What To Do When a Toilet Overflow Affects Multiple Floors

9/25/2019 (Permalink)

Toilet water is Category 3 water

What To Do When a Toilet Overflow Affects Multiple Floors

The only thing worse than dealing with sewer damage on one of the floors of your commercial property in Lizard Lick, NC, is facing damage on two floors of your commercial property. Here's what to do when an overflowing toilet threatens to flood a second floor.

1. Call for Backup

All flood water isn’t created equal. It's generally classified into three groups:

Category 1: Clean water, likely from a broken supply line, that holds no threat of contamination.
Category 2: Water that's used in appliances and equipment, rendering it mildly contaminated.
Category 3: Highly contaminated water that may contain sewage, bacteria, or other toxins.

Toilet water is Category 3 water, which means that you should resist the urge to start cleanup on your own and instead call a water mitigation company immediately. Once you've made those arrangements, call your insurance company.

2. Stop the Water

While you wait for help from sewer damage professionals, your first job is to stop the flow of water by turning off the toilet's supply valve. Then, try to contain the water if you can, getting as much water off the floor as possible, being careful not to make direct contact with it. The goal is to stop as much water as you can from making the jump to the floor below.

3. Remember That Subfloor Damage May Not Be Visible

If the ceiling of the floor below the overflowing toilet shows even the slightest sign of water damage, that means water breached the barrier between floors and you need professionals to get in there, see just how much got wet, and carefully remove it. Resist the temptation to simply paint over water marks on the ceiling and call it a day. Wet building materials, if left unattended, may harbor mold or become structurally unsound and unsafe.
A flooded toilet doesn't have to spell disaster for your commercial space. Minimize the threat of sewer damage and unsafe working conditions by enlisting the help of an experienced sewage company for cleanup and restoration.