Can Your Wet Carpet Be Saved?

3/28/2022 (Permalink)

What’s to be done about carpeting when you’ve had a flood in your home? 

Water damage restoration is not a “one size fits all” solution and while it’s true that carpeting is unsalvageable in many situations, that’s not always the case. 

How does our team overcome wet carpeting?

Our approach to carpet restoration and water extraction varies depending on the fiber count and thickness of the carpet itself, as short pile carpeting (glue down) absorbs less water than plusher options. The restoration of carpets requires a combination of several water removal tools exclusively designed for this porous flooring. Some of the devices and machines our team uses in this process include:

• Carpet Wands –  The addition of specialty attachments like carpet wands to the wet vacuums and pumps already in use is a versatile implement to the extraction of water. These attachments are a focused vacuum head used on the surface of carpeting to pull the majority of moisture from the fibers and backing material. 
• Weighted Extractors – When it is possible to restore the carpet, the padding, and the underlying material, it is critical to reduce their oversaturation quickly. The best approach for this is a weighted extraction option that utilizes a technician's weight on a stationary or ride-on unit. The heft of the machine and the operator press the carpet and padding against the subflooring to force moisture to the surface for removal.
• Floating – Once most of the moisture has been removed by weighted extraction, floating the carpet by placing a centrifugal air mover between the carpet and padding layers dry both materials simultaneously.

It's not always obvious which carpeting can be saved. For a professional assessment of your water damage situation, give us a call!