3 Signs Your Water Damaged Carpet Is Fixable

Have you recently experienced a significant leak or flood in your home? Do you worry that your carpet is beyond saving? If so, then you need to learn all you can about the signs that your damaged carpet is fixable.

After a flood, homeowners are quick to replace their carpets, but depending on the situation, your carpet might still be able to be saved. Every case is different, so there are a few key indicators that you will want to look for.

See below for an in-depth guide with the numerous signs that your water-damaged carpet can still be saved.

What to Do Immediately After Finding Water Damaged Carpets

Whether or not your damaged carpet can be saved will heavily depend on how you react to the situation. Whenever you come across our carpet water damage initially, you need to take a few key steps.

First, identify the source of the problem. Where is the water coming from? It could be coming from things like roof leaks, burst pipes, or the terrible weather making its way inside your home. Whatever the cause, it’s imperative that you stop any more water from coming in.

Make sure you take pictures of all the damage before you attempt to clean it up, as well as the source that all of the water came from. This will help when you go to file a claim for your insurance. 

We recommend that you contact a professional service right away. That way, they can assess the extent of the damage and give you recommendations on how to proceed. If the carpet isn’t salvageable, then it will be ripped out to speed up the process of drying your home’s surface.

If the carpet can be saved, then a professional service can hook you up with fans, dehumidifiers, and heat vacuums to get rid of the influx of water. 

Signs Your Water Damaged Carpet is Fixable

Figuring out whether or not your carpet damage is fixable can be the trickiest part of the process. You desperately want it to be so that it can save you more money in repairs. We recommend having a professional carpet cleaning service take a look. That said, there are some telltale signs that your carpet is salvageable, see below for more information.

Faint Odor

As you might expect, the water-damaged carpet will always gather a musty smell as the water makes its way into the fibers of your carpet. However, the smell alone isn’t an indication that it should be replaced.

Many homeowners believe that musty odors are a sign of dirty water, but even clean water will start to develop a strong smell after sitting for too long. 

If the musty or mildewy odor is faint, meaning you only catch a whiff of it every once and a while, then the carpet can be saved. If it’s overpowering, the carpet likely needs to be replaced.

Carpet is Squishy

We’d argue that, in most situations, your carpet water damage can be fixed. The trick is to have it professionally cleaned before mold starts to grow.

Whenever there’s been a significant leak on your carpet, it will become squishy to step on. That alone isn’t a sign that it needs to be replaced.

Instead, look to the baseboards for guidance. If the baseboards and lower part of your walls have visible (and severe) signs of water damage, it might be best to replace your carpet. If not, then it isn’t too late to have your carpet cleaned.

No Signs of Wrinkling

This is one of the top indicators as to the severity of the water damage in your carpet. When the water damage is significant enough, you’ll notice that your carpet has started to wrinkle. 

When carpet wrinkles, it means that the adhesive underside of your carpet has become damaged and detached from the surface beneath (due to the water damage). In that case, carpet restoration or replacements might be necessary.

However, if no carpet wrinkles are present, then you’ll be able to repair your water-damaged carpet!

Starting to Replace Your Damaged Carpet

If you notice any of the following signs, then you should hire a professional carpet cleaning service to get things rolling. That said, a little DIY cleaning can help get the ball rolling.

If the water damage is minimal (not overflowing), then you will want to spread baking soda throughout, as baking soda is helpful with extracting the water.

Get as many fans and dehumidifiers as you can, and spread them throughout the water-damaged area. You can also invest in heated vacuums, but we recommend using the commercial editions that a professional service will have. Open all of the windows.

Next, start to create a solution of water and bleach. Mix 3 parts water with 1 part bleach. Walk around the surface and pour that solution onto any noticeably wet spots. 

Again, this DIY cleaning process isn’t meant to fix the issue. It’s merely a way to kickstart the carpet repair until you can get a professional carpet cleaning service to arrive.

Hire a Professional Carpet Cleaning Service for Your Damaged Carpet Today

Now that you have seen an in-depth guide on the signs that your water damaged carpet can be saved, be sure to hire a professional cleaning service to get it back in pristine condition.

For those of you that have hardwood floors, be sure to read this article for more information on the dos and don’ts of hardwood floor maintenance.

For more inquiries, please be sure to reach out via phone at 972-723-8667 and we will be happy to assist you further.