You wake up rested after a terrific nights sleep. You yawn, stretch, and swing your legs over the side of your bed. Your feet touch the floor. Your toes dig deep into the luxurious carpet. Aahh. It feels soft and welcoming.
You put on your bathrobe and head downstairs to put on your pot of coffee. Once on the first floor however, your feet have an entirely different experience. Your toes sink into a spongy and squishy carpet completely saturated with water. Uggh.
While this feels like a nightmare, it is unfortunately, a miserable reality. Most importantly, you must remember safety first. Turn off the breaker servicing the water damaged area and try to find the source of the water and turn it off if you can.
Let us consider a best case scenario, where the damage has been caused by clean water (consider sources such as a sink overflow, malfunction of appliances using water supply lines or non- contaminated rainwater) and is confined to just one carpeted room.
There are immediate steps that a homeowner can take to minimize damage. Removal of anything in contact with the wet carpet will help prevent staining of the carpet. This includes placing tinfoil under the legs of furniture and relocating items such as potted plants. After this, try not to walk on the carpet as this may spread the damage to unaffected areas.
If you must walk on the wet carpet, certainly do not spread out something such as newspaper to walk on, as the ink will likely transfer to the carpet fibers and can cause staining. Yes! Think about the future of this carpet because it can probably be saved! If you get down to the business of quick water extraction coupled with the use of adequate drying equipment, you can restore your carpet.
Now let us consider a similar scenario, however this time, the water contains a certain degree of contamination. This might be a situation in which the water damage is from something such as a broken fish tank or an overflowing toilet containing urine. In this instance, if the damage is attended to quickly, with water extraction taking place within 48 hours, and adequate drying is used, this carpet can be restored as well.
Due to the difference in the water source however, this carpet must be thoroughly cleaned after drying. Additionally, the pad must be removed and replaced.
We began with a consideration of a best case scenario. We will now explore quite the opposite. If the water damage is the result of unsanitary water, coming from sources such as sewage or the sea, the carpet must be removed. In this scenario, the carpet could be dried and cleaned, but it could never achieve sanitary restoration.
Studies have been conducted to determine the integrity of post water damaged carpet. It has been discovered that with longer drying times, it is possible for the adhesive on the carpet to become stronger than it was originally. Other conclusions involve the handling of the carpet while wet.
Delamination of the carpet backings can occur if the wet carpet is folded, rolled or bent. If the specific situation calls for pad removal, the carpet should be completely dried before manipulating it to get to the pad.
While it is coffee, and not water damage cleanup that you are thinking about as you make your way down the stairs, take solace in the fact that water damage restoration is full of possibilities. In a short time your toes will be back in their soft and welcoming environment.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Water Damage And Carpet Removal
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Water Damage Illinois Procedures for Good Carpet Cleaning
There are many steps you can take to properly clean a carpet due to water damage Illinois or if you just need your carpet cleaned. You should take good care of your carpet because it is the most high traffic area in your home.
Before water damage Illinois cleanup occurs in a carpet you first must evaluate the soil conditions. It is important to know exactly how much water is in the carpets before you begin the extraction process. You need to know the type of damage. Is the water clean water in the carpet or does it contain dangerous toxins? This is very important.
There are specifically designed rakes for piloting the carpet. This helps loosen the matted carpet fibers to allow for better soil removal. All of the furniture needs to be removed out of the way of the soiled areas that are flooded. Use a special vacuum to pull as much water from the carpet as possible. This includes the edges and the corners of the carpet.
If the water in the carpet is contaminated or soiled with something causing a stain in the carpet then the water damage Illinois may require pre-treating. You will need a solution to treat the carpet with prior to extracting the water out of the carpet.
After you have extracted contaminated water out of your carpet you should rinse the carpet and extract it again. This will help ensure the carpet is entirely clean. The dry method will require humidifiers in the home and fans. You should keep the windows open in the house so the moisture is not trapped inside. Drying the carpet as quickly as possible is very important.
There is a proper way to clean your carpeting if you have water damage Illinois occur. If you do not have the proper equipment for extraction or the flooding is too bad you should hire a company to do the clean up for you. This will ensure the clean up effort is done right and that you don’t have to worry about problems with mold.