Categories Home Maintenance

How to Address Water Damage to Carpet

Water damage in any form can be a nightmare for homeowners. Whether your house has flooded, or there was even a small amount of moisture intrusion, there will be a lot of damage control afterwards.

Today we want to focus on one particular problem we’ve come across in our years of inspections — carpet damage after water incidents.

If you have carpet in your home, knowing how to minimize water damage will be essential. This is simply because if left untreated, there are a number of problems that may arise after the fact.

Mold growth doesn’t take as long as you’d think to appear. And once it’s there, a whole host of problems can start to appear.

 

Protect Your Carpets

Immediate action is necessary to prevent any long term and more expensive repairs. If you experience a leak or flooding, act fast with these tips:

Dry it out

Immediately start drying as much as possible. Using tools like a wet/dry vacuum will help get water out fast. Additionally, bring in fans and a dehumidifier. The fans will help dry and circulate air while dehumidifiers will remove any excess moisture in the air.

 

Steam clean

Doing so will remove odors and sanitize. Check underneath, too. If the carpet padding is too damaged, toss it out and replace it.

 

Check walls and baseboards

Depending on the height of the water, you should sanitize these areas as well. Clean the walls and baseboards with soap, water, and 1.5 cups of chlorine bleach for every gallon of water.

 

Inspect furniture

Make sure your furniture didn’t suffer damage. Take a close look at all areas, especially the base, for water damage.

 

Toss it if you have a doubt

If you’re not sure if an item is salvageable, take precaution and just ditch it. Even if it is a favorite chair or a useful household item, it’s not worth holding on to if it’s going to spread mold spores later on.

 

What Can Happen if Left Untreated?

Water damage in carpeted areas is just the beginning.

In fact, water damage in any area of your home will likely begin wreaking havoc almost instantly.

Issues like color staining, musty smells, spread of mold, warping wood, appearance of fungi, and paint blisters are just a few of the issues you can expect to deal with after water damage.

 

What If It’s not Obvious?

Sometimes water damage isn’t as dramatic as a burst pipe or flooding from a harsh storm. It could be a small leak that occurs over a long period of time. If that’s the case, these are signs to look out for:

  1. Visible stains or spots
  2. Walls and floors change shape
  3. Utility bills don’t match your water usage
  4. Strong odors (especially around carpeted areas)

 

Noticed any of the above signs in your home?

Have you dealt with water damage before?

If so, then you know how serious it can be and the amount of time it requires to address.

If you’re buying, selling, or concerned that your current home may be suffering from water damage, call in the pros! Schedule an inspection with us today and we’ll be out in 48 hours or less!

 

 

Image attribution