Plumbing Tips | June 7, 2022

The Ultimate Guide To Flooded Bathrooms!

The Ultimate Guide To Flooded Bathrooms!

It’s never good to have to deal with the aftermath of a flooded bathroom. The damages can be substantial and it can be time consuming to clean up. That’s why it’s important to be aware of what causes bathroom flooding and how to take care of it.

What Causes A Flooded Bathroom?

Clogged Pipes

Clogged pipes are one of the main causes of a flooded bathroom. If you flushed something down your toilet that you weren’t supposed to, this can cause the toilet to clog. Ofter people will try to flush again once the toilet becomes clogged, and this can lead to the toilet overflowing. The flooding can also come from your shower or sink drain. Hair is one of the most common things that will clog a drain. Water not being able to drain will cause these drains to overflow.

clogged toilet

Sewer Backups

Flooding from a storm can make its way into your bathroom through your sewer. This will happen if your sewer gets backed up. Sewers can get backed up from tree roots, clogs, and cracks in the pipe.

Plumbing Malfunctions

There are many plumbing fixtures located in your bathroom. At some point in time, these are bound to malfunction or break. This can happen from not using them properly, or just normal wear and tear. It’s also more likely for this to happen when you have cheaply made appliances or they were incorrectly installed.

Damages A Flooded Bathroom Can Cause

Wall Water Damage

A flooded bathroom can cause water damage to your walls. It is common for this to happen since plumbing fixtures are up against the walls of the bathroom.

Water damage on walls from flooded bathroom
Water damage on walls

Ceiling Water Damage

If your bathroom is located on the second floor, the water can spread to the lower floor’s ceiling. Most likely if the water has been left to soak long enough for it to reach the ceiling, water damage will occur.

Bathroom Floor Water Damage

Whether it’s tile, laminate, or hardwood flooring, this much water will be dangerous to your floors. How to handle water damage on your floors will be different for each type of flooring.

Water damage on bathroom floor from flooded bathroom
Water damage on bathroom floor

Baseboard Water Damage

If your floors have obtained water damage, it’s likely your baseboards will obtain damage as well. If the water was anywhere close to your baseboards, you need to inspect them too.

How To Fix A Flooded Bathroom

Turn off the Water

If you have a leak somewhere in your home, you don’t want it to keep spreading. Before you can clean up the water and prevent water damage, you need to make sure there is no more water leaking in your bathroom. Turn off your water to prevent this from happening.

Where is my main water shut off valve - main turning off valve to main water line
Main water shut off valve

Turn off the Electricity

Because of how water affects electrical outlets, it’s best to be on the safe side and turn off your electricity. It’s possible that the water got close to electrical outlets and you need to stop this from creating a danger as soon as possible.

Fix the Problem

If you have a flooded bathroom, there is a cause to this. If you haven’t already fixed the issue, now’s the time to do it. Before you can ensure you won’t have this issue again, you need to find out what caused it.

faucet repairs

Take Photos

Floods can be a big hazard as well as very damaging to your home. Taking photos before cleaning the mess is an essential step when it comes to reporting the potential damage to your insurance or plumbing company.

Soak Up the Water

Depending on how much water there is, you may need to use a shop vac to soak some of the water up. Once there is no longer a lot of standing water, use towels to soak up the rest. Make sure the floor is as dry as you can get it with the towels and rags.

Dry the Area

Once you’ve dried up as much water as you can, use a dehumidifier and fans to complete the drying process. This will help dry up water that has made its way into any cracks or crevices in your floors, baseboards, or walls.

Repair Any Damage

The damage can be caused to your floors, baseboards, walls, or ceilings. This can be fixed yourself, but we recommend calling a professional to help. Because of the severity of a flood and the damages it causes, the repairs can be very difficult.

Final Thoughts

A flooded bathroom can be very stressful and can create many problems. Luckily, there are steps in place that are proven to reduce the risk of water damage. Doing these steps carefully and as quickly as possible will help keep you and your home safe. Call your local plumber to inspect your home for any unknown leaks or water damage.

Call 1-Tom-Plumber

Don’t hesitate to contact us here or call us at 1-Tom-Plumber (1-866-758-6237) if you have water damage in your home. 1-Tom-Plumber’s certified team of plumbers and drain technicians respond immediately to any emergency plumbing, drain cleaning, or water damage problem. We also handle the excavation of underground water lines and sewer main lines. Our immediate-response team is available every day and night of the year, even on holidays.

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