Do’s and Don’ts of Addressing Water Damage to Carpets

The last thing you want to see is water damage occur in your home, especially when it affects carpeted areas. Unchecked water damage leads to mold, allowing spores to travel through the air, land on a fibrous surface and start to grow within as little as 24 to 48 hours. Prompt removal by a trusted water damage restoration company in Michigan is vital.

Here are some do’s and don’ts of handling water damage to carpets.

Do’s

When your carpets have been waterlogged, you need to address the situation promptly by finding the source of the water and drying out your carpeting sufficiently. Professional attention is often necessary.

Do:

• Switch off the electricity before attempting to find the source of the water damage, especially in the case of flooding. Standing water could be hiding a live wire.
• Try to identify the source of the water damage when safe to do so. If due to a leak or burst pipe, try to fix the problem first or call a plumber.
• Block the source of the water if due to a rain storm. Use sandbags or boards until help arrives.
• Remove excess water once you have stopped the source. Use towels and buckets to soak up or remove as much of the water as you can.
• Open windows and switch on fans and humidifiers to allow for better circulation and elimination of moisture.
• Contact a professional water damage restoration company like 1^st Class. We can show up with the proper equipment to remove excess water, clean the area and properly dry it out – quickly.

DON’Ts

There are some things you should avoid when faced with water-damaged carpeting.

Don’t:

• Simply clean up the water situation and neglect to properly dry the area. This is when mold can settle in and then you have a worsening problem on your hands.
• Simply roll up area rugs after moisture damage and pack away in the basement without proper drying. Just because it’s not wall to wall carpeting doesn’t mean it can’t harbor mold and mildew, not to mention odors. Once out of sight, that wet rolled up rug will breed mold and spread it to other areas of the home.
• Attempt water damaged carpet restoration on your own. Only professionals trained in water damage restoration should handle this job. Here at 1^st Class, for example, we go the extra mile by removing all non-salvageable materials from the site, such as ruined carpet and padding.

Contact 1^st Class Carpet Cleaning and Restoration

If your carpets have recently suffered water damage, don’t let the problem go. Call 1^st Class Carpet Cleaning and Restoration right away at (248) 491-3088. Our technicians bring powerful pumps to extract the water from your carpets, rugs and drywall, backed by commercial strength systems that can extract water, whether due to a pipe leak, failed sump pump, or heavy rain. We then thoroughly dry the area to ensure no moisture is left behind that could cause mold.