In many cases wet carpets can be successfully dried and restored after a water damage event. However, there are some determining factors that need to be carefully considered before making the decision to either restore the water damaged carpet or to dispose of it.
How long has the carpet been wet for?
The general rule of thumb is if the carpet has been left wet and untreated for more than 72 hours on a category 1 water loss it is not restorable. However, the recent standards now state that this interpretation is up to the restorer. Also, there are contributing factors that come into play. For example; the pre-existing condition of the carpet can play a large factor in this decision. If the carpet was already in a relatively contaminated state before the water damage event, then the restorer could well deem the carpet to be non-restorable, even after being wet for as little as 24 hours. So to sum up this consideration, if it is a clean water loss in normal conditions and it has been attended to by a qualified water damage restoration technician within a reasonable time frame, then yes – in this scenario the carpet would be restorable.
Categories of water loss – There are 3 main categories of water loss
Category 1
Water is considered to have originated from a clean sanitary source that poses no harm at all to humans. Carpet can be cleaned, dried and restored on a category 1 water loss.
Category 2
Water that has a considerable degree of contamination. It could cause illness to humans if consumed and carries a degree of biological nutrients that could lead to rapid growth of micro-organisms. On a category 2 water loss, carpets can be cleaned and restored however the underlay must be removed and disposed of.
Category 3
Water is grossly unsanitary, containing pathogenic agents and is considered as a serious health threat to humans. Category 3 water is also referred to as “Black Water.” On any category 3 water loss, the carpet and underlay must be removed and disposed of.
Has the carpet been permanently stained?
Permanent staining to carpet during a water damage event is not uncommon and if this does occur then the carpet should be deemed non restorable and should be removed and disposed of. Common causes of staining from water damage include.
. Timber staining transfer from the legs of furniture to the wet carpet
. Dye transfer from boxes, paper and general items sitting on the wet carpet
. Severe browning & water staining from being left wet for too long
Has the carpet delaminated?
In some cases if not attended to soon enough, carpet can delaminate. Carpet generally has 2 main backings; the primary backing and the secondary backing. If left wet for too long these 2 backings can separate. This is known as delamination. Once this occurs the carpet can lose its strength and integrity, resulting in permanent damage to the carpet. In the case of carpet delamination, the carpet should be deemed by the restorer as non-restorable and disposed of.
Is there broken glass in the carpet?
In rare cases broken glass can end up in the carpet during a water damage event. This can be from a broken window due to storm damage, or it can be from a breakage in the panic to remove items away from the flood affected areas. None the less, anytime broken glass is in carpet no matter what the reason, the carpet should always be considered as non-restorable.
Mould in the carpet!
Once there is mould in the carpet the carpet should always be considered as non-restorable and should be safely and properly removed.
Important Note
It is important to understand that even if the wet, water damaged carpet is considered non-restorable and is removed by the restorer, the drying process still needs to proceed. When drying a property after a water damage event, the focus of a professional restorer should always be on drying the entire structure, not just the floor coverings or the wet surface. In fact, it is always essential to ensure the entire structure of a house or building is 100% dry after any size water damage event.
You Can Trust Flood Fixers
All of our water damage restoration technicians are formally accredited through the IICRC, and come with literally decades of water damage restoration experience. Our professional technicians know when your carpets can be successfully restored and when they should be disposed of. Our technicians will always ensure your property is 100% structurally dried on completion of the water damage restoration process.
CALL THE PROFESSIONAL TEAM AT FLOOD FIXERS TODAY ON 1300 4 FLOOD FOR ALL YOUR WATER DAMAGE RESTORATION NEEDS.
