Usually yes. Your policy expects you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage, and soaked carpet pad, swollen flooring and wet drywall often have to come out for the structure to dry before mold starts. Photograph everything first, keep a small sample, tell your insurer what you are doing, and keep the drying records. Need it done right? Call (413) 603-1274.
Before anything comes out
- Photograph and video the wet flooring in place, with something for scale.
- Note the flooring type and brand if you know it.
- Cut and keep a small sample of carpet, pad, vinyl or wood.
- Tell your insurer, in writing if possible, what has to be removed and why.
- Keep moisture readings that show it was wet.
What usually has to come out
- Carpet pad: holds water and rarely dries well
- Laminate and many engineered floors: the core swells
- Vinyl or tile over wet subfloor: sometimes, to dry what is under it
- Hardwood: often dried in place first. See hardwood floor water damage
Why waiting can hurt the claim
If wet materials sit for days waiting for an inspection, mold and rot can make the loss bigger, and insurers can question whether you took steps to limit it. Removing what must come out, with good documentation, protects both the house and the claim. Restoration companies do this every day. See wet carpet drying and how to document water damage. General information only.
Keep samples
When carpet, pad, vinyl or wood flooring has to come out before the adjuster sees it, keep a sample of each, about a foot square, labeled with the room. Photograph the full floor before removal, with a tape measure showing the room size, and photograph the material in a pile once it is out. Many adjusters are fine with this approach, and it saves the floor underneath from soaking longer. If the material is contaminated, such as after a sewage backup, photograph and bag the samples rather than keeping them in the house.
Tell the insurer what you are doing
A short email to your adjuster or claim line saves arguments later: "Water from a burst pipe soaked the living room carpet and pad on [date]. To prevent mold, the pad is being removed today and the carpet dried. Photos attached, samples kept." It shows you acted to prevent further damage, which is what your policy asks of you. If the adjuster asks you to wait for something specific, ask how long, and note that delay in writing.
Under hardwood and tile
Do not pull up solid hardwood or tile yourself before it is assessed. Those floors can often be dried in place, and removal may not be needed. Moisture readings decide that.
If the insurer has not assigned an adjuster yet, send your photos and notes to the claim number by email so there is a dated record of what was removed and why. Keep a copy for yourself.
Questions
What if the adjuster cannot come for a week?
Ask the insurer in writing whether you may proceed with emergency drying. Most expect you to.
Should I keep the removed flooring?
Keep samples and photos. Ask the insurer before throwing out large amounts.
Wet floors? Call now
Call (413) 603-1274 now. Locally owned in Chicopee.