Loss Type: Category 1 Water / Burst Supply Line
Location: East Layton near Kays Creek Drive — Layton, UT
Response Time: 47 minutes
Job Duration: 4 days
Insurance: Yes – State Farm

The Situation

On a January morning, a homeowner near Kays Creek Drive in East Layton noticed water dripping from a light fixture in their main hallway. By the time they traced it upstairs, the carpet in a guest bedroom was fully saturated and water had begun spreading toward the subfloor. A copper supply line feeding a bathroom vanity had developed a pinhole freeze fracture overnight — a common failure point in older construction when temperatures dropped below 10°F the previous night.

The homeowner called Upkeep Water Damage Restoration at 7:18 AM. Our water damage restoration team was on-site by 8:05 AM.

The Problem

Initial inspection with a moisture meter revealed the damage had migrated further than the visible wet area suggested. Water had tracked inside the wall cavity along a bottom plate and saturated drywall on two levels — the bedroom floor above and the hallway ceiling below. The ceiling drywall had absorbed enough water to begin delaminating. Both the subfloor and the ceiling assembly were at elevated moisture content well above the IICRC S500 standard drying target.

The affected ceiling contained a recessed light housing, which introduced an electrical safety concern and required the circuit to be isolated before drying equipment could be placed. The homeowner’s State Farm policy covered the loss in full.

What We Did

We isolated the water source and coordinated with a licensed plumber for the pipe repair while our crew began extraction and containment. After pulling back the saturated carpet and pad in the guest bedroom, we took baseline moisture readings across the subfloor and documented everything for the insurance adjuster.

We removed approximately 12 linear feet of drywall in the hallway ceiling and 8 linear feet of bedroom baseboard to expose the wall cavity for drying — a necessary step to prevent secondary mold growth. Per IICRC S500 guidelines for Category 1 losses, we established a structural drying system using:

 

• LGR dehumidifiers — 3 units positioned to cover both levels

• 5 air movers directed at the open ceiling cavity, subfloor, and wall base

• Daily moisture monitoring with readings logged morning and evening

By day 3, all structural readings had reached acceptable target moisture content. Final readings were taken and documented on day 4 before equipment was removed.

The Outcome

The subfloor was saved and required no replacement. The hallway ceiling drywall and a section of bedroom carpet were the only materials that could not be salvaged, both of which were covered under the insurance claim. Total drying time was 4 days. The homeowner received a complete moisture log and drying report for their insurance file.

“I called at 7 in the morning in a panic and they were at my door in less than an hour. They explained exactly what was happening at every step and dealt directly with State Farm so I didn’t have to chase anyone down. The hallway looks brand new.”

— R. Hendricks, Layton UT

Browse more of our water damage case studies from across Davis County.

 

Related Case Studies

If you found this job relevant, you may also want to review our work on a frozen pipe burst in South Weber, a burst pipe repair in Clearfield, and a washing machine overflow in Layton — all handled under similar emergency response conditions.