Carpet water damage is one of the most common after affects of a flood, burst pipes or slow unattended leaks(roof leaks or even a faucet supply line).

Continued water leaks will not only damage your carpet, but continued leaks can cause damage to your sub flooring and walls.

The first factor in setting up a water damage cleanup plan for your carpet is to determine the source of the water and stop it. Once the source of the water is stopped you will know the type of water. If the water damage is from a “clean” water source (for example leaking sink or pipes) or a “black” water source (contains sewage). Black water sources are a serious health hazard as they can carry dangerous bacteria and or viruses.

Do it yourself cleanup should only be performed on “clean” water jobs. Black water damage should be left to the professionals as there could be serious health risks if done improperly.

How To Remove Water From The Carpet

1) Extract all of the water possible from the carpet, ideally for large water issues immediately have someone begin removal of water with a standard household carpet cleaner (if present), while someone else goes to rent carpet drying fans and a water extraction unit. Most rental places will carry commercial grade units that work amazingly well.
2) After all possible water is extracted and the carpet fans have had a chance to dry the area a Biocide should be applied, Biocides generally are sold in a spray form. They help kill and inhibit growth of mold and bacteria with the carpet.
3) If possible monitor humidity levels within the affected area. This will allow you to know the affected area. This will allow you to know the affected area is dry.
4) Continue to circulate air and dry the area with carpet dryers, also consider a dehumidifier to remove moisture from the air.

If the carpet has been seriously stained the carpet may need to be replaced or the stained area cut out and replaced with matching carpet.

Cleaning Up Sewage Water Damage

Water damage resulting from sewer issues can be a serious health threat to the individuals cleaning it as well as the occupants of the house. All safety gear should be work at all times when remediating water damage via sewage affected water. This includes but isn’t limited to plastic gloves, goggles and a full face shield.

Contaminated objects that cannot be salvaged should be thrown away. Any items that are salvageable should be cleaned and dried completely. Once the the area has most of the objects/furniture removed it is advisable to call a company to professionally clean the water damaged area. This ensures are safety precautions are followed to safely clean the affected area.

Tags: Carpet Water Damage, water damage carpet cleaning, water damage to carpet