by Jamie Rider

Created on: June 14, 2008   Last Updated: June 18, 2008

Short of total destruction of a building, water damage can be the most difficult of carpet damage issues. While standard wear and tear may call for periodic cleaning, the notion of needing a carpet extractor can bring even the strongest homeowner or business property owner to a stand still. Carpet and the underlying carpet pad are vulnerable to moisture issues under the best of conditions. Even small spills may require an area carpet cleaning. Before deciding on how to handle water damage, you first need to evaluate the overall situation and decide what decision is best for you. Carpet water damage can pose significant long-term health risks if not dealt with immediately and with the appropriate action. The first determination for you or your clean up contractor is determining the category of water damage.

There are three categories of water damage:

Category 1 is clean, fresh water such as from a water pipe or a toilet overflow with no contaminants or chemicals. This type of water damage, if dealt with quickly, can often allow the carpet to be cleaned, dried and reclaimed. This is the level of water damage that can be successfully dealt with by carpet extractor equipment. As soon as the water source has been identified and mediated, the building maintenance service or a contractor can come in with a carpet extractor and remove a large percentage of the water from the carpet and the sub-pad. Other drying equipment can be used on site to dry the carpet and pad the rest of the way. The solution may be complicated slightly if there is hardwood floor underneath the carpet. In these instances, while the carpeting might be saved, you generally must remove it to a different location to dry it in order to allow the hardwood floor to properly dry as well. Once the carpet has dried, whether onsite or off, you must conduct or contract a thorough carpet cleaning.

Category 2 is when grey water with some type of contamination comes in contact with the rug. Some examples of grey water include aquariums, washing machines, dish washers, toilets with urine, and punctured water beds. In this instance, while the carpet itself might be saved by quick carpet extraction and thorough cleaning, the carpet pad must be replaced, as it can harbor microorganisms or the nutrients for microorganism growth. Because the carpet pad must be replaced, your best course of action is to remove the carpet to another location for cleaning while the pad is replaced. Prior to moving the carpet, make every effort to use the carpet extractor to get the carpet as dry as possible, as this reduces the risk of damage to the carpet itself while moving it.

Finally, in the case of Category 3 water damage, the carpet must be replaced. Category 3 damage occurs when feces containing water, ground surface water from flooding, or sea water inundates a building. While the carpet can be dried with a carpet extractor and cleaned, there is no way to guarantee the sanitation of the carpet itself. For health reasons, you must replace carpet exposed to this type of water without exception.

While everyone hopes never to have these types of decisions to make, there are services out there that can provide the carpet water extraction and carpet cleaning you need to minimize the costs of a water catastrophe in your home or business.

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