Saving Flood Damaged Carpets
Saving Flood Damaged Carpets
Many properties in Leicestershire and Derbyshire have had problems with flooding recently, some of them a light ingress of water blocked mostly by sandbags, and some experiencing a total ground floor flood of up to 12 inches of water.
Can the Carpet be rescued?
The answer to this is complex. If the water is from fields or sewers, then it cannot be saved because of the contaminants and bacteria it contains which are injurious to health. But if the flood is from internal pipes, tap water, pipe or washing machine leakes, then yes it can be saved if you act QUICKLY but this depends also on what is underneath the carpet. If you have a flat pile carpet with a hessian underlay, or a nylon carpet laid over tiles or lino, it can be possible to save it. If you have a foam rubber underlay, it is almost impossible to remove all the water from it
Should You Wait for the Insurance Company to Inspect?
If you do not act within 48 hours, mould and bacteria spores will start to grow and this is not only difficult to remove, but also dangerous to health. Saving anything you can is vital, but speed is the success factor. Leaving a water leak untreated for more than 72 hours reduces the possibility of saving the carpet, so speed is vital.
What to do
open all windows nd doors to increase air flow, hire 2 industrial dehumidifiers to remove all moisture from the air and use a vacuum extractor to suck up as much water as you can. You can expect this to take 2 or 3 days, but it has a good success rate.
When the carpet appears dry
You may be left with a damp smell lingering, and now is the time for a professional antibacterial carpet clean. SJS can remove all traces of mould spores and bacteria, leaving the carpet PH balanced, clean, dry and odour free. So don’t lose any time to save your carpets and your insurance claim and act fast!