Understanding How Water-Damaged Carpets Are Restored Using Carpet Restoration Services

If a carpet in your home or commercial facility has been ruined by water, you don't have to get rid of it. Carpet restoration services can help you bring it to its former condition. Once you call in to report water damage on your carpet, the technician will want to know the source of water, so try to see if you can identify the source. If you have a plumbing problem, you should also call a qualified plumber and electrician depending on the extent of damage. Be sure that everyone in the building is not exposed to any kind of harm. The following are the categories of loss and how they are treated during restoration.

Category 1 loss

Also known as 'clear' water loss, this is damage by water from sanitary sources, such as sink overflows or burst supply pipes. This is the simplest restoration process, involving extraction, drying and dehumidifying. Category 1 loss can escalate to category 2 or 3 depending on the aftermath of the leakage problem. For instance, contact with systems, building materials and dirt can escalate it to a category 2 loss. In addition, the ambient conditions, such as high temperatures and elapsed time, can increase the extent of damage from category 1 sources.

Category 2 loss

This is referred to as 'grey' water loss and is damage from water sources that may cause illness if touched, inhaled upon evaporation or otherwise consumed. Examples in the home could be washing machine or dishwasher effluent or stale water. Category 2 damage is usually reversed by extracting, cleaning, drying and dehumidifying the carpet.

Category 3 loss

This is the most traumatic kind of loss and is often impossible to reverse. Category 3 contaminants, also known as 'black' water, come from grossly contaminated sources and contain very harmful, pathogenic or toxic agents. Examples include toilet backflows, sewage, seawater floods and ground-surface water from streams and rivers. For this kind of damage, replacement is almost always recommended depending on the contaminant.

Water loss classes

Apart from source of damage, level of water saturation is also divided into four classes. These classes will determine the kind of equipment needed for drying and dehumidification. They are as follows:

• Class 1 – lowest water absorption and evaporation in part of a room
• Class 2 – relatively large amount of water affecting an entire room
• Class 3 – entirely saturated rooms, often from overhead leaks that also affect ceilings, carpets, cushions, subfloors and walls
• Class 4 – specialty drying of items that require special drying methods and take longer to dry out, such as concrete, plaster and hardwood

These categories are necessary to inform you about the kind of work that will need to be done in your situation. You will often find that the carpet isn't your biggest worry in a restoration job, given that carpets release water just as easily as they absorb it. Your walls will take longer to restore, and if improperly done, you could find your house being affected by moulding. Immediate action will minimize the level of damage.