Frequently Asked Questions

Most of what we see is a burst or frozen supply line, a water heater that gave out, an appliance hose behind a washer or dishwasher, or a toilet that overflowed. Storms and a sewage backup account for the rest. What matters more than the source is how long it ran before somebody found it.

No. Looking at your house is not filing anything, and the written assessment costs nothing either way. Filing is your decision and yours to do, because the policy is yours. If you go ahead, you sign an authorization then, and not before.

We cannot answer that, and anyone who tells you they can is guessing at your policy and your carrier's rules. What we can do is give you a scope priced in Xactimate before you decide, so you can weigh the number against your deductible and choose with real figures in front of you.

Extraction is hours, drying is usually three to five days, and the paperwork runs alongside both. The building is dry when the readings match a dry sample of the same material, which is the only end date worth quoting. If material has to come out, that adds time and we say so at the assessment.

That depends on what got wet. A small spill on tile may need extraction and a day of air movers. Water that reached drywall, insulation or a subfloor needs the drying stage too, or it comes back as mold growth in a month. We measure first and tell you which one you have.

Not usually. If you can see it and smell it, what matters is finding the water feeding it and getting the room contained. Testing is worth paying for when you want an independent reading of the air before and after, and that should come from an inspector who is not us.

It comes back if the moisture does. That is why we chase the leak, the condensation or the crawlspace ground water first, and dry the structure out before we close anything up. Remove growth without fixing the water and you are booking us again next year.

Usually yes. The work area is sheeted off and held under negative pressure, with HEPA air scrubbers running inside it, so the rest of the house is not part of the job. If anyone in the house has asthma or a breathing condition, tell us and we will talk through the room layout.

It depends on what caused it. A sudden failure, like a supply line that burst last week, is usually a different conversation from mold that grew slowly off a long term leak. We document what we find, price the scope in Xactimate and build the file your insurer asks for. Filing the claim is yours to do.

Small jobs, one room and one wet wall, are often a day of removal and then a few days of drying. Bigger ones run longer because the containment has to come down in stages. Drying itself usually runs three to five days, and someone is back every day to read conditions and move equipment.

Call us now and we will be on-site in Johnson City or anywhere in our service area within 60 minutes, day or night, including tonight. The most important thing you can do in the next few hours is keep family and pets out of the structure and let us assess what is safe before anyone goes back in to retrieve belongings, because soot and smoke residue begin bonding to surfaces within hours and secondary damage moves fast.

Firefighting takes thousands of gallons of water, and that water saturates walls, floors, insulation, and cavities just as thoroughly as any flood would, which means a fire loss almost always comes with a water damage component that has to be mitigated at the same time as the smoke and soot. We treat both together, with structural drying running alongside soot cleanup, so moisture does not sit inside building materials long enough to grow mold or cause damage your adjuster has no reason to cover.

Yes, we accept all insurance and we are familiar with how carriers document and price fire losses. We work the file with your adjuster and document the job with full 360 room scans, daily moisture readings, and photos so the adjuster's file stays clean and your claim moves instead of stalling. One thing worth knowing: you are not required to use a company your carrier recommends, and when you hire us, we work for you.

More than most people expect in the hours right after a fire, but the window closes quickly as soot and smoke residue penetrate deeper into porous materials, so speed matters more than anything else. We assess every affected area before anything is torn out, because the quick move in this trade is to pull everything and walk away, and we would rather open a wall from the side that costs you least and save a floor another crew would haul to the curb.

It can if the source is not fully addressed, because smoke odor lives in microscopic particles that embed in porous surfaces, ductwork, insulation, and cavities that a surface cleaning alone will not reach. We use professional-grade odor removal methods and document the process so that if odor returns and a coverage question comes up, you have a clear record of what was treated and how.

Flood water is almost always contaminated, whether it came in from a storm, a backed-up drain, or an overflowing creek, because it picks up sewage, chemicals, and bacteria as it travels. We treat every flood job as a Category 3 contamination situation until testing proves otherwise, which means we use the right protective protocols and cleaning agents from the first hour on-site.

That depends on what the water touched, how long it sat, and what the material is, and we make that call with moisture readings and direct inspection rather than a gut guess. Porous materials like drywall and insulation that have been soaked with contaminated water usually have to go, but hardwood floors, cabinets, and structural framing can often be saved if we get there fast and dry them correctly. We would rather open one wall carefully and save the floor than tear out a room to make the job faster.

Standard homeowners insurance typically covers sudden and accidental water damage, like a storm that drives water through a damaged roof or a door, but it usually does not cover rising groundwater or overland flooding, which requires a separate flood policy through the NFIP or a private carrier. The only people who can tell you what your specific policy covers are your adjuster and your carrier, and we never make that determination for you. What we do is document the job thoroughly so your adjuster has everything needed to move your claim forward without delays.

Yes, it matters quite a bit, because standing water under a crawl space raises humidity levels that migrate into your subfloor, floor joists, and eventually your living space, and wood that stays wet long enough will rot and grow mold. We can extract water from crawl spaces, set drying equipment, and take daily moisture readings to confirm the structure is returning to normal levels. Catching it now is far less costly than finding mold or soft floors six months from now.

The source changes the contamination category, which changes how we treat everything the water touched, because a clean supply line break is very different from storm water that has traveled across ground and through drains before entering your home. The drying process itself is similar, but a flood job typically requires more aggressive disinfection and stricter decisions about what materials can be saved versus removed. We scope each job based on what actually happened and document it that way so your adjuster sees an accurate picture from the start.

Standing water starts damaging structure and promoting mold growth within hours, which is why we get on-site within 60 minutes, day or night, including holidays. The faster extraction begins, the more we can save and the lower your overall cost.

It depends on how long the water sat and what type of carpet and pad you have, but we assess before we pull anything. We would rather dry a floor another crew would haul to the curb, so if it can be saved we will tell you honestly and show you the moisture readings to back it up.

We accept all insurance, and water extraction is a covered peril under most standard homeowner policies when the cause qualifies. We work the file with your adjuster and document every step with moisture logs, photos, and 360 room scans so the claim moves instead of stalling.

Yes. Crawl space water extraction is one of the jobs we take seriously because standing water under a home drives humidity up into your subfloor and framing fast. We extract the water, document conditions, and set up drying equipment to bring moisture levels back to acceptable readings.

Once the water is out we move into structural drying, running calibrated equipment and returning every day with moisture readings until the structure meets dry standard. You get a full record of every reading so your adjuster has clean documentation and no reason to slow the claim down.

Most jobs run three to five days, and we will not know yours until we see how the materials respond. Plaster, hardwood and a wall cavity give water up at very different speeds. We read the same points daily and tell you where you are, so the end date stops being a guess after about day two.

Please do not. Air movers and dehumidifiers only work while they run, and a night off can add a day to the job. Tell us which rooms you need to sleep in and we will rearrange the equipment and close doors rather than switch anything off.

We compare the wet material against a dry sample of the same material elsewhere in your house. When the two readings meet and hold, the structure is dry and the equipment comes out. That is the IICRC method, and it is why we take a reading every day instead of running fans for a set number of days.

Sometimes, and we try the less invasive option first. Drilling small holes behind the baseboard often lets us dry a wall cavity without taking the drywall out. If the insulation is saturated or the readings will not move, the wet section has to come out, and we show you the numbers before we cut.

It can. Mold growth needs moisture and time, which is exactly what a slow dry-out gives it, so the first days matter more than the last. If we find growth already established, that is mold remediation rather than drying, and we will tell you which one you are looking at.

Hard, non porous things usually stay: tile, sealed concrete, glass, metal, most furniture frames. Porous material that soaked up sewage usually goes, which means carpet and pad, particle board, insulation and the lower drywall. Anything soft that got wet is a judgment call and we will walk it with you rather than decide it for you.

Keep everyone out of the affected rooms, including pets, and especially anyone pregnant, elderly or with a breathing condition. The rest of the house is usually fine once we have the area sealed and air scrubbers running. If the backup reached a bedroom or the only bathroom, plan on staying elsewhere for a night or two.

We would rather you did not. Bleach on a porous surface takes the color out and leaves the bacteria in the material underneath, and a mop moves contaminated water into rooms that were clean. If it is a cup of water on tile, clean it. If it soaked carpet or ran under a wall, call us.

Often only if you carry sewer backup cover, which is usually an add on rather than part of the base policy. Check your declarations page or ask your agent. Either way we document what we found, price the scope in Xactimate and build the file your insurer asks for, and filing the claim is yours to do.

The smell tracks the source. Once the contaminated material is out, the surfaces are disinfected and the structure is dry, the odor normally goes with it. If something still smells after drying, tell us, because it usually means water reached somewhere we have not opened yet.

Yes. Emergency board-up and building securing are part of what we do, and we are on-site within 60 minutes, day or night, including holidays. We will get the structure closed off so weather and water cannot keep doing damage while everything else gets handled.

No. We handle the mitigation side — extracting water, drying the structure, removing damaged material, and documenting everything for your adjuster. Once the site is clean and dry, you bring in a contractor for the rebuild, and our documentation gives them a clear picture of exactly what was done.

It depends on the cause, and that determination belongs to your adjuster and your carrier, not us. What we can tell you is that we work with all insurance and we document the job thoroughly so your adjuster has everything needed to make that call without delay. We will work the file with your adjuster from our end so nothing stalls on the documentation side.

Yes, that is exactly the kind of job we respond to. We will get there within 60 minutes, assess the structural exposure, board up and secure what needs to be secured, and begin water mitigation if the interior has been compromised. We document everything from the start so your claim file is clean and your adjuster can move quickly.

As soon as you can, because every hour the structure stays open or wet is more damage. We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays, and we can be on-site within 60 minutes of your call. The faster we get there, the more we can protect and the less there is to replace.

Once the fire department clears the scene, cleanup is your responsibility, and that is where Conrad's comes in. We arrive on-site within 60 minutes, day or night, to remove soot and ash, address smoke damage, and secure the structure so the situation does not get worse while you figure out next steps.

Let the fire department make that call first, and do not go back in until they say it is clear. Smoke residue, soot, and compromised structural elements can all pose real hazards, so we treat every fire job as unsafe until we have assessed it ourselves and can tell you what you are actually dealing with.

Every fire is different, so the timeline depends on the size of the affected area, how deep the smoke and soot have penetrated, and how quickly odor is neutralizing. We give you a worst-case scope up front with a not-to-exceed number, and we are back on-site every day with documentation so nothing drags longer than it has to.

We remove what is genuinely unsalvageable, but we do not tear out materials just because it is faster or easier. If a section of framing or drywall can be cleaned and dried, we work to save it rather than haul it to the curb, and we document every decision so your adjuster understands exactly what was done and why.

Smoke and soot travel through your HVAC system, air gaps, and every unsealed opening in the structure, so particles settle on walls, ceilings, and contents throughout the entire home within minutes of a fire, even rooms with closed doors. The visible residue in unaffected rooms is real contamination, not just surface dust, and it needs to be addressed or the odor will keep coming back.

Whether soot and smoke staining comes off depends on the surface material, the type of fire, and how quickly cleaning starts, but in most cases properly trained technicians using the right chemistry can restore walls without replacement. We assess each surface before we touch it so we are not guessing, and we will tell you honestly if a material cannot be recovered.

Not always, and we will give you a straight answer once we have walked the house. If the air quality is safe and the affected area can be isolated, many families stay home during cleanup, but if soot contamination is heavy or odor levels are high, leaving temporarily protects your health and actually lets us work faster.

Clothing, upholstered furniture, and soft contents can hold smoke odor long after the structure is clean, and we include content assessment as part of our scope so nothing gets overlooked. We will document every affected item and coordinate with your adjuster so the full picture of your loss is captured from the start.

We are on-site within 60 minutes, day or night, including weekends and holidays. Call us now and a member of our team will be heading your way fast, the same way Uncle Conrad would have grabbed his tools and shown up for a neighbor.

If the source is fully neutralized and the affected materials are properly treated or removed, the odor should not return. Smoke smell comes back when residue is left behind in porous surfaces, HVAC systems, or inside wall cavities, so we do not stop until every source is addressed.

Smoke particles are microscopic and bond to drywall, insulation, wood framing, ductwork, and soft materials long after visible soot is wiped away. What you are smelling is off-gassing from those embedded particles, and surface cleaning alone will not stop it.

Fogging can be one useful step in the process, but it is not a standalone solution. Applying a deodorizing agent over untreated residue only masks the odor temporarily, so we locate and eliminate the source first, then use the right combination of treatments for what the specific materials in your home actually need.

Every fire is different, so the timeline depends on how far smoke traveled, what materials absorbed it, and how long the odor had to set before treatment began. A contained kitchen fire may take a day or two, while smoke that moved through ductwork into multiple rooms will take longer, and we will give you a realistic scope before work begins.

We are on-site within 60 minutes, day or night, including weekends and holidays. Call us anytime and we will be moving before most crews have even called you back.

Wiping soot with a dry cloth or household cleaner almost always makes it worse, pushing oily residue deeper into porous surfaces and spreading staining further than the original deposit. Our technicians use dry chemical sponges, HEPA vacuums, and pH-matched cleaning agents matched to the type of soot so the first pass is the right pass, not a pass that costs you more to fix later.

Smoke travels through HVAC ducts, wall cavities, and any gap it can find, so soot lands wherever the air went, not just wherever the flames were. That is why we inspect the whole structure, not just the burned area, and document every affected surface so nothing gets missed on your claim.

Paint will not seal in soot odor or the acidic residue underneath, and within weeks that residue will bleed through the new coat and the smell will return. Surfaces have to be properly cleaned and, where needed, sealed with an odor-blocking primer before any finish work goes on, and that cleaning is what we do before a contractor ever picks up a brush.

Soot is acidic and starts etching metal, glass, and finished surfaces within hours of a fire, and the longer it sits the more of those materials become permanently stained or pitted rather than cleanable. Getting a crew on-site fast is not just about odor control, it is about protecting materials that are still salvageable right now but will not be in a day or two.

You can, but a standard vacuum pushes fine ash particles into the air and into your HVAC system before they ever reach the filter, and once they circulate they settle into surfaces you have not touched yet. Our equipment is rated to capture particles at the size ash actually breaks down to, so we pull it out instead of spreading it.

Sweeping lifts dry ash into the air and drives it deeper into porous surfaces like drywall, wood grain, and grout before it can be captured, which turns a surface problem into a structural odor problem. Ash also contains acids that begin etching stone, metal, and finished surfaces within hours, so disturbing it without the right containment speeds that damage up.

A puff back from a furnace or boiler throws oily, sooty smoke through your ductwork and across every room it reaches, and that residue behaves the same way fire soot does once it settles. The scope may be smaller than a structure fire, but the cleaning process, the odor treatment, and the documentation we hand your adjuster are the same.

A contained puff back in one or two rooms can move quickly, while ash spread through a full structure after a fire may take several days of cleaning, odor treatment, and air quality checks before we can sign off. We give you a worst-case timeline and a not-to-exceed scope on day one, and we are back on-site every day until the job is done.