Can you save your carpet after a flood in your basement? Mamaroneck NY 10543

Can you save your carpet after a flood in your basement?  Mamaroneck NY 10543.

After the most recent storm, Irene did a number on a lot of the homes in Mamaroneck NY as well as many other areas in Westchester including Larchmont, Rye, Scarsdale, Rye Brook, Dobbs, Ferry, Chappaqua & Mt Kisco.  Needless to say, we've gotten a bunch of phone inquiries on what to do.

If there is major flooding and you need to get the water out, you should be calling a restoration company such as Servpro (914-699-5181).  But, if the damage is minor (e.g. just a little bit of leaking water on the carpet), you may be able to save the carpet and avoid needing to replace it.

On Sunday, I got a call from a customer in Scarsdale.  We've done 2 jobs for him (and are about to do a 3rd).  His damage was only minor, so I told him to pull back the carpet in the area and remove and throw away all the carpet pad...that's the part that usually develops the mold and starts to smell...and then to turn the heat down/cool it and dry it a shop vac and fans.

As a result, he was able to save the carpet we installed there a year ago, and it will only cost $265 to add back carpet pad and restretch and recut the carpet.  He was thankful, especially since his insurance deductible is $2,500.

I do not want to downplay the importance of calling in the mitigation experts such as Servpro, because if you are having a major flood, they are the right ones to call, and if you have left your carpet down w/ water for too long, you may develop mold (I think it takes 48-72 hrs before that happens, but please don't quote me on it).  Often a "better safe than sorry" approach is the one to take, but peeling back the carpet and removing the carpet pad can often save you a lot of headache and hassle. 

Please pass this on to your friends who may benefit from this info.  As much as I love to replace carpet, I love helping my customers save money when they can easily avoid it.