Water Damage Restoration FAQ

Yes. Georgia sellers are required to disclose known material defects, and past water damage qualifies. If the damage was properly repaired and remediated by a certified company, you have the documentation to show it. Undisclosed water damage that surfaces after closing can expose you to legal liability.

Repaired water damage with documented professional remediation generally does not hurt resale value. Hidden, improperly repaired, or unremediated damage is a serious issue. Home inspectors look for moisture patterns and mold signs. A professional restoration job with a written report is the cleanest possible paper trail for a future sale.

Mitigation is the emergency phase — stopping the damage from getting worse by extracting water and drying the structure. Restoration is the repair phase, rebuilding what was damaged. Most companies handle both. Understanding which a quote covers helps you compare prices accurately, since mitigation-only quotes look cheaper but are not the full job.

Photograph and video everything before moving or removing anything. Write a room-by-room inventory of damaged items with brand, model, and approximate age if known. Keep any damaged items the adjuster has not yet seen. Your restoration company will document the structural damage. Your own photos and inventory handle the contents.

Yes. Commercial air movers are significantly louder than household fans, and dehumidifiers run constantly. They operate 24 hours a day during the drying period, including overnight. This is expected and necessary. Most homeowners adjust, especially in rooms away from the equipment. We position units to limit disruption where we can.

Yes. We move furniture and belongings out of the work area before extraction begins, and we document everything we move. Items that can be dried on site are treated here. Items heavily saturated or at risk of mold may be moved to another area or packed out for off-site cleaning and storage.

Your deductible is the amount you pay out of pocket before your insurance covers the rest. It applies to most standard claims. If your repair cost is lower than your deductible, filing a claim makes little sense since you pay the full amount anyway. We give free estimates so you can compare your cost to your deductible before deciding.

Usually no. Standard homeowner policies cover the damage the water caused, like wet drywall, flooring, and belongings, but not the pipe or appliance that failed. Repairing the source is usually a separate plumber or appliance repair bill. Equipment breakdown coverage can be added to some policies to cover the device itself.

Know where your main water shut-off is. Add a sewer backup endorsement to your policy. Keep gutters clear and downspouts running away from the foundation. Check appliance hoses every year. Inspect your attic after heavy storms. The small-effort items on this list prevent the large-cost events every restoration company handles.

Not every home needs one, but if your home has a basement, especially a finished one, sits in a low area, has older plumbing, or is near Noonday Creek or low-lying neighborhoods, a sump pump is strong protection. Marietta's clay soil holds rainwater against foundations for days, which is exactly what a sump pump is designed to handle.

A backwater valve is a device installed on your main sewer line that prevents sewage from flowing backward into your home during a city sewer overflow. Given that Cobb County publicly reports regular sanitary sewer overflows into local waterways during heavy rain, a backwater valve is a worthwhile investment, especially in older Marietta neighborhoods.

A French drain is a gravel-filled trench that redirects groundwater away from your foundation. It can reduce hydrostatic pressure significantly in Marietta's clay soil. Whether it solves your flooding depends on the cause. It helps for surface and groundwater, but not for internal plumbing failures. A professional assessment identifies which drainage solution fits your situation.

Yes. Smoke contains fine soot particles and corrosive acids that settle inside electronics and cause damage over days and weeks. Computers, televisions, and appliances exposed to smoke should not be turned on until inspected. The heat from running them before cleaning can permanently fuse soot to internal components. An electronics specialist handles assessment and cleaning.

For smoke-only cleanup on a contained area, pets can usually stay in unaffected parts of the home. For widespread smoke, soot, or sewage-water cleanup from firefighting, the air quality risk makes it safer to keep pets and their food, bedding, and water bowls elsewhere until clearance. Your insurer's Additional Living Expense coverage may cover pet boarding costs.