Water extraction before anything else can dry

Deep water goes out by submersible pump. Extraction wands and weighted tools then pull what carpet and pad hold. Hard floors are squeegeed toward the extractor, and water is checked for at the edges, where it runs under baseboards.

Extraction does not dry anything completely. Wall cavities and subfloors stay wet, which is why structural drying follows.

Pad soaks up water like a sponge and is often removed even when the carpet is saved. Where the water is sewage or floodwater, both are usually discarded, because porous materials cannot reliably be made sanitary. See sewage backup cleanup.

In a basement, the plan also depends on the cause. If a pump failed or the ground is still saturated, water may come back after it is removed. Flooded basement cleanup covers that case.

A submersible pump handles deep water, and it can run until only a thin layer remains. Portable and truck-mounted extractors use strong suction for what is left. On carpet, weighted extraction tools press water out of the pad, which removes far more than a wand alone.

Shop vacuums are useful for small, clean spills, but they fill quickly and have far less suction. Household vacuums should never be used on water.

Water runs under tile and into grout lines, and it soaks the edges of laminate, which usually swells and rarely recovers. Hardwood may cup as it absorbs water, and specialized drying mats sometimes help if treatment starts early. Do not sand or refinish cupped boards until they have fully dried, since some flatten on their own.

The longer water sits, the further it wicks up walls and the more likely it is to degrade. Removing it early shortens every later step, and this is the one stage where a few hours can make an obvious difference. It also helps you meet the EPA's drying target discussed in mold prevention after water damage.

Extraction is what you need when liquid water is still on the floor, in carpet or in a basement. If the surface is only damp, you can usually move straight to drying. If carpet squelches underfoot, or water seeps from under the baseboards, liquid water remains.

Tell the contractor the depth, the source and whether power is off. Those details decide what equipment comes and how safely work can begin.

Next, read how long drying takes and can carpet be saved after a flood?.

A truck-mounted unit sits outside and sends hoses into the home. It generally offers strong, sustained suction and takes dirty water away to a holding tank, which suits larger floors and long runs. Its limits are physical: the hose has to reach, so high-rise units, gated properties and long driveways can be a problem.

Portable extractors go right into the room. They suit apartments, upper floors and tight spaces, and many of them can deal with a wide range of jobs. Their tanks are smaller and need more emptying, or they pump out through a hose to a drain. Neither type is automatically better, and what matters is how the tool fits the building and how much water is present.

Ready.gov warns that floodwater can be contaminated, contain debris and even be charged by underground or downed power lines. Snakes and other animals can also come in with it. So the rule for a homeowner is simple: if you did not see it come out of a clean pipe, stay out of it until you know more.

CDC adds that wet circuits should be shut off at the main provided your feet stay dry, and that a panel you can reach only by wading is a job for an electrician. It also says that gas-powered pumps do not belong inside. Never run a generator, a pressure washer or any gasoline-powered device inside a home, basement or garage, or near an open window or door, because carbon monoxide can kill quickly and has no smell.

Upper-floor jobs bring their own challenges. Weight is one, since water and soaked materials are heavy, and a saturated ceiling below is a safety matter. Access is another, as hoses may need to go through a stairwell or an elevator lobby, and a building may have rules on when and how equipment comes through.

Tell your building manager right away, and alert any neighbors below. Water may be going down through chases and light fixtures long before it shows on a ceiling. The contractor will probably need to check the floors below yours, and any repair work there will need that owner's or tenant's consent.

Pumped water needs a suitable destination. Dumping it by the foundation just sends it back into the basement, so the hose should run well away and downhill. Clean water can often go to a yard or a storm drain, depending on your area, but contaminated water usually cannot. Rules vary, so the contractor should know what applies locally.

During a citywide flood, your storm drain may be full, and a sanitary sewer may be overloaded as well. Pumping into those can just cause trouble elsewhere. Ask the contractor or your local public works office about it. In a deep basement flood from outside, also read the pumping rate advice on the flooded basement cleanup page, which explains why that water should sometimes come out slowly.

Before the crew packs up, ask what remains wet and who is coming back to deal with it. Extraction is the first stage, and a job left at this point is not finished. Make sure that you know whether any carpet was left in place, and for how long it will be monitored. Ask what happens next if readings do not fall.

It is also worth asking whether the pad or any other material should be removed before drying starts, and how that decision was made. Get the answers in writing where you can. Your insurer will likely want that record, and it gives you something to refer back to if you need to speak with a second contractor. If you still need a contractor for extraction, the referral number is (833) 610-0241.

Rough descriptions work better than guesses in gallons. Say whether the water is a film on the floor, over the sole of a shoe, at the ankle or at the knee, and say how many rooms it covers. Tell them about stairs, narrow halls and low doorways, since a pump and its hoses need a route. If the only way out for a hose runs through a clean room, the crew will want to protect that floor first.

Parking matters as well. Hoses from a truck-mounted unit have a working length, so a long driveway, a gated complex or a tenth-floor unit changes which machine makes sense. Mention any of these on the first call. It saves a second trip, and it shortens the time that water sits.

Expect hoses across thresholds, doors held open and a good deal of machine noise. Pets should be shut away, partly because of the noise and partly because an open door is an easy escape. Clear a path before the crew arrives if you can do it without wading, and let them know about fragile items along the way.

Water often drips from hoses and wands as they move, so a clean route is not guaranteed. Ask them to lay runners over floors you care about. When the crew finishes, walk the route with them and point out any scuffs or wet patches left behind while they are still there to deal with it.

One pass is not always the end. Carpet that was left in place may release more water as pad settles, and a basement may seep overnight. In that case, a return visit with the extractor is normal and is not a sign of a poor first attempt. Check the low spots in the morning, and let the contractor know what you find, ideally with a photo so they can judge what equipment to bring back.

Fresh water after a pass may mean something else, though. If new water appears in a spot that was dry, look for a source before anyone starts the machine again.

Where you live changes water extraction. See Oregon, Connecticut, Delaware, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, Chicago, Dallas, Colorado Springs, Cedar Hill, Lake Stevens, Norcross, Port Charlotte, Prosper, Atlanta, Indianapolis.

Go straight to the first steps: emergency water extraction, emergency firefighting water removal.