Stars and Bars RestorationWater Damage Restoration in Las Animas & Bent County, CO
If you're reading this because water is coming into your home right now — or because the storm passed and you're not sure what you're dealing with — you're in the right place. Las Animas and Bent County are in the middle of another active monsoon season, and the flash flood threat is real. We serve this area, we know the terrain, and we can help.
Call us directly: (719) 676-2456 — we're available 24 hours a day.
Why Bent County Sees Serious Water Damage
Las Animas sits at the confluence of the Arkansas River and the Purgatoire River. That geography is part of what makes the town beautiful — and part of what makes water damage a recurring reality for homeowners here.
During Colorado's monsoon season, which typically runs from mid-July through September, afternoon and evening thunderstorms push heavy rainfall onto already-dry ground. The soil can't absorb it fast enough. Water sheets off fields and roads, storm drains overflow, and low-lying properties flood before the rain has even stopped.
The burn scars from recent wildfires in Las Animas County make this worse. Burned ground is essentially hydrophobic — water runs off it at a much higher rate than normal soil. Even a modest thunderstorm over a burn scar can push a wall of water downstream. We've seen it happen across Southern Colorado this summer, and Bent County is no exception.
And then there are the river corridors themselves. The Arkansas River has flooded Las Animas before. When upstream snowmelt combines with heavy summer rains, river levels can rise fast. Homes near the river or Purgatoire bottomlands are particularly vulnerable.
Beyond weather-related flooding, the usual culprits apply: burst pipes, water heater failures, appliance leaks, and sewer backups — all of which we handle.
What Happens If You Don't Act Fast
Water damage is one of those problems where the first 24 to 48 hours matter enormously. Here's the progression:
Within hours: Water wicks into drywall, insulation, carpet padding, and wood framing. The longer it sits, the deeper it goes.
Within 24-48 hours: Mold spores — which are already present in every home — begin to colonize wet materials. Mold growth can start in as little as 24 hours under the right conditions.
After 48 hours: You're likely looking at mold remediation in addition to water damage restoration. Materials that might have been salvageable in hour one are now a health hazard and need to be removed.
After a week: Structural damage. Subfloor swelling and buckling, wall framing rot, potential compromise of structural elements depending on where the water went.
We're not sharing this to scare you — we're sharing it so you can make a good decision fast. If water got into your home, call (719) 676-2456) and let us take a look. Even if you think it's minor, a professional assessment with moisture meters will tell you what you're actually dealing with.
How Our Restoration Process Works
When we arrive at a Las Animas or Bent County property, here's what we do:
Step 1: Assessment and Documentation
We walk the property with moisture meters, thermal imaging, and visual inspection to map exactly where water has traveled. Water doesn't stay put — it follows gravity and wicks through materials in ways that aren't always obvious. We document everything with photos and readings, which also forms the foundation of your insurance claim if you have one.
Step 2: Water Extraction
We use truck-mounted and portable extraction equipment to pull standing water and as much absorbed moisture as possible from flooring, carpet, and other materials. Fast extraction reduces the total drying time and limits how far the damage spreads.
Step 3: Structural Drying
This is where most people are surprised by how much equipment is involved. Industrial air movers and dehumidifiers create controlled drying conditions that pull moisture out of walls, floors, and structural members. We take daily moisture readings to track progress and adjust equipment placement as needed.
Structural drying typically takes 3 to 5 days for most residential water damage, though larger losses or those with significant wicking into framing can take longer.
Step 4: Mold Prevention and Treatment
As materials dry, we apply antimicrobial treatments to surfaces that were wet. If mold growth has already started, we contain the area and address it as part of the restoration scope. Our technicians are IICRC certified in both water damage restoration and mold remediation, so we handle both without having to bring in a separate contractor.
Step 5: Reconstruction
Once everything is dry and clean, we rebuild what needs to be replaced — drywall, flooring, insulation, cabinetry, whatever the damage required. We coordinate this phase with your insurance adjuster.
Insurance Claims in Bent County
Most standard homeowner's policies cover sudden and accidental water damage — burst pipes, appliance failures, storm-related flooding in some cases. What's typically not covered is flooding from a rising body of water (like the Arkansas River overflowing its banks), which requires separate flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program.
A few things worth knowing if you're filing a claim:
Document before you clean up. Take photos and video of everything before moving or removing anything. Walk through every affected area. Capture timestamps on your photos if possible.
Call us before you call your insurance company. We can help with documentation and can often communicate directly with your adjuster to make sure the scope of damage is fully captured. We've worked with nearly every major insurer and many of the adjusters who work in Southern Colorado.
You don't have to use the contractor your insurance company suggests. You have the right to choose your own restoration company. If an insurer-recommended contractor is based in Denver or Colorado Springs, ask yourself whether a company 3 hours away is really going to respond to your needs the same way a local company will.
Our water damage insurance claims guide has more detail on navigating the claims process — worth reading before you talk to your adjuster.
Why Stars and Bars for Bent County?
We know the national chain directories rank for searches in Las Animas. The companies that pop up on those lead-gen sites often don't have a single truck in Bent County — they're routing your call to whatever regional franchise covers the area, and that franchise might be based in Pueblo or Colorado Springs.
Stars and Bars Restoration is based in Colorado City. We run calls across all of Southern Colorado — Pueblo, Trinidad, Walsenburg, the Arkansas River corridor from Cañon City to Las Animas. We know the roads, we know the terrain, and we actually show up.
Robert Hewett, who owns Stars and Bars, is a retired Marine who built this company to serve rural Southern Colorado communities that often get the slowest response from larger restoration companies. Las Animas is exactly the kind of community we exist to serve.
We're IICRC certified for water damage restoration, mold remediation, and fire and smoke restoration. We carry full liability and workers' comp. And we'll give you a straight answer about what you're dealing with — not an upsell.
What to Do Right Now
If water has entered your home or business in Las Animas or anywhere in Bent County, here are the most important first steps:
- Stop the source if you can — turn off the main water supply if it's a plumbing failure, or if it's weather-related, move what you can to higher ground while it's safe to do so.
- Document with your phone — photos and video of all affected areas before anything is moved.
- Do not run fans through contaminated water areas without knowing what you're dealing with — if the water came from a sewage source or rising groundwater, air movement can spread contaminants.
- Call us: (719) 676-2456) — 24/7, no answering service, real people.
We'll respond, assess, and give you a clear picture of what restoration looks like. No pressure, no runaround.
Stars and Bars Restoration | IICRC Certified | Veteran-Owned | Colorado City, CO | (719) 676-2456 | services@sb-resto.com