There are some things in life that we don’t want to think about, and toilet water damage in our homes is one of those things.
But, the truth is that toilets do leak and can cause some serious damage to your home. Toilets can get backed up and this might go unnoticed until the toilet floods, causing water damage. Children have been known to play with toilets, clogging them with paper and other materials, causing them to flood. Older toilets can also leak from the base or from the tank, or you might have a “lemon” toilet with a crack that causes a flood. If you suspect that your toilet could be cracked, leaking or damaged, turn off the water and check it out, even if you have to bring in a professional, and if necessary repair or replace the toilet before it causes serious water damage to your home. Inspecting your toilet regularly and finding damage early may save you from having to deal with extensive water damage later.
What You Should Do If Your Toilet Is Flooding
As mentioned, there can be any number of reasons that your toilet is leaking or overflowing.
If you notice a leak or overflow, take a look in the bowl and the tank and see if there is anything you can do to stop the water. For example, you can adjust the float and see if the water level recedes. If the toilet is blocked, try unblocking it with a plunger. Don’t flush the toilet until you are sure that it is unclogged. If you are unable to fix the problem call a plumber to fix the toilet.
Turn the water off the moment you notice the water on the bathroom floor. If it has been leaking for a long time the water may have already seeped into the floor and it could have already done damage to the walls, floor and rooms below the bathroom.
Check the rest of the house (lower floors) for water damage.
Take photos of the damage, this might help you with the insurance company later, and it will also help you when you want to restore your bathroom to its previous state because you might need to remove the floor or the walls to extract the water.
Call a water damage restoration company as soon as possible. It is very important for them to get there before the mold starts forming. They will bring the equipment necessary to dry the water up which will prevent mold from growing and basically save you a lot of money.
Ask them to inspect your home for any water damage that you may have missed.
Has Your Toilet Flooded?
If you have experienced water damage caused by your toilet and cannot deal with it alone, give us a call and we’ll get the job done for you!