Mold And Carpeting: When It Needs To Be Replaced
If you have carpet in your home and your home has flooded, you may be wondering if the carpeting can be salvaged. In most cases, as long as the carpeting is properly cleaned, it can be saved and reused after a flood occurs in your home. However, this isn't always the case. Here are a few times when carpet and padding must be removed and replaced after a flood in your home.
Water Has Sat For 24–48 Hours
Following a flood, it is important to remove the water in your home as soon as possible. This is because mold can begin to set in quickly. Under the right circumstances, mold can begin to grow in as little as 24 to 48 hours. Once mold has begun to set into carpet, it can be extremely difficult and expensive to remove. Therefore, the carpeting should be removed if water damage cleaning hasn't begun within 24 to 48 hours after a flood.
The Flood Water Contained Sewage
Another reason why you would need to discard carpet after a flood is because the flood water contained sewage. If the flood in your home occurred because of a burst plumbing pipe or rain water, your carpet can be cleaned. However, if a toilet overflowed or a sewer line burst, the carpet will need to be discard. Flooded sewage contains bacteria that can't be removed safely from carpet.
The Cost of Cleaning the Carpet Outweighs the Cost of Your Carpet
The last factor you need to consider is whether the cost of cleaning the carpeting replaces the cost of cleaning it. Cleaning carpet after a flood is not inexpensive. The carpet has to be removed, have the water extracted, be sanitized, and then be reinstalled. However, if your carpet is in great condition and fairly new, the cost is worth it. But, if your carpet is older and will need to be replaced soon anyway, it may not make sense to invest in this procedure on your old carpet. Now may be a better time to simply replace it. Only you can decide this for yourself.
After a flood, you have to decide whether to keep your carpet or replace it. If water has sat on the carpet for 24 to 48 hours or the flood water contained sewage, it should be replaced. Also, it may make more sense to replace carpet that is old or already worn instead of investing in water damage repair. In all other cases, your carpet can be salvaged and reused. For more information about the process, contact a company like Walker's Carpet Care & Janitorial Services Inc.