How to Handle Previous Water Damage
When your home is the victim of a water damage event in the Northshore Illinois area, such as from a leaky roof, when a pipe breaks, a basement floods from heavy rains, whatever the cause, you know when it happens, unless you are on vacation and discover it when you return home.
When water damage occurs, you are quick to clean up the mess and call a professional water damage restoration company. Unique Upholstery, Carpet & Rug Cleaning can handle all your water damages restoration needs. That’s smart home ownership.
But what about when something happened in the past and it wasn’t cleaned properly, or you didn’t even know about it? Such as when you purchase a home, and the previous damage wasn’t disclosed? The longer damage remains, even if hidden and unnoticed, the worse it becomes.
What can you do? Of course, when purchasing a home, asking a lot of questions is important, and a home inspection can reveal what a casual observation will miss. If you have any questions about previous water damage before buying a home, give us a call. We are here to help.
What to do when buying a home?
When you are looking at a home to buy, or even rent, be sure to ask about any previous water damage or other structural issues. Ask about the cause of the damage, and how extensive. A fresh-water leak is much different from a sewage backup, and you need to know this. Was the damage cleaned by the homeowner or a professional restoration firm?
Ask a professional if there is the potential of long-term effects from the previous damage. You want an honest opinion. You do not want to purchase someone else’s issues that should be resolved before you purchase the home.
What can you do?
When you own the property or even if you rent, you have options. Having the previous damage inspected by a professional is a way to protect your family and loved ones. After all, we all know that water damage can lead to mold issues and possible exposure to mold spores. Only a pro will know the extent of the damage and have the proper remediation plan.
Remember: Any damage can be repaired. While it is best to dry out and clean up after a storm or water damage issue, even if months or years go by you can have damaged materials replaced. There is no cost too high that should stop you from doing the right thing and protecting your home and family.
And when in doubt about anything related to disaster restoration issues, water damage, mold contamination, whatever it is, do the right thing. Call Unique Upholstery, Carpet & Rug Cleaning for a consultation. We are here to help.
Do You Need to Replace Carpets After Water Damage?
Flooding is catastrophic for homeowners because even small flooding from leaking pipes or overflowing bathtubs can cause damage to a house’s structure and eventually mold growth. Flooding can also lead to musty smells long after the flood has subsided. Mold can grow quickly on carpets if they’re flooded for more than 72hrs. If your carpet has been damaged by water, Unique Upholstery, Carpet & Rug Cleaning can remove the affected areas and use powerful cleaners to restore your carpet back to its original condition. You should talk to us, before doing anything else.
If a carpet has been wet for 72 hours or longer, consider replacing it and especially if it has added layers of padding underneath. Mold often takes no longer than 72 hours to form and spread, and can be difficult to clean thoroughly after that time. However, a professional water damage restoration company, Unique Upholstery, Carpet & Rug Cleaning can often salvage carpets with proper cleaning.
There isn’t a specific time frame when you should consider replacing rather than cleaning carpeting and upholstered furnishings after a flood. However, you may want to consider some important information about water damage restoration, flood cleanup, and fire damage restoration, so that you know the best way to return your home to a like new condition! You should always talk to Unique Upholstery, Carpet & Rug Cleaning before starting any repairs. We can help you figure out which option is best for your situation.
Tips for Avoiding Carpet Mold After Water Damage
Before you assume that carpet needs replacing after water damage, burst pipe, or any other such incident in your house, you might note some hints for avoiding carpet mold after such an event. It’s also useful to note safe ways of drying out wet carpeting and other areas of the house without making water damage and resulting mold growth worse.
Make sure you stop water at the source! Don’t assume that since flood waters aren’t rising that they’re receded or that the source of the flood has stopped. Roll up bath towels to block off doorways to prevent flooding and turn off faucets inside the house to prevent water from bursting pipes and other plumbing fixtures when there’s an emergency.
It’s important to keep air circulating around damp areas, but don’t use strong fans that could blow dirty or contaminated water from one area to another. Keep windows open in the flooded room but close them off as much as possible to contain the water and prevent mold from growing. Open up the windows so that the air circulates.
To prevent mold from growing, use heavy-duty dehumdifiers in the area and clean them often. This will remove excess moisture without circulating it.
Make sure that the carpet is pulled up even after the floorboards and the underside is dry to the touch, no matter if it’s wet or not. This ensures that the flooring, padding, and other surfaces are completely dry, which reduces the risk of mold growth.
To clean drywall and baseboard surfaces, use cleaning products designed for these purposes; to kill mold growing behind walls and along drywall; and to keep germs from spreading to other areas of the home.
Never use your ordinary vacuum cleaner on damp carpet because this only makes the inside of the vacuum dirty, which creates the risk of mold and fungus inside that appliance! Before vacuuming, use a shop vacuum to remove any residual water from the carpet and ensure that the carpet is completely dry.
The weather is changing, and with it comes the threat of mold growth in your home. It’s important that you know how to identify signs of a potential problem so that you can take immediate action to prevent further damage. When in doubt about anything related to disaster restoration issues, water damage, mold contamination, whatever it is, do the right thing. Call Unique Upholstery, Carpet & Rug Cleaning for a consultation. We are here to help.