Sewage flood - how long to sort

paintpot

A rental flat I manage had a major backup of sewage on Friday and the flat is now uninhabitable. A huge build of sewage from the block of flats errupted out of the toilet and due to the tenant leaving for holiday that morning it wasn't discovered until it was seeping out into the hallway late into the evening. The insurance company have been made aware but I am waiting for a loss adjuster to attend.

So right now I don't know what is going to happen next.

I realise the property with need to be treated and the insurer will appoint the necessary company like Chem Dry but I was wondering if anyone can give me any approximate idea as to how long it takes once the ball is rolling to treat raw sewage etc and how they do it.

It was pretty much contained in the bathroom but there was a hell of a lot of water/sewage which has now gone through the floor. It's a Victorian house and the floors are raised so there is a lot of space below the current chipboard floor with the original floorboards lower down then a further cavity.

I know it is a bit like asking how long is a piece of string but are we talking a week, a month, two months.... I need to find the tenant somewhere to live for when they return and I am just wanting to consider the best arrangements for them based on how long they will need to be rehoused as I feel desperately sorry for them. As it's the weekend there is no-one to call for info until Monday.

Any advice please.

It never rains but it pours :rolleyes:

OddjobKIA

to clear the mess about an hour...

to get chem dry to turn up about a week..

to get rid of the smell.about 10 years.......

paintpot

Crikey :eek: Really? Even if it's treated correctly? Surprisingly, it didn't smell that bad when I saw it but ominously the man from Dyno Rod said he hadn't seen anything like it in doing the job for 10 years :eek: :eek: :eek:

I realise the smell is likely to get worse before treated but thought it would be dealt with. It was the lumps of faeces that made me feel sick not the smell as such. It's currently all still festering there as the insurance company said to leave it. :rolleyes:

Any more info anyone please?

Mojisola

When friends had their house flooded this year - river water and sewage - all the doors had to be replaced, all floor coverings torn out, skirting boards thrown out and all wall plaster up to six inches above the flood was taken off. The plaster had dried out very well and my friends hoped it could be left on but the insurance company insisted on removing it because of the sewage contamination.

paintpot

Thank you for that. I have no experience of sewage so I don't know what they can and can't treat. It wasn't high enough to affect plaster much or at least I see no evidence of wet plaster but lots and lots of wood. The skirtings are massive as original features of the house. Its all fallen through the floor and as it's a raised floor the original floorboards are below and it is bound to have run across the flat under the floors I think. It only didn't run into the rest of the house as the bathroom has a step down and is lower than the rest of the house so the water couldn't creep but it will have underneath the floor I think. Can joists etc be treated rather than be replaced.

Anymore thoughts on timescales and comments on above please? Arghhh

webwalker

A lot depends on how badly the ares has been soaked, the sewerage problem is the quickest to clean up. Any real wood will probably be ok so the main structures will be sound. Wayrock flooring will have to be removed as its strength will have been compromised by the water, the same applies to any composite timber like mdf. It's the drying process of the timber that takes the longest time and from a buisiness point of view a balance between revenue lost and replacement costs for woodwork will come into play. Most insurers will go for ripping up the floor boards and renewing them but keeping the joists. Plaster dependant on type a lot of victorian plasters were lime based and are ok to be damp and dry it's what that type of plaster does anyway.

Smell will go within 48 hours of building being dried.

I have worked on these projects ie refurbs after storm / sewerage damage and each building type has its own rules.

BTW The length of a piece of string is twice the distance from one end to the middle.

amcluesent

Looks like the next tenant will have to be Wee Jock Poo-Pong McPlop.

paintpot

amcluesent wrote: »

Looks like the next tenant will have to be Wee Jock Poo-Pong McPlop.

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

wogglemaker

I had a foul water flood many years ago. 4 inches through the ground floor of my property, and a nine month old baby who ended up living with grandparents for three months while the repairs were completed.

having had experience with loss adjusters who have not got a clue in this sort of situation, it may be worth getting a report from the local environmental health stating what work needs to be done!!

My loss adjuster expected me to just repolish my parquet (sp) floor, swimming in """"" and a toddler crawling round . H soon changed his tune after me losing the plot and throwing the report at him.

good luck