While a house fire may be one of the most preventable disasters to happen to a home, a wildfire can be one of the least preventable on a small scale. Prevention of wildfires requires that a large number of people do what they can to make sure that the wildfires that do start are not manmade, but this awareness is only just now starting to catch on. When the fire is creeping toward your home, you are not likely to care what caused it, only what you can do to slow it down and in fact, there are a few different things that you can do to minimize the damage.
You may enjoy living in a more rural area, but you are at a disadvantage when it comes to wildfires because this is where they begin. One of the bad things about living in a rural area is that fire departments are not as prevalent, so the response to your home may not be as quick as you need it to be.
If you are contemplating having a home built for you, have it made of fire-resistant materials. Houses with an exterior made of brick, stone, or even metal will resist catching on fire much more than those that have exteriors made of wood or vinyl siding.
The most important exterior surface of your home is the roof. This is the largest surface area on the exterior of your home and it should be made of fire-resistant materials instead of the traditional wooden or oil-based shingles. Everyone knows that oil catches on fire very easily, so if you live in an area that is prone to wildfires, you may want to have another roofing material put on your home. Something else to do with your roof if a wildfire is nearby is to wet it down with the garden hose. This will give a little extra protection against the firebrands that are being carried in the air by the wind. Wetting the exterior walls of the house and wood decks is also a very good idea.
Do not allow any dead vegetation to build up in the yard. This includes grass cuttings, sticks, dead plants, and leaves. If a wildfire starts before you have a chance to get these dead organic materials cleaned up, all you can do is soak them and the rest of the yard with water via the hose and hope for the best.
Trees should also not be located close to the house, especially if the branches hang over the roof.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of
Texas Water Damage Restoration and
Houston Water Damage Restoration Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Water Damage Prone Areas of the Bathroom
Water damage in the bathroom is some serious business, since it can lower the value of your home significantly if it is not taken care of and also since it causes the bathroom to be unattractive to you and the rest of your family. Structural problems are also a hazard, but in the beginning the damage will only be cosmetic. This is fortunate, since you will be able to notice that there is a problem long before it does any long lasting damage. There are a few things that you can do to watch for water damage occurring to one of the most important rooms in your home.
There are several different junctions of water in your bathroom and they need to be inspected regularly and thoroughly to detect the presence of water damage. These are the sink, toilet, bath tub, and shower.
The shower and bath tub can require some special maintenance and attention. The tiles around the tub may crack over time and if they are, you should replace them and note whether there is any missing grout between any of the tiles. This grout needs to be filled in to keep water from seeping underneath the tile and damaging the wood underneath. Cracked caulking around the joints where the tile meets the walls or the tub needs to be replaced, as well.
The sink should be looked at every time you do a bathroom inspection, as the plumbing underneath could possibly be leaking. The seals in the pipes should be replaced if they are found to be loose or cracked in any way.
The toilet is also a vulnerable area of the bathroom. Any signs of moisture on the floor around the base of the toilet should be paid close attention to and any cracked tile around the base should be replaced. Toilets are notorious for overflowing due to clogs and one of the best ways to prevent this is to not put more toilet paper in it than it can handle at once. Hanging toilet bowl cleansers are also not advised, because these are likely to cause clogging.
Checking out the plumbing inside the walls can be difficult to do, but if you keep an eye out for signs of moisture on the walls and around the floor, you should be able to detect any leaks before they do any great amount of damage.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of
Texas Water Damage Restoration and
Houston Water Damage Restoration Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.
There are several different junctions of water in your bathroom and they need to be inspected regularly and thoroughly to detect the presence of water damage. These are the sink, toilet, bath tub, and shower.
The shower and bath tub can require some special maintenance and attention. The tiles around the tub may crack over time and if they are, you should replace them and note whether there is any missing grout between any of the tiles. This grout needs to be filled in to keep water from seeping underneath the tile and damaging the wood underneath. Cracked caulking around the joints where the tile meets the walls or the tub needs to be replaced, as well.
The sink should be looked at every time you do a bathroom inspection, as the plumbing underneath could possibly be leaking. The seals in the pipes should be replaced if they are found to be loose or cracked in any way.
The toilet is also a vulnerable area of the bathroom. Any signs of moisture on the floor around the base of the toilet should be paid close attention to and any cracked tile around the base should be replaced. Toilets are notorious for overflowing due to clogs and one of the best ways to prevent this is to not put more toilet paper in it than it can handle at once. Hanging toilet bowl cleansers are also not advised, because these are likely to cause clogging.
Checking out the plumbing inside the walls can be difficult to do, but if you keep an eye out for signs of moisture on the walls and around the floor, you should be able to detect any leaks before they do any great amount of damage.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of
Texas Water Damage Restoration and
Houston Water Damage Restoration Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.
Water Damaged Document Tips
Water soaking some of the most important documents in your household can be a real pain and this is most likely to occur during a flood or a hurricane. No matter what stage you are at in life, odds are good that you have some important papers that could make things difficult for you if you were to lose them. This can include bank papers, loan information, warranties on expensive electronics, birth certificates, insurance papers, and anything else that you might need should a legal situation arise. These are often the only copies that we have and in some cases, the only copies that exist of certain documents and safeguarding them and knowing how to go about restoring them is essential.
Unless the documents have been submerged in water for more than two days, there is no real reason for you to go into a panic when rescuing them. The main concern here is that mold will start to grow on them after a couple of days and this is a worst case scenario, because mold loves to eat paper. You need to get the most important documents out of the water first thing and do whatever you can to get the humidity in the home down. Adjust the thermostat to around 65 degrees and keep the house at about this temperature if you can.
Any standing water in your house needs to be gotten rid of as soon as possible. Opening windows and doors should help air circulate and speed up the drying process. This will not only help minimize water damage in the house, but also help prevent mold.
Remove documents from standing water carefully, since they can disintegrate in your hands if you do this incorrectly. Lay them out on a flat surface to dry and most of the time, they should be fine.
Sometimes, however, items that have been under water for a while need to be freeze dried. Wrap these items up in freezer paper and pack them into a box; like sized items should go with other like sized items. Books should be packed with books and loose papers with loose papers. Do a last check of the house and make sure that you have everything that you intend to have restored.
Put your contact information on the outside of the boxes and have them transported to the nearest freeze dry facility.
Unless the documents have been submerged in water for more than two days, there is no real reason for you to go into a panic when rescuing them. The main concern here is that mold will start to grow on them after a couple of days and this is a worst case scenario, because mold loves to eat paper. You need to get the most important documents out of the water first thing and do whatever you can to get the humidity in the home down. Adjust the thermostat to around 65 degrees and keep the house at about this temperature if you can.
Any standing water in your house needs to be gotten rid of as soon as possible. Opening windows and doors should help air circulate and speed up the drying process. This will not only help minimize water damage in the house, but also help prevent mold.
Remove documents from standing water carefully, since they can disintegrate in your hands if you do this incorrectly. Lay them out on a flat surface to dry and most of the time, they should be fine.
Sometimes, however, items that have been under water for a while need to be freeze dried. Wrap these items up in freezer paper and pack them into a box; like sized items should go with other like sized items. Books should be packed with books and loose papers with loose papers. Do a last check of the house and make sure that you have everything that you intend to have restored.
Put your contact information on the outside of the boxes and have them transported to the nearest freeze dry facility.
Waterproof Paint
Water damage to your home can come from all kinds of places, but the most likely cause of interior damage is generally just every day wear and tear from showering, washing clothes, taking hot baths, and cooking on the stove. Even moisture that seeps in the house from outside in the form of humidity can create problems by rusting or decaying building materials and peeling of the many painted surfaces in your home. This humidity can also help with the growth of mold and the growth of other fungi in your home.
You can prevent it, though, in most cases by simply following a few different steps. Using waterproof paint in your home can help tremendously and stop water from infiltrating your walls and ceilings. This will help stop the water from discoloring these items so you will not have to repaint them as often as you would if you used a normal interior paint.
Vapor barriers can be used to coat interior walls and ceilings and keep moisture from getting into these surfaces. When water gets underneath a layer of paint, it creates a pocket of moisture which eventually builds up so much that the paint starts to peel away and become discolored. Waterproof paint does not allow for this. There are both waterproof topcoat paints and primers available for purchase to use in your home.
The best areas to use waterproof paint in if you cannot afford to use it on the whole house right away are the areas that are most prone to exposure to water vapor. This includes the bathroom, kitchen, laundry room, and basement. These areas are the most at risk for coming into contact with large amounts of steam every day. Out of these four areas, the bathroom and kitchen are the most important, since we all have to frequent these two rooms in the home each and every day, often several times a day whether we want to or not.
Using a primer on your wall that is mold resistant is also a good idea in any humid area of your home, since mold is most likely to grow in these areas. Using one that is stain resistant is also a good idea, since water damage will usually lead to discoloration of the wall or ceiling.
High-gloss paint is easy to clean, but unfortunately if the surface you painted it with has many imperfections, each and every one will show up. Semi-gloss paint has less of a shine than high-gloss, but it is much easier to clean up. Eggshell paints and flat paints are the easiest to clean up and are starting to be more popular as higher quality paints with a high pigment content are becoming available in that style.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of
Texas Water Damage Restoration and
Dallas Water Damage Restoration Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.
You can prevent it, though, in most cases by simply following a few different steps. Using waterproof paint in your home can help tremendously and stop water from infiltrating your walls and ceilings. This will help stop the water from discoloring these items so you will not have to repaint them as often as you would if you used a normal interior paint.
Vapor barriers can be used to coat interior walls and ceilings and keep moisture from getting into these surfaces. When water gets underneath a layer of paint, it creates a pocket of moisture which eventually builds up so much that the paint starts to peel away and become discolored. Waterproof paint does not allow for this. There are both waterproof topcoat paints and primers available for purchase to use in your home.
The best areas to use waterproof paint in if you cannot afford to use it on the whole house right away are the areas that are most prone to exposure to water vapor. This includes the bathroom, kitchen, laundry room, and basement. These areas are the most at risk for coming into contact with large amounts of steam every day. Out of these four areas, the bathroom and kitchen are the most important, since we all have to frequent these two rooms in the home each and every day, often several times a day whether we want to or not.
Using a primer on your wall that is mold resistant is also a good idea in any humid area of your home, since mold is most likely to grow in these areas. Using one that is stain resistant is also a good idea, since water damage will usually lead to discoloration of the wall or ceiling.
High-gloss paint is easy to clean, but unfortunately if the surface you painted it with has many imperfections, each and every one will show up. Semi-gloss paint has less of a shine than high-gloss, but it is much easier to clean up. Eggshell paints and flat paints are the easiest to clean up and are starting to be more popular as higher quality paints with a high pigment content are becoming available in that style.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of
Texas Water Damage Restoration and
Dallas Water Damage Restoration Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.
Waterproofing Your Deck
A water damaged deck tends to be an ugly one, as most people know, but waterproofing is not that difficult. Waterproofing your deck is essential if you want it to stand the test of time and seasons that it will go through even after you are gone from the house that you call home. Cracking and warping can occur to any deck, but waterproofing it can help assist you in removing the majority of this risk, since the water sealant will lock out the vast majority of any liquid spilled onto it.
The waterproofing of your deck has to start with a thorough cleaning first. The best time to waterproof your deck is after the deck is first built, but if you do not have this option, then cleaning it off is the first thing that you have to do. Begin by sweeping off all the debris from the deck and removing all furniture from it. A cleaning solution can be bought from home improvement stores. A pump sprayer can be used to apply the solution to the deck. After it starts to foam up, you need to scrub the deck with a scrub brush that has stiff bristles. This will help to remove many of the stubborn stains that might exist like grease or soot. After you are done with the scrubbing part of the project, you can rinse it off thoroughly with your garden hose. When you rinse, wear some eye protection to keep any grit on the deck from getting in your eyes.
After your deck is dry, you can do one of two things. If the wood is relatively new and you think you want a new stain put on it, this would be the time to apply it. If you do not want a new stain on the deck, then this is the time for you to apply the water sealant onto the deck to protect the wood.
Applying the sealer should generally be done with a sprayer or a roller. If there are any puddles of it on your deck, you can remove these by brushing it out evenly. The deck should dry completely in about two days and then you can walk on it safely without having to worry about damaging the sealant.
Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when you apply the sealant. Wearing safety glasses, long sleeves, and some gloves is also a good idea to protect your eyes and skin from it.
Drilling very small holes in areas of the deck that tend to retain water can also help stop the weathering of your deck. Holes as small as 3/16 of an inch to ¼ of an inch are sufficient to drain the water out of these areas and do not tend to affect the appearance of the deck enough to be an eyesore.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of
Texas Water Damage Restoration and
Houston Water Damage Restoration Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.
The waterproofing of your deck has to start with a thorough cleaning first. The best time to waterproof your deck is after the deck is first built, but if you do not have this option, then cleaning it off is the first thing that you have to do. Begin by sweeping off all the debris from the deck and removing all furniture from it. A cleaning solution can be bought from home improvement stores. A pump sprayer can be used to apply the solution to the deck. After it starts to foam up, you need to scrub the deck with a scrub brush that has stiff bristles. This will help to remove many of the stubborn stains that might exist like grease or soot. After you are done with the scrubbing part of the project, you can rinse it off thoroughly with your garden hose. When you rinse, wear some eye protection to keep any grit on the deck from getting in your eyes.
After your deck is dry, you can do one of two things. If the wood is relatively new and you think you want a new stain put on it, this would be the time to apply it. If you do not want a new stain on the deck, then this is the time for you to apply the water sealant onto the deck to protect the wood.
Applying the sealer should generally be done with a sprayer or a roller. If there are any puddles of it on your deck, you can remove these by brushing it out evenly. The deck should dry completely in about two days and then you can walk on it safely without having to worry about damaging the sealant.
Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when you apply the sealant. Wearing safety glasses, long sleeves, and some gloves is also a good idea to protect your eyes and skin from it.
Drilling very small holes in areas of the deck that tend to retain water can also help stop the weathering of your deck. Holes as small as 3/16 of an inch to ¼ of an inch are sufficient to drain the water out of these areas and do not tend to affect the appearance of the deck enough to be an eyesore.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of
Texas Water Damage Restoration and
Houston Water Damage Restoration Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
