It is not uncommon for carpet to experience water damage at some point in it’s life. It could be from leakage out of a pipe or from a flood, something around the house/building could damage those great carpets you had installed. When it does happen, do you know how to handle it? You’ll need to know when you should try and repair your carpet, and when you need to replace it.
Assessing Water Damage to Your Carpets
First things first, assess the damage. You need to determine how bad the water is and figure out where the water came from. Sanitary water damage, such as rainwater or tap water, to your carpets is the most salvageable. Depending on how much of the carpet of the carpet was affected, how long the carpet was wet, and the type of carpet that was damaged will reflect on how salvageable the carpet is. Water damage from contaminated sources won’t be so lucky, and most likely won’t be salvageable. These waters can be recognized by their foul smells and color. The dark the colored water is reflects on how much damage it has done to your carpets. Most colored water (anything that is not clear) will not be salvageable, but really dark colored water posses more of a problem. Some water from these situations will even be close to black, coming sewage or ground water, and the damaged carpets will need to be replaced at once.
When looking at where the source of the water damage you need to quickly figure out if the damage was caused by a single occasion or is still flowing. Single occasion damage is from overflowing water containers (sinks, bathtubs, or toilets), while continuous flowing water may be from a broken pipe. If you determine the damage is from flowing water, that is still flowing, immediately turn off your water and call a plumber or water restoration company. If you were not able to turn off your water, when calling one of these services they should be able to guide you through some quick steps.
Remedying Your Carpets Water Damage
For small areas of damage you may wish to fix the problem yourself. If the water was sanitary (not contaminated [look at the color of the water soaking your carpet, clear means it is probably sanitary]) you may be able to get good results with a home remedy. Just remember to clear the area of furniture first and dry out the wet area. We always recommend to call a water damage restoration service, so they can fully disinfect the carpet and make sure the job is done right.
For larger areas of water damaged carpets and any areas that are damaged from unsanitary water sources, please call a professional water restoration company immediately. The quicker you are to call, the quicker they can respond.
Mold Under Your Carpets
The reason we always recommend you call a professional water restoration company for any water damaged carpet (even in cases of smaller damage) is the mold that can grow from the damage. It doesn’t take very specific conditions for mold to grow, and it can cause a lot of harm in less time than you would guess. All mold really needs is a dark space and some moisture, and water damaged carpet that you just let dry out meets those requirements. This is even more of a problem in warmer climates, as it allows for mold to grow and spread at a faster rate. The worst part of all this, because it can be growing under your carpet, you won’t even know!
Remember, exposure to mold can cause health problems. It can irritate your eyes, nose, throat, and lungs as well as really affecting those with asthma and some specific allergies.
The Best Course of Action
The best route to take when dealing with water damaged carpet is to call a professional. A professional water damage restoration service will be able to properly assess the damage, disinfect the carpets, and make sure mold doesn’t claim your carpets. Here at Clean Earth Restorations we are always ready to help, 24/7. Give us a call at 619-284-4239 or visit us at cleanearthrestorations.com. We want you, your household, and your house to be safe. We are experienced and read to do the job!
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