Stars and Bars RestorationWater Damage Restoration in Florence, CO — What Fremont County Homeowners Should Know
Florence doesn't get talked about as much as Cañon City or Pueblo, but if you live here you know it's a real community with real history — and real homes that can take a beating when water gets where it shouldn't.
We're Stars and Bars Restoration, and we serve all of Fremont County, including Florence. We're not a national franchise with a call center in another state. We're local, we're IICRC certified, and we understand what homes in this part of Colorado are up against.
The Water Damage Risks That Are Specific to Florence
Older home stock. Florence was built on coal mining and agriculture. A lot of the housing stock here dates back to the late 1800s and early 1900s. These homes have character, but they also have older plumbing, foundations that predate modern waterproofing standards, and crawl spaces or basements that weren't designed to handle modern moisture loads. When something fails, it can fail quietly — a slow drip behind a wall or under a floor that goes unnoticed for months.
The Arkansas River drainage. Florence sits in the Arkansas River corridor. That means spring snowmelt from the Sangre de Cristo and Sawatch ranges can raise the water table and saturate soils well into May and even June. If your home is in a low-lying area near the river or any of its tributaries, you're more likely to see water intrusion during those months than someone living on higher ground.
Monsoon season. July through September, Southern Colorado gets afternoon and evening thunderstorms that can dump a lot of rain in a short time. Storm drains and culverts that handle typical flow get overwhelmed. Finished basements flood. Window wells fill up. Water follows the path of least resistance, and older homes often have cracks or gaps that weren't sealed to modern standards.
Agricultural surroundings. Many properties around Florence have outbuildings, barns, or detached garages. These structures frequently lack the waterproofing that residential structures have, and water damage in them often gets ignored until mold or structural problems become serious.
What Happens When You Don't Act Fast
We get calls from Florence homeowners who discovered water damage that had been going on for a while — maybe they noticed a musty smell, or saw the flooring buckle, or found stains on the drywall. By that point, what started as a water problem has usually become a mold problem too.
Here's the timeline that plays out in untreated water damage:
- Within 24 hours: Drywall and insulation begin absorbing water. Hardwood floors start to warp. Mold spores (which exist in every home) begin the germination process if moisture levels stay elevated.
- 24–72 hours: Mold can begin visibly colonizing wet organic materials. Structural components like framing and subfloor start to weaken.
- After 72 hours: The damage escalates significantly. What might have been a few thousand dollars in extraction and drying can turn into a full mold remediation plus structural repair job.
Speed genuinely matters. If you have active water intrusion — a burst pipe, a flooded basement, water coming in around your foundation — call us immediately at (719) 676-2456. We're available 24/7.
What Our Water Damage Response Looks Like
When we arrive at a Florence property, we follow the IICRC S500 Standard for Professional Water Damage Restoration. That's not marketing language — it's the industry's evidence-based protocol that determines how we approach every job.
1. Assessment and containment. We use moisture meters and thermal imaging to map exactly where water has traveled. Water doesn't stay where you see it — it wicks through walls, migrates under flooring, and accumulates inside wall cavities. We find all of it, not just the visible portion.
2. Water extraction. We use truck-mounted or portable extraction equipment to remove standing water. For flooded basements, this can involve submersible pumps followed by high-powered extractors that pull water from carpet, padding, and subfloor.
3. Structural drying. This is where most of the work happens. We place industrial dehumidifiers and air movers in a calculated configuration based on the cubic footage of the space and the moisture readings we've taken. We monitor daily until the structure reaches target dryness levels — this typically takes 3–5 days depending on conditions.
4. Mold prevention and documentation. We apply EPA-registered antimicrobials to affected surfaces before closing up walls or replacing materials. We document everything with photos and moisture readings — this documentation matters when you file an insurance claim.
5. Restoration. Once the structure is dry and treated, we can coordinate repair work — drywall replacement, flooring, painting — or we can hand off to your contractor of choice with a full drying log.
Working With Your Insurance
Water damage claims in Colorado can be complicated. Most homeowners policies cover sudden and accidental water damage (like a burst pipe) but exclude gradual damage (like a slow leak you should have noticed). Storm-related flooding from outside may require separate flood insurance.
We've worked with Colorado homeowners on enough claims to know the process well. We document everything in the format insurers need, provide drying reports, and can communicate directly with your adjuster. If you have questions about what's covered before you call your insurer, feel free to ask us — we'll give you an honest read.
Our service area covers all of Fremont County — Florence, Cañon City, Penrose, Coal Creek, Brookside, and the surrounding rural areas. If you're in Fremont County, we're your neighbors.
When to Call vs. When to Wait
Some water situations warrant calling us immediately. Others you can handle with a mop and a fan. Here's a rough guide:
Call us now if:
- There's more than a few inches of standing water anywhere in your home
- Water has affected your HVAC system, electrical panel, or structural components
- You smell mold or see visible mold growth
- The water source is sewage-contaminated
- You don't know where the water came from or when it started
- You're concerned about your insurance documentation
You can likely handle it yourself if:
- It's a small, contained spill (under a few square feet) on non-porous surfaces
- You caught it within an hour and the affected material is easily dried
- There are no wall cavities, flooring, or structural materials involved
When in doubt, call. A 10-minute phone conversation can save you a lot of money and hassle.
Proud to Serve Florence and Fremont County
Stars and Bars Restoration is a veteran-owned company. Robert Hewett, our founder, served in the Marine Corps before starting this business — and that background shows in how we operate. We show up when we say we will. We do what we say we're going to do. We don't upsell you on services you don't need.
We also serve the rest of Southern Colorado — Cañon City, Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Trinidad, Walsenburg, and beyond. You can check out our guides on water damage restoration in Cañon City and what to do immediately after water damage for more.
If you're dealing with water damage in Florence or anywhere in Fremont County, call us at (719) 676-2456 — any time, day or night. Or email services@sb-resto.com. We'll pick up, we'll listen, and we'll get there fast.
Stars and Bars Restoration | 24/7 Emergency Response | IICRC Certified | Veteran-Owned | Florence & All of Fremont County | (719) 676-2456