Serving every town on Cape Cod (774) 772-5630  ·  contact@sherlockholmescleaning.com

Water Damage Restoration in Cape Cod, MA

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Extraction, structural drying and moisture readings after a burst pipe, a failed appliance, a roof leak or an ice dam. The first day is the one that decides the cost.

Water in a building is a clock, not an event. While it is still wet it is a drying job. Given moisture and organic material, mould growth can begin within 24 to 48 hours, and at that point it becomes a remediation job with a different scope and a different price.

What we do is the work the industry standard describes: get the water out, dry the structure rather than the surface, and prove it is dry with readings instead of a hand on the wall. The reference for that work is ANSI/IICRC S500, the Standard for Professional Water Damage Restoration, and it is what separates a drying plan from a fan in the corner of a room.

Cape Cod makes every one of those steps slower. Coastal humidity works against evaporation, high water tables push groundwater up through slabs, and a nor’easter finds every gap in a foundation at once. Drying that takes two days inland can take four here without the right equipment.

What we do, and in what order

Where the water came from

  • Burst and frozen pipes, including the ones behind a wall
  • Washing machine, dishwasher, water heater and refrigerator lines
  • Roof leaks, ice dams and failed flashing
  • Overflowing tubs, sinks and toilets
  • Sump pump failure and backed-up drains
  • Storm and rising water, which is covered on our flood cleanup page

The drying process

  • Assessment and moisture mapping before anything is moved
  • Truck-mounted extraction of standing water
  • Soaked padding, insulation and particleboard removed rather than dried
  • Air movers and dehumidifiers placed to a plan, not scattered
  • Daily moisture readings until materials reach normal content
  • Antimicrobial treatment on affected materials, then a final check

What most people get wrong in the first day

A dry-looking wall is not a dry wall

The floor looks dry, the wall looks dry, and inside the cavity the insulation is saturated and the bottom plate is sitting in water. That is where the mould starts, and a hand on the surface will never find it. A moisture meter will.

This is the single most common reason a room that was “dried out” three weeks ago starts to smell.

Still air dries nothing

Closing a damp room and leaving it alone does not dry it; it just moves the water into whatever is around it. Drying needs airflow across wet surfaces and a dehumidifier removing what evaporates, running continuously and actually draining.

On a humid Cape Cod day, opening the windows can make it worse, because the air coming in carries more moisture than the air going out.

Water damage and flood are not the same word to your insurer

Standard homeowner policies usually cover sudden, accidental water damage, such as a burst pipe, and usually exclude flood, which means rising water from outside. Flood needs separate cover through the National Flood Insurance Program or a private policy.

Ask your insurer that exact question early, because it decides who pays. We photograph and document everything either way, so the claim has evidence behind it.

If it happened in the last few hours, call rather than fill in a form. Shut the water off, shut the power off if water is anywhere near it, photograph everything before you move a single item, and then talk to us. Every hour the water sits is more of the floor gone.

Flooding, storm surge and groundwater are a different job with different insurance. That is covered on flood damage cleanup. Pick your town in the service area.

Get a written price

How a water loss is handled

Measured, not guessed

Find the water first

Moisture meters and a thermal scan locate what is behind the baseboard and under the floor. What you can see is rarely the whole of it.

Dry to a reading

Air movers and dehumidifiers run to a target, with daily readings logged. Dry is a number, not an opinion about how a wall feels.

Documented for the claim

Photos, readings and scope are recorded from day one, which is what an adjuster asks for and what settles a claim without argument.

Reviews

What Cape Cod says about us

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MaryAnn Jentzen profile picture
MaryAnn Jentzen
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Raphael the cleaning associate was on time, he is knowledgeable, and friendly. I plan to call again for their services
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Linda Santerre
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I was looking for a local company to clean upholstered kitchen stools and two barrel chairs. Bruna got right back to me and after sending her a picture of my furniture she provided a reasonable quote and scheduled my service in a timely manner. Pedro arrived as scheduled. Besides making my furniture practically brand new, he was charming and helpful in relocating the chairs! Great communication and customer service! Highly recommend!!!
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patrick moran profile picture
patrick moran
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Top notch! It's obvious they care about what their doing. Great communication. Recommended!
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Lisa Hopkins profile picture
Lisa Hopkins
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I scheduled an appointment. They didn't show. After 30 minutes I called and they said it could be another 30 minutes or an hour. I dont recommend using them if you expect them to showup when they say they will.
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Tiffany profile picture
Tiffany
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Thank you very much for cleaning my windows inside and out with sills too. The crew of two also removed moss and mildew on entire house garage shed and porch and deck. Well down chaps. Very kind and professional with above average friendly personality.
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Michele Ferenz profile picture
Michele Ferenz
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These guys are amazing! They came highly recommended and did not disappoint. Efficient, professional, friendly, problem-solvers, incredibly responsive and leave a sparkling house behind. I wish they cloned themselves and established a branch in NYC.
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Jane Moulding profile picture
Jane Moulding
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For the second year in a row Rafael and his crew cleaned our windows yesterday. Unbelievable! Courteous, skilled, thoughtful and thorough. We have a lot of window! They were here all day working, working. I cannot recommend them enough. Plus their office service and communication were stellar. Responsive, polite and soooo helpful. Sherlock Holmes Cleaning will not disappoint and a good window cleaner is hard to find.
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John Farrell profile picture
John Farrell
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Sorry for the delay . The two women did terrific work . Thank you for all you all do
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Matheus Pereira profile picture
Matheus Pereira
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They did an amazing job at cleaning my couch and carpets. Amazing customer service helped the job get done quick and smoothly with out any complications.

Water damage restoration: common questions

How quickly can you get here?

Water damage is the job we treat as same day. Call rather than sending the form, and tell us the source of the water and roughly how much area it covers.

How long does drying take?

Most rooms reach normal moisture content in three to five days with the right equipment. Coastal humidity stretches that, which is why the readings matter more than the calendar.

Will my insurance cover it?

Usually yes for sudden, accidental water such as a burst pipe or a failed appliance. Rising water from outside is flood, which standard policies exclude. Ask your insurer which one they are treating it as.

Can I dry it myself?

A small, fresh spill on a hard floor, often. The failure is nearly always hidden water inside a wall cavity or under flooring, which looks dry and reads wet.

Do you handle the mould as well?

We treat affected materials with antimicrobial as part of drying, which is prevention. Established mould growth is a separate remediation scope and we will tell you plainly which one you are looking at.

What happens to soaked carpet padding?

It comes out. Padding is an open-cell sponge against a cold floor. It cannot be dried in place reliably and arguing about it costs more than replacing it.

Water in the house right now? Call us.

Call (774) 772-5630
(774) 772-5630 SMS Quote