What to do when you have a sewage leak!

1/31/2017 (Permalink)

It’s late at night. The rain has been coming down for what seems like hours. Your toilet is flushed as lightning splits the sky, and suddenly you have sewage backing up in your home, onto your carpet, under your floors. This is not a dream….This is a NIGHTMARE! This is actually a reality for some. Half awake, dealing with an emergency what are you going to do? What can we salvage? What is safe to touch? First thing is first, sewage can be very dangerous. The most common negative factor in sewage is hepatitis B. This little thing can remain outside a living body for up to 50 days and cause a host of health issues. So the cleaning of your home or office must be done right, and done fast.

There are many items that can be cleaned by a professional from a sewage loss. Here is a Short list of what cannot be saved:

Some Electronics – Depending on the type and how far the contamination went down into the item will come into play. You cannot wipe off just the outside and say it is good to go. If sewage comes in contact with a power cord or a small transfer box it should be replaced. If the item is not replaced the contamination will fester inside and could cause a major fire hazard. This is a very serious issue that should be handled by a professional.

Soft Goods/Certain Textiles – Some can be cleaned depending on the material make, age and contamination level. Certain items like pillows or stuffed animals will need to be dissembled, filling removed, exterior cleaned and put back together with clean materials.

Engineered Wood/ Press wood - Any wood item that has been modified where contamination has come in contact with an unfinished surface cannot be cleaned. This is due to the many cavities that pressboard and engineered wood have. Natural/Solid wood can be treated and sanded to remove the affected areas, then re-stained to match existing colors.

Carpet/Pad – If at any time there was sewage that soaked through to the carpet or pad, the area must be removed! There is no way to guarantee that the carpet and pad are fully decontaminated.

If there are any questions, Please call your local SERVPRO and we will help.