How to tell if water damage is permanent?

Water damage restoration starts with one sorting job: what can be dried and kept, and what has to go. Two things decide it. One is what the material is made of. The other is how long it stayed wet.

Things you can often save

The EPA flood cleanup page says you can usually clean and dry materials that do not soak up water. Think of the things water runs off rather than into.

Things that usually have to go

The same page says to throw away materials that soak up a lot of water and can't be cleaned and dried. The EPA mold cleanup page names ceiling tiles and carpet as porous materials that may have to be thrown away if they get moldy.

Drywall has its own rules. When does wet drywall need to come out? covers them.

Why time matters

The EPA says mold can grow on wood, drywall, carpet and furniture if they stay wet for more than 24 hours. A rug pulled up and dried on day one has a better chance than one that sat wet over a weekend. How soon does mold grow after a water leak? explains the window.

Boards that do not bounce back

Some damage is about shape, not mold. Mississippi State University Extension says wall sheathing made of oriented strand board, or OSB, is hard to dry and likely to swell after high water, and that replacing it is the only option. Texas A&M AgriLife says submerged plywood or OSB subfloors will likely separate or swell. A swollen board is a sign to replace it, not wait.

If you are not sure what to keep, what to do when water is in the house has the order to work in. City pages such as water damage in Cedar Rapids add the local notes.