't start a family in your drywall.

What you can do: Set up some fans, open windows and use a household dehumidifier.

What won’t work: Thinking, You don't need to call a professional because, “Eh, that looks dry enough.” (Spoiler alert: It’s not.)

What First In Restoration Does: We use industrial-strength dehumidifiers and moisture meters to pull hidden moisture from the air, floors and walls. If it’s still wet, we’ll find it and dry it.

Step 3: Mold Prevention Mode

Time is not on your side when it comes to water damage. Mold only needs 24-48 hours to start growing so you will need to act fast and call in the professionals.

What you can do: Wipe down surfaces with disinfectant spray and throw out any soggy cardboard, fabrics or other organic material

What won’t work: Spraying some air freshener, crossing your fingers and hoping for the best. (Mold doesn’t care about your lavender mist, even if it is locally made.)

What First In Restoration Does: We follow the IICRCs S500 requirements and apply professional antimicrobial treatments, open up and check inside walls as well as check flooring for mold, and remove anything too damaged to save.

Step 4: Repair & Restore

Once everything is dry as a bone, it’s time to fix the damage from the water.

What you can do: Replace minor baseboards or repaint affected areas.

What won’t work: Ignoring water-damaged walls or floors or leaving your drywall open without repair.

What First In Restoration Does: We repair or replace drywall, framing, flooring and insulation, we paint, replace cabinets and will truly make sure your home is fully restored and structurally sound.

DIY Might Seem Like a Good Idea… But It’s Not

We get it—you want to save money. But skipping professional restoration can lead to bigger and much more expensive problems down the road. Here’s what usually happens:

Homeowner thinks they dried everything out themselves
Mr. Mold creeps in behind walls and sets up camp in your home
Floors start buckling
Insurance won’t cover the damage because it wasn’t properly mitigated
Regret sets in

That’s why First In Restoration doesn’t just remove water and leave—we stand by our work and ensure your home is 100% dry and safe.

Call First In Restoration the #1 Water Damage Restoration Company in Georgia

When water damage strikes, you need a trusted water restoration company who are experts and know how to correctly handle your job. First In Restoration is the #1 water damage restoration company in Georgia, specializing in emergency water removal, emergency plumbing, flood damage repair, professional structural drying and mold prevention.

We don’t just extract water from a crawl space or flooded room and leave. We ensure a full dry-out process using advanced professional equipment to remove moisture from walls, floors, ceilings and air. We proudly serve Loganville, Johns Creek and the surrounding counties including Gwinnett, Walton, Barrow, Hall, Jackson and Clarke. If you need 24/7 emergency plumbing, emergency water damage restoration, flood cleanup or expert mold prevention, give us a call today.

Call First In Restoration (470-748-0225) for your water damage or visit www.firstinrestoration.com to get professional help from First In Restoration.