Sewage Odor Removal in NYC | All Star Restoration

Do You Need This?

Signs and common causes

If any of these sound familiar, call us and we will tell you honestly what you are dealing with.

Signs to watch for

A sewage smell lingering after a backup was cleaned
Odor returning despite surface cleaning
The smell strongest near drains or affected materials
A musty, foul odor in a low area

Common causes

Residue and bacteria left in porous materials
Contaminated materials not fully removed
A drain or trap issue
Moisture holding the odor

Why It Lingers

Why does the sewage smell come back?

Air fresheners and fogging cover a smell for a day or two. If the smell keeps coming back, something is still feeding it.

Contaminated material left in place. Drywall, insulation or subfloor that soaked up sewage keeps smelling until it is removed.
Wet framing. Wood that never dried fully keeps growing bacteria and mold.
Humidity in the walls. Sewage that sat for days puts moisture high up the wall, above where the water reached.
Dry traps. A floor drain or a sink nobody uses dries out and lets sewer gas into the room.
Missing or loose cleanout caps on the house trap or main line.
A cracked drain line still leaking inside a wall or under the floor.

How do you find the source of a sewage smell?

We start with moisture readings, not with a sprayer. Wet materials point to where the contamination went. We check the traps, the cleanouts and the drain lines we can see. Then we remove what is contaminated, clean and treat what is left, dry the space and use air scrubbers or a hydroxyl generator for what is left in the air.

We see this most after storm backups in Queens basements, where the water sat for a day or two before anyone could get to it. When sewage has sat in a closed basement for days, the walls can be damp well above the floor. Leaving that drywall in place leaves the smell in place. See what usually has to come out after a basement sewage backup.

Questions

Answers before you call

Why does the sewage smell linger?

Because the bacteria and residue are still in the materials. We remove and decontaminate the source, which is the only way to truly clear it.

Can the smell be fully removed?

Yes, when the contamination is properly extracted, decontaminated, and dried. Masking it never lasts.

There was never a backup, but my basement smells like sewage. Why?

Usually a dried-out floor drain trap, a loose cleanout cap, or a slow leak in a drain line. Pour water into unused drains first. If the smell stays, call a plumber to check the line or us to check for hidden damage.

Will an ozone machine fix a sewage smell?

Not by itself. Ozone treats what is in the air. If contaminated material is still in the walls or floor, the smell comes back once the machine is off.

Sewage Odor Removal in New York