How to Repair Water Damage to Carpet

How to Repair Water Damage to Carpet

Water can cause significant and irreversible damage to a carpet, which is usually made from high quality and sensitive materials. Restoring this kind of damage can be tricky because it requires fast action and the right knowledge to get the job done. Help prevent your carpet from going to waste by learning how to repair water damage to carpet.

Materials Needed

This moderate task requires only three different materials. For this, you must prepare fans, a water extraction vacuum and a dehumidifier. Once you have these things, you can start right away with this moderate task.

Steps

Once your carpet gets wet, it is important to act fast. It is best to do this within a day or two after acquiring the damage. Start by removing all the furniture and other items found on top of the carpet’s surface. Furthermore, prevent people from passing through the damaged area so as not to affect the restoration process. Keep the air dry inside the room. Use the dehumidifier in order to prevent the bacteria from growing. To speed up the process, you can use a large dehumidifier for the floor, air and carpet.

To fix the underlying layers, you need to take off the tack strip. In most cases, it is necessary to dispose the damaged cushion, padding or carpet backing. Installing new materials can actually guarantee the sanitary condition of the carpet. If you wish to clean it outside the house, you can use hose to clean the carpet. It is also good to let the carpet dry outside if the weather is not too humid.

If you plan to dry the carpet inside the house, get the water extraction vacuum to absorb the water from the wet carpet. The process of restoring this can actually take 12 hours to accomplish, the factors of which are the thickness, the extent of the damage as well as the level of absorption. You can speed up the process of drying by elevating the carpet.

When the carpet is completely dry, you can now sweep or vacuum it. Be sure to apply disinfectant to both sides to stop the spread and growth of fungi and bacteria. By doing this, the effects of water-resisting and stain-resisting treatments can be inhibited. Use commercial grade shampoo to clean the carpet. Use a nice clean sponge to shampoo the carpet one small area at a time. After shampooing, allow the carpet to dry under the sun, or let it dry inside a dehumidified room while elevated. Be careful when choosing shampoo because it can actually cause the carpet to shrink.