Water damage is a race against the clock
Water that gets into a house does most of its damage after it stops flowing. Drywall wicks it up from the floor. Insulation holds it against the framing. Subfloor swells and buckles. And in Memphis humidity, mold begins colonizing wet materials within twenty-four to forty-eight hours, at which point a drying job has become a remediation job and the cost has roughly doubled. The single biggest factor in how expensive water damage becomes is how quickly the drying starts.
Most of the water damage we restore starts above: a roof leak that ran for a season before it showed, a storm that opened the roof, a fallen tree, gutters that dumped water behind the fascia and into the wall. Some starts below or inside: a burst pipe, a failed water heater, an appliance line, a slab leak, or the kind of flash flooding that comes off a two-inch-an-hour storm. Whatever the source, the response is the same: stop the water, get it out, dry the structure properly, and then rebuild what cannot be saved.
Because we are a roofing and restoration company, we can fix the cause and the consequence in one job. If the roof let the water in, the roof gets repaired by the same team that dries and rebuilds the ceiling under it, under the same insurance claim.
- Rapid response for active water. Extraction and drying equipment on site fast, because the first two days decide the outcome.
- Source stopped first: roof tarped, pipe isolated, gutter overflow diverted.
- Extraction and structural drying with commercial dehumidifiers and air movers, monitored with moisture readings until the framing is actually dry, not just dry to the touch.
- Selective demolition of what cannot be saved: saturated drywall, insulation, buckled flooring, damaged cabinetry.
- Mold prevention with antimicrobial treatment of affected framing and subfloor. Mold remediation if it has already started.
- Full rebuild: drywall, paint, flooring, trim, cabinets, and the roof or structure that caused it. Claim handled alongside.
How water damage restoration runs
Stop the source
Nothing else works until the water stops. Emergency roof tarping, shutting off and isolating a plumbing leak, or diverting a gutter overflow is the first job on site.
Assess and document
Moisture readings in the walls, floors and ceilings map how far the water has traveled, which is usually further than it looks. Everything is photographed for the insurance claim before demolition starts.
Extract and dry
Standing water is extracted, saturated materials that cannot be saved are removed, and drying equipment runs until moisture readings confirm the framing and subfloor are dry. That is typically three to five days, monitored daily.
Treat and prevent
Affected framing and subfloor get an antimicrobial treatment so mold does not follow the water. If mold is already present, remediation happens before the rebuild.
Rebuild
Drywall, insulation, flooring, paint, trim and cabinetry are restored to match, and the roof, gutter or plumbing that caused it is permanently repaired.
Why homeowners choose LASIM for water damage
Cause and consequence, one job
The roofer who fixes the leak is the restoration crew that dries and rebuilds the ceiling under it.
Dry means measured dry
Drying is finished when the moisture meter says so, not when the drywall feels dry. Walls dried on a guess grow mold behind the paint.
Claim documented properly
Moisture maps and photographs before demolition, so the scope covers the real extent of the damage.
Fast when it counts
Active water is answered outside office hours. Two days is the window in this humidity, and we treat it that way.
Water Damage Questions
In Mid-South humidity, mold can begin growing on wet drywall, wood and insulation within twenty-four to forty-eight hours. That is why drying has to start immediately rather than after the insurance company has scheduled an adjuster. Getting the water out and the equipment running in the first day is the difference between a drying job and a remediation job.
Yes. A stain means water got in, and a dry stain usually means it has got in more than once. The leak that caused it is still there and will come back with the next storm, and the insulation above the stain may still be wet even when the drywall surface is dry. Have the roof inspected and the ceiling checked with a moisture meter before painting over it.
Sudden and accidental water damage, such as a storm opening the roof or a pipe bursting, is generally covered. Damage from long-term neglect, such as a leak that was ignored for months, and flooding from outside the house often are not, or need separate flood insurance. We document the damage and the cause so the claim is presented accurately, and tell you honestly what is likely to be covered.
Household fans dry the surface and leave the inside of the wall wet, which is where the mold grows. Proper structural drying uses commercial dehumidifiers to pull moisture out of the air and air movers to pull it out of the materials, monitored with a meter until the framing is actually dry. It is not something a box fan can do.
Drying is typically three to five days. The rebuild depends on how much was removed: a ceiling and some insulation is a few days; a kitchen with cabinets and flooring is weeks. Your project manager gives you a schedule after the assessment and updates it as the drying readings come in.
Both. We are a roofing company first, so the leak gets found and repaired at the cause by the same team, and the interior rebuild does not happen until the roof is sound. Restoring a ceiling under a roof that still leaks is a waste of everyone's money.