Water damage never comes at a convenient time, especially when it’s caused by an unexpected refrigerator leak. We’ve seen this truth play out countless times during our 9 years serving the Chandler area, and this Queen Creek emergency was no different. When water starts flowing where it shouldn’t, every minute counts. That’s exactly what one local family discovered when they came home to find their house flooded from an unexpected source. Fortunately, we stepped in immediately with our water damage cleanup in Queen Creek.

A Refrigerator Leak Emergency Call From a Homeowner in Crisis

The homeowner had just returned from a long day at work, probably looking forward to relaxing at home. Instead, they walked into their worst nightmare. Water was actively flowing from behind their refrigerator, spreading quickly across their floors.

The leak had already done significant damage by the time they discovered it. Water had saturated the flooring throughout most of their home, affecting the kitchen, living room, bathroom, and hallways. The drywall was soaking up moisture like a sponge, and worst of all, important personal documents had gotten wet.

This type of appliance leak is more common than people think. Refrigerator water lines can fail due to age, freezing, or simple wear and tear. When they do, the results can be devastating if not caught quickly.

Our Emergency Response and Thorough Approach 

Here’s what this project involved:

Emergency Response and Assessment

When we arrived at the Queen Creek home within an hour of the call, our first priority was stopping the source of the water. Our team immediately located the shutoff valve for the refrigerator’s water line and stopped the flow. Then we began our thorough assessment using moisture meters to determine the full extent of the damage.

The moisture meters revealed that water had spread much further than what was visible on the surface. We found high moisture levels in areas that looked dry, which is typical in these situations. Water travels through the home very fast, often hiding behind baseboards and under flooring where you can’t see it.

Water Extraction and Removal

Once we understood the scope of the damage, we started the water extraction process. We used powerful extraction equipment to remove standing water from the affected areas. The living room had the most standing water, but we also found water pooled in corners of the hallways and bathroom.

During extraction, we paid special attention to the homeowner’s personal documents that had gotten wet. We carefully separated the documents and set them aside for specialized drying techniques. These items often hold irreplaceable memories and important information, so we always treat them with extra care.

always treat them with extra care.

Setting Up the Drying Process

After removing the standing water, we set up our industrial-grade drying equipment throughout the affected areas. Here’s what we used to create the ideal drying environment:

  • Air movers: We put them in all the right places to create airflow across all wet surfaces, which helped moisture evaporate more quickly from the flooring and lower portions of the drywall.
  • Dehumidifiers: These worked non-stop to pull moisture from the air, preventing it from reabsorbing into materials and reducing the risk of mold growth.
  • Containment barriers: We set up the berries to focus the drying efforts in the most affected areas, making our equipment more efficient and faster.

Removal of Damaged Materials

Unfortunately, some materials were too damaged to save and had to be removed to prevent future problems. Here’s what we had to take out:

  • Flooring removal was necessary in the living room and hallways where water had been sitting the longest, as these areas showed signs of warping and potential mold growth underneath.
  • Drywall cutting happened in sections that had absorbed too much moisture, especially in areas where our moisture meters showed readings that were too high for effective drying.
  • Documentation process included taking detailed photos and notes about every material we removed, making sure the homeowner had complete records for their insurance claim and helping them get the coverage they deserved.

Monitoring and Final Inspection

We monitored the drying process for several days, checking moisture levels daily and adjusting our equipment as needed. The bathroom dried quickly because it had less water exposure, but the living room and hallways took longer due to the extent of saturation.

Once our moisture meters showed that all materials had returned to normal dry levels, we performed a final inspection. We checked behind baseboards, under remaining flooring, and in wall cavities to make sure no moisture was hiding anywhere. Only when we were completely satisfied that everything was dry did we remove our equipment.

Ready to Help When Water Damage Strikes Your Home

Water damage can happen to anyone, anytime. Whether it’s a broken appliance line, a burst pipe, or storm damage, we’re here to help minimize the heartache of disaster. Our team at Gateway Restoration is available 24/7 for emergency water damage cleanup throughout the Chandler and Queen Creek areas. Call us at (480) 990-4142 for immediate emergency response, or contact us through our website for a free estimate.