Can Carpets Be Saved After Water Damage?

3/8/2022 (Permalink)

Learn More about how Carpets can be Saved after Water Damage. If you have more doubts, just contact us.

Carpeting can be one of the most difficult materials to salvage when you have water damage in your home. Rugs that have been damaged by clean water, such as water from a pipe break, may be salvageable, but other types of water damage may result in the need for replacement.

3 Factors to Consider When Saving a Carpet After Water Damage

1. The Source of the Water Is Important

Wet carpeting can be problematic because it is difficult to dry and can promote mold growth in your home if not removed or dried promptly. For this reason, a professional restoration company in Emporia, VA, may be necessary for homeowners who want to try to save their carpet. The main determinant of whether your rug can be salvaged is what the source of the water damage was. Restoring water damage is sometimes possible when the source of the water is clean:

• Pipe break
• Overflow from a clean sink or toilet
• Leak from a water supply line

However, sources that may contain contaminants, such as raw sewage, an overflow from a toilet with urine or feces, or dirty water from a washing machine may cause damage that contains bacteria and other harmful agents that can not be removed. Carpets damaged by contaminated water usually need to be replaced.

2. How Long the Carpets Have Been Wet Also Matters

Carpets damaged by clean water that are dried within 24 to 48 hours can often be salvaged. However, if they stay wet longer than that, they usually need to be replaced.

3. How Difficult the Carpets Are To Clean and Disinfect Is a Factor

Area rugs without foam backing are the most likely to be salvageable, as long as they were damaged by clean water and dried promptly. However, wall-to-wall carpeting is difficult to completely dry and the padding almost always needs to be replaced.

If you have a small rug that was damaged by a pipe break, you will probably be able to salvage it. However, most other types of carpeting will need to be replaced.