When you discover water spreading across your floor or dripping from a ceiling fixture, the clock immediately starts ticking against the structural integrity of your home. Water is invasive and destructive, moving rapidly into wall cavities, soaking into subfloors, and wicking up drywall where it can hide for weeks before showing signs of mold. In these high-stress moments, you need more than just a handyman with a shop vac... you need a team of specialists who understand the science of psychrometry and structural drying to save your property. Simmons Builders provides water damage restoration Alexandria LA services that are built on technical precision, speed, and a deep understanding of how local homes are constructed. We treat every job as a complex project that requires a strategic plan to remove moisture, sanitize affected areas, and rebuild the damaged components to their original condition.
Our approach to restoration is fundamentally different because we view your home through the lens of a licensed builder who has served this community since 2018. We know that in Alexandria and Rapides Parish, the combination of high humidity and expansive clay soil creates a unique set of challenges for property owners. When the ground shifts during our wet and dry seasons, it puts immense pressure on slab foundations and underground plumbing, often leading to slab leaks that go undetected until water surfaces indoors. An
Alexandria water damage restoration project handled by our team addresses these root causes while mitigating the immediate damage to your property. We do not just dry the surface... we investigate the source, map the moisture migration using thermal technology, and ensure that your home is structurally sound before we consider the job complete.
Our Core Water Damage Services
Emergency Water Extraction is the critical first step in stopping the spread of damage. Our team uses powerful pumps and vacuums to remove standing water quickly, preventing it from soaking deeper into your floors and walls.
Water Damage Cleanup involves removing damaged materials, sanitizing affected areas, and preparing the space for drying. This thorough process ensures that contaminants are removed and your home is safe for repairs to begin.
Structural Drying & Dehumidification targets hidden moisture trapped inside wall cavities and subfloors. We use advanced air movers and dehumidifiers to pull moisture out of the structure, preventing mold growth and ensuring long-term stability.
Water Damage Repair & Reconstruction restores your home to its pre-loss condition after the drying is complete. From hanging new drywall to installing flooring, our builder expertise ensures a seamless finish that makes your home look brand new.
Storm Damage Cleanup & Restoration handles wind driven rain, roof and window leaks, and storm flooding, clearing debris, stabilizing damaged areas, drying every affected room, and coordinating full repairs so your property feels safe, secure, and comfortable again.
Our Scientific Approach To Drying And Restoration
Step 1: Advanced Inspection and Moisture Mapping
The process begins with a comprehensive site evaluation using non-invasive moisture meters and FLIR thermal imaging cameras. We map the "migration path" of the water to see exactly where it has traveled, often finding it in places you cannot see with the naked eye, like behind kitchen cabinets or under tile flooring. This data allows us to build a precise scope of work for your insurance claim so nothing is overlooked. We document every wet reading to ensure we have a baseline to measure our progress against.
Step 2: Safety Containment and Stop-Gap Measures
Before we start removing water, we secure the area to protect your family and unaffected parts of the home from cross-contamination. This often involves setting up plastic containment barriers with zipper doors to isolate the wet area and establish negative air pressure. If the water source is still active, we help you shut it off or coordinate with a licensed plumber for immediate repair to stop the influx of water. This step is critical for preventing mold spores or bacteria from spreading to clean areas of your house.
Step 3: Industrial Water Extraction
Removing standing water is the most critical step to reducing drying time and preventing secondary damage to your subfloor. We use truck-mounted extraction units and weighted "rover" tools that use the weight of the technician to compress the carpet and pad, squeezing out up to 90% of the water. This is far more effective than standard wet-vacs and can often save carpets that other companies would immediately tear out. The more water we remove physically, the less time your home needs to spend under the noise of drying fans.
Step 4: Strategic Drying System Setup
Once the bulk water is gone, we install our Alexandria water damage restoration drying system based on the specific psychrometric readings of your home. We position air movers at specific angles to create a "vortex" of airflow that shears moisture off wet surfaces and pushes it into the air. Simultaneously, we deploy LGR dehumidifiers to capture that airborne moisture and pump it out of the home via a drain line. This stage typically takes 3 to 5 days, depending on the material density and saturation levels.
Step 5: Daily Monitoring and Adjustments
Restoration is an active process, not a "set it and forget it" task that runs on autopilot without supervision. Our technicians return every 24 hours to record moisture readings and adjust the equipment placement for maximum efficiency. As materials dry, we may reposition fans or remove equipment from zones that have reached their dry standard, ensuring you are not billed for unnecessary equipment rental days. We keep you informed daily so you always know how close we are to the finish line.
Step 6: Final Repairs and Reconstruction
After the structure is verified dry by our project manager, we transition seamlessly into the repair phase. This is where our construction roots shine and set us apart from mitigation-only companies that leave you with a torn-apart house. We reinstall insulation, hang and finish drywall, install flooring, and paint to match your existing decor. By managing both the mitigation and the repairs, we eliminate the delays that usually happen when handing off the project to a separate contractor.
How Alexandria Soil and Climate Impact Water Damage Risks
Living in the crossroads of Central Louisiana means we face a unique dual threat: rising water from below and driving rain from above. Unlike areas further north, Alexandria sits in a zone where hurricanes often maintain significant strength, turning our heavy clay soil into a saturated barrier that forces water back toward your foundation. This pressure, combined with wind-driven rain that bypasses standard roof flashing, creates complex water intrusion scenarios that standard drying simply cannot fix. We understand that after a major storm event, the timeline is critical because the ambient humidity shoots up, accelerating mold growth in homes that have lost power. This is why standard drying often fails and why professional water damage restoration Alexandria expertise is so vital.
Our local climate demands a more aggressive approach to water damage restoration in Alexandria. When tropical systems stall over Rapides Parish, the air becomes thick with moisture, making natural evaporation impossible. We counter this by deploying industrial desiccant dehumidifiers and high-velocity air movers that create a localized dry environment, regardless of the weather outside. This specialized equipment is essential for pulling deep-seated moisture out of structural framing and hardwood floors before they warp or rot. We don't just react to the water you see; we anticipate the secondary damage that our humid climate tries to inflict.
Types Of Water Intrusion We See Most Often
Got Water Damage? Call Now!
The Advanced Equipment We Use To Save Your Home
We invest in the best technology in the industry because it saves time, reduces costs, and protects your property from long-term damage. Here is a look at the specific tools we bring to your home.
Low-Grain Refrigerant (LGR) Dehumidifiers
Unlike the standard dehumidifier you might buy at a hardware store, LGR units are designed for the extreme conditions of water damage. They pre-cool the air intake, allowing them to pull moisture out of the air even when the humidity drops below 40%. This deep-drying capability is essential for pulling bound moisture out of hardwoods and studs in our humid Louisiana climate. Without LGR technology, drying simply stalls out, leaving moisture trapped inside your walls.
HEPA Air Scrubbers
During restoration, dust, mold spores, and other particulates can become airborne and irritate your lungs or cause allergic reactions. We use industrial Air Scrubbers equipped with HEPA filters to scrub the air 24/7 during the project. These machines capture 99.97% of particles down to 0.3 microns, ensuring the air your family breathes remains clean and safe throughout the project. This is a mandatory step for any
IICRC certified water damage restoration Alexandria project involving contaminated water or mold risks.
Injectidry Wall & Floor Drying Systems
For high-value items like hardwood floors or custom cabinetry, we use the Injectidry system to save them from demolition. This specialized equipment uses mats and small injector hoses to force warm, dry air into wall cavities or underneath floorboards. This allows us to dry these materials in place without having to rip them out, saving you thousands in reconstruction costs. It is the secret weapon we use to save historic floors in older Alexandria homes.
Thermal Imaging Cameras
Our FLIR thermal cameras detect temperature differentials in building materials with incredible accuracy. Since evaporating water is cooler than dry materials, these cameras allow us to "see" wet spots behind walls and ceilings instantly without cutting holes. This non-destructive testing method ensures we never miss a hidden pocket of moisture that could turn into mold. It gives both you and your insurance adjuster visual proof of the damage extent.
Why Choose Simmons Builders?
Trusted by homeowners across Alexandria, Rapides Parish, Pineville, Allen Parish and Central Louisiana
- Family Roots: Family and Veteran owned, proudly serving Alexandria, Rapides Parish and nearby communities with pride.
- Certified Experts: IICRC trained technicians with 20+ years real world building and remodeling experience.
- One-Stop Solution: One team for mitigation, drying, repairs, and rebuilding or reconstruction from start to finish.
- Respectful Service: Respectful crews who protect your belongings and keep job sites clean and safe.
- Transparency: Clear communication, photos, and updates so you always know what is happening.
- Insurance Help: Help working with your insurance company to keep the process as smooth as possible.
Local, trusted, and proven, Simmons Builders is ready to restore your home and your peace of mind. When you choose us, you are choosing a partner who will stand by your side until the job is completely finished. We take pride in our reputation for honesty and hard work.
Reach out today for your free inspection and estimate and see the Simmons difference for yourself.
Commercial Restoration for Alexandria Businesses
Water damage does not just affect homes, it can bring a business to a standstill and threaten your livelihood. We understand that every hour your doors are closed represents lost revenue and potential client loss for your company. Our commercial water damage restoration Alexandria division is equipped to handle large-scale losses in retail stores, offices, and industrial facilities. We offer priority response for local businesses and can work after hours or in phases to keep your operations running smoothly. We utilize commercial-grade desiccant dehumidifiers for large open spaces and can mobilize large fleets of equipment quickly. Our goal is to get you back in business with minimal disruption to your employees and customers.
We also understand the specific needs of commercial buildings in Alexandria, from the historic structures downtown to the newer developments along MacArthur Drive. Commercial roofs and plumbing systems face different stresses than residential ones, and our team is trained to diagnose these large-scale issues quickly. We work closely with your facility manager or business owner to create a restoration plan that prioritizes safety and speed. Whether it is a sprinkler malfunction or flood damage, we have the manpower and the expertise to handle it. Trust your business to the local commercial water damage restoration Alexandria experts who care about your success.
We Help Make Insurance Claims Easier
Dealing with the insurance side of water damage can feel almost as stressful and confusing as the damage itself. Policies are full of jargon, exclusions, and technical terms, and it is not always clear what to do first or what to say to get coverage. At Simmons Builders, we believe you should not have to navigate that complex process alone. From the start of your project, we document what we see with photos, measurements, and moisture readings. That detailed documentation becomes the backbone of your claim and helps your adjuster understand the full picture of the loss.
We also provide detailed, line-by-line estimates using Xactimate, the industry-standard software that insurance carriers prefer to use. This breaks down the costs for mitigation, drying, and repairs in a way that makes sense to the insurance company and speeds up the process. When adjusters have questions about the scope of work, we are happy to speak with them directly, walk them through the home, or explain why certain steps were needed to protect the property. Our goal is to make your claim as smooth as possible while still protecting your home and your long-term interests. We act as your advocate to ensure you get what you are owed under your policy.
Insurance support you can expect from us includes:
- Clear photos, moisture readings, and notes that document your loss from Day 1.
- Accurate estimates for mitigation, drying, and build-back.
- Direct communication with your adjuster to answer technical questions.
Frequently Asked Questions About Our Restoration Process
How long does the drying process usually take?
In the majority of standard water damage restoration in Alexandria scenarios, the structural drying phase requires approximately 3 to 5 days to complete thoroughly. However, this timeline is not set in stone and depends heavily on several critical factors, including the severity of the saturation, the types of materials affected (dense hardwoods take significantly longer than standard carpet), and the current outside weather conditions in Alexandria. Dense materials like hardwood floors or double-layered drywall can hold "bound moisture" that is stubborn to remove. We monitor the progress daily using professional moisture meters and will give you a specific, data-driven timeline based on the actual readings from your home so you are never left guessing about when life will return to normal.
Will my insurance cover the cost of restoration?
Most standard homeowner insurance policies are designed to cover "sudden and accidental" water damage events, such as a burst pipe, appliance failure, or unexpected storm damage to the roof. However, it is important to note that gradual leaks that occur over months or flood damage from rising natural water (like river flooding) often require different specific coverage types. Our team works directly with all major insurance carriers and uses Xactimate, the industry-standard software, to generate detailed line-item estimates that adjusters accept and understand. We help document the loss with photos and data to support your claim and ensure you get the coverage you deserve. We act as an advocate for you during the entire water damage restoration Alexandria LA insurance process.
Can I stay in my home during the restoration process?
If the water damage is limited to a specific area of your house and you still have access to a fully working kitchen and at least one bathroom, you can often stay in the home comfortably while we work. However, you should be prepared for the fact that the drying equipment can be quite noisy, and the indoor environment may become warm due to the heat generated by the dehumidifiers. If the damage is extensive, affects the bedrooms, or involves sewage (Category 3 water), we strongly recommend finding alternative accommodations for your safety and comfort until the mitigation is complete. Your safety is our top priority during any residential water damage restoration Alexandria project.
What is the difference between mitigation and reconstruction?
Mitigation is the emergency phase of the project where we focus entirely on stopping the damage, extracting standing water, cleaning contaminants, and drying the structure to prevent mold growth. Reconstruction is the repair phase that happens only after the drying is certified complete, where we replace drywall, install new flooring, paint, and hang cabinets. Unlike many companies that only do the mitigation and leave you with a torn-up house to fix yourself, Simmons Builders handles both phases seamlessly. We provide professional water damage restoration Alexandria services from start to finish, ensuring a smooth transition and a single point of contact for the entire job.
Ready To Restore Your Home?
If you are dealing with wet floors, a leaking ceiling, or the aftermath of a storm, do not wait for the damage to get worse. Mold and structural rot can begin within days if untreated, turning a small problem into a major disaster. Simmons Builders is here to provide the fast, professional, and compassionate service you deserve. We combine advanced technology with old-fashioned hard work to protect your property.
One call connects you with a team that can handle inspection, extraction, drying, cleanup, and rebuilding so you have a single trusted partner from start to finish. When you need water damage restoration Alexandria LA that feels personal, professional, and dependable, reach out to Simmons Builders.
Call today or
send us a message to schedule an inspection or request emergency service and let us help you bring your property back to a safe, dry, and comfortable place to live or work.
