When the Bowl Runs Over

1/8/2018 (Permalink)

The scene caused by an overflowing toilet is all too familiar to many Towson North, MD business owners. If you're reading this, you have probably stopped the flow coming from the flooded toilet. If not, commercial toilets usually have a shut-off valve that you can locate and use a screwdriver to activate. If you can't find it, a sewage company should be able to stop the water easily. Act quickly, because this kind of sewer damage can cause:

• Health hazards
• Facility water damage
• Lingering bad smell
• Secondary damage

Immediate Action

Your first step should be identifying the problem. Most situations involving sewer damage are far from pretty, but some are worse than others. If there's a presence of feces, for example, you should take extra care if attempting cleanup. If you aren't going to handle the problem yourself, you should ideally rope off the whole bathroom until help arrives.

Secondary Steps

After you determine the nature of the issue and take protective measures, it's time for cleanup to be performed. It's also important to make sure the area is completely sanitized and dry during this stage to prevent issues later on from lingering pathogens or high humidity.

Other Causes

Sometimes, damage outside of your facility can cause backflow that pushes material back through the lines. While this is less common cause of flooding than a clogged toilet or broken fixture, it does happen. Contact your utility company in cases like this as soon as possible. They are likely to have specific advice for Towson North, MD businesses in your situation.

Nobody wants to deal with a gurgling toilet, but this problem is an unfortunate fact of doing business. Sewer damage might come from inside or out of your building, but either cause needs to be dealt with as soon as possible. It's a good idea to prevent long-term issues and potential liability by dealing with all water issues decisively.
 Visit http://www.SERVPROofhuntvalley.com for more information on commercial water damage.