What To Do If Your Toilet Overflows

4/19/2022 (Permalink)

One of the more common sources of water damage in your home is from an overflowing toilet. They can get clogged, a septic system can stop draining, a sewer line back up could occur, and other causes too. Regardless of the cause it is important to address these issues immediately.

Addressing the source – As soon as you notice that the toilet is overflowing you should shut off the water. If you know the cause of the overflow is a clogged toilet you can try to unclog it yourself with a plunger, but otherwise you should call a plumber to get the source of the unwanted water fixed. Do not try and flush your toilet again until you’re positive that the overflow is fixed.

Water Cleanup – Toilet overflows are a more difficult type of water damage to clean up as the water is often either grey or black water. This is because toilet water often contains sewage and other contaminants that can make you sick.

Special equipment and materials should be used to clean and sanitize the areas affected. These cleanups should always be handled by professionals with the proper gear to make sure that there is no additional contamination and that the cleanup efforts are done in a safe manor. Regular household cleaning materials are inadequate to fully sanitize an area that has been affected by sewage.

Damage Assessment – When it comes to figuring out the extent of the water damage that has occurred there are a lot of factors.

One of the main factors is the materials that were used to build out your bathroom. Different types of flooring are more susceptible to damage. While some floors are able to be dried out if the damage is not significant, it’s possible that the flooring will need to be completely removed and replaced. The location of the bathroom can also affect the damage caused. If the bathroom is on an upper level of the house, there could be damage in between the floors or even in the ceiling of the level below. Additionally, if the source of the damage was grey or black water, much of the items that have absorbed any of the water should be disposed of.

Dealing with water damage from a toilet can be particularly difficult. You should never try and deal wit these kinds of water damages on your own as it can pose a risk to your health. Call SERVPRO of Richmond and SERVPRO of Henrico and let our team of highly trained water damage mitigation professionals handle it.