What to Know About Sewage Backup Cleanup to Minimize Loss, Costs & Stress
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Repairs and Restoration for Your Seward Backup Cleanup Based on IICRC Water Damage & Mold Remediation Protocols
What You Should Know About Sewage Backup and Sewage Backup Cleanup
No one ever wants to experience a toilet, sink, bathtub or shower overflowing with water from the sewer. Just the thought of it is repulsive enough. But what you learn about sewer backups on this page can keep you and your family safe from bacteria and mold that thrives in contaminated water. It can also save you considerable costs and reduce your stress when you learn how to take the right action steps and in the right order.
Call a Good Plumber
With a backup of sewer water, avoid using any of your plumbing until you are directed to do so by your plumber.
Contact Your Insurance Company
Initiate a claim and tell them you need immediate assistance with flood damage from backed up sewage.
Call a Water Damage Company
Ask the insurance company for recommended water damage professionals. Often they will send someone and pay 100% of the charges.
An overflowing backed up toilet is not necessarily due to a whole house backup of your sewer. Usually a toilet can be unclogged with a plunger before it creates an overflow problem. A sewage backup on the other hand is a plumbing emergency. It occurs when water is pushed backwards from pipes in the sewer or from a drainage system.
Sewage backups can be a problem for your home only or for an entire community when the public wastewater system is involved. With a whole house backup, toilets throughout your home will not flush. There may be a bubbling sound from the pipes and a bad odor. Flooding may occur from backed up sewage overflow or during attempts to clear the obstruction.
Facts About Sewage Backup
- Clean water that overflows a toilet, sink or bathtub is not necessarily a sewage backup event. Prompt response is the key to minimal repairs and restoration.
- A clogged toilet is commonly caused by excessive toilet paper or flushing wipes, pads or tampons down the toilet.
- As a property ages, soil around plumbing under or outside of the home can shift. This can cause a back pitch in the pipes and reverse the flow of contents.
- Water that overflows from the sewer, is a sewage backup flood regardless of whether the water appears clean or dirty.
More About Sewage Backup Cleanup
Sewage Backup cleanup will generally depend on these four important factors:
Type of Water
An overflow from plumbing can be clean or dirty. This will determine the flood damage classification and type of repairs and restoration required.
Extent of Damage
The amount of damage to building structures, materials and personal items will determine costs and the length of time to restore your home.
Length of Time
A shorter response time can limit the growth and spread of microbes and mold that will cause more damage.
Probability of Mold Damage
A sewer backup flood is classified as a category 3 or 4 if the overflow water comes from the sewer or drainage system. This type of damage will require mold remediation.
When it comes to sewage backup cleanup, you can trust Armstrong as an experienced, licensed and certified provider of water damage mitigation, mold remediation and restoration services. Here’s what you can expect:
- Our immediate goal upon arrival is the safety of your family and pets. At no cost to you, we begin a thorough analysis of your problem as well as the extent and duration of your flood damage. If needed, we help you to get immediate assistance from a reputable plumber.
- Once you choose us for your sewage backup cleanup services, we act as your insurance advocate to determine your coverage and assure maximum claim reimbursement based on your policy, claim and our analysis.
- Our adherence to IICRC protocols means that we follow industry and insurance approved protocols that specify how to safely contain and manage your category of flood damage.
- We help you find suitable accommodations when staying in your home is unsafe or impossible.
- We promptly remove porous building structures that are affected by flood water. This is likely to include carpets, wood and laminate flooring, drywall and baseboards.
- We bring in high power industrial fans and dehumidification equipment to begin the structural drying process. This prevents damage and mold growth in building structures that can be salvaged.
- We monitor the extent of moisture daily through instruments that provide accurate measurements for determining when drying and dehumidification can be discontinued.
- We inspect for visible signs of mold growth.
- We make every attempt to save building structures that can be adequately dried and restored. We restore furnishings and personal property that can be safely salvaged.
- Your job may involve other specialty contractors. We work cooperatively with them to assure that your job is done safely, efficiently and cost effectively from start to finish.
- If there is any question about the need for mold remediation, we recommend testing from a certified and unbiased environmental company who are specialists in mold analysis and testing.
- Our actions are swift, responsible, cost effective and safe to get your property managed and restored to a better than new condition.
- You have your own personal account representative to answer your questions, keep you informed, act as your advocate and help you to make decisions related to repairing, remediating and restoring your home.
Sewer Backup Cleanup Frequently Asked Questions
How is an overflowing toilet and a sewage backup different?
An overflowing clogged toilet and a whole house backup of your sewer into one or more plumbing fixtures are not the same thing and require different management. Usually, you can manage the clogged toilet with a plunger and seldom is the cleanup extensive. You may need the services of a plumber to snake the line if you cannot release the obstruction. A sewage backup, on the other hand, is a plumbing emergency. It occurs when water is pushed backward from pipes in the sewer or from a drainage system. It can be a problem only in your home or affect entire neighborhoods when the public wastewater system is the cause.
What are common causes of a sewage backup?
A sewage backup is more likely to be the result of an obstruction or back pitching of plumbing pipes that may be inside or outside of your home. It may be the result of a problem with the public wastewater system and affect an entire community.
What should I know about flooding from a sewage backup?
A backup of your sewer from any plumbing fixture is the most severe type of water damage based on IICRC classifications that are industry standard protocols. Do not try to mop up contaminated water yourself. You can actually cause more damage and transfer harmful microbes to other areas of your home.
Rapid response to a sewage backup can reduce catastrophic damage and limit the need for extensive remediation and restoration. Rapid water damage repair is the best way to preserve building structures and prevent the formation and spread of mold that can be harmful to health and property.
When do I need sewage backup cleanup?
Professional cleanup for any flood water from the sewage system is highly recommended. Even clear looking sewage water is contaminated with harmful microbes that pose a serious health risk. It also provides an ideal environment for the growth and spread of toxic black mold.
If you think you can manage this cleanup on your own, keep in mind that flood water from your sewer can rapidly produce irreversible structural damage. It penetrates porous building structures and areas hidden from view and provides an optimum environment for the growth of mold. Any mold infestation is associated with serious health risks and will make it difficult if not impossible to sell your property.
High powered industrial equipment is needed to adequately dry, dehumidify, decontaminate and safely restore building structures, furniture and personal items to their pre-damaged condition. Hiring a professional for sewage backup cleanup can often prevent catastrophic damage at a much higher cost to repair later on. This service is performed by a state licensed, insured and certified contractor to assure safe, quality and appropriate intervention.
What can I expect from sewage backup cleanup?
When a sewer backup occurs, the first initial step is to call a reputable and experienced plumber – preferably one who is certified in backups. Then contact your insurance company and initiate a claim. The final step is to call a reputable water damage, mold remediation and restoration company. This is what you can expect from water damage repair, mold remediation and restoration services.
- An assessment is made to determine the extent and location of all areas affected by the sewage backup.
- If it is not safe for people and pets to remain in the property, they are assisted in relocating to temporary accommodations.
- Water is extracted with commercial equipment that can effectively and safely remove large volumes of flood water.
- Porous building structures damaged by the flood water are removed. This may include carpet, wood and laminate flooring, drying, baseboards, cabinets and ceiling tile.
- Whenever possible, solid surface building materials, solid wood furniture, electronics and other personal items are saved through structural drying and decontamination methods.
- When flood damage has persisted beyond 72 hours, it is likely that mold growth has occurred and spread to other locations. One square inch of mold can contain up to 10 million spores. Minor visible mold on the outside may be several times greater on the inside of the wall cavity.
- Mold remediation of the property involves further demolition down to building studs in affected areas. Plastic sheets are used to contain and prevent further spread of mold. Methods to decontaminate and remove mold include air scrubbing, hepa vacuuming and encapsulation. AC ducts are cleaned to prevent further growth and spread of mold.
What is mold cleanup restoration?
After toxic mold or a mold infestation of any type is safely removed through IICRC mold remediation protocols, restoring the property to its pre-damaged condition is the final step. During this phase, All building structures and other materials that were removed during demolition and cleanup are replaced. This may include replacement of flooring, drywall, baseboards, ceiling tiles, ceramic tiles and other affected structures.
Restoration services include cleaning and odor removal for affected furnishings, tile and grout and personal property that can safely be salvaged. AC duct cleaning is also performed to remove mold spores that could spread throughout the home. During this time, the homeowner can purchase and replace discarded soft surfaces such as draperies, pillows, linens, and upholstered furniture.
When should mold testing be done?
Mold inspection and testing by an unbiased licensed and ACAC Certified Indoor Environmentalist company prior to mold remediation is useful to verify the presence, type and extent of mold. These specially trained professionals provide detailed inspection reports that document the source of mold and extent of mold contamination. They also make recommendations for cleanup according to nationally accepted industry standards such as S-520 and S-500.
How do you help homeowners with insurance claims?
We have specialized knowledge and experience in working closely with insurance companies for water damage, mold remediation and fire damage. Because of our ethics and reputation for strictly adhering to IICRC certification requirements, Armstrong is one of only a few water damage, mold and restoration companies to be on the approved and recommended list by some of the leading homeowners’ insurance companies.
We are able to read through the legalese within your policy to determine exactly what is covered as well as the specific terms. We provide your insurance carrier with detailed itemized documents for all damages including pictures and descriptions that accurately define replacement needs and costs. This allows us to work on your behalf to expedite claims and maximize your benefits for covered expenses.
Is sewage backup cleanup covered by insurance?
Although repair of the plumbing is generally not covered by insurance, sewage backup cleanup, repairs and restoration of your property is usually a covered expense. Some insurance companies have a list of approved water damage cleanup providers who follow strict flood classification protocols that safeguard the consumer from unnecessary demolition. When water damage expenses are covered and approved vendors are used, 100% of their fees are covered and paid directly by the insurance company.
Why should I choose Armstrong services?
We are a fully licensed, certified and insured contractor in Florida. For more than three decades, our experience, training and values for integrity, quality, and dependable services have made us a trusted water, mold, fire and restoration contractor.
Unlike some of our competitors, we follow IICRC standards to assure safe and appropriate practices. This means that customers are not overcharged for unnecessary and costly demolition and restoration of their property. We are one of a few trusted residential contractors for water damage, mold remediation, and restoration services by leading homeowner insurance companies.
When you contact Armstrong Water Mold Cleanup & Restorations, it will take the burden off you to figure out what is needed and at what time. We provide you with a free inspection and estimate, identifying the cause and classification so that the correct procedures can be implemented promptly. We also help you with insurance claims, assist you in finding suitable accommodations, and help you to obtain reputable plumbers, roofers, and other trades or companies that provide services needed in your flood damage repair and restoration.
We respond 24/7 within a 2-hour response time to water damage and mold service calls within Southwest Florida. The inspection and estimate are free. We stand behind all of our work with an unconditional guarantee for quality, workmanship and dependable service.
What are the areas where you provide services?
Our service areas span all of Southwest Florida. This includes Marco Island, Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero, Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, N. Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Sanibel Island, Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte and other inland areas of Collier, Lee and Charlotte Counties.
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