Every home in the United States has a sewage line, a septic tank, or some other way to remove waste water from the building. This system keeps homes clean and sanitary, but sometimes they can break. When this happens, sewage can overflow and cause flooding in the basement, crawlspace, walls, or lawn. Homeowners can clean up a small spill with a little ammonia-based cleaning fluid and scrubbing, but you should leave a significant spill for the professionals to clean up.
What Can Cause A Sewage Overflow?
The sewage system in most homes is relatively simple, but it has a lot of parts and each one can end up breaking. There are a lot of reasons this can happen.
- Clogs. Toilets can sometimes clog during regular use, but the main sewage lines are usually much better at handling the sewage that flows through them. However, you can clog these main lines by using too much toilet paper at once or by flushing inappropriate items like toys or diapers. Professionals can spot the clog location by seeing which drains still work and which ones back up.
- Tree roots. Homeowners and landscaping contractors need to be careful about tree placement because over time tree root growth can weaken and break cables, pipes, and other underground lines. This is especially likely for sewage lines since sewage contains nutrients that encourage root growth.
- Old pipes. Pipes are designed to last a long time, but nothing lasts forever. Water damage, temperature changes, rust, mold, and other factors can slowly lead to leaky and then burst pipes.
- Gasket seepage. Gaskets connect pipes together and create waterproof seals where they meet, but over time gasket materials can grow brittle and crack, allowing sewage to slowly seep out. This can cause a lot of damage if you don’t catch the leak early on.
What’s Wrong With DIY Cleanup?
Most homeowners would agree that a break or clog in the sewage line needs a professional plumbing service to fix. However, they might not realize how dangerous the sewage water is. Sewage contains active bacteria, parasites, and hazardous chemicals. It encourages mold growth, and certain mold species can cause lung problems with their spores. A DIY cleanup exposes you to all these hazards, and you might not even find all the damage the overflow caused.
Why Professional Cleanup Helps
When you hire a professional cleanup service, you get people who have experience restoring homes and other buildings after serious fire, water, and sewage accidents. You get people who know what to look for and where the damage can hide. You also get people with clean suits, breathing masks, industrial cleaners, and other equipment that keeps them safe.
A serious sewage overflow demands a serious response. Professional services are essential if you want to restore your home to the way it was safely and with no mold, bad smells, or health hazards lingering behind. So if you’re in need of a sewage cleanup and removal service, contact Disaster Response today and we’ll let you know how we can help.
