Services
Water and Flood Damage Restoration for Belongings in Calgary
Burst pipe, sewer backup or flooded basement? We pack out, dry, clean and store your belongings and document every item for your claim, while your contractor dries the building.
What We Take Off Your Plate After a Flood
When a basement floods or a pipe bursts, the building gets the attention and your belongings sit in the damp. Calgary Contents looks after the contents so you do not have to.
Hard goods go through ultrasonic cleaning, powered items through electronics restoration, and musty or sewage odours are dealt with through sanitization and odour removal.
Here is what we handle for you:
We get your belongings out of the wet
Our contents pack-out service removes your items so they can be dried and cleaned properly.
We document every item for your claim
Our photo inventory lists belongings as cleaned or non-restorable, so there is no guesswork.
We work with your adjuster
We supply the inventory and reports your insurer needs, which means less paperwork on your end.
We clean, sanitize and deodorize
Ultrasonics, electronics restoration, sanitization and odour removal.
We store your belongings and bring them home
Secure, climate-controlled storage until your home is dry and ready.
Clean Water, Grey Water or Sewage? Why the Source Matters
Restoration professionals classify water by contamination under the IICRC S500 standard, and the category decides what can be saved. Clean water from a supply line, a water heater or a roof leak mostly causes swelling, staining and a risk of mould. Grey water from a washer or dishwasher carries some contamination. Sewage and overland flood water are the most contaminated, and porous items soaked in them usually cannot be made safe.
Even clean water becomes contaminated the longer it sits, which is why the first 24 to 48 hours matter so much. See what to do after a frozen pipe bursts.
How we handle each type:
Clean water: dry, clean and prevent mould
Grey water: clean and sanitize
Sewage and flood water: decontaminate hard goods
Soaked porous items: documented for replacement
What Belongings Can Be Saved After Water Damage?
Far more than most people assume, provided you act quickly. The enemy is time: mould can begin to grow on damp contents within 24 to 48 hours, and the longer items sit wet the fewer can be saved.
Helpful guides: 5 signs your belongings can be restored, document restoration after water damage, restoring family photos and protecting belongings from mould.
Contents we regularly restore after water damage:
Furniture and area rugs
Electronics and appliances
Clothing and textiles
Dishware, tools and hard goods
Photographs and documents
Keepsakes and heirlooms
Our Water Damage Contents Restoration Process
- Emergency call. Call 403-407-0208 any time. We ask where the water came from and who your insurer and adjuster are.
- Assessment. We check what got wet and how contaminated the water was, and agree on the scope with you and your adjuster.
- Pack-out and photo inventory. Wet belongings come out first so drying can start, each one photographed and labelled. See contents pack-out.
- Drying and cleaning. Items are dried and cleaned with the right method, and anything touched by contaminated water is decontaminated.
- Documents and photos. Wet paper is frozen and freeze-dried to stop mould and ink bleed. See document drying and restoration.
- Odour removal. Musty and sewage odours are treated once items are clean and dry.
- Storage and pack-back. Restored items wait in climate-controlled storage until your home is dry and repaired.
What to Do in the First 24 to 48 Hours
Water keeps spreading into porous materials, and mould can start on damp contents within a day or two. A few early steps protect what can be saved and keep your claim straightforward.
Our guide to mould on belongings after water damage explains what to watch for in the days after.
In the first 24 to 48 hours:
Stop the water if it is safe, and call a plumber
Photograph the water line and every wet item
Move dry belongings away from the wet area
Freeze wet photos and documents in sealed bags
Do not switch on wet electronics
Do not throw anything out before it is documented
Documents, Photos and Electronics After a Flood
Paper, photographs and electronics need help fastest. Wet documents and books can be frozen to stop mould and ink bleed, then freeze-dried. Photographs can often be separated, rinsed and dried if they are dealt with quickly. Electronics should never be powered on until they have been cleaned and dried, because water left inside keeps causing corrosion.
See document drying and restoration, restoring family photos after water damage and what to do first with water-damaged electronics.
Items that need fast, specialist handling:
Legal, financial and medical documents
Books and family photographs
Computers, TVs and gaming systems
Artwork and framed prints
Clothing, rugs and textiles
We Work Alongside Your Drying Contractor
Calgary Contents is a contents specialist. Your water damage contractor extracts the water and dries the structure; we pack out, dry, clean and store everything inside it, so their crew can work and your belongings are not left sitting in the damp. Restoring is often far cheaper than replacing. See contents vs. structural restoration and how we work with contractors.
Fast pack-out before mould takes hold
Ultrasonic and electronics restoration
Sanitization and odour removal
Photo inventory for your insurer
24/7 emergency response
Flooded Basement or Burst Pipe in Calgary?
The first 24 to 48 hours matter most. Call 403-407-0208 or request a quote online.
Water Damage, Your Insurance Claim and the Paperwork
In Alberta, a sudden burst pipe or appliance leak is usually covered, while sewer backup and overland flooding usually need their own coverage on your policy. When the loss is covered, packing out, drying, cleaning, storing and returning your belongings is usually part of the contents claim, along with replacing anything that cannot be restored, apart from your deductible.
Photograph everything before it is moved, and keep wet items until your adjuster agrees they can go. See does insurance cover pack-out in Alberta and how we work with insurers.
What we give you and your adjuster:
Item-by-item photo inventory
Pack-out list by room
Cleaned and non-restorable lists
A written scope before work starts
One contact for questions
Photo Restoration
Photo before and after water damage.
FAQ – Water Damaged Contents
Can water damaged belongings be restored?
Often, yes. Furniture, electronics, clothing, dishware, keepsakes and even photos and documents can frequently be saved if they are dried and cleaned quickly, before mould takes hold.
How quickly do I need to act after a flood?
As fast as you can. Mould can begin to grow on damp contents within 24 to 48 hours, so the sooner your belongings are packed out, dried and cleaned, the more of them can be saved.
Do you dry out the house as well?
No. Calgary Contents restores the belongings inside the property. A water damage contractor handles water extraction and structural drying of the building.
Will you work with my insurance company?
Yes. We provide your adjuster with the photo inventory and the cleaned and non-restorable lists they need, which reduces the paperwork you have to handle.
What about items contaminated by sewage or flood water?
Hard, non-porous items can usually be cleaned and sanitized. Items that cannot be made safe are documented on the non-restorable list in your inventory so they can be claimed.
Is water damage to belongings covered by insurance?
Damage from a sudden event such as a burst pipe is usually covered. Sewer backup and overland flood usually need their own coverage on an Alberta policy. When the loss is covered, pack-out, cleaning, storage and pack-back of your belongings are usually part of the claim. See what home insurance covers.
Can wet documents and photos be saved?
Often. Freeze them in sealed bags as soon as you can, then let us freeze-dry and clean them. See document drying and restoration.
Should I throw out wet carpet, mattresses and cardboard?
Photograph them first and keep them until your adjuster agrees they can go, unless they are a health hazard. Porous items soaked by sewage or flood water usually cannot be saved.
How long does water damage restoration take for belongings?
Drying and cleaning usually take a few weeks, depending on the volume and the type of water. Belongings stay in storage until your home is dry and repaired. See how long contents restoration takes.
Related Services and Guides
More on how we restore belongings after a loss.
Talk to a Contents Specialist
Tell us what happened and what was damaged. We will explain what can be saved and what happens next. Call 403-407-0208, 24/7.