Maintaining
the integrity of your home after a disaster is a primary concern. Most
disasters leave homes flooded with water, and sometimes the sewage system is
also affected. Leaking sewage can also occur during normal use, if the pipes
are blocked. Obviously, a local plumber would be necessary to help unclog any
piping or drains. When you have this situation, you should contact a company
that is proficient with sewage
damage cleanup Glenview IL since they have the required knowledge and
technology to handle the situation safely.
Sewage
contains several harmful microbes. Salmonella, and E.Colli are some that can be
found in the waste, and they pose a serious health risk. You should not attempt
to handle any sewage damage
cleanup Glenview IL, since you do not have protective clothing, and you run
the risk of spreading the organisms to other areas in the house. The experts
will handle the refuse in a professional manner, reducing the risk of
contaminating other areas.
Sewage also
has flammable gases, and this can cause fire in the house. If you have a burst
sewage main pipe in your area, you should notify the experts as soon as
possible, so they can come to the aid of you and your neighborhood.
SEWAGE PROBLEMS?
Old sewage
systems can sometimes rupture due to worn out piping, and the gases released
can cause respiratory problems. The stench alone can make your home
uncomfortable, and you would find it hard to even have a meal in the house.
Considering all these health risks, you should get in touch with professionals
equipped to handle this situation, as soon as it arises. Any delay can prove to
be detrimental or even fatal to you or your pets. The whole environment becomes unsafe when raw
sewage is sitting around.
The experts,
who are normally available at any time of day or night, will assess the damage
and come up with a quick solution. They will cordon off the area to ensure that
nobody gets access to the dangerous waste. They will then repair the damage,
and sanitize the area, ensuring that it is safe once more. If the waste has
affected other parts of your home, they will perform a thorough cleaning of
furniture, walls, and floors. You should not touch any furniture, or household
items that have been affected by the liquid waste.
GET HELP FAST!
The experts
will do so for you, in a manner that protects your health. By looking at the
business history of the service providers in your area, you will be able to
tell how effective their services are. Good referrals and reading reviews will
give you a good idea on where to start your search. Your local sewage damage cleanup Glenview IL
professionals like The CleanUP Guys would be very happy to assist!
Sherm Here! Found this interesting article on dealing with sewage cleanup in Chicago. This raw untreated sewage can carry a variety of dangerous bacteria. These bacteria can cause bowel problems and other diseases such as Hepatitis, Cholera, Salmonella and other severe illnesses. There are some ways to minimize the possibility and severity of these diseases.
After sewage backup occurs there are some things you can do to protect yourself and your family from contamination. First and foremost, immediately call a certified sewage contamination restorer to begin proper cleaning and disinfection procedures to contain the bacteria. Never try to clean it yourself or touch the sewage with bare hands, always wear gloves and boots. This keeps any cuts or sores from being the avenue for the bacteria to enter your system. Keep children and pets away from the contaminated area until proper restorative cleaning is completed. Through out anything that has had any contact with the contamination, especially food items. Keep any contaminated items away from the mouth, nose or eyes, as these are easy points of entry for the bacteria. Washing hands frequently with an antibacterial soap for added personal protection. If you detect any difference in how you are feeling after the sewage backup, contact your doctor immediately for medical attention.
Sewage Clean Up Chicago
There can be various causes for sewage to backup into your home. Many of these problems you can personally prevent by following a few simple steps. This is true whether you have a septic system or a city sanitary system. One problem can be caused by garbage disposals installed under your sink to minimize the amount of household garbage you have to put in your garbage can. In fact, it is better to put garbage in the cans rather than a garbage disposal. A garbage disposal system cannot be used if you have a septic system unless you want sewage in your home. Even though the food products you put in the disposal are biodegradable, they still leave greases and oils behind that can eventually restrict your waste lines setting the scene for a sewer backup. Putting items in toilets are also big troublemakers. Never put disposable diapers, sanitary napkins, items that belong in your garbage instead of your septic system down your toilet. That too is a roadway to problems. A severe clog and backup will be imminent.
There are other common causes for your sewer or septic to backup. These can happen to either a septic system or city sewer system. Both can be a very costly problem.
The first problem can be a structural defect or failure. These can happen slowly over time causing major damage to your system leading to a major overflow into your home requiring major reconstruction of your system. These defects are caused by slow deterioration of your pipes and access cleanout ports. This type of damage could be from a collapsed pipe, sag in the line, cracks or holes, separated joints or misaligned pipe. If the sewage flow can't go out into the tank or city line, it will come into your house with very unpleasant results.
The second major cause of sewage backflow is tree roots that grow into your sewage discharge lines causing severe clogs. Tree roots can enter the pipe at joints and travel deep into your system causing devastating clogs, again with unpleasant results. As the roots grow the damage becomes more severe and replacement of the pipe is the only repair.
The third problem can occur to either type of system. In the event of heavy rains, like we all just encountered, the water table can get so high that your septic system has nowhere to go but into the lowest level of your house. If you have sanitary sewers you can have a similar problem. These flooding rains overwhelm the city sewer systems causing them to flood and force the backflow of sewage into your home, sometimes under heavy pressure making the damage worse.
If you have a city sanitary sewer system there is one sure way to prevent the high-pressure flooded backflow of sewage into your home. There is a valve called a backflow preventer that is a critical way to protect your home from sewage backflow.
What is a sewage backflow preventer you ask? Simply put, it is a valve that lets your wastewater out of your house into the city sanitary system, but shuts if the pressure tries to force the sewage back into your home due to some type of malfunction somewhere down the line. It is relatively inexpensive to install and should be a required part of every city system. In some towns in this country, it is now mandated that one of these backflow preventer valves be on every city line attached to your home. This valve is for city sanitary sewers only and will not work on a septic system since there is no backpressure.
If you are unfortunate enough to have a sewage backup, it is best not to try to clean it yourself. A certified water damage black water removal specialist should be called to restore your home to a healthy condition and not create undo contamination to other areas of your house. This creates a major health risk to your family and can make your problem much worse instead of better.
Check with your insurance company. Some homeowner policies cover such a loss that can save you thousands of dollars and secure the safety for your family. A sewer backup is restored much differently that a clean water loss. The certified professional cleaners have the training and experience to properly care for the welfare of your home and family.
My name is Bruce Jackson, author of this article. I have been in the cleaning industry for over 35 years and am owner / operator of my company, Jolly Carpet & Upholstery Cleaners, Inc. of Jackson, New Jersey. We clean all types of carpet, fabrics and hard surfaces. Please visit our website for a wealth of information or to get any of your fabric, carpet or grout care questions answered. [http://www.jollycarpetcleaners.com]
Sewage Clean Up in Chicago IL and the Health Concerns
Sherm Here! A great read if you are dealing with Sewage Clean up in Chicago IL If you are going to attempt to clean up sewage your self, you may want to understand the diseases that may be included in the sewage.. Diseases such as Allergic Alveolitis, Weil's disease, Hepatitis, Occupational Asthma, Gastroenteritis and AIDS maybe found in any sewage situation including the one you see right now.
These diseases will create serious health issues and possibly death. Unless you have OSHA blood borne pathogen training and have the correct personal protective clothing required under the OSHA blood borne pathogen rule, it may not be advisable to clean up the sewage yourself. You may want to contact an IICRC certified professional to clean up the sewage damage areas and protect your family and your health.
Correct personal protective clothing, otherwise known as PPE clothing does not guarantee that wearing PPE will prevent catching any diseases. But a trained person wearing PPE will have a low possibility of contacting any diseases. The following are examples of PPE's:
1. Eye and face protection- It is recommended that a 95 Niosh organic filter respirator with a full face protection mask be used. The mask needs to be fitted by a registered professional or the mask can not be guaranteed to protect the individual wearing it.
2. Body protection- A tyvek uniform should be worn to separate any possibility of sewage getting on clothes while removing the sewage clean up and sewage damage. Tyvek a brand name of disposable protective uniform that is popular among sewage clean up professionals. While wearing the uniform, it will protect to some degree, but will not be 100% guaranteed protection as the uniform can rip if not careful. The Tyvek uniform should also have a hood to protect any over spraying while working.
3. Feet and hand protection- Rubber boots up to the knee that is puncture resistant. The boots should have steel protection due to the fact that walking into sewage effected areas may have unknown hazards. Your hands should be protected by a puncture resistant glove that reaches beyond your elbows. Hepatitis B and other hepatitis shots should be taken prior to attempting any sewage clean up project.
OSHA Blood Borne Pathogen Rules: required clothing is essential in protecting anyone dealing with sewage clean up situations. Many individuals assume that they don't need the protective equipment because they know the individuals in the home where the sewage damage was created. Assuming this concept has sadly infected many people who have cleaned up their own sewer back up situations.
If you attempt to perform the cleaning of the sewage damage yourself please beware the above advice does not guarantee your safety or health in any way. It is suggested that an OSHA certified blood borne pathogen trained company perform the sewage clean up. Remember to always check there certifications if hiring a company.