Question 1

What Damage Can Wet Carpet Do to My Home?

Accepted Answer

Some people might not see the problem with wet basement carpet at first glance. It can certainly seem unnecessary to treat it with this amount of gravity, for sure. Here are just a few of the problems you might experience.

Mold and Mildew

The first and potentially biggest problem with wet basement carpet is mold and mildew. Whenever you have a wet area, especially a contained wet area, and the right temperature, mold and mildew are sure to exist. Mold and mildew absolutely love wet basements because they are the perfect places for these organisms to grow.

Most of the time, a temperature that is comfortable for humans is also comfortable for mold and mildew. That’s exactly why mold and mildew are so prolific in many basements. If you have wet carpet, chances are you have mold and mildew growing on, around, or under it in some way, and that’s an important thing to get checked out.

Musty Basement Smell

A musty basement smell almost always comes from mold and mildew. It can be tempting to mistake it for a “stale” scent that you might be convinced to “air out.” However, this smell rarely comes from a basement that doesn’t have enough air. Instead, it’s typically that the basement has mold or mildew growing inside.

The best way to get rid of your musty basement smell is to fix the mold and mildew that’s growing on the inside. However, you can’t fix that mold and mildew until you’re able to get down to basics and completely scour the basement to find the cause of your problem. The musty basement smell should be something you check out as soon as possible.

Damp Baseboards

If your basement carpet rests on wooden baseboards, chances are that wet carpet will also extend to wet baseboards. In fact, it’s almost undoubtedly true that you have wet baseboards if you have wet carpet, at least if you let these baseboards sit for too long. You should make sure you’re not allowing your wet carpet to sit because water seepage will transfer the moisture all across the baseboards.

Of course, wet baseboards can have a whole host of issues. Wet baseboards don’t just become a potential host for mold and mildew, but also for wood rot, and wood rot is difficult to treat or eradicate. Wet carpet should itself be enough for you to seek treatment for your basement moisture problems, but if that’s not enough, just think of all the issues wet baseboards can cause.

Signs of a Deeper Problem

The last and potentially most dangerous issue with wet carpet is that it isn’t the only problem. Instead, this wet carpet is just an indication of a much deeper problem. If you ignore the wet carpet or just replace it with a different dry carpet, you’re ignoring the signs that are telling you there’s something much worse going on.

Ignoring these signs will always make the problem get worse. Unfortunately, you can’t just ignore whatever problems you’re experiencing in your home. You have to work toward making those problems better, and the only way you’ll be able to do that in this situation is to bring in a basement waterproofing expert.

Question 2

Fixing Your Wet Basement Carpet

Accepted Answer

So, if you’re going to do the right thing and intentionally work to fix your basement, how are you going to be able to do it? There are four main steps to fixing your wet basement carpet for good.

Find the Source of the Problem

The first step in this process is to uncover the source of the problem. In some situations, this may be very easy; if your basement carpet is wet due to a burst pipe, you just have to fix the burst pipe and the problem will stop. However, in some situations, this may be very difficult; what are you supposed to do if you have a damp basement and no real visible source?

In these situations, it’s more likely that the problem is well-hidden. Unfortunately, many people find these problems are far beyond their scope; the DIY lifestyle can bring you plenty of useful information, but it might not help you with certain well-hidden problems. That’s why it’s a good idea to turn instead to the basement waterproofing experts.

Fix the Source of the Problem

Once you’ve discovered the source of your problem, it’s then time to fix that source. This is important because you need to make sure you’re fixing the source and not just fixing some of the symptoms. After all, that’s the only way you’ll be able to avoid having this problem happen again after you feel like you’ve “fixed” it.

Sometimes, fixing the source of the problem is easy. A leaking pipe just needs to be tightened, and a flooding accident just needs to be pumped out. However, if you’re experiencing a more difficult source problem, like cracks in your basement walls, you should instead turn to an expert, like a basement waterproof expert, who can give you the real answer.

Replace Your Wet Basement Carpet

The reason this comes after the first two steps is that many people feel like they can skip those two steps and instead just replace the carpet. After all, if the carpet is what’s wet, why can’t you just replace the carpet and carry on with your life? Why do you need to do extra work when it seems like the carpet will work just fine by itself?

It’s important to remember that just because something looks like it’s okay, that doesn’t necessarily mean it is. Replacing your wet basement carpet is a good thing, and you shouldn’t avoid doing so, but you have to do it after you do these first two things. Otherwise, the problem will come back, and you’ll end up having to do this again and again.

Maintain Your Basement

Lastly, it’s crucial that you maintain your basement so it stays in as pristine a condition as possible. It’s important that you keep your basement in a healthy place. Although it may seem like a difficult task to keep your basement looking fresh, you should definitely maintain your basement so you don’t have to do this process all over again.

The maintenance process may necessitate something like a dehumidifier or another maintenance product like interior drainage. No matter what you need to maintain your basement, it’s probably a good idea to invest in it. This is another reason you should request help from a basement waterproofing expert; they’ll be able to give you more information about what you need.

Question 3

Can I Fix My Wet Basement Carpet Myself?

Accepted Answer

The DIY mindset has made people think fixing things themselves is always possible or preferable to getting an expert. In this situation, that’s not possible, and it’s important to recognize what can arise if you try to do it yourself.

Making the Problem Worse

One of the biggest problems that can arise if you try to fix the problem on your own is unintentionally making the problem worse. Sure, you probably have a variety of YouTube videos and helpful DIY articles that will give you a head start, but do you actually know what you’re doing, or are you just rooting around randomly?

If you make this problem worse, it’s going to be more difficult and more expensive to fix it. You could turn a relatively minor problem into something that might require thousands of dollars and multiple days to fix. Instead, contact a basement waterproofing expert to help you figure out what to do next.

Not Addressing the Real Problem

Another problem that tends to hide under the surface is the problem that you might not actually fix what’s going on. Sure, you might think you’ve fixed the problem, but have you actually? Or, in your quest to fix the problem on your own without really having an understanding of the process, have you instead hidden the true problem?

It’s unfortunately common for a layman to believe that the problem is one thing when it’s actually another. If you think you’ve fixed the problem, watch out, because the problem might be much deeper than that. One of the biggest problems here is that it might make you complacent because you believe the problem is no longer happening, so you’re not going to be on the lookout for any extra problems.

Damaging Something Else in the Process

Although this is less common, it’s still something that can easily happen. What do you do if you’re trying to fix the problem, and in the process, you cause a different and less easy-to-fix problem? For example, you might bring in a ladder to reach a high pipe and in the process knock your ladder onto the wall, breaking free some pieces of concrete and causing a chip in the wall.

These bits of damage aren’t extremely common, but they can happen. If a professional basement waterproofing expert comes to your home and causes damage to another piece of your basement, they’re liable for that damage. If you do it, you’re now liable for the original damage and for the new damage, which can be a very frustrating position to be in.

Investing in a “Cheap Fix”

The allure of a “cheap fix” is something that pulls in many people to DIY fixes. After all, if you can fix your basement water problem without spending a lot of money, why wouldn’t you want to try this fix instead of a much more expensive one from a professional? Of course, the problem with these cheap fixes is that they’re rarely cheap and they’re rarely fixes.

Most often, these cheap fixes are more of a bandage. They help to stem the tide for a little while, but they don’t actually fix anything. Instead, they just put the problem off for anywhere from a few days to a few months. However, when they come back — and they definitely will — you’ll have to spend more money, time and energy to re-install a fix that was never a fix at all.

Wet Basement Carpet