Carpets are an important interior design element in your home but if you live in a flood prone area, they are one of the items that can be at risk of damage. Sometimes it can be impossible to recover them due to health and safety reasons.
Many people have the misconception that as long as floodwater is out of the carpet, it is good to be used. But there is a danger in using a carpet that has not been cleaned properly. The main problem you will be facing with wet carpet is mould and mildew growth. This will give an unpleasant odour and it can also affect your health by triggering allergic reactions, respiratory infections and asthma. The type of mould in the carpet also matters. Certain variations are able to produce toxins and these can have further complications on your health. It is very important to eliminate mould or mildew in your living areas. And this is done by getting rid of extra moisture. The integrity of the carpet can weaken when it has been in floodwaters for long. For example, delamination or weakening of the glue between the primary and secondary backing layers will cause these layers to separate and you will not be able to come back from this when it happens.
The sooner you respond the better when it comes to flood damaged carpets. You need to make sure that the padding and the carpet are dried within the first 2 days of it being flooded so that mould growth can be prevented. And drying the carpet is the real challenge. You can hire a company for carpet water damage restoration Melbourne to get the best results as they will have the experience to deal with the situation along with the right machines to dry the carpets faster than what our household machines can achieve. The first thing you need to do when there is flooding is to fix the cause of flooding. This usually applies when there is a water leak inside the house due to a cracked or broken pipe. But if sewage or any other toxic waste has contributed to the flooding, you will need to get rid of the carpets and have a professional company dealing with the aftermath.
Sometimes you will have a carpet that is glued down which is an additional challenge. In this case, you will need to use a wet vacuum to extract as much water from it as possible. Make sure you move the nozzle of the vacuum slowly over the areas instead of making quick sweeping movements as this will do a better job of absorbing the water. And make sure that air is constantly circulating over the carpet and under it by using blowers, fans and cross ventilation from windows. You will likely need to use a dehumidifier to get rid of some of the excess humidity. Loose carpets are easier to handle. Make sure you remove the padding from it. If you can’t save the pad, it is better to use a new pad. This is recommended for your safety as well.
