Crawl Space Sewage Cleanup in Buford, GA

Location: Buford, GA

Type of Loss: sewage wastewater damage

Response Time: 30 minutes

Work Area: 1600 square feet crawlspace

Urgent Mitigation Timeline: Two Days

Drying Timeline: Six Days

Provision’s Team Size for this Project: Five Specialists 

The Situation: Broken Drain Pipe with Leaking Sewage in a Crawl Space

The owners of a 1920s bungalow in Buford, Georgia, had noticed a consistent mysterious sewage odor inside their home. They contacted a plumber, who came out and found a leaking drain connection, which he repaired.

The plumber also found that wastewater had escaped from the damaged pipe and contaminated the soil in the crawl space below the house. He referred the homeowners to Provision Property Restoration to address their sewage issue, seeing that the moisture had likely saturated the structure, such as subfloor, insulation, and so on. The homeowner called us that afternoon and we sent out Adam, who arrived within 30 minutes of the initial phone call.

Inspecting the 1,600-Square-Foot Crawl Space

The home had a roughly 1,600 sq ft crawl space where Adam conducted most of his inspection. Working beneath an older home presented several challenges, including limited clearance, exposed soil, aging building materials, and in this case, digging up soil in the crawl space.

Adam used a FLIR infrared camera and Protimeter moisture meter to inspect the floor joists, subfloor, foundation area, and other materials around the plumbing repair. His inspection confirmed that the contaminated soil needed to be removed and that the crawl space required professional cleaning and drying.

Once the homeowner approved the work, Adam called a Provision emergency response crew out and we began the sewage mitigation process that same day in Buford. The homeowner was surprised at the quick process, mentioning that she assumed it would take us several days to begin. However, sewage issues should be handled immediately and all of our teams at Provision regularly deal with these situations, so we keep our local warehouse and vans fully stocked and ready to begin work, usually by the next day. The sooner, the better.

Removing the Contaminated Soil

Three Provision employees worked inside the crawl space to remove the soil and other materials affected by the sewage leak. The crew had to work carefully inside the crawl space area while avoiding unnecessary disturbance to the home’s older brick foundation.

The technicians wore protective suits and other personal protective equipment throughout the cleanup. After removing the contaminated materials, they cleaned and disinfected the affected area to address bacteria, odors, and residue left behind by the wastewater.

Creating a Controlled Drying Environment

Our team then installed heavy plastic sheeting across the exposed ground and around the work area. The sheeting separated the soil from the drying environment, helped control ground moisture, and prevented dirt or remaining contaminants from circulating through the crawl space.

Phoenix commercial air movers were then placed throughout the crawl space to keep airflow going around the area. A Phoenix dehumidifier also removed moisture from the air and helped dry the surrounding area.

The equipment remained in place while the team monitored moisture levels every day. After six days, we completed a final inspection, confirmed that the affected materials had reached the appropriate drying goals, and removed the equipment.

Giving the Homeowners Peace of Mind

The homeowners said when they bought this older home, they had no idea this could be a potential problem. They were very pleased with the coordination that Provision provided with the homeowner and their insurance adjuster. They were also relieved that the problem area was completely fixed, with pictures, readings, and documents to prove it.

By combining plumbing repairs, contaminated-soil removal, professional cleaning, and controlled structural drying, this Buford bungalow was now back to normal. The homeowners could continue living in their home with peace of mind.

For our team, this project was a welcome challenge. Working in a crawl space is difficult on its own. When you add in wearing full protective suits, heavy equipment and tools, and humid Atlanta air, it’s less than ideal. Yet our teams are constantly doing this work every single day all over the north Atlanta region, happy to provide a service that results in satisfied homeowners and business owners.

If you’re dealing with sewage damage problems in your home or business in Buford, GA or any surrounding cities, call Provision today at 678-383-0889.