Water-affected carpet

Transcription

1 Learning Guide Water-affected carpet Rehabilitate water-affected carpet Level 3 10 credits Name: Workplace: Issue 1.0

2 Copyright 2017 Careerforce All rights reserved. Careerforce (Community Support Services ITO Ltd) is the owner of the copyright of this publication. Other than as permitted by the Copyright Act 1994, no part of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted in any other form or by any means, without prior written permission of Careerforce, PO Box , Christchurch, 8144, New Zealand.

3 Contents Introduction... 1 Identify the water source... 2 Industry guidelines... 3 Assess the carpet... 4 Select and safety check equipment... 5 Risk assessment... 6 Extent of the water damage... 8 Carpet installation... 9 Move furniture and fittings... 9 Turn back the carpet Reducing the water Removing the underlay Top down drying Treating the carpet Odour and mould Drying out Cleaning the carpet Grooming and drying Reporting Re-lay the carpet Glossary Water-affected carpet (US 29390) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 1.0 June 2016

4 Water-affected carpet (US 29390) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 1.0 June 2016

5 Introduction As a carpet cleaner, your role is crucial to maintaining building cleanliness. Clean carpet stops dirt and soil tracking further into a building. Rehabilitating water-affected carpet is a speciality role as water can affect all parts of a building, including the walls and ceilings. This learning guide gives you information about dealing with wateraffected carpet. How to use your learning guide This learning guide supports your learning and prepares you for the unit standard assessment. There are activities to do to guide your learning. This guide relates to the following unit standard: Rehabilitate water-affected carpet (level 3, 10 credits). This learning guide is yours to keep. Make it your own by writing notes that help you remember things, or where you need to find more information. Follow the tips in the notes column. You may use highlighter pens to show important information and ideas, and think about how this information applies to your work. You might find it helpful to talk to your workmates or supervisor. Complete this learning guide before you start the assessment. What you will learn This topic will help you to: assess the type and extent of the water damage. do a risk assessment for carpet cleaning and drying. choose the right equipment, products and processes for restoring the carpet. reduce the water. treat the clean carpet. dry the carpet and environment. clean the carpet. reinstate the carpet. report results of carpet rehabilitation. Water-affected carpet (US 29390) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 1.0 June

6 Identify the water source Water-affected carpet needs attention as soon as possible. The sooner the carpet is treated, the better the result. It is important to find out what caused the water damage to the carpet, as the treatment will depend upon whether the water is categorised as: Category 1 clean water, such as from a tap overflowing a basin or tub or a leaky pipe and had not been there for more than 3 days. Category 2 grey water, with chemical, biohazards, contamination, such as from a washing machine or dishwasher with soapy water. May have been there up to 5 days. Category 3 black water, grossly insanitary,with a contaminant in it, like sewerage from a toilet or pipe or from beyond any waste trap or water that has flowed over the ground. May have been there more than 5 days. If the owner or the client at the property is not able to inform you of the type of water, you will need to track back the water to the source and stop it. You may see soapy residue or bubbles of soap when you step on the carpet. If the water is from a dishwasher or washing machine and you are not sure if it is soapy wash water or clean rinse water, treat it as though it is soapy water. Note that water from a toilet may be clean water or black water. Clean water comes from the toilet cistern or overflow valve or cistern tap. Black water occurs when the sewerage blocks and overflows out of the toilet bowl, or the waste pipe is broken. Ask, or find out, when the damage occurred, what areas are affected, including if any neighbouring rooms or floors are affected and if there are furniture and fittings which need to be removed. This learning guide covers Categories 1 and 2, clean and grey water, only. Water-affected carpet Water-affected carpet (US 29390) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 1.0 June

7 Industry guidelines There are industry guidelines to follow. Australia and New Zealand has a standard AS/NZS 3733:1995 Cleaning and maintenance of residential and commercial carpet. The Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) is a certification and standards developing organisation. IICRC is a non-profit organisation for the inspection, cleaning and restoration industries. IICRC serves more than 25 countries with offices in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. IICRC has recently re-released two standards. ANSI/IICRC S520 Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Mold Remediation 3 rd edition 2015 A new standard is ANSI/IICRC S500 Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Water Damage Restoration 4 th edition released Nov As well as the categories of water clean, grey and black there are also classes of water damage. The S500 includes classes of water intrusion and hence degree of drying difficulty. Class of water intrusion 1 small area affected 2 entire carpet/underlay wet 3 entire carpet/underlay wet; water wicked up walls or down from ceilings 4 special techniques required Amount of water absorption and evaporation load Amount of wet porous materials (floor, wall, ceiling) Absorption into low evaporation materials least less than 5% minimal significant 5% to 40% minimal greatest more than 40% minimal deeply held or bound water significant Water-affected carpet (US 29390) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 1.0 June

8 Assess the carpet At this stage assess the condition of the carpet soiling, stains, split seams, mould and other conditions, as well as the water damage. Watre allows microbes to grow. Microbes are microscopic forms of life, and commonly bacteria and fungi affect wet carpet. An obvious indicator of microbes is musty, mouldy or mildew smell or even seeing the growth of mould or mildew. It is wise to record the damage with a photograph. Often water-affected carpet is the subject of an insurance claim. Split seam Stain You may need to explain to the client the risks associated with rehabilitating the water-affected carpet. This may include, for example, shrinkage during the drying process, or long term water damage to the carpet, that makes it unable to be salvaged for re-use. After assessing the condition of the carpet, write up a report on the findings and possible solutions (if applicable). The report will include any pre-existing conditions and recommendations for treatment. Follow your company requirements for writing a report for a client, and look at a previous report so that you can use it as an example. Water-affected carpet (US 29390) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 1.0 June

9 Select and safety check equipment Personal safety equipment You need your personal protective equipment (PPE) including gloves, footwear, eye or face protection, ear protection, overalls and sturdy non-slip footwear like white soled food service gumboots. Put out warning signs. Ensure there is adequate ventilation. Open windows and doors if you can. This will also help dry out the moist environment. You may need a respirator. Most hand and foot infections are from not wearing gloves and boots. Respiratory illnesses from category 2 and 3 water often result from improper use or failure to wear a protective face mask or respirator. Carpet equipment a moisture meter. knee kicker. stanley knife. awl and rubber mallet. stair edge tool. a carpet cleaning machine, ie a warm water injection and extraction machine. an air mover. a carpet rake or groomer or brush. You will need appropriate chemicals for the category of water an anti-microbial product. acid rinse. Check your electrical equipment before use. Before you use any powered machine, you must check that it has a current electrical safety certificate (ESC). More info There is more information about electrical checks in the learning guide for unit standard health and safety when cleaning. Water-affected carpet (US 29390) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 1.0 June

10 Risk assessment A risk assessment is an organised way of looking at the work task to see how safe it is. You need to write down every hazard and think about what could be done to mitigate it (reduce the hazard). For each hazard identified, rate it on how likely it is that this risk would occur: rare, unlikely, likely, almost certain. You must state what can be done to control this risk and who is responsible for doing this. You may also be asked how bad it will be if it does go wrong (the severity). You need to make sure that the water is no longer flowing over the floor or carpet. You may need to turn the water off for the property. Watch out for slippery floors and curling mat edges which are slip, trip and fall hazards.there may be microbial or biohazard contamination. You may have both primary and secondary risks. A primary risk is the first result of the risk eg a person could fall on a wet floor. A secondary risk occurs as a result of the primary risk eg the person may get an injury from falling. In multistorey buildings upper floors and ceilings have been known to collapse. Drain the excess water by lifting tiles or by punching weep holes in sagging ceilings. Write Complete the sentences below with the words risk or hazard. is something that may cause of an accident. is something that may happen if a is not dealt with. Key words hazard risk mitigate anything that could cause harm. the chance of something happening. reduce the hazard Water-affected carpet (US 29390) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 1.0 June

11 Write Write in some potential hazards for treating water-affected carpet. For each hazard, rate it on how likely it is that this risk would occur: rare, unlikely, likely, almost certain. You must state what can be done to control this risk and who is responsible for doing this. The first one has been done for you. Potential hazard Risk occurrence Risk controls Who will do this? Things that could go wrong or cause harm Rare, unlikely, likely, almost certain What can be done about it? Usually you, the carpet cleaner Live electrical appliances on wet flooring. Likely with wet carpet. Turn the appliance off at the wall and unplug it. You Water-affected carpet (US 29390) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 1.0 June

12 Extent of the water damage Once you have isolated the water source and know that the water is no longer running, assess where the dampness is. Both soft and hard surfaces may be affected. Soft surfaces such as curtains and carpet will be affected. Surfaces such as Gib board and MDF board (custom wood) appear to be hard but their construction means they are porous and wick water internally, absorbing water and transporting it about. Hard surfaces such as metals, plastics, such as in a bathroom, do not wick water. You can assess the water damage visually initially, but to assess how much moisture is present, use a moisture meter. A moisture meter has two retractable spikes to push into the carpet to assess where the wetness is and how wet it is. A moisture meter can also be placed flat against the wall to measure how far the dampness has got up the wall. Test for dampness on the skirting boards. Also test the doors. For a building with more than one storey, test the ceiling of the storey below the wet floor. In a staircase, also test the flooring as it leaves the wet storey as water always runs downwards. Check adjoining rooms as water can flow under walls. Use a mositure probe such as a hydrosensor. If you are unsure if the meter is working properly, place it on your hand or arm. It should register a high moisture reading as humans have a lot of water in their bodies. Do it Try the moisture meter on your arm. Moisture meter Water-affected carpet (US 29390) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 1.0 June

13 Carpet installation Find out if the carpet is laid conventionally or if it is laid direct or double stuck to the floor. About 90% of residential carpet is installed on smoothedge which grips the carpet. Do not try to uplift any carpet which has been stuck down with flooring adhesive as this may make the carpet unsalvageable. Sometimes an uplift for factory drying may be done. The entire carpet is removed for drying. When the carpet is left on site for drying it can be done by: top down drying. a turn back. Flooring layers Under the carpet will be underlay or underfelt. Move furniture and fittings Move furniture off the wet carpet as these can cause marks. Check where the client would like the furniture put. Explain that the furniture may need to stay off the water-affected area for several days. Remove other absorbent fittings like pictures, artwork, furnishings. These items can absorb moisture and get secondary damage. Water-affected carpet (US 29390) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 1.0 June

14 Turn back the carpet Part of the carpet is turned back. You may be able to turn it back in one piece. If it is a large or irregularly shaped area you may need to open the seams but this is best done from underneath the seam with a hook blade when the carpet is dry. Use a knee kicker to release the tension and detach the carpet from the wall, where the smoothedge carpet gripper underneath grips it and holds it to the floor. Place the knee kicker on the carpet against the wall and use your knee to kick the tool. This lifts the carpet away from the smooth edge. At a naplock join to vinyl or other carpet or flooring, use a stair tool and rubber mallet to detach the carpet. Use a carpet awl to turn back the carpet. Pull the carpet back to expose the wet underlay. Turning back a carpet Tools include a knee kicker, a rubber mallet, a stair tool and an awl. Water-affected carpet (US 29390) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 1.0 June

15 Reducing the water The first and most important step is to extract water from all the flooring materials. As much as 80% of the water is held in the underlay. Reduce the water in the underlay by using the wet dry vacuum to suck the water out. Run the vacuum over the top of the underlay. When it is not as wet and hence not as heavy to move, fold the underlay over. Run the vacuum over the underside. By then the underlay should be light enough to remove. Removing water from the underlay Both the underside and topside of the underlay are vacuumed to remove water. Removing the underlay If the underlay is made of underfelt, it must be removed and disposed of before drying starts. Some underlay may be so old or so wet or decayed that it is thrown out before drying starts. Other types of underlay may also need to be removed, but once dry may be re-laid. Try to move the underlay in pieces, taking it out along existing taped joins. You may have to cut it with a stanley knife to get some pieces out, or to cut wet underlay away from the underlay that stayed dry. Run the vacuum over the floorboards or concrete to remove water lying on the flooring. Water-affected carpet (US 29390) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 1.0 June

16 Underlay which is salvageable is hung to dry, which may be on-site or off site back at your depot Fold the carpet back down on the floor, without the underlay. Run the vacuum over the carpet to remove more water. Wet/dry vacuum cleaner Removing water from the carpet Top down drying It is not always possible to remove the carpet or all the wet underlay. For example, at the join to another room. You then have to remove as much water as possible through the carpet and underlay. A claw is used to extract the water. This relies upon your weight compressing the floor covering and the water is squeezed out and then sucked out from the claw. Move the claw across the room in a regular pattern to make sure all of the carpet is covered. Carpet with wet underlay underneath will take much longer to dry out. Using a claw to remove water Water-affected carpet (US 29390) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 1.0 June

17 Treating the carpet Carpet needs treatment using acidic rinses before it is dried. This retards microbial growth and prevents cellulosic browning. The remediation treatment depends upon the carpet material and the category of the water damage. Clean water damage has a low risk of contamination. When the damage is due to grey water there is a degree of risk of contamination and an anti-microbial product should be used. Carpet damaged by black water has been contaminated and exposure can lead to illness. An anti-microbial product should be used. Cellulose browning occurs when the jute carpet backing gets saturated and bleeds through to the surface of the carpet. Spray an acid rinse over the carpet to reduce browning. Spray treatment Anti-microbial products may be sprayed on Carpet may also delaminate, with the backing peeling off. Some materials are made up of different layers. If the layers of the material split or separate, this is called delamination. Some methods of stain removal may cause delamination. Delamination An example of delamination is when the primary and secondary backing fabric separate. Key words delaminate when layers of the carpet split or separate Water-affected carpet (US 29390) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 1.0 June

18 Odour and mould Odours are unpleasant or bad smells. Find the source of the odour and the cause of the odour. For water-affected carpet odour is more likely to be due to dampness, mould and mildew, or the carpet or wooden walls or floor rotting after prolonged exposure to water. Microbes (extremely small living things that may cause disease) may also cause odour. Odour causes Water damage can cause odour Odour from mould or mildew Mould Moulds are fungi which spread by tiny spores in the air. Mould is caused by moisture and the moisture must be removed else the mould will return. Mould cannot grow without high humidity or condensation. Better ventilation and more heating can prevent mould growth. Temperature extremes, either heat or cold, mist or fog disinfectants or sanitisers do not kill mould. Mould must be physically removed. Clean the mould before you use air movers as dry mould is more likely to spread spores. Cleaning may temporarily increase the amount of mould and spores in the air. Wear PPE - googles, gloves and a mask or respirator and open windows and doors and ventilate the area well. Wear PPE when cleaning mould Mould spores may spread during cleaning. Protect yourself. Clean the area with a special product. Bleach is the active ingredient in many mould removing products. You may need to use a biocide and a fungicide. Water-affected carpet (US 29390) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 1.0 June

19 Odour Remove soil (solids and fluids) For solids (such as food, faeces) scrape up as much solids as you can with a spoon, knife or spatula. For fluids press down on the fluid with a dry cloth to soak up the deep down fluid. Place your body weight behind the press to make sure more fluid is brought to the surface. Water down and use detergent Once most of the solid or fluid is gone, pour water on top of the area to dilute the soil. Press dry. Repeat this two or three times. If required, use detergent, especially for solids. Check the manufacturer s instructions for quantities of detergent needed. Pour the detergent on top of the area. Rub and blot (press with a cloth) the area so that the soap lifts any solids to the surface. Use a spoon, knife or spatula to remove any solids. Rinse all the detergent from the area. Apply the odour treatment To destroy the odour completely, you need to use an enzyme deodoriser. Enzyme deodorisers work by breaking down the odour causing substance with friendly bacteria. The area must be wet (and warm) for the enzyme to work. It takes one to two days for the enzymes to work (this is called the curing process). Follow the manufacturer s instructions on the label. Pour the enzyme deodoriser solution on the area. Allow it to set in the carpet for 24 to 48 hours. After one to two days, return and blot dry the moisture from the carpet. If there is any more moisture, let it air dry. If you need to dry the area quickly or to dry carpet, use a fan or air mover. Assess the treatments Once the area is treated, ventilate (air) the area well before use. After the treatment is done, assess the area to check the smell has gone. If there is still an odour, the area will need to be treated again. If you can still see or smell mould, it may be hidden behind walls or wallpaper or in porous materials like wallboards. Water-affected carpet (US 29390) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 1.0 June

20 Drying out Water activity must be reduced to lower the potential for microbial growth. The carpet, underlay and the entire environment needs to be dried. Removing water from the carpet but not from the room results in moisture being redeposited in the carpet. It is important to quickly control the moisture in the air and use sufficient air flow to dry the surfaces of all materials, such as walls, the floor itself and doors. In a flood in a building higher than one storey, the ceilings must also be dried. Humidity, airflow, and temperature influence the movement of moisture within a material as well as the evaporation rate from the surface. Evaporation of moisture from the surface is influenced by several factors: the level of moisture (ie relative humidity) in the air water vapor pressure differential between the surface of the wet flooring and the surrounding environment. temperature of the wet flooring material. air movement across the surface of the wet material. access to the surface of the wet materials. floor surface area. An air mover blows cold air under the carpet to hasten the drying. Note: hot air is not used as this would shrink the carpet. The carpet edge can be held tightly by the clamp on the air mover. Otherwise as the carpet dries, it gets lighter and begins to flap. This is noisy and also not good for the carpet. Air movers Water-affected carpet (US 29390) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 1.0 June

21 Airflow requirements are greater during higher evaporation rate stages. Adjustments to air movement are made throughout the drying process. Usually several air movers are used to direct air in several directions. ANSI/IICRC S500 (4 th edition released Nov ) provides a standard for initial placement of air movers based on the amount of wet, affected surfaces. Requirements for air movers are: one air mover in each affected room or space (eg laundry or wardrobe). plus one for each 4.5 to 6.5 square metres of wet floor which covers drying of wet floors and lower wall surfaces up to approximately 60 cm. plus one for every 9 to 14 square metres of wet ceiling and walls above 60 cm. plus one for each offset space (eg alcove) greater than 450 cm. plus one if water has migrated under a wall to another room, in a limited way (about 60 cm into the room). When calculating the number of air movers, round up to whole numbers. Dehumidifiers determine the rate of moisture removal. A dehumidifier collects the moisture and is removed from the room in a tube to the outside, preferably running into a waste drain. The size of the room and the capacity of the dehumidifier will determine how many dehumidifiers to use. Open windows and doors for air flow. Air mover and dehumidifier The carpet will be dry enough when it reaches the dry standard. This is a measure which compares the unaffected area to the area which got wet. Water-affected carpet (US 29390) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 1.0 June

22 Cleaning the carpet Steam clean the dried carpet to remove any stains. Follow the general cleaning procedure for cleaning carpet with a carpet cleaning machine. This is detailed in the learning guide for maintaining carpet. Grooming and drying Immediately after you have finished cleaning the carpet with the carpet cleaning machine, you need to groom the carpet. Grooming is done with a rake, groomer or brush depending on the type of carpet. Grooming spreads the cleaning treatments deeper into the carpet, untangles carpet fibres, makes the carpet look better and helps speed up drying time. More info The general procedure for cleaning carpet is detailed in the learning guide for maintaining carpet. Carpet rake or groomer Dry the carpet in accordance with industry best practice. It is best practice for carpet not to take more than 12 hours to dry. Carpet can get dirty again very quickly, if it is wet or damp. To speed up drying, you can use air movers. Reporting Inspect the finished job to make sure it meets the standard of cleaning required. The carpet should be rehabilitated as near as possible to its previous condition. If the carpet has not been suitably rehabilitated, the client will need to be advised. They, and/or their insurers, may decide not to re-install the carpet. Re-lay the carpet Re-lay the carpet, using either the dried underlay or new underlay. Use the knee kicker to stretch the carpet to the smooth edge for re-attachment. Advise the client not to use the carpet for 24 hours. This means not walking on it or placing furniture on it as this can cause marks. Water-affected carpet (US 29390) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 1.0 June

23 Glossary Key words delaminate hazard mitigate risk when layers of the carpet split or separate anything that could cause harm reduce the hazard the chance of something happening Water-affected carpet (US 29390) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 1.0 June