To ask how you get water out of carpet after flood?

[ForeverSausages]

So we have a hole in our roof above the bathroom. It's leaked through to the downstairs room and completely soaked the carpet. I reported it to the managing agents 2 months ago, chased it a month ago and again a week ago but apparently the roofer is very busy . Now I've been putting towels where it comes through the upstairs bathroom, but water is still coming through to the room underneath. It's coming in at the side of the wall so unfortunately a bucket doesn't actually contain it. Sorry rambling. Been a stressful time.

What is the quickest way to get the carpet dry? We've got 4 days of dry weather ahead apparently and really want to get it dry before it stinks/mould etc.

Sorry posting here for traffic. Thank you in advance .

You need a new carpet, and somebody’s insurance needs to pay for it. I don’t know whether that would be your contents insurance or the buildings insurance directly or the building insurance as consequential loss. You’re not going to be able to dry it out (although if you had absolutely no alternative but to try then renting a dehumidifier would be a good place to start - probably a good idea anyway once you’ve ditched the carpet).

Do you know anyone with a carpet cleaner? They suck water out of the carpet.

@MaloInAnAppleTree thank you so much. Our contents insurance won't cover it and have said it'll come under our landlords insurance. But the managing agents are, if I'm honest, shite so they'll never replace the carpet. I could definitely rent/borrow a dehumidifier though.

@ButItRingsAndIRise

Do you know anyone with a carpet cleaner? They suck water out of the carpet.

I could definitely ask around. Thank you .

We have a Vax carpet cleaner that sucks up water. If you ask locally someone might have one to lend.

@Mugsen

We have a Vax carpet cleaner that sucks up water. If you ask locally someone might have one to lend.

Does it really suck it up? As in to dry? Sorry if that's a stupid question. At this point I'm tempted to buy one myself. I really don't want to pay for a new carpet myself (we rent and it's pissed me off this whole thing).

Until they've fixed the leak, won't it just get soaked again when it next rains?

Anyway, you can use towels to soak up the excess (spread them out then walk on them, and repeat with dry towels until the towels are coming away damp, rather than sodden), then get a dehumidifier in, and a fan heater, and keep the windows open so the air circulates.

Screwfix sell a dehumidifier for about £150, but you might be able to hire one.

Sorry crossed posts.

The problem is the water that seeps under the carpet - impossible to get that out. It will have to be taken out as well as the underlay .

A wet vac + dehumidifier going 24/7 will help. A friends house that flooded had one going for over a month to dry the house. But if its continuously leaking its a never ending battle.

Thank you all! Yes fair point about it leaking again. But I've said if the managing agents don't get someone to sort it by Friday I'll pay for a roofer myself and take it off the rent/invoice them (whichever is easiest for them - I was slightly passive aggressive but it's causing me no end in stress).

@LakieLady that's helpful thank you!

It's the landlord's carpet and he's not taking action to prevent it getting damaged. TBH I'm not sure why you are bothering - I'd take it up and tell the LL's agent that if they want it they should come before the dustman next comes on xxxday. It'll almost certainly be an insurance claim anyway.

This happened to me long ago, but it was the bath that overflowed and poured through the ceiling. I rang the insurance and they sent Chemdry I think they were called. They pegged the carpet up in one corner with a giant fan type thing to blow under and dry it, with a dehumidifier as well I think, but it dried pretty quick!

Well it won't get it dry no. With a Vax you shampoo a carpet, then suck out excess water then leave to dry overnight. We've had two floods. Normally the insurers take the carpet up and dry out the floor beneath using dehumidifier and electric fans.

Honestly you need to threaten the managing agent with letters to the papers and court action. It’s not something you should have to just put up with. Shelter might be able to help with a suitable authoritative email.

A wet vacuum like a Vax won’t leave your carpet 100% dry but it’ll stop ot squelching. Wet vacuum, then put the heat on full blast with a dehumidifier finning would improve the situation but it’s likely that you’ll still have problems.

The problem I have is the managing agents/landlord won't sort the carpet. Honestly water has been pissing through the ceiling for 2 months and they don't seem to give a crap 😥😥😥. I'm not sure there's anything I can do to force them?

Dehumidifier all the way.

Don’t pay a penny towards the roof though! They may not pay you back, especially if they’re so useless!

Take photos and threaten to put them on social media, tagging the agency / landlord and/or threaten to leave an online review with the photos.
Also, call citizens advice to see what recourse you have to force them to fix it. Your home doesn’t sound in habitable condition and they need to do something about it PRONTO!!

Good luck

Get onto environmental health. They can enforce the works in some circumstances. They should have some advice on the council website.

Thank you @Caradogthemouse. I've ordered a dehumidifier and laid towels down (definitely need to get more towels haha). Honestly it's so stressful, especially with all the rain we've had recently. I've taken plenty of videos and photos and I will contact citizens advice. I'm just at the end of my tether if I'm honest.

Thank you @Mugsen I didn't realise it would come under an environmental health matter. I'll definitely have a look.

You can't, it will soak into the underlay and floor (what is your floor made of - if it's concrete it will eventually dry out and be fine but wood will warp if not rot).

You need to remove the carpet - it's much easier to keep a hard floor dry and get the ll/agent to rent an industrial dehumidifier & pay the extra electric.

I had a leak in a carpeted house and had to throw the carpet and have big dehumidifiers running for 2 weeks to dry it out.

If your LL/agents won't play ball there will be a dept at the council that deals with private landlords to force them to make repairs. Env health would be a good first port of call. Get in touch and see what they say.

But make it clear there's water leaking from the roof and it has been for weeks. (They get a lot of calls about "damp" bathrooms where it's a case of tenants not opening a window after a shower).

Yes, get on to the council. I had similar in a rental and the landlord did fuck all for months until the council came round. Tested all the rooms for damp except the one with the leak because “we can see it’s wet” 😂

It's a concrete floor as far as I'm aware. It's a very, very old house. The LL I think is fine, he came round a year ago and apologised for how long it was to get another issue sorted. If I'm honest I think it's the managing agents that are the issue. He likely approved the roofer 2 months ago but I think the managing agents are really the issue.

I have videos of the water literally pouring out of the ceiling. Do I just say that actually I will not be paying for a roofer as it's not my responsibility but will be contacting the council? Or just not saying anything more?

I would be kicking up such an almighty fuss. This is absolutely not acceptable.

I was slightly passive aggressive
Stop being passive aggressive and start following through.

Call at 8am every day to see what they’re doing about it that very day. Follow up with an email. Then call again at 5pm if they achieved nothing. Repeat every day.

In the meantime contact the council, citizens advice, shelter. It is absolutely not acceptable.