|
News & Info
|
 |
 |
Seller Signup...
Quality Service, Seller or Tradesperson? Sign Up Now!
|
|
Home & Garden Articles
Water Damage Hazards - How to Protect Yourself
Thu 11 Sep 2008 - 10:40
Water Damage Hazards - How to Protect Yourself
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Valerie_Caulin]Valerie Caulin
A flood is a natural phenomenon that can occur anywhere that have harmful effects on people and the environment, it brings too much water damage in a certain place. There are many reasons or causes of flood, it can be developed and may happen very quickly over a short period of time due to heavy rain that cause river and/or seas to over flow their banks that may happen anytime, anywhere even without warning or signs.
It is very dangerous, it may bring tragedies, and it can damage your home and may bring property loss. Before a flood could happen make sure that you are ready. Make sure that you do not have valuable items and appliances in your basement. Get a flood insurance, it will help you restore everything after a flood happens. And also, make sure your fuse box or the main breaker and utility meters are raised above the flood level in your home because water and electricity cause electrical spark that can cause fireand to avoid electrical shock. It is better to check your local building officials or city engineers, if you are not sure what your flood level is.
Water damage is any damage done by water like the flood and could also happen inside your home like a leak on your sink. This water damage causes wetness or dampness that helps the growth of moisture-related mold and mildew that are toxics, and bring reactions such as immune disorders, pathogenic disease and cancer, and also causes an allergic reactions like headaches, disorientation and dizziness, nausea, diarrhea, chronic asthma, open sores, rashes and chronic fatigue.
Water damage can cause molds, it can be found everywhere; they are microscopic organisms that produce enzymes that digest organic matter to reproduce spores. They are part of the fungi family; it also includes yeast and mildews. In nature, mold plays a key role in the decomposition of leaves, wood and other plant debris because without mold, we wouldn't have great foods and medicines, such as cheese and penicillin. A problem starts when mold starting to digest organic materials like our homes.
Once the mold has settled in your home due to water damage, they need moisture to begin growing. They can grow on wood, ceiling tiles, wallpaper, paints, carpet, sheet rock, and insulation. To control mold, we need to control moisture in our house.
There are many reasons for water damage and are requiring an adequate care to avoid the water damage that can occur in your residence or place like checking and fixing regularly any drips.
Providing attention to the roof is also very important. A leaking roof can do more damage due to rain than a leaking faucet. With a leaking roof, it is possible to have damage that the water might turn into mold.
To avoid this, here are some helpful things that you should do to prevent water damage in your bathroom and kitchen:
- Check if there is hidden water leaks in your home; it is easy and is possible that you have one in your house.
- Turn all appliances off that use water, and then check your water meter.
- After an hour of leaving your appliances off, check again the water meter to see if the reading has changed. If the water meter reading changed then it is possible that there's a leak.
- Check underneath your dishwasher to see if the water pipes are or not leaking. If there's water near the base of the dishwasher, you have leak and may water damage.
- Then, check your refrigerator; it is one of the usual reasons of water damage.
- Then check your sink area under and on top of the counter.
- Also check your bathroom, soft spots in the floors near the tub or shower, and discoloration, means that it has leaks.
- And also check your toilet bowl; the overflow of toilets is also an obvious cause of water damage.
When it comes to water damage, what you don't know can hurt you! Water damage can result increased of insurance rates, decreased value of home and property resale, and even health issues, if not properly repaired.
To protect yourself and your family from water damage and related issues, here are some tips:
- When water damage takes place it is imperative to contact a water damage and extraction company as soon as possible. Do not wait until the next day.
- After all the water is extracted and the humidity levels returned to normal, it is necessary to remove furniture and other items from the area even if they aren't in direct contact with the water. A high humidity and a general unsanitary condition may contaminate other materials in your home. It is better to contact and work with a reputable water damage repair company that provides relocation and storage assistance for your belongings.
- An extensive water related damages sometimes requires the financial support of insurance. Do not risk the health and security of your family, better to contact a reputable water damage and restoration company that works with your insurance to help you begin the process of restoring your property.
- If the water damage is due to sewage overflow, it is necessary to eliminate contaminated items or materials. A qualified water damage restoration expert can assist and provide valuable information whether or not your belongings are safe to keep and capable of being cleaned.
- Water damage can cause and ruin air quality, drywall, upholstery and even hardwood flooring in your house. It is better to deal with a company that is capable of providing a full service. In contacting a Water damage restoration and Water damage extraction company, make sure that they have a full service like carpet and wood floor restoration, air vent cleaning and upholstery cleaning.
Here are some tips if you prefer to do water damage restoration all by yourself:
- Eliminate the source of water if possible; remove the water by mopping and blotting or sweeping it off.
- Wet furniture cushions and then dry them by wiping it off and under furniture legs place a small wood blocks or an aluminum foil.
- Make sure that you wiped all the furniture dry.
- Keep the draperies off the wet carpet, loop the bottom through a coat hanger, and place the hanger on the drapery rod.
- Open all furniture drawers, closet doors, and luggage for better air flow.
- Move all your photos, paintings, and art objects to a safe and dry place.
- Remove wet area rugs or other floor coverings.
- Remove all wet fabrics and dry them.
- Remove damp books from shelves and spread out to dry to avoid mold and mildew.
- Do not ever use an ordinary household vacuum to remove water.
- Do not use electrical appliances while on wet carpet or wet floors.
- Do not go into rooms with standing water if the electricity is still on.
- Do not lift carpet without professional help because lifting the carpet incorrectly could bring shrinkage.
Water damage may also be caused by a clogged in your sink or bathroom. Most clogged drains can be easily cleared off by using things that you can found in your house.
Clearing a blocked drain isn't fun. It is much better to prevent a clog from happening to avoid water damage. Here are some tips on how you can keep your bathtub and sink drains clog-free:
- You can use strainers in your bathroom drains to stop hair from going down the drain. It's easier to clear out a strainer than unclogging a drain.
- Do not drop soap down the drain assuming they will dissolve and wash away, it can cause clogs in a drain. Pour a kettle full of boiling water down the drain will also help you. This will melt any grease and will wash it away before it can build up any clogging but don't do this in a toilet, it could break the porcelain. Once in a while, pour a half cup of baking soda in the drain and then slowly add half cup of vinegar. Leave the mixtures sit in the drain for a few minutes and then rinse it away by hot water down the drain.
Here are simple checks to keep your home safe from water damage and the mold infestations:
- Check your window frames and exterior door frames for any sign stains, and apply caulk or molding as needed because stains on your drywall are the most obvious sign of interior water damage.
- Keep an eye for any buckling or warping of your wooden floors. Even if your home doesn't have hardwood floors, vinyl and carpets are often installed on top of a wooden board layer that can swell when exposed to water.
- Check your attic regularly for stains and other signs of water infiltration. Always pay special attention to the roof and also check the flashing where the roof meets the wall. Also check your roof outside for damaged and cracked or curled shingles.
- Check how your home's gutters handle a heavy rain. If it overflows then your gutters need to be cleaned regularly to keep them free of leaves. Installing a screen in your gutter keeps the leaves out.
Water Damage Hazards- How to Protect Yourself
A flood is a natural phenomenon that can occur anywhere that have harmful effects on people and the environment, it brings too much water damage in a certain place. There are many reasons or causes of flood, it can be developed and may happen very quickly over a short period of time due to heavy rain that cause river and/or seas to over flow their banks that may happen anytime, anywhere even without warning or signs.
It is very dangerous, it may bring tragedies, and it can damage your home and may bring property loss. Before a flood could happen make sure that you are ready. Make sure that you do not have valuable items and appliances in your basement. Get a flood insurance, it will help you restore everything after a flood happens. And also, make sure your fuse box or the main breaker and utility meters are raised above the flood level in your home because water and electricity cause electrical spark that can cause fireand to avoid electrical shock. It is better to check your local building officials or city engineers, if you are not sure what your flood level is.
Water damage is any damage done by water like the flood and could also happen inside your home like a leak on your sink. This water damage causes wetness or dampness that helps the growth of moisture-related mold and mildew that are toxics, and bring reactions such as immune disorders, pathogenic disease and cancer, and also causes an allergic reactions like headaches, disorientation and dizziness, nausea, diarrhea, chronic asthma, open sores, rashes and chronic fatigue.
Water damage can cause molds, it can be found everywhere; they are microscopic organisms that produce enzymes that digest organic matter to reproduce spores. They are part of the fungi family; it also includes yeast and mildews. In nature, mold plays a key role in the decomposition of leaves, wood and other plant debris because without mold, we wouldn't have great foods and medicines, such as cheese and penicillin. A problem starts when mold starting to digest organic materials like our homes.
Once the mold has settled in your home due to water damage, they need moisture to begin growing. They can grow on wood, ceiling tiles, wallpaper, paints, carpet, sheet rock, and insulation. To control mold, we need to control moisture in our house.
There are many reasons for water damage and are requiring an adequate care to avoid the water damage that can occur in your residence or place like checking and fixing regularly any drips.
Providing attention to the roof is also very important. A leaking roof can do more damage due to rain than a leaking faucet. With a leaking roof, it is possible to have damage that the water might turn into mold.
To avoid this, here are some helpful things that you should do to prevent water damage in your bathroom and kitchen:
- Check if there is hidden water leaks in your home; it is easy and is possible that you have one in your house.
- Turn all appliances off that use water, and then check your water meter.
- After an hour of leaving your appliances off, check again the water meter to see if the reading has changed. If the water meter reading changed then it is possible that there's a leak.
- Check underneath your dishwasher to see if the water pipes are or not leaking. If there's water near the base of the dishwasher, you have leak and may water damage.
- Then, check your refrigerator; it is one of the usual reasons of water damage.
- Then check your sink area under and on top of the counter.
- Also check your bathroom, soft spots in the floors near the tub or shower, and discoloration, means that it has leaks.
- And also check your toilet bowl; the overflow of toilets is also an obvious cause of water damage.
When it comes to water damage, what you don't know can hurt you! Water damage can result increased of insurance rates, decreased value of home and property resale, and even health issues, if not properly repaired.
To protect yourself and your family from water damage and related issues, here are some tips:
- When water damage takes place it is imperative to contact a water damage and extraction company as soon as possible. Do not wait until the next day.
- After all the water is extracted and the humidity levels returned to normal, it is necessary to remove furniture and other items from the area even if they aren't in direct contact with the water. A high humidity and a general unsanitary condition may contaminate other materials in your home. It is better to contact and work with a reputable water damage repair company that provides relocation and storage assistance for your belongings.
- An extensive water related damages sometimes requires the financial support of insurance. Do not risk the health and security of your family, better to contact a reputable water damage and restoration company that works with your insurance to help you begin the process of restoring your property.
- If the water damage is due to sewage overflow, it is necessary to eliminate contaminated items or materials. A qualified water damage restoration expert can assist and provide valuable information whether or not your belongings are safe to keep and capable of being cleaned.
- Water damage can cause and ruin air quality, drywall, upholstery and even hardwood flooring in your house. It is better to deal with a company that is capable of providing a full service. In contacting a Water damage restoration and Water damage extraction company, make sure that they have a full service like carpet and wood floor restoration, air vent cleaning and upholstery cleaning.
Here are some tips if you prefer to do water damage restoration all by yourself:
- Eliminate the source of water if possible; remove the water by mopping and blotting or sweeping it off.
- Wet furniture cushions and then dry them by wiping it off and under furniture legs place a small wood blocks or an aluminum foil.
- Make sure that you wiped all the furniture dry.
- Keep the draperies off the wet carpet, loop the bottom through a coat hanger, and place the hanger on the drapery rod.
- Open all furniture drawers, closet doors, and luggage for better air flow.
- Move all your photos, paintings, and art objects to a safe and dry place.
- Remove wet area rugs or other floor coverings.
- Remove all wet fabrics and dry them.
- Remove damp books from shelves and spread out to dry to avoid mold and mildew.
- Do not ever use an ordinary household vacuum to remove water.
- Do not use electrical appliances while on wet carpet or wet floors.
- Do not go into rooms with standing water if the electricity is still on.
- Do not lift carpet without professional help because lifting the carpet incorrectly could bring shrinkage.
Water damage may also be caused by a clogged in your sink or bathroom. Most clogged drains can be easily cleared off by using things that you can found in your house.
Clearing a blocked drain isn't fun. It is much better to prevent a clog from happening to avoid water damage. Here are some tips on how you can keep your bathtub and sink drains clog-free:
- You can use strainers in your bathroom drains to stop hair from going down the drain. It's easier to clear out a strainer than unclogging a drain.
- Do not drop soap down the drain assuming they will dissolve and wash away, it can cause clogs in a drain. Pour a kettle full of boiling water down the drain will also help you. This will melt any grease and will wash it away before it can build up any clogging but don't do this in a toilet, it could break the porcelain. Once in a while, pour a half cup of baking soda in the drain and then slowly add half cup of vinegar. Leave the mixtures sit in the drain for a few minutes and then rinse it away by hot water down the drain.
Here are simple checks to keep your home safe from water damage and the mold infestations:
- Check your window frames and exterior door frames for any sign stains, and apply caulk or molding as needed because stains on your drywall are the most obvious sign of interior water damage.
- Keep an eye for any buckling or warping of your wooden floors. Even if your home doesn't have hardwood floors, vinyl and carpets are often installed on top of a wooden board layer that can swell when exposed to water.
- Check your attic regularly for stains and other signs of water infiltration. Always pay special attention to the roof and also check the flashing where the roof meets the wall. Also check your roof outside for damaged and cracked or curled shingles.
- Check how your home's gutters handle a heavy rain. If it overflows then your gutters need to be cleaned regularly to keep them free of leaves. Installing a screen in your gutter keeps the leaves out.
Valerie is a freelance article writer. You can check more articles of Valerie in her site, http://www.valcaulin.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Valerie_Caulin http://EzineArticles.com/?Water-Damage-Hazards---How-to-Protect-Yourself&id=1470233
Looking for information on General Home Improvement, Find a supplier at HomeWise.ie
back to General Home Improvement articles
back to all home & garden articles
|
|