The Call: Water on the Floor and Neighbors Below
Early one afternoon on September 14, a resident called us about water spreading across her kitchen floor. Arko, one of Encore’s co-owners, picked up. She sounded worried. A supply line under the sink had failed, and water had already reached the floor. Because the apartment was on the second floor, she was concerned about more than her own kitchen. She was thinking about the neighbors downstairs, too.
Arko listened, confirmed where help was needed, and reassured her that the team would help her work through the next steps. His first question was whether she had found the shutoff valve and stopped the water. She had already located the valve and turned off the supply to the apartment. That was an important first step: stopping the active flow limited how much more water could reach the flooring and the spaces below it.
With the water shut off, the conversation could move from stopping the leak to responding to the damage. The customer did not have to work out the whole restoration plan during that first call. The immediate priority was getting someone on site to inspect the kitchen and begin mitigation.
Getting a Technician on the Way
While they were talking, Arko opened the job in our system and arranged the dispatch. He let the customer know that our technician, Andrew Melnik, was on the way. She was surprised by how quickly the response was being organized and thanked him for getting help moving.
Andrew brought the equipment needed for the initial water-loss visit: a moisture meter and a thermal camera for the inspection, equipment to remove standing water, and a commercial LGR dehumidifier with air movers for drying. The goal of the first visit was to understand the loss, document the starting conditions, and begin removing the water.
On Site: Finding the Failed Line and Starting Drying
Andrew inspected the kitchen with a moisture meter and confirmed the source beneath the sink. A braided supply line serving the water filter had failed. Water was visible on the kitchen floor, and the location on the second floor made it important to understand where moisture might have traveled beyond the surface.
He documented the conditions with photographs before any demolition decisions were made. The images recorded the affected kitchen, the failed supply line, and the equipment used during the first response. This gave the team a starting record to refer to as the drying work progressed.
Next, Andrew removed the standing water and set up the dehumidifier so moisture removal could begin right away. The first visit was about limiting further damage and starting the drying process. It did not establish that everything beneath the flooring or behind the cabinets was already dry. Follow-up readings would guide those decisions.
Talking Through the Next Steps
After the immediate mitigation work was underway, we continued the conversation with the customer. We discussed the insurance information available, signed the agreement, and began mapping out the next steps together. The kitchen had gone from an active water emergency to a project that needed a clear sequence of inspection, drying, and decisions about any affected materials.
The first-visit photographs and moisture findings were part of that record. Insurance details and any decisions about the scope of repairs still needed to be worked through for this particular loss. At this stage, there was no final reconstruction scope to present as completed work.
Drying, Moisture Readings, and the Decisions Ahead
We began by drying the damage we could see. The next planned step was to return over the following days and take additional moisture readings. Those readings would help map where the water had traveled and whether the affected areas were responding to drying.
After the initial drying work, the team would assess whether any kitchen materials or flooring needed to be selectively removed to reach moisture in the subfloor or behind the walls. That decision depends on the conditions found, rather than an assumption that every surface needs to be opened up.
Another important question was whether the family could remain in the apartment while drying and any necessary repairs took place. The answer would depend on the affected areas and the work required. With a second-floor apartment, the team also needed to keep the possible impact on the spaces below in mind.
The Project Is Still in Progress
This update covers the emergency call and the first mitigation visit. Drying had started, and follow-up inspections were planned. Decisions about selective removal, reconstruction, and occupancy had not yet been recorded as final outcomes.
We will share the next chapter as the work progresses: what the moisture readings show, whether materials need to be opened up, and how the kitchen moves toward recovery. The photographs on this page show the initial visit and the start of mitigation.
