How Your Toilet Can Damage Your Hickory Home

10/19/2021 (Permalink)

If your toilet isn't properly maintained, you can have water damage and other issues!

Loo. John. Commode. Whatever you call it, the toilet is an important feature in every home, yet most homeowners aren’t aware that these fixtures can cause a lot of damage. In fact, toilet-related damage can be some of the most expensive kinds of water damage to clean up and restore. That’s why it’s vital to understand how yours can create a disaster in your home. As your local cleanup and restoration professionals, our team here at SERVPRO of Alexander, Caldwell, Burke and Catawba Counties is sharing some of the ways your toilet can damage your Hickory, NC home.

Toilet Overflow

Nothing makes your stomach sink more than a toilet that backs up and overflows. While this can sometimes be a minor issue, it can also become a much larger problem. In situations where it’s only a low volume of clean water, you can likely dry it up yourself. But if there’s a lot of water or it’s contaminated (i.e. you just used it), that’s where you have a problem.

For starters, dirty toilet water contains bacteria, which we strongly recommend you call a professional to clean up. Even if you’re not worried about touching your own waste, the remaining bacteria can thrive and cause future health effects for you or your family if it's not properly cleaned up.

The other problem is that even if the water is clean, it can be too much for someone to handle if there's enough of it. Water will enter porous materials like drywall, which can cause them to warp and/or hold the moisture and foster mold growth. So even if the water appears to have been dried, it can eventually become a problem.

Toilet Leak

Your toilet isn’t likely to last forever. Like most things in your home, they eventually wear out and parts can fail. Whether it’s from the base, the supply line, or anywhere else, a toilet can cause a lot of water damage, especially if it goes unnoticed for an extended period of time. While this water is generally potable, it still poses a major threat to your home in the form of structural damage and mold growth.

Sewage Backup

Nobody wants to discover their main sewage line clogged and backed up their toilet. Yet this is a problem that plagues many homeowners each year. Like any case involving biohazardous materials, professional cleanup is required because they pose a major health risk. In addition to sewage cleanup, there will likely need to be extensive restoration work, depending on the extent of the damage.

Prevent Toilet-Related Damages

As we’ve demonstrated, your home’s toilet can be a potential source of unwanted damage. Because we often take these fixtures for granted, it’s important you remain alert to any changes and perform routine maintenance. But if your Hickory home does have a disaster, be sure to call our team here at SERVPRO of Alexander, Caldwell, Burke and Catawba Counties!