We have all been there. That unsettling feeling of watching the water rise up towards you when you flush the toilet. Many toilet backups or clogs are easy to fix with a plunger or alternative method and don’t result in overflow or water damage.
Every once in a while, unfortunately, you may find yourself with a more severe backup resulting in water flooding in your bathroom and spreading to other areas of your house.
When this happens most homeowners go into a panic. What can they do? How do they stop it?
If you can think and act fast enough, you can minimize the damage with these steps.
- Turn off the water- Do you know how to turn off your main water line? Identifying where this is located and knowing how to shut your water off now, could save you in the future.
- Clear out the clog- You can try doing this with a traditional plunger or snake. Sometimes when clogs are severe you will need to call in professional help.
- Remove standing water and waste- Speaking of professional help, the clean-up process is just as important as unclogging the toilet. Taking too long to clean up and dry affected areas or doing so improperly can have consequences. Toilet backup can cause serve water damage and often can contain contaminated and dirty water which must be treated properly.
- Dry out affected floors, walls, and cabinets- even though an area looks clean, it could still be wet under the surface. This can lead to structural damage and mold growth.
Since this incident was caused by the toilet, your first instinct may be to call a plumber. While you may need a plumber to deal with any ongoing clogging issues, the real help you need will be from a home restoration company. For water damage repair in Springfield, Ohio Reliant Restoration is standing by with emergency restoration services.