Charleston, WV's #1 Sewage Backup Cleanup Experts

Stop using water first. Every flush, shower and load of laundry adds to the backup. Keep kids and pets away from the area, don't walk through the water, and stay clear if it's near outlets, cords or appliances. Open a window if you can do it without touching the water. Call a plumber to clear the line, then call us at (304) 395-3925. We answer 24/7, tell you what to do while you wait and get a crew moving to your property right away.

It's the cleanup industry's term for the most contaminated kind of water. The IICRC sorts water damage into three categories. Category 1 is clean water from a supply line, Category 2 has some contamination, like washing machine or dishwasher discharge, and Category 3 is grossly contaminated, which includes sewage, toilet backflow from beyond the trap and rising floodwater from rivers and streams. Category 3 means porous materials it touched usually have to be removed, and everything else needs cleaning and disinfection, not just drying.

We don't recommend it. Sewage carries bacteria, viruses and other contaminants, and cleaning it up without protective gear puts your skin, eyes and lungs in contact with it. Household mops and shop vacs spread it around and become contaminated themselves. It's also easy to miss sewage that has wicked into drywall or under flooring. Our crew uses protective gear, containment and commercial equipment, and we disinfect and dry the area so nothing is left behind.

Our crew wears protective gear matched to the job, including gloves, eye protection, respirators, boots and disposable suits when needed. The gear protects our team from contact with sewage and from particles stirred up during removal. We put it on before we enter the affected area and take it off at the containment exit, so we don't track contamination through the rest of your home. You should stay out of the work area while we're cleaning.

Because it's usually the lowest drain in the house. When the sewer line between your home and the main is blocked or overloaded, wastewater takes the path of least resistance and comes up at the lowest opening, which is often the basement floor drain. Common causes include tree roots, grease, wipes and other buildup in the line, a collapsed pipe, or a sewer main that's overloaded during heavy rain. A plumber can run a camera through the line to find the cause.

Age and materials. Many older homes on the East End and West Side were built when sewer lines were made from clay or cast iron. Clay pipe has joints that tree roots can push into, and cast iron can corrode, scale up inside and crack over decades. Both can sag or break as the ground shifts. That slowly narrows the line until a backup happens. If you've had more than one backup, ask a plumber to camera the lateral that runs from your house to the street.

Yes. Heavy rain soaks the ground and some of that water gets into sewer lines through cracks, loose joints and improper connections. When storms dump a lot of rain on the Kanawha Valley in a short time, the extra flow can overload the system and push wastewater back toward homes through the lowest drains. If it happens to you during a storm, keep away from the water and call us. Ask a plumber whether a backwater valve makes sense for your home.

Usually because contamination is still somewhere you can't see. Sewage soaks into carpet pad, the bottom of drywall, insulation and the gaps under baseboards, and those materials keep smelling until they're removed. A sewer smell with no visible water can also point to a broken drain pipe in a crawl space or wall, or a floor drain trap that has dried out and lets sewer gas through. We find the source, remove the contaminated materials, and clean and disinfect what stays.

Porous materials the sewage touched. That usually includes carpet and pad, the bottom of drywall and the insulation behind it, particleboard, wood baseboards, cardboard and some cabinet bases. We generally cut drywall a little above the highest point the water wicked to. Hard surfaces like concrete, tile, framing and many subfloors can usually be cleaned, disinfected and dried in place. We explain what has to go and why before we remove anything, so there are no surprises.

We clean first, then disinfect. Disinfectant doesn't work well on surfaces still covered with sludge or residue, so we remove the waste and debris, clean the remaining hard surfaces, and then apply disinfectant to the floors, framing, walls, drains and fixtures in the affected area. HEPA air scrubbers run during the job to capture particles in the air. Once everything is cleaned and disinfected, we move on to drying, which is the step that keeps mold from following the backup.

Usually once drying is finished, which takes three to five days for most jobs. Removal, cleaning and disinfecting often take a day or two, and drying takes a few more days depending on how much of the structure was wet. A large finished basement or a crawl space can take longer. Repairs like new drywall and flooring come after that and depend on your contractor. We give you a realistic timeline after our first inspection and keep you updated as readings come down.

It depends on your policy. Many standard homeowners policies exclude water that backs up through sewers or drains unless you've added a sewer or water backup endorsement, and those endorsements often have their own limits. Outside floodwater is usually covered only by a separate flood policy. Your insurance company makes the final decision. We document the damage with photos, moisture readings and a written scope, and we help with the paperwork so your claim has what it needs.

Often, yes, if the backup is limited to a basement or one area and you have a working bathroom that isn't affected. We contain the work area so contamination and odor stay inside it, and HEPA air scrubbers help keep the rest of the house cleaner. If the only bathroom is involved, the backup spread into living areas, or someone in the home is very young, elderly or has a weakened immune system, staying elsewhere for a few days is usually the safer choice.

Yes, if the area isn't dried properly. Sewage leaves behind both moisture and organic material, which is everything mold needs, and Charleston's humid summers make it worse. Mold can start within 24 to 48 hours on materials that stay wet. That's why we don't stop at removal and disinfection. We dry the framing, subfloor and concrete with air movers and dehumidifiers, and we check moisture readings every day until the materials are back to normal.

Hard, nonporous items usually can be saved. Things like metal, glass, hard plastic and sealed furniture can often be cleaned and disinfected. Porous items that sewage soaked, like upholstered furniture, mattresses, stuffed toys, cardboard boxes, papers and most clothing, are usually not safe to keep. Some valuable or sentimental items may be worth asking about. We help sort what can be cleaned from what can't, and we photograph and list discarded items for your claim.

A plumber can usually tell you. If only one drain is slow, the clog is likely close to that fixture. If several drains back up at once and the lowest one overflows, the problem is often in the line between your house and the main. If neighbors are having backups at the same time, the issue may be in the public sewer. A plumber can camera your line to find the cause, and you can call your sewer utility if the main is suspected.

Start by keeping things out of the line that don't belong there. Don't flush wipes, even ones labeled flushable, and keep grease out of the kitchen sink. If you have big trees near the sewer line or an older home, have a plumber camera the line and clear roots before they cause a backup. Ask the plumber about a backwater valve if your basement has floor drains. Many homeowners also look at adding a sewer backup endorsement to their insurance.

Yes. We handle sewage cleanup for restaurants, offices, retail stores, apartment buildings and rental houses as well as homes. We contain the affected area so the rest of the building can often stay open or occupied, and we work around your schedule where we can. You get photos, moisture readings and a written scope for your records and insurance. Call (304) 395-3925 any time and we'll get a crew headed your way.