Domestic Disasters: What To Do When Plumbing Problems Turn Into Water Damage

When it comes to problems with the plumbing, the worst case scenario has got to be water damage caused by a flooded bathroom or overflowing toilet, especially if the water is unclean and has run through multiple rooms, damaging ceilings and dripping through to the floor below. Don’t panic! While we can’t make your insurance company pay out, we can help home-owners tackle the marks left behind by water damage with DIY and a little decoration. Whether you’ve had your own plumbing disaster or you’re renovating a property scarred by someone else’s, help is at hand.

On the scene

When the worst happens, find the stopcock and call a drainage company. If you can’t stop the flow, elevate valuable items which will be damaged, such as wooden furniture, soft furnishings and electricals, and use absorbent materials such as sheets and towels to stop the water getting any further. Fill any receptacle you have to hand, and if you can, build a barrier of absorbent materials around the spill until help arrives. If you have any working drainage points, bail water from the failing appliance into a working one, for example scooping water from a backed-up sink into the bath. The last resort is to try and block the flow directly using a plug or a damp cloth, balled-up: this might save your ceilings while damaging pipes, so proceed with caution.

After the flood

Once the root cause has been identified and tackled by a reputable drainage company, there’s not much you can do until the water has dried. Use this time to wipe down and dry any items of furniture which were caught in the flood, and put sheets and towels through the wash on the hottest setting they’ll bear. Provide ventilation by opening the windows, put on the heating, and remove what water you can with absorbent materials. Treat damp patches with anti-bacterial and anti-fungal sprays, to stop the warmth and damp breeding anything nasty while you’re waiting for things to dry out.

For bigger spills, some hardware shops will rent you a dehumidifier, or even a pump to get rid of more than a few inches of water. Run a dehumidifier, open your windows, and keep the affected rooms as hot as you can get them until things dry out. If you have a lino floor or carpet tiles, take them up and wash and dry them, and don’t re-lay them until things underneath are dry. Put down anti-fungal and anti-bacterial powder when you do. Take up any rugs, and if you can, take up your carpet and hang it outside to increase surface area and speed things up. Finally, don’t repaint any stains until you’re sure the surface is totally dry and the leak won’t reoccur.

Future reference

When you have a real disaster like water damage, there are several things you can learn from your bad luck. The first is that it’s important to take care of your drains and keep an eye on them, before they start backing up. Look into simple drain maintenance and make a schedule. It’s also useful to have a number for a reputable local drain clearance company on hand, so you won’t have to research one in an emergency, risk making a poor decision and contacting a less-than-reputable company who might make things worse!

Author bio

The author is a first-time home owner, writing a renovation diary and blogging about issues including interior decoration, DIY, home bargains and domestic disasters. She visits the Jethrough website to stay current on everything to do with drains and drainage in the  area.