How To Clean Up Sewer Damage

6/29/2021 (Permalink)

Use a sump pump to remove as much water as you can.

The Sewer Cleanup Process

You walk into your home in Round Rock, TX, and immediately you smell it. The telltale odor of sewer backup permeates the air. You find the problem and call restoration experts who specialize in sewer cleanup. After doing so, you should shut off the water and power to the area and then leave the space to keep you and your family safe from the contaminated water. When the professionals arrive, this is the process they are likely to follow.

Containing the Sewage

The first step of the cleanup process is stopping the spread of the contamination. There are several parts to this step:

• Technicians don protective gear to keep themselves safe.
  
• Remove and bag any affected items.
  
• Identify the perimeter of the area the contaminants have reached.
  
• Seal off the area so that microbes and bacteria do not go any further.
  
  

Removing the Water

After the damage from the flooded toilet has been identified and contained, the next step of sewer cleanup is water extraction. Using industrial pumps, technicians remove as much of the water as they can from the area. The faster water is removed, the faster the actual cleaning process can begin.

Assessing Items and Materials

Certified experts are trained to recognize which items can be cleaned and which items need to be discarded. After the water is removed, they discard unsalvageable items and put others aside to be restored.

Drying the Area

At this point, nothing remains that can't be dried and saved, so the intense drying process begins. Technicians increase airflow and use dehumidifiers to completely dry the area and prevent mold growth.

Disinfecting Items and Materials

Even though the area is dry, it is still not clean. Bacteria may still be on the remaining floors and walls, so they need to be professionally disinfected. Salvageable materials and items are restored and returned to the area.

At this point, everything is dry and clean. The sewer cleanup process concludes with walls, floors and other essential items that had to be discarded being replaced.