Toilet overflow - -help!

[Minnie_me]

My DD12 was home alone when the toilet overflowed. The room next to the bathroom is carpeted, and although she did a great job mopping up on the bathroom floor........the carpet was soaked when I got home. I soaked up as much as I could with towel after towel after towel. But still, if I put a towel down now and press on it, I'll get more water! I can't pull the carpet up.....it is glued down tight. I put the dehumidifier and a fan next to the spill.

I just think that there's no way this won't end up ruining my kitchen ceiling, right?

 

[jrmasm]

Do you have a shop vac?

 

[Minnie_me]

Do you have a shop vac?

Yes, there was one in the basement when we moved in, but it says "dry vac" on it, so I'm assuming I can't use it.

(these are the days when I wish I had a husband - lol!)

 

[jen1977]

Do you have a carpet cleaner?

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Hair dryer, leaf blower, um....... All I can think of

 

[Happy 2 B Me]

With care pull the carpet up ---. Make sure to get up all the area that is wet. Please include the padding when doing this. Let me stress to take care so you do not rip the carpet or the padding. Some padding is glued down so that might not be able to be saved. You can replace that when you lay the carpet back down. Place something so that the carpet is held up and place a fan ot better yet two so the air circlulates under the carpet. Doing this will save you floor layment also. If the toilet overflowed before it was flushed completely you can get an enzyme treatment that will take care of odor and anything else. Check with your nearest cleaning supply store. Good luck and bless our kids they do the best they can. Guess I need to show the 5 and 8 year old grand kids how to turn off the water to the toilet. They have gotten it close before -- then they call me and ta da I take my wand in opps I mean plunger and take care of business-- Sorry just had to Now get going ---- no time to spare.

 

[Bonniec]

Do you have insurance?


We are renters and the last house we were at, the toilets (both of them) over-flowed soaking everything. There was some leak out in the yard that caused a backup. I didn't think it was THAT big of a deal. The floors were soaked and botth of the walls a bit. But apparently it was a huge deal with mold risks (so they said).

For US, it was a huge inconvenience but the homeowners made out. People came in with these huge dehumidifiers for days and then redid all floors and walls and it was covered on insurance. We ended up having to hotel it all week (on our expense). Kind of sucked for something we didn't do. Anyway, just thought I would mention it all.

 

[manning]

Yes, by all means contact insurance co.

 

[trip]

Do you have insurance?


We are renters and the last house we were at, the toilets (both of them) over-flowed soaking everything. There was some leak out in the yard that caused a backup. I didn't think it was THAT big of a deal. The floors were soaked and botth of the walls a bit. But apparently it was a huge deal with mold risks (so they said).

For US, it was a huge inconvenience but the homeowners made out. People came in with these huge dehumidifiers for days and then redid all floors and walls and it was covered on insurance. We ended up having to hotel it all week (on our expense). Kind of sucked for something we didn't do. Anyway, just thought I would mention it all.

Wouldn't renters insurance cover your living expenses?

 

[gratefulfred]

With care pull the carpet up ---. Make sure to get up all the area that is wet. Please include the padding when doing this. Let me stress to take care so you do not rip the carpet or the padding. Some padding is glued down so that might not be able to be saved. You can replace that when you lay the carpet back down. Place something so that the carpet is held up and place a fan ot better yet two so the air circlulates under the carpet. Doing this will save you floor layment also. If the toilet overflowed before it was flushed completely you can get an enzyme treatment that will take care of odor and anything else. Check with your nearest cleaning supply store. Good luck and bless our kids they do the best they can. Guess I need to show the 5 and 8 year old grand kids how to turn off the water to the toilet. They have gotten it close before -- then they call me and ta da I take my wand in opps I mean plunger and take care of business-- Sorry just had to Now get going ---- no time to spare.

you have to pull it up and get air and a dehumidifier running around under it and over it. If not you will start to smell mold soon and then you will need to replace it

 

[Bonniec]

Wouldn't renters insurance cover your living expenses?

Didn't have any. Needless to say, we do now

 

[DanicaZARs]

Call a carpet cleaning company. They usually do emergency extractions, enzyme treatments, fans, and dehumidifiers. That's what we do with leaks. I'm a property manager for a 448 unit property. They can pull the carpet and padding for you and usually replace the padding if needed. Good luck!

 

[usnuzuloose]

We are a carpet cleaning company. I would call out a carpet cleaner, not in the emergency hour. If you can wait till tomorrow. It is raw sewage or clean water? Don't panic, how far did the water go?

 

[TLuvsD]

See if the grocery store or hardware store can rent you a carpet cleaner. Get as much water up as you can, use the fan and call the professionals in the am.

 

[usnuzuloose]

Well, need to make sure it is not raw sewage.

 

[Octoberbride03]

Did you call your insurance co?

They should have somebody on standby to do an emergency water extraction. I have a friend whose fish tank literally split open for no known reason. She and her DH were in the room with the tank when the glass went and the water poured out. This was on a Saturday night and they did what could to dry the place out themselves and called the insurance in the morning. Their claims agent said they should have called immediately and they would have sent a fire restoration company right out. I think it was 250 gallon tank so way larger your toilet, but since it is on the 2nd floor and you are worried about the ceiling, you should call ASAP and see what can be done. The sooner you do this the less damage you have.