10 Steps To Save Flooded Carpets
There is a misconception among us that leads us to believe that carpets can be dried with a selection of towels, blowers and humidifiers. Whilst this has some fact to it in part, it is not an easy task. Drying the top of a carpet is only a very small part of the process. The underlay will be wet and will not dry purely by using the above methods (well, will not dry quick enough before mould and rot takes hold). Sub flors, either concrete or timber will not dry. And what about the water that has got under the walls and sitting in the wall cavities?
This guide is exactly just that. A guide to help you attend to small spillages and overflows. Anything bigger that you attempt yourself will slowly develop unseen and cost a lot of money and time within a few months after the original spillage.
- Above all else, act fast. You have a maximum of 72 hours before the mould bacteria starts to develop in even just moist carpets, underlay and sub floors
- If the floodwater was clean, you can remove as much water as you can by specialised vacuum cleaner available for hire or you may prefer to call in a professional company to do it for you. Do not waste your time using a domestic wet & dry vacuum as they do not have sufficient power to do the required task
- If floodwater is dirty, such as sewage backup, washing machine waste or external flood water, then you are advised to call in professionals with commercial equipment because there is an extreme danger of high bacteria and lingering odours in soaked subfloors, walls and skirtings. A professional disinfecting process will also be required
- Isolate the power in the affected areas before you stand on the wet carpets
- Remove all electrical cables, extension leads and equipment then ensure they are dry. If not, get them dried by placing in a warm zone and using warm air to finish
- Dehumidifiers are great but extraction is 1200 times more effective using commercial extraction units. Dehumidifiers are better to be used after as much moisture as possible is sucked out of the flooring. However, again you will find that a domestic dehumidifier removing around 18 litres a day is considerably less effective than a commercial one which can remove up to 140 litres a day.
- Once you have removed as much water/moisture as possible, you then need to decide on whether there is a need to remove the carpets and underlay, or if you can lift the carpet and use air movers to finish the drying process. The latter is often the more economical option but you will need the correct equipment for it to be successful.
- If you decide to remove your carpets, roll it up while watching out for the ‘smoothedge’ with the tacking nails and if you have a sunny day, roll it out on your driveway to dry in the sun
- You can attempt to dry the carpet underlay but it is a relatively inexpensive product and it is recommended that you replace that
- While your carpets are drying, you are advised to check walls and skirting boards. If you believe that water has got inside the wall cavity to your insulation, then, the insulation has to be replaced as wet insulation cannot be saved