What Should a St. Petersburg Homeowner Do if a Toilet Leaks?

10/18/2020 (Permalink)

For professional assistance when dealing with a failing sewage drain, call SERVPRO of NE St. Petersburg at (727) 522-0000.

Call SERVPRO for Water Mitigation After a Toilet Leaks in a St. Petersburg Residence

Over time your toilet inside your St. Petersburg can develop a leak, causing numerous issues inside your house. The moisture can leak from the old wax ring that seals your toilet from the sewer drain. From there, water can negatively affect your flooring, subfloor, and structural components underneath your house.

What problems can occur when the wax ring connecting my toilet fails?
If the seal connecting the toilet inside your home in St. Petersburg fails, then water mitigation efforts may be necessary. Our SERVPRO technicians can start by inspecting the building materials in your bathroom to see if there is moisture or damage present. We can then call in a certified plumber to shut off your water, remove your toilet, inspect the wax rings, and verify that the failure is the leak source. The plumber can then replace the wax ring and reinstall your toilet after any restoration work is complete.

How can you tell if my floor and other building materials got wet?
    •    Penetrating Moisture Meter: If your bathroom contains carpet or linoleum, our SERVPRO crew can pound in the probes of this meter to see how much moisture is inside your subfloor or drywall.
    •    Non-Penetrating Moisture Meter: If your bathroom has tile floors, we can use this instrument to tell if water traveled beneath your floor tiles.
    •    Infrared Camera: Using thermal imaging, we can determine where moisture has gone by calculating surface temperature differences between your various building materials.

What do you have to do when dealing with sewage water?
    •    Removal of Porous Items: If any porous building materials or contents contacted the black water coming from your toilet, such as your drywall or a rug, then they must be removed.
    •    Decontamination of Affected Materials: Anything that came into contact with the moisture leaking out of your toilet should be sprayed down with a chemical product like Vanquish.

A leaky toilet can cause many of the structural components in your house to become contaminated. For professional assistance when dealing with a failing sewage drain, call SERVPRO of NE St. Petersburg at (727) 522-0000.