Sewage and drain backup cleanup in Miami, FL

A backup through a tub or floor drain is the most common way sewage gets into a Miami house, and the old neighborhoods are full of the cast-iron drain lines that cause it. It is category-3 water: everything porous it touched comes out, and the cleanup is done with containment and protective equipment, not a mop.

Say what backed up and where. If it is still backing up, stop using water in the house.

Need a water damage technician? Call 786-822-7015

What happens

• Stop adding water: hold off on flushing, showers and laundry until the line is cleared. A plumber clears the blockage or repairs the line; the cleanup contractor handles what came out of it.
• Containment of the affected area and removal of contaminated water and solids.
• Removal of porous materials the sewage reached: carpet and pad, drywall, baseboards, cabinet bottoms, insulation, contents that cannot be sanitized. They are bagged and disposed of as contaminated waste.
• Cleaning and disinfection of hard surfaces, then drying with equipment as for any water loss.
• Documentation of what was removed and why, for your insurer.

Why Miami's old lines back up

Houses built before the 1970s in the Gables, Shenandoah, Coral Way, and along the older grid have cast-iron drain lines that have rusted from the inside for sixty years. Roots, scale, and collapsed sections cause backups that come up in the lowest fixture, usually a tub. After the cleanup, a camera inspection of the line by a plumber tells you whether this was a one-time clog or the first of many; the line can connect you with a plumber for that.

Septic and storms

South county homes on septic back up when the ground is saturated after heavy rain, and the yard becomes part of the problem. The cleanup contractor handles the interior; a septic company handles the tank and drain field. Do not let children or pets near a saturated drain field.