Flooded Basement After Ottawa’s Canada Day Storm? How to Get Your Carpet Removed and Replaced Fast

On July 1, 2026, a record-breaking storm dropped roughly 118 mm of rain on Ottawa in under two hours – more than double the previous Canada Day record of 58.9 mm set back in 1959. The result was more than 4,500 flooded basements across the city, tens of thousands of homes left without power, and property damage the City says is more than double the “devastating” 2019 Ottawa River flood. If your basement was one of them, your carpet is very likely a write-off – and the clock is already running.

At CarpetExperts, we’ve helped Ottawa homeowners recover from water-damaged floors for 15 years. Here’s what you need to know about flood-damaged basement carpet, and how we can get your space back to normal.

What happened on Canada Day

The July 1 storm was one of the most intense on record for Ottawa. Water poured in through basement windows and gurgled up through floor drains, filling finished basements in a matter of minutes. The hardest-hit areas included Ward 8 (College), Ward 7 (Bay) and Ward 9 (Knoxdale-Merivale) – west-end and Nepean neighbourhoods right where our team works every day. Thousands of residents are now facing the same question: what do we do about the soaked carpet downstairs?

Wet basement carpet is a race against the clock

Here’s the part most homeowners don’t realize: mould can begin growing on damp carpet in as little as 24 to 48 hours. Health Canada recommends keeping indoor humidity between 30% and 50% year-round – a flooded basement sits far above that. The longer wet carpet and padding stay in place, the higher the risk of mould, musty odours and damage to the subfloor underneath. Acting quickly isn’t just about comfort; it protects your home and your health.

Can your flooded carpet be saved?

It depends on the type of water and how fast you act. Two rules of thumb the restoration industry follows:

• Carpet padding (underlay): almost always needs to be replaced. Once padding is saturated – especially by a sewer backup or grey/black water – it acts like a sponge and cannot be reliably cleaned or dried in place.
• The carpet itself: sometimes salvageable if it was clean water and it’s professionally extracted, cleaned and dried within that 24-48 hour window. After that, or if there’s any sewage or musty smell, replacement is the safe choice.

Basement carpet is especially vulnerable because below-grade rooms trap humidity and see wide temperature swings, giving mould an easy foothold. When in doubt, replacing flood-damaged basement carpet is almost always cheaper and healthier than fighting a recurring mould problem.

How CarpetExperts helps

We specialize in carpet removal, replacement and installation – the part that gets your basement looking and feeling like home again. On a typical flood job we handle:

• A free on-site assessment of your flood-damaged carpet and subfloor
• Removal and safe disposal of ruined carpet and padding
• Supply and installation of new carpet, including moisture-conscious options suited to basements
• Re-stretching or repair when only part of the carpet was affected

One honest note: if your basement still has standing water or a saturated subfloor, a certified water-damage restoration company should extract the water and dry the structure first. Once it’s properly dry, we step in to remove the old carpet and install your new floor. If you need that first step, we’re glad to point you in the right direction.

Neighbourhoods we serve

Based at 2871 Richmond Rd, we serve homeowners, landlords and property managers across Alta Vista, Barrhaven, Centretown, Gloucester, Kanata, Manotick, Nepean, Orleans, Riverside South, Stittsville, the Glebe and Westboro – many of which were directly in the path of the Canada Day storm.

A quick note on insurance and disaster grants

Many homeowners are asking about the Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians (DRAO) program. As of early July 2026, the City of Ottawa and the province were working to make DRAO available, but it had not yet been formally activated – the city first has to document that the storm was a sudden, widespread natural disaster. When activated, DRAO can help uninsured or underinsured residents recover cleanup and repair costs. Check the province’s disaster assistance page for the latest status, and keep photos and receipts of your flood-damaged carpet, since documentation helps with both insurance and grant claims. (We install carpet – we’re not insurance advisors – so confirm coverage details with your provider.)

Book your free carpet assessment Wet carpet doesn’t get better with time – the sooner it’s out, the lower your risk of mould and subfloor damage. Call CarpetExperts today: 613-920-4558 2871 Richmond Rd, Ottawa, ON K2B 8M5  |  carpetexperts.ca

Sources: CP24 – 4,500 basements flooded, Global News – Canada Day storm, CBC – storm cleanup updates, CTV – 4,500 homes affected, Ontario DRAO program