No matter what the cause, discovering carpet water damage can be a distressing experience. If you’re fond of your carpet, it’s normal to want to avoid replacing it. While it isn’t possible to save all carpets, sometimes water damage restoration does the trick. If you’ve recently discovered a water-damaged carpet, it may help to know how you can save yours.
Timing is everything in water damage restoration
In a lot of cases, it isn’t possible to save a carpet if the damage has been there for 72 hours or more. The longer the water remains on your carpet, the more damage it causes. After 72 hours, there’s a strong chance that your subflooring and other surrounding structures are starting to weaken. As a result, you’re probably looking at a replacement rather than restoration.
Remove the water
How you’ll remove the water from your carpet depends on the amount that’s there. Anything less than 2.5 cm and you may be able to remove a lot of it with a wet-dry vacuum. When you’re talking about a few inches, you’re going to need a pump. At Capital Facility Services, we can carry out this task for you as part of our water damage restoration services.
Dry the wet carpet
After removing the majority of the water, you need to dry the wet carpet. Usually, this requires high-volume fans that are able to dry large areas of your carpet at once. The dryer you can make the area, the more you’ll be able to limit your carpet’s water damage.
Consider replacing the padding and subfloor
Your carpet benefits from a layer of padding beneath the surface. Depending on the quality of the padding, you may need to replace it. Take a look at a couple of random areas to see if the padding is falling apart.
Another factor that determines whether you’ll replace the padding is the type of water that has caused damage. If sewage or other contaminants are involved, look at replacing it. You should also look at the subfloor for signs of weakness and warping. In either instance, it may need replacing.
Relay and clean the carpet
If all is well with the padding and subfloor, you can replace the carpet and clean it. Use a carpet cleaning machine for the best results and allow around 24 to 48 hours for the carpet to dry.
Use a carpet water damage service
As providers of carpet water damage services, we know how tiring this task can be. With our thorough approach, we’ll restore your carpet so you can return to normality at home. We’re available 24 hours a day — just call 1300 554 418.
