Contact Otterbein Water Restoration

What should you do before the crew gets to your Otterbein home?

Safety comes first and stopping the water comes second. Everything after that can wait for the crew, so call as soon as the water is under control.

• Stay out of standing water that's touching outlets or extension cords, and keep kids and pets out of that room.
• Shut off the water at the main valve if you can't find the source fast. Basement homes usually have it near the water meter where the service line enters.
• If a frozen pipe split, close the main valve before it thaws further, and skip open flames or heat guns on the pipe.
• If heavy rain is pushing water in, move valuables up and away from the walls where it's coming through.
• A full sump pit with a quiet pump usually means a power problem or a stuck float. Check the outlet and the breaker only if the floor around the pit is dry.
• Lift furniture onto blocks or move it to a dry room if you can do it safely, and leave heavy pieces for the crew.
• The EPA's mold and moisture guide says water damaged areas and items should be dried within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth, so it's worth calling as soon as the water is under control.
• Hold off on permanent repairs until you've read your policy. The claim tips from the Indiana Department of Insurance explain why.

What questions come up on the first call?

You don't need everything figured out before you call, and these are the details the team will ask about.

• Where the water is coming from, and whether it's still running.
• If any of it came up through a toilet or floor drain, since that changes how the crew handles it.
• Whether water is under the house in the crawl space as well as inside.
• Whether this happened overnight or in the last hour.
• About how old the house is. A lot of homes in Otterbein date from the 1950s, and older plumbing changes what the crew checks first.
• If any outlets or appliances are in the water.
• The name of your insurance company, if you've already decided to file.

If you don't know some of these answers, say so and the crew will check them when they get to the house.

How does the first visit to your house work?

The visit opens with the source and safety, since drying can't start while water is still coming in.

Next they map the wet area with moisture meters, because water travels under flooring and behind baseboards farther than it looks. Our crew takes the damage photos as they go and puts them into a photo report.

Our water restoration manager is IICRC certified. The IICRC's S500 standard covers professional water damage restoration, and its S520 standard covers mold remediation.

Then the crew walks you through what they found and what they'd recommend, so you can decide with your insurance company before any work starts.

The drying plan follows the readings. Equipment stays until the meters show the materials are dry, and the crew checks progress along the way.

Which details about Otterbein homes help the crew plan?

Much of the housing in Otterbein dates from the 1950s, and plumbing from that time is old enough that corrosion and joint leaks show up. Around Otterbein, two story homes are common. You'll find full basements and crawl spaces around town, and the crew plans the drying differently for each. Some parts of Otterbein sit low or near water, and outside water after a storm is handled differently from a plumbing leak. Galvanized supply lines still turn up in older homes here, and they're a common source of leaks at threaded joints. Mention any of this when you call, and the crew will plan around it.

What parts of Otterbein and nearby towns do we cover?

You can reach the crew from anywhere in Otterbein, including these neighborhoods:

• Main Street Corridor · basements are common
• Oxford Street Residential Area
• Meadow Street Residential District · built mostly in the 1950s to 1960s, most with basements
• Brown Street Area · many with finished basements

This number also takes calls from nearby Shadeland and Battle Ground. If your address is farther out, call the same number and the team will let you know whether a crew can make the trip. The service pages cover each job in more detail, starting with water damage restoration and basement flooding.

What should you know before you call?