Nothing makes you groan in frustration more than a flooded bathroom. You open your bathroom door or see water leaking out of the bathroom door. Now what?
A flooded bathroom needs to be dealt with ASAP. This is because flooded bathrooms can be dangerous for your home and health. Water damage not only ruins your home’s structure, due to higher concentrations of bacteria in your bathroom (and the pipes leading to and from), they can make you sick.
If you come home or wake up to find your bathroom’s overrun with water, here are some steps you can take to mitigate the damage and the cost to repair your bathroom.
Make sure it’s safe
A bathroom can be an electrical danger zone. Plugged in hair dryers and other appliances can turn a flood from a nuisance to a deadly room. Add water to unseen electrical issues in the walls and Also, if the flood has been going for eight hours or more, and is on the second floor, it might not be structurally safe to enter due to a risk of collapse.
Plus, if the water’s been stagnant for a while, for instance if you were on vacation when the flood happened, there might be mold that you don’t want to breathe in. Know before you go. If you think electricity is a factor, shut off power to the bathroom BEFORE you enter! Then, unplug and remove appliances and move them away from the flood zone.
Shut the water off.
Identify the water source. Is it a flooding toilet, sink, or tub? Once you know where the water’s coming from, go to the shutoff valve (the oval-shaped plug under sinks and behind toilets) and turn it clockwise. This will shut off the water and keep the problem from getting worse.
Seal the leak
If you can identify the leak, temporarily seal it with some duct tape or epoxy before having it professionally repaired.
Clean up and assess the damage
Then, it’s the least fun part: cleaning up the mess. First, assess the damage and, if necessary, file a claim with your home insurance provider. Then, lay down some towels to absorb the leak for a smaller flood and break out the wet vac if it’s really bad – think ankle deep.
If your bathroom flooded and it’s time to remodel, contact us today for a free-in-home consultation. While you wait, get a free estimate now! Turn lemons into lemonade by installing a tub-to-shower conversion or a walk-in bathtub that will make bathing more convenient and will last for years to come.