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1" f ffl ~N~!~ p ~,~~ Dry Out Your Home Cleaning Floor Coverings Small throw rugs can be saved and cleaned in a washing machine. Indoor/outdoor carpeting can be hosed off and hung up to dry. Large area rugs and any rug with foam backing should be discard- ed. (Usually only vaiuabie carpelS are worth the cost of professional cleaning.) . If wall-to-wall carpeting was soaked with floodwaters. it usual- ly must be thrown away. To make the job easier, cut it into strips and discard it in pieces that are small enough to carry. Watch out for the tack-down strips along the wall; they have sharp tacks stick- ing up that held the carpet down. A wall-ta-wall carpet that was soaked by clean rainwater can be left in place to dry. Remove tile, vinyl. or linoleum flooring if it is warped, loose, or has a foam-rubber pad (which should be thrown away). 20 I' I I II i-I (II I~ I '" " " " '1\ " Ii I " I II I 11,111"'1' I," I I -:s:ii'i, ,11\11'1 , H"I' ---~ ~~~ :::-:::::::-'~~'-----::::: :::.--::::: ' - ---- ----- - .:-: Paneling Carefully pry the bottom of each panel away from the wall. Use something to hold the bottom away from the sill so the cavities can drain and dry out. You can nail them back into shape after they and the studs dry out. However, if there is wet insula- tion, you will have to remove the paneling in order to take out all the insulation. Dry the Floor Air needs to move around flooded floors so they can dry out. This usually means that you must remove the floor covering. Because floodwaters contain mud and dirt, most soaked floor coverings should be thrown away. Keep a piece of all discard- ed floor covering so the adjuster can tell its value. Air needs to circulate below the floor to dry it out. If the crawl space of your house is flooded, pump it out. Remove any plastic sheets, vapor barri- ers, or insulation from under- neath the floor. (Be sure to replace them when the floor and ~ r, 11,\ \ foundation are completely dry) If a house with a basement was flooded over the first floor, remove finished basement ceil- ings, or cut or drill holes between all the joists to allow circulation. Don't cut or drill near electric lines or pipes. You have now reached the stage where your home should be pro- tected from further damage. Exterior holes have been patched, the utilities have been turned off, and the drying pro- cess has started. It may take days or weeks, depending on the humidity, for all the wood and walls to dry out. You can do Steps 5, 6, and 7 while the house is drying. However, do not start Step 8, Rebuild and Floodproof, until the house is completely dry.