Coming home to a flooded property can be devastating, especially for homeowners. Aside from worrying about your furniture and appliances, you’ll also need to worry about the extent of damage, especially to your carpet.

Why do you need to be concerned about your flooded carpet?

Wet carpets can cause various problems to a property. Neglecting to address it immediately can cause mould and mildew growth, which can adversely affect a person’s health.

Wet carpets can also cause other house problems, such as delamination. Excessive moisture affects the glue’s strength that holds the primary backing to the secondary support, causing them to separate.

Can Carpet Be Salvaged After a Flood?

Most carpets, when flooded and drenched for a long time with contaminated water, will definitely lead to damage. Though some carpets aren’t salvageable, it is maybe because they weren’t attended to immediately during the cleanup.

There’s still a chance to clean and disinfect a carpet effectively. It is just a matter of knowing the severity of damage it went through, the source of the flooding and how long it had been drenched with floodwater.

How Much Does It Cost to Remove Water From the Carpet?

An average water damage carpet drying service can cost between $25 and $100 per area. Most carpet cleaning services typically charge $0.25 per square foot of carpet.

Factors that determine the repair cost are the following:

• Presence of water: Checking and determining the presence of standing water in the area that may affect your carpet are crucial. This will dictate the cost you will incur to remove the water and dry it completely.

• Type of water: Drying a wet carpet will depend on the type of standing water present. Although clean water doesn’t contain elements that will destroy the carpet, leaving it drenched for a long time will weaken the carpet fibres, and the presence of dirt will blend with the water. Hence, it can be challenging to remove.

Also, polluted water often contains chemicals and biological elements that may harm your health.

• Size of the affected space: Another factor that you need to consider is the scope of the water damage. The square footage will have a lot to do with the restoration cost. However, it will help if you also consider the cost for baseboard replacement, drywall and insulation damage.

• Location: Location can also affect the pricing for replacing or repairing your carpeting after water damage. There are times when a few flooded carpet drying services base their prices on the customer’s zip code instead of the materials. For instance, people in the suburbs might pay more than those living in urban areas.

• Presence of mould: The presence of mould can also affect the cost of wet carpet drying. Mould commonly accumulates after clouding, especially when the carpet is left to sit for more than a day. Mould loves to thrive in cool and damp spaces, so you’ll see mould spores growing everywhere on your carpet if not immediately addressed.

Can You Fix a Water-Damaged Carpet?

It is possible to repair water damaged carpets, but it won’t be easy. That’s why it’s essential to address the situation immediately before it gets any worse.

Aside from hiring carpet cleaners, here are a few ways to help repair minor water damage to carpets.

1. Find the source of the leak. Any effort you put towards drying wet carpet will only be a waste of your time and money if you don’t know the root cause of the problem. Although water damage caused by water spillage doesn’t require any addressing, water damage caused by bad plumbing or structural issues is something that you need to deal with before contacting any flood restoration service.
2. Use towels to soak up the water. Once you’ve spotted the puddles of water on your carpet, you can grab a few towels and soak them until you’ve drained your carpet of excess water. If you don’t have any extra towels, thick sponges can also do the trick.
3. Use a high-powered vacuum. Another option to help you remove the excess water is with the help of a high-powered vacuum. If you have the budget for it, industrial-grade vacuums are more efficient because they can cover more expansive surface areas in a shorter period.
4. Sanitise it. Water damage to the carpet can cause various health hazards if left unattended. That’s why it’s a practical idea to clean it using a shampoo or live enzyme liquid so you can sanitise it.
5. Utilise high-powered fans. For carpets that are challenging to remove, one excellent option to dry them is using a high-powered fan. Waiting for it to air dry can take an immense amount of time, which can cause mildew growth. Using high-powered fans will help dry your wet carpet faster and effectively.
6. Remove any severely damaged parts. The most practical option in getting rid of the damaged portion for severely damaged carpets is to replace them. You need to ensure that you cut the damaged piece in a concise shape to make it easier to fit the replacement. Meanwhile, you need to glue or stitch them in place for movable carpets to secure them.

There’s a high chance that you can manage to save your wet carpet even if it’s soaked in water, depending on the situation. Ideally, you should clean and dry your carpet within 24 hours of getting wet or soaked. Leaving it unattended for more than two days without any help from the best carpet cleaner can cause mould to form, which can be dangerous to your health.

Hiring a water damage carpet drying company is an excellent option for flooring restoration. However, if you want to do it yourself, getting the best drying wet carpet tools is the most practical choice.

We, at XPower, offer excellent wet carpet cleaning and drying tools and products. Call us on (03) 9460 5655 to learn more.