What is carpet-drying?
A pipe bursts, or a flood fills the basement. The floors are covered by plush carpets that are now soaking or under a foot of water. When the flood subsides, or the water is pumped out of there, that wet carpet could be a fertile ground for hazardous bacteria, unhealthy mold, and mildew.
When a carpet is soaked with water for whatever reason, action must be taken within 24 to 48 hours before mold beings to grow.
A carpet-drying service can take care of the whole cleanup job. From water extraction, to drying, to restoration and remodeling if necessary. One thing you can count on: a carpet-drying contractor will make your space livable and safe again. If you don’t take action now, you risk exposing yourself, your family, friends, and guests to serious health hazards. Especially if you or anyone you know suffers from asthma or acute allergic reactions. These people are especially at risk when it comes to wet, festering carpets.
The carpet-dryers don’t waste any time. They can be available 24 hours a day. They move in and extract any water if it’s standing above the carpet. They dehumidify the space, disinfect mildew, and bring in deodorizers to restore the air quality. Depending on the type of water damage, they may offer to make structural restorations, even remodeling a wall, or reinstalling the carpet padding and the carpet altogether.
They use x-ray cameras to detect water leaks and mold growth, so that they don’t destroy walls or upend carpets without cause.
These services also don’t waste your time when it comes to billing. They’re able to bill your insurance agency directly.
When a carpet is soaked with water for whatever reason, action must be taken within 24 to 48 hours before mold beings to grow. Opening the windows to get air and heat is a start. But the water extractors that carpet-drying contractors can bring in will really help. If mildew is suspected, they’ll also bring in disinfecting shampoo and wash the carpet after drying it.
Who should hire a carpet-drying service, and why?
If you’ve suffered a flood or excessive water damage, it would be prudent and health-conscious to call a carpet-drying service, at least for a consultation.
Below are three main types of water damage for which you could hire a carpet-drying contractor.
Sanitary flooding:
Don’t let the name fool you. Any kind of water damage to a carpet can’t end up being sanitary. What this means is that the damage doesn’t come from identifiably unsanitary sources like sewage or ground water.
In this scenario, keep traffic on the affected carpet to a minimum until it’s fully dry. You’ll want to get the carpet dry within twelve hours after initial water damage. Otherwise, mold and mildew could begin to grow and complicate the situation further.
Unsanitary flooding:
This is when the water is identifiably contaminated. Examples include dishwasher overflow, toilet overflow where urine (or worse) is involved, and even punctured waterbeds.
It’s recommended that carpets are discarded because the bacteria that result from unsanitary flooding pose health risks, whereas sanitary flooding does not have the same results (if treated in a timely way). If you’d rather restore the carpet after an unsanitary flooding episode, heavy disinfectants will be necessary.
If left untreated, unsanitary floods can quickly turn into something worse, like…
Black water damage:
This is the worst kind of water damage. Raw sewage, seawater, and ground water can contribute to very unhealthy conditions in the carpeting and the home. This is highly unsanitary. To the point where evacuation may be necessary. In this case, all the floor coverings will have to be pulled up and thrown out.
The benefits and drawbacks:
The thing is, if your carpets have been through a flood, or if they’ve been under any standing water, you’ll have to deal with the situation somehow sometime. Even sanitary flooding can result in a quick buildup of hazardous mold and mildew if not treated right away.
In terms of whether or not to hire a carpet-drying contractor, you should do some research into the contractor’s history and services to find out if the company has treated carpets after all three types of flooding: sanitary, unsanitary, and black water. That way you know the experience meets every situation.
The bottom line:
Carpets and rugs exposed to water damage can swiftly become health hazards. Treatment is necessary, and a carpet-drying specialist can greatly reduce the risks associated with mold and mildew. The question becomes, what’s the extent of the water damage? because sanitary damage may require only drying and maybe cleaning, whereas carpets damaged by what’s called black water almost certainly need to be discarded.
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