How Water Categories Affect Carpet and Pad
2/19/2018 (Permalink)
How Water Categories affect your Carpet and Pad.
In this Blog I will be referring to Water Categories 1, 2 &3. Please read the Blog Post about Water Damage Categories first.
We often run into questions at water damaged homes regarding the wet carpet and pad. Although every situation can be different, there are some general rules of thumb that usually apply.
If the water incident is a true Cat 1 water damage, the carpet and sometimes the pad can be saved. If enough water can be extracted using the proper weighted extraction tools and the carpet can be dried in place. Keep in mind that Cat 1 water can become Cat 2 if it flows through contaminants or is not extracted in a timely manner.
In a Category 2 water event, the carpet and pad should be extracted, but the pad will need to be removed and disposed of. The carpet can normally be restored as long as it is not worn out or has started to delaminate. The carpet should be professionally cleaned after the remediation is complete. Again, keep in mind that the water Category can degrade to a Cat 3 if the water becomes contaminated or if mold an bacterial begin go grow if the issue is not addressed promptly.
In a Category 3 water event, as part of the decontamination effort, the carpet and pad will need to be removed and disposed of. Normally the contaminated water is extracted first to not only make the carpet and pad more manageable but also to keep from contaminating other areas of the property as it is removed.