What to do in the first hour after you find water or mold

Stop the water if you can do it safely. Shut the fixture valve or the main, and photograph the source before anything is moved.

Do not run fans across suspected mold growth. Air movement across colonized material spreads spores into rooms that were previously unaffected. Drying comes after containment, not before.

Keep children, pets and anyone with respiratory sensitivity out of the affected space until it has been assessed.

Document everything. Photos with timestamps, the location of the source, what got wet, and what you removed. This record is what makes an insurance conversation straightforward later.

Call a remediation professional when the affected area is extensive, hidden inside an assembly, recurring, connected to HVAC, or caused by flooding or sewage.