Flooded Carpets? Here’s What You Should Do

A flooded home is an extremely stressful and costly experience for any homeowner. Flood water can wreak havoc on a home and can cost many thousands of dollars in repairs. Flooding, whether it occurs via a leaky roof or from flood water is especially damaging for carpets and flooring.

With our wet and damp climate during the winter months here on Vancouver Island, carpet damage from flooding is a common nuisance that homeowners should know how to mitigate.

If you’ve ever had carpet that has been flooded, you know what a pain it can be. The carpet may smell like mildew and need to be replaced. However, if the carpet is salvageable, here’s what to do.

1) Act quickly. The faster you act after your carpet gets flooded, the better chance you have of saving your carpet. If the carpet is already dry (or mostly dry), skip ahead to step.

2) Prevent additional damage by pulling up wet carpet padding and move furniture if necessary. You will want to get all excess water out of carpet as soon as possible for best results.

3) Remove excess water with towels – paper towels work best.

4) Put any rugs in the sun for several hours – they will dry much more quickly in the sunshine versus indoors.

5) Use a carpet cleaner machine to clean the carpet. There are many cleaners available on the market.

Minor carpet damage via rainwater can usually be repaired by homeowners with products found in most homes. However, while home repairs can have some benefits, professional carpet cleaning is a much more reliable solution. Towels and ceiling fans are no match for specialized carpet cleaning equipment.

In some cases flooded carpets will need to be completely replaced.

We strongly recommend that homeowners start the mitigation process without delay. Carpets can suffer permanent damage from excess water if not repaired right away. To have a better chance of saving your carpet, we recommend contacting a professional restoration company immediately after noticing the damage. They have the tools and expertise to sanitize and dry the flooded carpet efficiently.

You can also contact a carpet repair service or insurance agent as necessary. Do not delay – carpets with excess moisture risk permanent damage from mold, mildew and other complications.

There are some instances where even the professionals won’t be able to help, especially if blackwater has infiltrated your home. Blackwater is a term used for water that is contaminated with pathogens or harmful debris. Examples of blackwater include untreated sewage, toilet backflows and flooding from seawater and river water. If your carpets have been subject to blackwater flooding then it’s almost certain that they will have to be replaced.

Home flooding is a common occurrence in many parts of Vancouver Island.

In addition to our carpet cleaning services at just $30 a room, the experts at Premier Carpet Cleaning also offer area rug cleaning services for just $25 each. We’ll remove stains, dirt and soil from rugs that have lost their luster. We use eco-friendly carpet cleaning solutions to seal in the carpet’s natural fibers. Our deep steam extraction will leave your carpets looking like new!

At Premier Carpet Cleaning we offer professional carpet and upholstery cleaning services across Central Vancouver Island. Call us at (250) 758-5177 in Nanaimo or (250) 701-0377 in Duncan to find out more about our services and on how we can help you!