Flood Cleanup in North Richland Hills, TX

The IICRC S500 standard sorts water losses into three categories, and the category decides what can be dried and what has to be removed. Category 1 is clean water, like a supply line or water heater failure. Most materials can be dried and saved if we respond fast. Category 2 is gray water, like dishwasher or washing machine discharge, and carries real contamination risk. Category 3 is black water, like sewage or floodwater, and porous materials that absorbed it generally cannot be saved.

Category also changes with time. A Category 1 loss can degrade to Category 2 within 24 to 48 hours left standing, and a Category 2 loss left past about 48 hours gets treated as Category 3. A punctured roof or a flooded first floor left unaddressed overnight can turn a repair job into a full interior loss by morning, which is part of why we answer the phone at two in the morning.