Water damage is something that most home and business owners fear. It can happen without warning, leaving behind a costly and disruptive mess. This occurrence is not limited to bad weather, something San Antonio residents experience seasonally. A broken pipe, fire sprinkler or sewage leak is not something anyone can plan for. However, you can have it treated properly, which will help minimize your loss.
It is not enough to soak the water with a rag or let it dry over time. “Clean it” is not the answer. This actually invites disaster. Not only can you damage wood flooring and supporting structures, but you can even make yourself sick from inhaling mold and toxins.
Before contacting a professional water damage restoration specialist or carpet cleaner, make sure the damaged area is well ventilated. Even if the water doesn’t come from a public pipe or sewer, it can still grow mold spores that shouldn’t be breathed in by humans or animals. Lack of ventilation can create a breeding ground for toxic elements. Open the windows and make sure to keep the air flowing.
Be sure to remove all furniture from the room if it is a case of flooding. This helps minimize surfaces for bacteria to grow on and gives your carpet cleaners an easy path to dealing with the rest of the problem. After any furniture has been removed, keep traffic on the wet carpet to a minimum. Crushing wet carpet against padding or underlying structure can make the situation worse.
If possible, try to lift the rug. This means lifting the edges of the rug, revealing the underlying padding or flooring. Keep the mat elevated. Your professional carpet cleaner will be able to take it from there.
No matter what you choose to do in the end, it’s vital to act quickly. The longer it takes to start properly treating your carpet, the more likely it is to develop mold or worse. Depending on the amount of water, it can even affect the underlying structure. By acting quickly, you can avoid having to replace your entire carpet and save money.
Be sure to hire a carpet cleaner with experience in water restoration. Especially in San Antonio, where major storms and hurricanes occur annually, there are quite a few out there. However, a lack of experience and knowledge about proper carpet cleaning techniques can be just as disastrous as doing nothing at all.
If they take care of superficial damage or leave traces of water damage, you may find yourself with a serious mold problem down the road and the high price of replacing the entire floor.