3 Questions About Water Damage To Carpets

23 March 2015
 Categories: , Blog

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If you have a finished basement with carpeting, you run the risk of the carpet being damaged if your basement floods with even a small amount of water. If you are not sure what to do when your carpet gets soaked, the answers to these three questions will help you.

Will My Wet Carpeting Need To Be Replaced?

Many people believe that, when carpeting gets wet, it needs to be thrown away. This results in homeowners paying much more than they need to in order to restore their basement carpeting. If your goal is to save your existing carpeting, you will need to act immediately once you discover that it's wet. You will need professional help to restore your carpeting, but there is plenty that you can do until they arrive.

Start by getting air circulating through the space. Use fans to move the air around to help with drying. Use a wet vacuum to suck out as much water as you can from the carpeting. You can also place towels on the carpeting with a heavy object on top of them, which will help the towels absorb additional water from the carpeting.

If your carpeting remains wet for a long time, it runs the risk of mold forming or the carpet rotting.

How Do I Prevent Mold Growth?

Another big concern with wet carpeting is mold growth. Mold loves to grow in places that are moist and dark, making your carpeting a prime spot for growth to occur. Mold spore formation is common with wet carpeting, and if ignored, the mold can spread rapidly.

Wet carpeting not only needs to be dried, but sanitization is required to stop mold from forming. This is where a professional water damage restoration company comes into play. You need somebody with previous experience of restoring wet carpeting so that it is dried and sanitized correctly. They typically use specialized chemicals that will help eliminate all the mold that is growing, especially where you cannot see it.

What Are The Risk of Mold Growth?

If mold continues to grow in your carpeting, there are potential health risks for those living in the house. Some common side effects include respiratory illnesses to your nose and throat, coughing, wheezing, headaches, and even asthma symptoms.

Wet carpeting is not something to take lightly, which is why you need professional help to restore it for you when it happens. Contact a company like ServiceMaster by Restoration Xperts for more information.