If you’re dealing with a flooded carpet in your home and need to have sections of carpet removed or replaced, the best solution is to get in touch with a water damage specialist for carpets. If this isn’t possible due to the coronavirus pandemic and you’re in need of quick solutions, here are a few tips for cutting out wet flooded carpet on your own.

  • Use a Good Knife

Specialised carpet cutting knives are the best option for cutting through carpets thanks to their robust handles and sharp blades designed for cutting through thick carpet. These are relatively inexpensive and are great to have around the home, but what can you do if you don’t have one on hand?

In a pinch, sharp X-Acto knives and razors can also get the job done with care and caution. No matter which knife you choose, ensure that it’s sharp before starting to cut. Dull knives are a recipe for disaster and will make the job a lot sloppier, so choose a sharp knife to ensure that you’re getting a clean cut.

  • Start With a Clean Cut

The first cut into the carpet should never be done with the point of the blade penetrating into the carpet and being dragged across the floor. The reason is because the blade’s edge will get dragged across the floor, which can leave scratches, but more importantly will dull the blade to the point of wearing it out before the job is even done with.

Instead, cut a small section carefully without worrying too much about penetrating through the carpet’s base. Once the slit is wide enough to raise up by hand, use one hand to hold that section of carpet whilst cutting along with the knife. Doing it this way should preserve the blade’s sharpness by preventing the edge from scratching against the subfloor.

  • Plan Out Sections

The initial cut (using the above method) should proceed from somewhere in the middle of the carpet on the frontiers of the damaged area towards the floorboards along the wall. Slice along the slit, raise that section, then continue until a straight line reaches towards the wall.

After reaching the wall, raise up the carpet from the backing and begin cutting again away from the wall so that you end up with a rectangular section that can be cleanly removed and replaced.

  • Disposal of Removed Carpet Sections

If you’re removing a single section of carpet, cutting a rectangle is an efficient way of not only disposing of the old carpet but it’s also ideal for cutting replacement carpet as the dimensions are easy to measure and cut.

Multiple sections, however, should be cut in relatively similar sizes so that each removed piece of carpet can be stacked atop another for easy disposal. Furthermore, rectangular carpet segments can be rolled up for more compact transport.

Electrovac

Cutting out water damaged carpet sections can be a lot of work, but it’s also an important job to prevent mould and bacteria from spreading deep in the carpet and on the floor beneath. Contact Electrovac to have your water damaged carpet repaired and replaced efficiently. Our team of water damage experts can deal with all sorts of damage, from backed-up home water supply to flooding.