Water Damage Repair and Restoration FAQs

There are few other things that have as much potential to cause damage to your home as large volumes of water. If you are unfortunate enough to live in an area that is severely affected by some kind of natural disaster, it's vital that you contract a specialist contractor with the knowledge and equipment necessary to limit the extent of any damaged caused, as if you don't, it might become near impossible to restore your home to its former condition. However, even in such a time of desperation it's important that you act with a cool head and don't just hire any old contractor or the first one that you come across, otherwise you could end up wasting a considerable amount of money and be left with a property that may as well be knocked down and rebuilt. Below we're going to provide you with a few tips that could help you to find the ideal contractor, many of which could be used when looking for any kind of contractor, including carpet cleaning contractors and air duct cleaning contractors.

How Can You Ensure Your Contractor's Capability at Water Damage Restoration?

We've assisted many people in Boulder in the aftermath of water damage and many times these people simply weren't prepared for what happened and weren't sure what to do when it did. We can help you if you find yourself in such a position. Water causes extensive damage to a wide range of materials, particularly carpet and fabric, but also in drywall and furniture, and acting fast and hiring the best contractor for the job will limit the amount of damage that is caused. Follow these tips to find that contractor:

• Contact Multiple Contractors - The biggest mistake that many people make is contacting just a single cleaning company, receiving a quote over the phone and accepting this offer there and then. You will almost never get the best deal if you do this, and if the only question you ask is "how much?" you might not even hire a contractor that is certified to do the work that you require. For this reason, it's always advisable to contact at least 3 different companies for quotes, and be wary of anyone that provide a quote much lower than other contractors, as they are most probably cutting corners in some way! However, there are a number of other questions that you should ask too, such as...
• Are You Cleantrust Certified? - Any respected company that offers flood restoration services should possess this certification, as it demonstrates that they have expertise in this particular area. Hiring a contractor that doesn't possess this certification represents a risk, and may mean that they aren't as qualified to deal with the situation you're facing as they would have you believe. If the contractor either avoids the question or flat out says "no" when you ask them about Cleaning Cleantrust Certification, it is a good idea to move onto the next candidate. You don't want an underqualified contractor working on a job of such importance.
• How Much Experience Do You Have? - Repair work after water damage is not a straightforward process and there's a lot more to it than many people think. It's not just about removing and disposing of anything that is soaked right through to the point that it has become useless, although that is something that is obviously done. Experienced water damage contractors will utilize a number of professional grade tools to help them assess your property and detect any areas that contain dangerously high moisture levels. This is important as these areas will be structurally weakest and should be given the most care and attention during the restoration process. Experienced contractors will also be able to detect the parts of the property that are at the greatest risk of mold growth and then take the necessary actions to prevent this. Essentially, the greater the experience of the contractor the better, as not only are they likely to have faced many scenarios similar to yours, but the fact that they are still in business proves that they must know what they're doing!
• Will You Provide Me With an Itemized Estimate? - This is something that all legitimate contractors will be only too glad to provide, no matter what services they offer, whether it be tile and grout cleaning, upholstery cleaning or water damage restoration. Anyone that won't provide you with an estimate in writing should be avoided, as they will likely wait until the work has been done and then bill you for a larger amount than they initially quoted you. Having something in writing protects you from this scenario and just makes good business sense.

Can Carpeting and Rugs Be Saved After a Flood?

In the wake of a flood, many homeowners are left to deal with the specter of carpeting and rugs that have been underwater for hours or even days. At first glance, it might seem that all is lost but is that actually the case? Or can carpeting be rescued by professional carpet cleaning from what seems like a watery grave? The answer is… it depends. It’s not like carpets are made from paper after all. Many are fashioned from robust natural and synthetic fibers that are not necessarily affected by being submerged in water. The primary consideration when judging whether or not rugs and carpeting can be saved after a flood is the nature of the flood water itself.

Can Professional Carpet Cleaning Save Your Flood Damaged Rugs?

Rescuing a rug or carpeting that has spent time submerged in floodwaters isn’t as easy as searching for “rug cleaning near me” and paying someone to come by with a wet vac to remove the water. There are a number of things to consider, with the foremost determining factor being what type of water the carpet or rug was submerged in. Flood restoration pros put flood water into 3 categories. They are:

1. Uncontaminated water - Rainwater that has not mixed with contaminants (as in rainwater that fell cleanly through a hole in the roof) or uncontaminated water that came from a broken water pipe. If the carpet has been submerged in this type of uncontaminated water, it may be possible to save it. The odds of saving it increase if it was wet for less than 48 hours before the cleaning started. The pros at Steve's Carpet Care may be able to save both the carpet and the padding in such situations.
2. Grey water - The second category is called "grey water." This is water that comes from washing machines, dishwashers, failed sump pumps, aquariums, and other sources and is mildly contaminated. In many cases involving this type of water, the professional carpet cleaning company can salvage the carpet or rug. But any padding will likely have to be disposed of. Be mindful though that if the carpet or rug has been wet from this type of water for more than two days, it is probably lost.
3. Blackwater - The third and final type of floodwater is called blackwater. Blackwater is described as water that is highly contaminated from pathogens, harmful chemicals, bacteria, and other dangerous pollutants. This type of water is typically associated with flooding from rivers and streams, flash floods, intruding seawater, and water associated with extreme weather events. If your rug or carpet has been thoroughly saturated with this type of water, even if only for a short time, it is likely a total loss.

Keep in mind that because each situation is slightly different, the above guidelines are not necessarily etched in stone. If your carpeting or expensive rug has fallen victim to flood water, you can try the "carpet cleaning near me” approach or just call the pros from Steve’s Carpet Care.

Can Anyone Salvage Water Damaged Carpeting?

Just as often as people wonder whether they will be able to repair carpet damage caused by flooding, they wonder if they can do it themselves. The answer is: not if you want to actually use the carpet once it’s dry. Here’s why:

• To the untrained eye, a carpet may look like it’s salvageable when actually it’s not. This will result in a lot of wasted time and money. It could also lead to your loved ones getting seriously ill from microbes that took root in the carpet when it was submerged.
• Second, the professional carpet cleaning company will understand that there is no time to lose. While the homeowner might spend a couple of days shopping around for the right equipment and price, the professional will be hard at work, removing the water before it can cause permanent damage.
• Third, the services of a professional carpet cleaning company may well be covered by homeowner’s insurance. Whereas if you do the job yourself, you're financially on your own.

Rules for Dealing with Flood Damaged Carpets and Rugs

Let's summarize the basic rules for dealing with flood-damaged carpeting and rugs. Keep in mind these rules are general guidelines, and your specific situation may call for a modified approach.

1. Rule 1: Don’t ever leave waterlogged carpeting in place in the hope it will dry itself out. What you’ll wind up with is a bacterial stew unsafe for man or beast.
2. Rule 2: If your wall to wall or area rug has been soaked by or submerged in clean rainwater or water directly from a pipe it can likely be saved as long as action is taken within 48 hours.
3. Rule 3: If the carpeting, area rug and foam padding (if any) were flooded by heavily contaminated water as defined above, you will likely need to discard both the carpeting and the pad. Not even a professional carpet cleaning company will be able to guarantee the cleaned carpeting is safe.
4. Rule 4: Attempting to salvage a water logged carpet yourself is not a wise idea. You could end up missing dangerous bacteria lurking in the fibers that could make your loved ones seriously ill.
5. Rule 5: You should check with your insurance company to see if they will cover the cost of recovering the rug or carpeting. Some will, some won’t.

Why It's Important that You Act Fast When Faced With Water Damage

If your home has been affected by a flood, the only way to save your property and anything inside of it is to act with urgency, otherwise a whole number of problems could quickly develop. These include mold growth, which will often begin to grow within 48 to 72 hours of the damage, and once this starts it can be very difficult to get back under control. As well as being unsightly and secreting a nasty odor, mold has been linked to a wide range of health conditions and if present in large quantities, it may not be safe for you to continue living in your home until the problem is resolved.

If you are the unfortunate victim of flood damage, you will likely need to dispose of any item that is permeable and that will likely retain moisture for significant lengths of time, including carpets, fabrics and mattresses. Other parts of your home, such as the floors and walls, will need to be taken apart in order to remove all of the moisture present, which is near impossible to do for the average homeowner. We've been operating in Boulder, CO for a number of years, offering water damage repair services, as well as a range of other services, such as carpet cleaning, air duct cleaning and upholstery cleaning, and would be glad to provide our assistance should you require it.