Nobody wants to be in your shoes – you’ve just come home to backed-up sewage lines or a flooded basement.  What next?  Here are some practical tips for dealing with sewage and flood damage at your home, from the experts at Tuckey Restoration!

Question for Our Experts

What are some helpful tips for rapid recovery after sewage and/or flood damage has occurred at my home?

Our Experts’ Answer

The Short Answer

Due to its unique health risks, sewage and flood damage clean-up requires professional expertise.  Call for help as soon as it’s safe to do so – and, until the pros arrive, be extremely careful around contaminated areas.

The Long Answer

Raw sewage and flood waters contain bacteria and other micro-organisms which are extremely hazardous to human health.  These can be transmitted by touching contaminated items or by tracking them into uncontaminated areas on shoes.  Children and pets are especially vulnerable.  Frequent hand washing is an important preventive measure.  Absorbent materials such as carpet and drywall may not be restorable after direct contact with sewage-contaminated or flood-contaminated water.  Nevertheless, here are some practical tips for dealing with sewage and flood damage:

DO:

• Treat all water-impacted surfaced and furnishings as toxic, until properly decontaminated.
• Keep children and pets out of contaminated areas.

DO NOT:

• Track contaminated material into undamaged areas.
• Attempt to decontaminate surfaces with sprays and over-the-counter germicidal products which may not fully disinfect surfaces.

The Bottom Line