The First Call: Getting Help Underway
When the homeowner contacted Encore Restoration about water damage in his North Bend kitchen, Arko answered the call and assigned the project to Matt Burger. Matt took the lead, coordinating the mitigation response and scheduling technicians to begin demolition and drying. The hardwood flooring near the dishwasher had begun to cup and deform, raising concerns about moisture beneath the surface. Before determining what materials needed to be removed or dried, the affected areas had to be inspected.
Matt coordinated the initial response, scheduled for August 25, 2026. The next step was to assess how far the moisture had spread and determine the work needed to address it.
The homeowner had two concerns from the beginning: whether his insurance would cover the damage and how long mitigation and reconstruction would take. The Encore team addressed his questions and worked to keep the project moving without compromising the quality of the work.
Initial Inspection
During the initial assessment, elevated moisture was identified around the dishwasher and adjacent kitchen cabinetry. Signs of water intrusion extended behind the cabinets and along their base toward the kitchen sink. What first appeared to be localized damage around one appliance involved a larger section of the kitchen.
The inspection also revealed that the problem extended beneath the floor. Moisture had reached the crawl space, affecting insulation and structural wood components below the kitchen. Elevated moisture readings were recorded in the subfloor and floor framing. No standing water extraction was performed. Instead, the mitigation work required removing affected materials and drying the underlying structure in both the kitchen and crawl space.
Drying and Cleanup
The mitigation work focused on two affected areas: the kitchen and the crawl space beneath it. Technicians needed to remove water-damaged materials, access moisture trapped behind and beneath finished surfaces, and set up drying equipment in both spaces to prevent further damage.
Opening Up the Kitchen and Starting Drying
On August 26, 2026, technician Andrey Melnik began removing water-damaged materials in the kitchen. He removed wet and mold-affected drywall and portions of the lower cabinetry, exposing areas that needed treatment and drying.
Before setting up the equipment, Andrey installed a six-pole containment barrier around the kitchen island with a zippered entry. This helped separate the work area from the surrounding living space while mitigation was underway. He then positioned one air scrubber, one dehumidifier, and seven dual-axial air movers in the affected area. The air movers helped circulate air across wet surfaces, while the dehumidifier removed moisture from the air. The affected surfaces were also treated with an antimicrobial product.
The kitchen was only one part of the job. While Andrey worked upstairs, technician Randy Helm addressed the moisture damage beneath the floor.
Drying the Crawl Space Beneath the Kitchen
On August 26, Randy removed six sections of affected insulation from the crawl space. Approximately 115 square feet of insulation was removed over the course of mitigation, with the actual amount potentially being slightly higher due to cuts and waste. Randy also installed one dehumidifier, three low-profile air movers (LPAs), and three dual-axial air movers to support drying in the affected area.
This work mattered because moisture beneath a home can continue causing damage even after the visible kitchen surfaces begin to dry. Saturated insulation loses some of its insulating effectiveness, and prolonged moisture exposure around wooden subfloors and floor joists can contribute to mold growth, deterioration, and musty odors.
Removing the affected insulation and establishing drying conditions in the crawl space helped address the damage below the kitchen rather than concentrating only on what was visible upstairs.
An Overnight Leak at the Dishwasher Valve
On August 27, Andrey returned to monitor the affected areas and encountered another issue. The dishwasher water valve had leaked overnight. He tightened the valve, and the leak stopped. Addressing this connection was important because additional water entering the kitchen could interfere with the drying already underway.
The visit also revealed a problem with the monitoring equipment. The moisture meter malfunctioned and consistently displayed maximum readings, preventing Andrey from obtaining reliable measurements that day. Further moisture monitoring was needed to assess drying progress.
Moisture Monitoring and Follow-Up Work
Over nine days, we continued drying and monitoring the kitchen and crawl space. Moisture readings showed substantial improvement in both areas, decreasing from 99 to 10 in the kitchen and from 99 to 12 in the crawl space between Day 1 and Day 9. The structural support posts beneath the kitchen were particularly wet and required several additional days of drying. Rather than ending the process before these materials had sufficient time to dry, the technicians continued operating the equipment and kept the homeowners informed about the additional time needed. Follow-up visits also involved removing additional affected materials and identifying areas that still needed attention.
On September 1, Andrey Melnik returned to the property to take additional readings in both the kitchen and crawl space. During this visit, he continued the insulation removal work in the crawl space and marked wet sections of the kitchen subfloor with light blue tape.
The tape made it easier to identify the affected sections of the subfloor that still needed attention. This was especially relevant because some of the remaining moisture concerns were beneath the finished flooring rather than on the visible kitchen surfaces.
The homeowner also had specific requests about the work area. The homeowner wanted the containment around the kitchen to remain in place but asked for the temporary floor protection to be removed. Andrey accommodated those requests, leaving the containment in place while taking up the floor protection.
Completing the Mitigation Phase
By September 7, 2026, the documented mitigation work in the kitchen and crawl space had reached its final stages. The work had extended beyond the original flooring concern, requiring mitigation in both the kitchen and crawl space, including additional drying time for the affected structural support posts.
A final walkthrough for the mitigation phase has been completed. Home repairs and reconstruction are still underway, with the final project walkthrough to be scheduled after that work is finished.
Insurance Documentation and the Next Phase
Hailey Schivo coordinated the estimate and documentation for the kitchen and crawl space mitigation work. The estimate covered affected-material removal, drying equipment and related mitigation services.
A final mitigation walkthrough has been completed. Reconstruction and the final project walkthrough remain separate from that milestone.
While this project was handled through insurance, Encore Restoration also offers a 20% discount on eligible self-pay projects, along with flexible payment options.
