In areas where there are seasonal rainstorms, floods are common. Property owners in such areas have experienced water damage to their property at some point. The obvious areas that are affected by water are the flooring, especially if it is carpeted. The biggest danger comes from seepage that occurs under the carpet, causing growth of mold because of the moisture. Water damaged carpets are likely to harbor bacterial germination which poses a danger to human life and property too. Below are some tips on how to handle water damaged carpets:

Cut Off Electricity Supply

The first thing before attempting to identify the source of flooding and subsequent carpet removal, is not step into the waterlogged carpet before cutting off the electricity supply. You must be cautious in case you step into floodwater and encounter a live electricity wire and get electrocuted. If the main switch is inside the flooded area, call the power company for help.

Shut Off the Water Supply

Find out the source of the flooding in case it is not rain-related. If the water damage is because of broken plumbing or leakage, you must shut off the water supply. Repair damaged plumbing before attempting to remove the water damaged carpets. If the damage or leak is not something you can handle, call a plumber to fix it for you before any carpet restoration attempt. If the leakage is not major, but you still do not fix it properly, you are likely to be faced with carpet damage from mold and a huge water bill.

Remove Excess Water

Once you have plugged the water source, remove the excess water by either using buckets or towels, or mopping the water if it is not too much. After removing the water, open the windows to allow air to circulate. Turn on any ceiling fans and make use of humidifiers to remove the moisture.

Dry Carpet Completely

If the carpet is not dried out completely, dampness will settle in and mold will follow, which will damage the carpet even more. Mold is risky for your family’s health, especially for those already with respiratory issues. Rolling the carpet and storing it without drying it will cause mold growth and once mold starts growing, it spreads very fast to the rest of the house.

Call For Help

At this point, if there is extensive damage, call for water damage restoration professionals. They have all the equipment and are trained to deal with water damaged carpets, and any problems thereof.  Do not attempt to restore the water damaged carpets if you have no professional knowledge, otherwise you will make an already bad situation worse.

Reilly’s Oriental Rug Cleaning has professional, certified staff who are experts when it comes to dealing with water damaged carpets. The first thing we do is to stop the water flow, disinfection and ventilation of the room, removal of the soaked water padding and the setting up of industrial fans to speed up the carpet drying process. If the water damage is too much, the carpet is treated at our facility. For more information on our services, feel free to contact us at 201-445-0800 or email us on Info@RugClean.net today!