Water Damage Glossary

Plain definitions of the terms you will hear after water damage.

• Adjuster: The insurance representative who inspects and values a claim.
• Air mover: A high-velocity fan aimed across wet floors and walls to speed evaporation during structural drying.
• Category 1 water: The cleanest class of water in the IICRC S500 standard, such as water from a broken supply line.
• Category 2 water: Grey water, such as an overflow from a washer, dishwasher or toilet without waste, under the IICRC S500 standard.
• Category 3 water: The most contaminated class in the IICRC S500 standard, which includes sewage and storm water that came in from outside.
• Containment: Barriers set up around a work zone so debris and spores do not spread to clean rooms.
• Dehumidifier: Equipment that lowers indoor humidity; the EPA suggests keeping humidity below 60 percent, ideally 30 to 50 percent.
• Down payment cap: The most a home improvement contractor can ask for up front in California: $1,000 or 10 percent of the price, whichever is less.
• Extraction: The first stage of water removal, when pumps and wands pull out standing water.
• Fair claims rules: Title 10 rules in California that require insurers to respond to claims on a set schedule and explain denials in writing.
• Flood insurance: A separate policy, from the National Flood Insurance Program or a private insurer, that covers flood damage standard homeowners policies exclude.
• Grey water: Mildly contaminated water from sources like washing machines or dishwashers.
• Habitability: A rental unit's fitness to live in; California's housing code lists dampness and visible mold among substandard conditions an owner must fix.
• Moisture mapping: Measuring and marking where water has traveled in floors, walls and ceilings so drying covers the whole wet area.
• Moisture meter: An instrument that shows whether a material is still wet inside even when the surface looks dry.
• Mold remediation: The process of removing mold after water damage; California does not license mold remediators.
• Named peril: A cause of loss listed in a policy; standard forms include accidental discharge of water from plumbing and freezing of those systems.
• Proof of claim: Evidence such as photos, receipts and estimates that starts the insurer's 40 day decision clock in California.
• Right to cancel: California buyers of home improvement contracts can cancel within three business days, or five if they are 65 or older.
• Sewer backup endorsement: An add-on to a homeowners policy for sewer backups, which Triple-I says typical homeowners and flood policies do not cover.
• Structural drying: The stage after extraction when equipment runs until the structure tests dry.
• Substandard housing: A legal category in Health and Safety Code section 17920.3 that includes dampness of habitable rooms and visible mold growth.
• Water heater strapping: Bracing or anchoring a residential water heater against earthquake motion, required in California by Health and Safety Code section 19211.
• Wicking: Water climbing up drywall, baseboards and cabinet sides from a wet floor, often beyond what is visible.
• Written change order: A written amendment that records any change in the scope or price of a contract.