How a Flood Impacts Carpets and Furniture
Carpet and furniture are both susceptible to water damage from flooding. Whether you have a burst pipe or sewage backup, water damage is a nightmare to deal with. We do our best to reduce the damage to as little as possible by quickly pumping water out of the space and drying the floor and contents of the room. There are several factors to take into account when dealing with flood damage. Continue reading to learn more about your options and whether or not you are able to save your carpets and furniture.
Assessing the Water Damage
When assessing water damage, the type of water helps guide us on how to proceed. We categorize water into three types that determine if carpet and furniture can be saved after a flood or if they need to be discarded for safety concerns.
Category 1: Water from a clean source that has not been contaminated is clean water. This includes rainwater, tap water from broken pipes, etc. This water does not immediately contaminate carpets, rugs, or furniture, and with a quick removal and cleanup, will typically cause little water damage.
Category 2: Water that has been contaminated and could be dangerous to people in the home is greywater. This includes clean water that has since been contaminated, overflowing toilets, washing machines, malfunctioning sump pumps, and more. Carpet may be salvageable after being exposed to greywater, but the padding will need replacing.
Category 3: Highly contaminated water is called Blackwater. This water is harmful and highly dangerous. This includes water from natural disasters, sewage, backflow from toilets or septic tanks, water from natural bodies of water, and the ocean. Blackwater will cause damage to many materials, and even a professional carpet cleaner is unlikely to salvage any flooded carpet.
How Long After a Flood Can Carpet Be Saved?
Assuming the flooding was caused by clean water or greywater, you can likely save the carpet in your home. One of the most common concerns with flooding is mold. Without light and dry air, mold will quickly begin growing underneath the carpet, ruining the padding and potentially causing damage to the carpet. After a flood, you need to have a water extraction team remove any standing water within 48 hours. The faster you can remove flood water, the more likely you are to save your flooring. Mold can cause health issues, especially to those with respiratory problems. While we do specialize in mold removal and restoration services, preventing further damage reduces the time and cost to revive your home to its previous state.
If your carpets are wet from blackwater, the contaminants in the water are very dangerous. Mold will begin spreading within 1 day. Avoid serious damage and mold buildup by acting quickly after a flood. Contact Campbell Restoration immediately to schedule a water extraction and flood restoration.
Should You Restore Salvaged Furniture?
Understanding the dangers of flood damage will provide insight into whether or not you should pursue furniture restoration. A flood can cause bacteria and mold to grow and cause wood to warp. Wood may return to its previous shape once it dries and releases any water it has soaked up, but that doesn’t mean the damage is gone. Because wood is porous, it can absorb unwanted contaminants. Wood won’t absorb water as quickly as soft furniture like sofas or mattresses, but if a piece of wood furniture is exposed to a flood for a long period of it’s likely to have accrued some water damage. Ultimately, the most concerning factor is what sort of water entered the home during the flood. Cleaning up clear water is easy compared to cleaning up blackwater, which will likely ruin your furniture.
If the furniture pieces are important heirlooms, it may be worth the investment of cleaning and restoring them. This could be as simple as a professional cleaning and polishing, which is fairly straightforward. The damage could be severe enough that the furniture would need to be disassembled to undo any water damage, followed by a full restoration. Unless the furniture is personally valuable, it may be best to replace the furniture with your insurance payout.
Can you Save Furniture after Flood Damage?
Saving furniture depends on two main factors: what the furniture is made from, and the water from the flood. Softer furniture and upholstered furniture are the hardest to salvage. The soft materials soak up a lot of water and are more difficult to dry quickly, causing damage, especially if they have been sitting in a flooded area for a long time. Wet, dark areas inside furniture are a perfect place for bacteria and mold to grow, making the pieces more difficult to clean. Cleaning upholstered furniture will have to be professionally dried, or it may need to be reupholstered entirely if the frame didn’t accrue too much damage. Wood furniture is much easier to salvage. Water damage can still occur, but it takes longer, and wood is easier to dry and treat.
Depending on the intensity of the flood and the damage, you may only need to dry the wood and clean it. In some situations, the salvaged furniture will need a deep, professional cleaning. Campbell Restoration will give you its insight while handling the cleaning and restoration of your flood.
Emergency Services
Flood damage can be devastating and turn one’s life upside down. Finding immediate solutions not only helps reduce the damage to your home, furniture, and flooring, but it also helps get your life back on track. Campbell Restoration provides 24/7 emergency services for flooding and water removal. Unexpected disasters require us to act fast, so our team is ready to begin water removal at your property. We will pump water out of your property so we can begin drying out the space before mold and bacteria can begin growing. We act quickly and prevent water damage from turning into a massive restoration project. Whatever your water removal and restoration needs are, contact Campbell Restoration for emergency services!
Call for Emergency Water Cleanup
Campbell Restoration: Cleanup, Restore, Construct
We understand how shocking home flooding can be and want to streamline the cleanup process for you. Our team comes in to handle the cleanup of any water, pumping it out and clearing the property so it can begin to dry. We utilize professional-grade fans, heaters, and dehydrators to quickly dry out moisture to mitigate the water damage. Once we’re able to assess the damage, we can begin our restoration process and finally rebuild any parts of the home that were destroyed by the flood damage.
We don’t just provide flooding services but offer roof replacement, Water removal, fire damage restoration, and exterior restoration services as well.