Does Water Damage Ruin Carpet? | Restorex Disaster Restoration

Does water damage ruin carpet and pad? When a tree falls in the woods does it make a sound? Questions like these fuel debates that can last a lifetime. Having said that I’ll give you Restorex Disaster Restoration’s opinion on the matter. (On carpet and pad that is, not on whether a tree makes a sound…although it does, right…? My head hurts…)

You’ve heard this before but the short answer to this question is no, however it’s not always that simple. To truly understand whether carpet/pad is ruined or not, you must first understand the different categories of water.

For most water damage scenarios just follow the rule of thumb that if the water affecting the carpet/pad is clean water (category 1) it can be saved, if it’s black water (category 3) it must be removed and replaced.

The most common scenario where the carpet/pad debate comes into play is when dealing with a sump pump backup in a finished basement (gray water/category 2). As long as the customer has discovered the water damage relatively quickly (within 1 or 2 days) Restorex Disaster Restoration removes the water using our high powered water extractors, applies a plant based antimicrobial spray to help prevent mold growth and then dries both the carpet/pad in place. Once the dry out is complete we have a carpet cleaner clean and deodorize the area. Piece of cake. Watch a Quick video on how to dry wet carpet and pad.

There are a few exceptions to this rule. Carpet and pad are very absorbent materials. If your carpet is very old, exposed to pets, not cleaned regularly or a combination of all 3, even clean water can drum up some downright nasty odors. (You know who you are out there…) In these situations, we leave it up to the insurance company and homeowner to decide whether the carpet/pad is to be dried and cleaned or removed and replaced.

Another exception is if the water damage causes the carpet to de-laminate. Carpet De-lamination is when the adhesive that is meant to hold the carpet together fails. As a result, the carpet comes apart in multiple areas leaving it ruined.

Most of the time this is due to a carpet’s lack of quality or age. Just like anything else, you get what you pay for. If homeowners decide to buy the cheapest carpet available, it is not going to hold up to water damage very well. However, if they selected a higher quality carpet, it can handle much more of a beating.

So to recap: water damage doesn’t ruin carpet, unless it does… In all seriousness each scenario is different. Use this article as a guide to help you make an informed decision when dealing with wet carpet and pad at your home or business.

NEED HELP WITH WATER DAMAGE? CALL (317) 315-5071

Judith Lysaker

29. August, 2022.

The guys were great!! On time professional and polite.

Steven Cline

25. August, 2022.

We had a accident that caused major damage to our house, Called Restorex and they came and assessed it the afternoon we called for help. They stabilized the walls and made sure we were safe. The next day Brian was here to tear out carpet and damaged drywall and take away the damaged remains the next day. We felt totally comfortable with Van and Doug who came every day to work on the house. Our house turned out beautifully. I can't say enough about their confidence and total control of the repairs. Every concern we had Brian would say "I'll take care of that", He did all the insurance communication and all coordination of the different required services and it all came together with quality work seamlessly. We would recommend them to anyone who needs restoration, painting, electrical, plumbing, and flooring. They cleaned up every day before leaving and moved all of our stuff around for us. We can't thank them enough.

Chelsea Overstreet

9. August, 2022.

Corbin, Terry, and the team at Restorex are absolutely pros! They helped us when our basement flooded and got the job down right. They also communicated with our insurance adjuster. If you have any restoration needs in your home, they should be your first call and only phone call.

Eva Antonova

6. August, 2022.

Very professional and friendly. Great service, awesome people.

Michael Scisney

21. July, 2022.

Corbin was very professional, polite and was a huge big help in the process of restoration to my basement.

Rebecca Christner

14. July, 2022.

Corbin and his crew were great! Came right away when our basement flooded and worked with our insurance company to help us get it back in order! Highly recommend!

Josh Romine

I had a pipe in my basement ceiling leak and we didn’t realize it until the paint on the drywall started to bubble up. I reached out to Restorex to help assess the damage once the leak was fixed by a plumber. It was easy to get in contact with them and they were super responsive. Corbin came out to my house and did the evaluation. He was friendly and very knowledgeable of water damage and the necessary repairs. He explained how to dry out the walls to prevent mold and then explained how I could patch the drywall myself to save some money. He didn’t charge for the evaluation. Overall I was very satisfied with my experience with Restorex and I would definitely use them again if I run into an issue in the future.

Lisa Maloney

Corbin came to give me a quote for restoration and was extremely thorough and knowledgeable in discussing my issue with me. He took the time to explain things to me, which my other restoration company did not, and let me know what could be done to remediate. The quote was also significantly less than the other provider. I would highly recommend him based on his knowledge and willingness to help. Seemed to have good ethics and put me as the customer first.

Brett Wood

25. May, 2022.

Top notch company! From the moment I called Restorex, they spent considerable time explaining the process of water remediation, how the insurance claim process would work, and assuring me that this would be handled with care and competence. The crews that came to my house were polite, professional, clean, and very efficient. They worked around my two small children and dogs the whole time, and truly made us feel like they were taking care of us; not just doing a job. They even sent someone over the weekend to check on the equipment and make sure we were doing ok and didn’t have any questions or concerns. This company’s work was top notch, and they went the extra mile and made us feel like family while they did it all. I can truly say I would never use another company for this type of work.

Joseph Farrell

22. April, 2022.

Restorex was quick to come out after our sump pump float failed to engage the pump. They ran a machine over the basement carpet to try to pull the water out and into the sump pit after the pump was working. Afterwards, they installed about 20 fans and 2 large dehumidifiers for 3 days to continue to dry out the carpet. Very friendly and easy to talk to guys.