Water Damaged Carpeting – How To Deal With It
This is common in areas with storms and seasonal rains, especially for the properties where flooding is likely to occur. It is also attributed to structural issues in the building, such as leaking roofs that allow water into the house during those heavy downpours. It may even be as a result of a plumbing incident in the building, from leaking pipes to the water closets getting ruined, spreading water all over the floor in such large quantities that it reaches the living rooms and bedrooms.
On carpeted floors, the dangers brought by water damage are higher. In addition to the carpet itself getting soaked, there will be seepage that will take place below that carpet, and mould growth will be accelerated due to the dampness and moisture. Homes that usually experience both flooding and power outages during those summer and spring storms are especially susceptible to the mould growth that occurs- since all the fungi needs is moisture and some little dark space to flourish. The carpets that have suffered from water damage form a breeding ground for different kinds of organic matter, posing a direct risk to both the persons on the premises and the property itself. What do you do when you find yourself in such a situation? Let’s go through the steps you should take:
STEP 1: Address the source of the problem
Here the goal is to find the source of the leak and have it fixed immediately. First, switch off the electricity- especially if the water damage is from flooding. You don’t want to go walking in standing water that has a live wire in it. If the water damage has been caused by broken pipes or leaks, shut off the water supply into the building, then have the damaged plumbing repaired. Shut it off at the valve as you wait for the plumber to arrive. For those cases of flooding caused by natural phenomena like rains and storms, you can try blocking the source using boarding- or even sandbags if needed- basically to hold out the water before help arrives.
STEP 2: Drying the carpet
Wet vacuums are used to remove the water from the carpet. This can be a time-consuming process, especially with low capacity machinery. You need equipment that has sufficient suction to cover the workload. Calling the in the professional carpet cleaning team will save you loads of time and energy, and you even get to skip to step 3 below faster.
You can take these measures to speed up the drying process:
– Use fans. They help in circulating fresh air. Keep the fans going- even for 24 hours a day if needed. The ventilation is key in aiding the drying process.
– Dehumidifiers can be used, as they help in removing the excess moisture from the room, making the air feel warmer and also limiting the growth of mould and mildew. Basically, if you have equipment that can aid in drying out the air and the ground, it will speed up the drying time of the wet carpet.
– If the weather is tenable, open the windows. Note that they shouldn’t be opened if it is raining or there are high levels of humidity outside.
STEP 3: Take time to have the carpet cleaned
You want to be sure that there are no contaminants lingering in the once wet carpet. Here, a thorough and in-depth clean is needed. This will also involve anti-microbial treatments. The carpet cleaning professionals will enable you to ensure that this gets done right, and in moments. They also ensure that the carpet will be put back in place securely, so you won’t find yourself dealing with bunching and bulges on your installation.
Hiring professional carpet cleaning services also enable you to avoid the stress and frustrations that come with the DIY process. Issues like spending hours scrounging through information online about what kinds of products to use and the machinery to acquire, standing in line in dealership stores to rent it, and spending an entire day working on the carpet- while still risking getting low quality results- you don’t want to go through all this. What’s more, the carpet cleaning equipment that is available for renting from local hardware stores has low capacity compared to the industrial-grade units that the professionals use. This means that you will be at a disadvantage when it comes to the power and capacity needed to give your carpet a thorough clean. It also affects the drying time. The professionals use high-performance drying systems to extract moisture from the carpet material, which cuts down the drying time from days to mere hours. This is key in preventing mould and mildew from developing on the carpet. Going the DIY route, this is compromised, putting your carpet at risk of more damage.
Our personnel are here to take care of your carpet cleaning needs. Fully trained and with years of experience, you can trust them to take care of the task to professional standards. What’s more, they come equipped with the machinery that is required for the task. Timely services, friendly crew, and pocket-friendly prices- our goal is to ensure that you’re satisfied.
Here are extra pointers to take note of when dealing with water damaged carpets:
- For those with carpet padding, this will need to be replaced. The padding acts like a giant sponge, soaking up the water. The resultant dampness will cause mould growth, no matter how dry the carpet above it becomes. Having the padding replaced is also a much less costly option compared to being forced to recarpet the entire house.
- The walls, hard surface floors and baseboards will need to be sanitized.
- Check the condition of the furniture, to inspect for water damage on the units.
- Do not walk on the water damaged carpet unless it is absolutely necessary. This is because treading on it can cause the backing to get loose.
- Rolling the carpet away into the basement or attic without it properly drying will wreak havoc in your home. This is as it will lead to mould growing in the place where it has been stored. Once it takes root, it will easily spread to other sections of the home.
