When home buyers finally decide to purchase a new home, one of the first things they consider remodeling tends to be the bathroom. Bathroom remodeling isn’t always the easiest thing to do, especially if you are so unlucky as to find a colony of mold living in what is supposed to be one of the most comforting and relaxing areas of your home. Most people, however, wouldn’t know what to do if they found a mold colony in any part of their home, much less their beloved bathroom, even though this is one of the more likely places to find it.
The reason that the bathroom is one of the most common places to find infestations of mold is because there is a constant pattern of heat and humidity in this space. While some kinds of mold pose no threat to human beings, other kinds of mold can be hazardous to our health and can even render our homes uninhabitable. Black mold is found in many bathrooms and basements and it is very toxic. It has been known to cause rashes, fevers, flu-like symptoms and other health complications. If you discover what you think is black mold (and it truly does appear to be black), it’s best to call in a professional to get rid of it.
While it’s expensive to have the mold in your home removed, you will definitely want to put this on your to-do list. It can and will move to other parts of your home if it’s left unchecked. After the mold is removed successfully and you continue with your bathroom remodeling project, you’ll want to take steps to prevent the re-growth of mold in the future.
Install a bathroom fan while you’re remodeling if you don’t already have one. This is one of the best things that you can do to prevent mold from sneaking back into your quiet space. Bathroom fans get rid of the majority of the moisture that mold needs to grow and survive. Even if you’re not remodeling right now and your bathroom has no visible signs of mold, don’t bet on mold not invading there in the future, if you don’t have a fan in the bathroom, you should get one.
After showering or bathing, the shower curtain should be shaken off in the tub to direct as much water as possible toward the drain. Water that collects on the walls surrounding the tub should also be wiped either dry or down toward the drain with a squeegee. You want all the surfaces in your bathroom to dry out as quickly as possible.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Mold and Selling Real Estate
Selling a house contaminated with mold isn’t a pleasant thing to have to deal with. There are a few things that you can do, however, to make the selling of your mold-contaminated home as painless as possible.
Any real estate sales contract should have in it an environmental inspection clause that allows for a 2 week to a 3 week inspection period so the buyer can have a professional mold inspector view the property and test it for mold or any other kind of natural hazards that might occur in the home. If it’s obvious that mold exists in the home, the only testing you should need is to determine whether the mold is toxic or not. Even if the mold isn’t a hazard to your health, it could be a hazard to the home’s structural integrity. If you can have the mold removed from the home before you sell it, this is the best thing to do. Selling the home will be easier if the mold is already gone, although you can leave this up to the buyer if you want to sell the home for a little less.
The owner of a property being sold shouldn’t make any attempt to hide mold if the problem is known about. If the buyer of the home suspects that you were trying to hide the problem, they may back away from the house completely. After all, if you would deceive them about the mold, what else could you be deceiving them about?
You should have in writing what you have done to try and correct any problems with mold or other environmental hazards. Any past water or mold damage should be disclosed also in this writing and it should be added to the sales contract so the buyer of the home legally knows about it. In addition to this, the seller should include in the contract that the home is being sold as-is and that there is no kind of warranty on the property for any environmental reasons.
Lastly, you should ask for a clause that releases not only you, but the lender, and the real estate agent from any and all liability related to mold to the buyer. As long as the information that you have given in your report about the past water and mold damage to the home and what you have done to remove it is complete and accurate to the best of your knowledge, you should be on solid legal ground should any problems with the buyer arise later.
Any real estate sales contract should have in it an environmental inspection clause that allows for a 2 week to a 3 week inspection period so the buyer can have a professional mold inspector view the property and test it for mold or any other kind of natural hazards that might occur in the home. If it’s obvious that mold exists in the home, the only testing you should need is to determine whether the mold is toxic or not. Even if the mold isn’t a hazard to your health, it could be a hazard to the home’s structural integrity. If you can have the mold removed from the home before you sell it, this is the best thing to do. Selling the home will be easier if the mold is already gone, although you can leave this up to the buyer if you want to sell the home for a little less.
The owner of a property being sold shouldn’t make any attempt to hide mold if the problem is known about. If the buyer of the home suspects that you were trying to hide the problem, they may back away from the house completely. After all, if you would deceive them about the mold, what else could you be deceiving them about?
You should have in writing what you have done to try and correct any problems with mold or other environmental hazards. Any past water or mold damage should be disclosed also in this writing and it should be added to the sales contract so the buyer of the home legally knows about it. In addition to this, the seller should include in the contract that the home is being sold as-is and that there is no kind of warranty on the property for any environmental reasons.
Lastly, you should ask for a clause that releases not only you, but the lender, and the real estate agent from any and all liability related to mold to the buyer. As long as the information that you have given in your report about the past water and mold damage to the home and what you have done to remove it is complete and accurate to the best of your knowledge, you should be on solid legal ground should any problems with the buyer arise later.
Mold and Your Clothes
If you’re planning on moving out of a house or apartment that’s been infected with mold, decontaminating your clothes before you do is a must. No one should stay in a place where mold exists for very long and cross-contaminating your new living space with the mold that can exist on your personal belongings is likely.
Most items made from cotton and polyester can be freed of the mold, however the older the mold stains are on the clothing, the harder they will be to remove. These stains can be bleached out if it’s white clothing you’re dealing with. If it’s colored fabric, you can use a brush to remove the mold from it and this will help to loosen up the mold growing in the threads. Rub a pre-wash spray into the stain and soak it in water and laundry detergent up to 45 minutes and wash. Don’t use the clothes dryer in your laundry room to dry these items; let them dry naturally outside in the sun. The artificial heat can seat the stain even further into the clothing and as some people may know, the sun is very good at bleaching things, so this could actually help your white clothing. Unless you leave colored clothes in the sun for days, it shouldn’t do any damage.
Sometimes dry cleaning can be effective in killing and removing the mold from your clothes, but it doesn’t always work.
Cleaning mold from upholstery starts almost the same way cleaning clothing does and that’s with a brush. Remove the mold from the upholstery with a brush and if you have a vacuum cleaner that has a brush attachment on it, use that to keep mold spores from taking flight. Washing the item where the mold was present with laundry detergent (test in a small inconspicuous area first to make sure it won’t damage the fabric) and a brush comes next and then take it out into the sun to dry.
Unfortunately, if mold contaminates something made of leather, you’re pretty much out of luck. Leather is discolored easily, especially by mold and since leather is skin that’s been cured and dried over time, it is very porous and mold loves porous surfaces. Even if you do clean the mold off of it, it will still be spotty and discolored in areas.
To keep mold from growing on clothes that you hang in your closet, don’t pack them into the closet so close together. Air circulation is the enemy of mold and your clothes need to be able to breathe. If air can’t get in and out of the closet, mold will grow. If you don’t pack them tightly and they still become moldy, try installing a vent.
Most items made from cotton and polyester can be freed of the mold, however the older the mold stains are on the clothing, the harder they will be to remove. These stains can be bleached out if it’s white clothing you’re dealing with. If it’s colored fabric, you can use a brush to remove the mold from it and this will help to loosen up the mold growing in the threads. Rub a pre-wash spray into the stain and soak it in water and laundry detergent up to 45 minutes and wash. Don’t use the clothes dryer in your laundry room to dry these items; let them dry naturally outside in the sun. The artificial heat can seat the stain even further into the clothing and as some people may know, the sun is very good at bleaching things, so this could actually help your white clothing. Unless you leave colored clothes in the sun for days, it shouldn’t do any damage.
Sometimes dry cleaning can be effective in killing and removing the mold from your clothes, but it doesn’t always work.
Cleaning mold from upholstery starts almost the same way cleaning clothing does and that’s with a brush. Remove the mold from the upholstery with a brush and if you have a vacuum cleaner that has a brush attachment on it, use that to keep mold spores from taking flight. Washing the item where the mold was present with laundry detergent (test in a small inconspicuous area first to make sure it won’t damage the fabric) and a brush comes next and then take it out into the sun to dry.
Unfortunately, if mold contaminates something made of leather, you’re pretty much out of luck. Leather is discolored easily, especially by mold and since leather is skin that’s been cured and dried over time, it is very porous and mold loves porous surfaces. Even if you do clean the mold off of it, it will still be spotty and discolored in areas.
To keep mold from growing on clothes that you hang in your closet, don’t pack them into the closet so close together. Air circulation is the enemy of mold and your clothes need to be able to breathe. If air can’t get in and out of the closet, mold will grow. If you don’t pack them tightly and they still become moldy, try installing a vent.
Mold And Your New Home
Say that you’re having a new home built for you. Imagine your surprise when you discover after it’s done that it’s infested with mold! What a nightmare that would be! Most people don’t think about the possibility of mold actually being built into their homes when the contractor is in the process of building it. How can this happen?
Sometimes building materials that have mold on them are used in the house’s construction and the contractor and/or his supervisors don’t assess the quality of the materials before using them. The best thing you can do to prevent mold from being built into your new home are to inspect the building materials and test them yourself.
Sometimes the materials bought to build your home with are stored outside directly on the ground and in cases where it rains on them and the humidity is high, mold can and will begin to grow on these items, depending on how long they are left there. Both building materials and the entire home itself should be covered with plastic sheeting at the end of each day to make sure the part of the home that is already completed and the materials it is being built with are safe from rain. Until the walls and roof of the house are installed and are completely able to keep out rain and other kinds of precipitation, it should be covered each and every day of the construction.
The home sometimes isn’t tested for mold growth as it should and when it should be, which is during the home’s construction and after it is finished. Although some people choose to do mold testing during and after their new home’s construction on their own (as they should), it is the job of the contractor to make sure the integrity of the structure is not compromised by anything, including mold. You could sue the contractor if you discover the mold contamination after the home is already built, but who wants to build a home for thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars just to find out that you can’t live in it? Nobody I know of.
The modern materials that we use to build homes these days, including drywall and plywood, are things that mold love to eat. Most homes are built recently have some amount of these materials in them, though, and sometimes it can’t be helped unless you want a more expensive alternative.
Sometimes building materials that have mold on them are used in the house’s construction and the contractor and/or his supervisors don’t assess the quality of the materials before using them. The best thing you can do to prevent mold from being built into your new home are to inspect the building materials and test them yourself.
Sometimes the materials bought to build your home with are stored outside directly on the ground and in cases where it rains on them and the humidity is high, mold can and will begin to grow on these items, depending on how long they are left there. Both building materials and the entire home itself should be covered with plastic sheeting at the end of each day to make sure the part of the home that is already completed and the materials it is being built with are safe from rain. Until the walls and roof of the house are installed and are completely able to keep out rain and other kinds of precipitation, it should be covered each and every day of the construction.
The home sometimes isn’t tested for mold growth as it should and when it should be, which is during the home’s construction and after it is finished. Although some people choose to do mold testing during and after their new home’s construction on their own (as they should), it is the job of the contractor to make sure the integrity of the structure is not compromised by anything, including mold. You could sue the contractor if you discover the mold contamination after the home is already built, but who wants to build a home for thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars just to find out that you can’t live in it? Nobody I know of.
The modern materials that we use to build homes these days, including drywall and plywood, are things that mold love to eat. Most homes are built recently have some amount of these materials in them, though, and sometimes it can’t be helped unless you want a more expensive alternative.
Mold Health Effects
Most people don’t realize just how dangerous mold can be if you live in a contaminated home or work in a contaminated building for prolonged periods of time. Elevated levels of mold can cause some health complications that most people aren’t aware of and of course, some home sellers (whose homes for sale are sometimes contaminated) are skeptical. They want proof, when there is quite a lot of evidence that proves that the mycotoxins produced by mold cause diseases in human beings.
The inhalation of a large amount of mold spores can cause significant health problems like allergy symptoms, asthma, colds, coughing incessantly, bleeding in the lungs (particularly in infants or pets), trouble breathing, and even cancer. Problems with the central nervous system of a person are also known to be a problem.
Problems with vision, chronic or excessive fatique, mood swings, hives, headaches, sinus problems, tremors, trouble speaking, vomiting, and vertigo have been known to occur. A recent study even shows that children who are exposed to molds and workers who are exposed to them in working environments are more likely to develop asthma.
A condition that affects the lungs like hypersensitivity pneumonitis is developed by inhaling the mold spores (or anything like dust or other fungus spores) for prolonged periods of time. If the air conditions that cause the condition are not improved significantly or the person is not removed from the situation, the lungs can become irreparably damaged and cannot function. This is one of many serious conditions that can be caused due to prolonged exposure to mold.
Basically, there are more health complications associated with mold than you can shake a stick at and most people don’t realize that there are this many problems associated with mold growing in their homes.
They think that it’s not that big of a deal and can afford to put off getting it removed from their homes or that they can’t afford to relocate until it is removed, but the fact is that if you’re a healthy adult, you might be able to hold up for a short period of time in these conditions before it starts to take its toll on you, but your baby, elderly relative living with you, or your pet very well may not. It’s best not to take chances with your or your family’s health. Do whatever is necessary to get out of the mold contaminated home or apartment or have it removed as soon as possible.
The inhalation of a large amount of mold spores can cause significant health problems like allergy symptoms, asthma, colds, coughing incessantly, bleeding in the lungs (particularly in infants or pets), trouble breathing, and even cancer. Problems with the central nervous system of a person are also known to be a problem.
Problems with vision, chronic or excessive fatique, mood swings, hives, headaches, sinus problems, tremors, trouble speaking, vomiting, and vertigo have been known to occur. A recent study even shows that children who are exposed to molds and workers who are exposed to them in working environments are more likely to develop asthma.
A condition that affects the lungs like hypersensitivity pneumonitis is developed by inhaling the mold spores (or anything like dust or other fungus spores) for prolonged periods of time. If the air conditions that cause the condition are not improved significantly or the person is not removed from the situation, the lungs can become irreparably damaged and cannot function. This is one of many serious conditions that can be caused due to prolonged exposure to mold.
Basically, there are more health complications associated with mold than you can shake a stick at and most people don’t realize that there are this many problems associated with mold growing in their homes.
They think that it’s not that big of a deal and can afford to put off getting it removed from their homes or that they can’t afford to relocate until it is removed, but the fact is that if you’re a healthy adult, you might be able to hold up for a short period of time in these conditions before it starts to take its toll on you, but your baby, elderly relative living with you, or your pet very well may not. It’s best not to take chances with your or your family’s health. Do whatever is necessary to get out of the mold contaminated home or apartment or have it removed as soon as possible.
Mold in Your Apartment - Who is Liable?
If you move into an apartment or a home and you sign a lease, some people might think that they’re stuck with that lease even if they discover that the property has a substantial mold problem. This is not true.
No matter who you’re renting from or what kind of property, it is the landlord’s responsibility to provide you with a healthy place to live. If you or your children become sick due to the mold located in the home, apartment, or business you are leasing, your landlord can be held responsible.
The only thing that you have to do first is prove that mold exists in your rented space. That burden or proof is on you because in most leases, mold testing, inspections, and removal are not covered by the landlord. Landlords do not pay for these; you do. If there is a problem, you have to prove it.
If the rental property is infested with mold, the landlord might be liable for the damage to the tenant’s health, the medical bills associated with mold, loss of income due to sickness, and for the damage to clothing and other possessions. Other possible liabilities include the expense it takes to move to a mold-free environment, the difference between the rent at the mold-infested rental and the new, habitable rental, and for any mold inspections, testing, and remediation of the rental that were paid for by the tenant before moving out.
You should mail a notice to your landlord via certified mail that there is a mold problem first and foremost and provide proof within the envelope. An analysis and identification of the mold sample you collected using a mold test kit signed by a mold laboratory is a good way to prove that mold exists in the property. Even better than this is to have a written report signed by a certified mold inspector along with the above mentioned laboratory report.
If notice is ignored by your landlord, you can choose to send a second notice stating that due to the failure to have the mold removed from the property, you are withholding your rent. Lastly, if that is ignored by your landlord, you should send another notice via certified mail that you are vacating the premises and that legal action is going to be taken, especially if you have suffered health complications due to the mold.
You shouldn’t need a lawyer to draw up these notices for you, as long as you are clear and to the point that mold exists on the landlord’s property that you are renting and you want it removed and if you are suffering any health complications, these should be stated very clearly and with proof, as well. Most landlords will respond promptly.
No matter who you’re renting from or what kind of property, it is the landlord’s responsibility to provide you with a healthy place to live. If you or your children become sick due to the mold located in the home, apartment, or business you are leasing, your landlord can be held responsible.
The only thing that you have to do first is prove that mold exists in your rented space. That burden or proof is on you because in most leases, mold testing, inspections, and removal are not covered by the landlord. Landlords do not pay for these; you do. If there is a problem, you have to prove it.
If the rental property is infested with mold, the landlord might be liable for the damage to the tenant’s health, the medical bills associated with mold, loss of income due to sickness, and for the damage to clothing and other possessions. Other possible liabilities include the expense it takes to move to a mold-free environment, the difference between the rent at the mold-infested rental and the new, habitable rental, and for any mold inspections, testing, and remediation of the rental that were paid for by the tenant before moving out.
You should mail a notice to your landlord via certified mail that there is a mold problem first and foremost and provide proof within the envelope. An analysis and identification of the mold sample you collected using a mold test kit signed by a mold laboratory is a good way to prove that mold exists in the property. Even better than this is to have a written report signed by a certified mold inspector along with the above mentioned laboratory report.
If notice is ignored by your landlord, you can choose to send a second notice stating that due to the failure to have the mold removed from the property, you are withholding your rent. Lastly, if that is ignored by your landlord, you should send another notice via certified mail that you are vacating the premises and that legal action is going to be taken, especially if you have suffered health complications due to the mold.
You shouldn’t need a lawyer to draw up these notices for you, as long as you are clear and to the point that mold exists on the landlord’s property that you are renting and you want it removed and if you are suffering any health complications, these should be stated very clearly and with proof, as well. Most landlords will respond promptly.
Mold Prevention in Your Bathroom
Your bathroom is the room in your home that most people associate with cleanliness, but it’s one of the worst places for you to allow mold to propagate. Along with the kitchen, this is one of the most common places for mold to be found in the home. What can you do to prevent mold from growing in your bathroom? Here are a few tips.
Check the caulking around the bath tub or shower stall and make sure it isn’t cracked, broken, or even missing in certain areas. If you feel cold air coming in through a hole in the caulking, you should re-caulk it immediately.
It’s not uncommon to find mold growing around the base of your toilet, especially if the toilet has overflowed often in the past or worse, if you have carpet in your bathroom instead of tile. Carpet is generally a bad idea in a bathroom unless you’re very diligent in cleaning up spills of water as soon as they’re made.
You want a vent or a fan in your bathroom so that heat and moisture can escape to the outside of the house. Mold grows not only on the floors of the bathroom, but also on the ceilings where water has been absorbed due to the steam of taking a shower being unable to escape the room.
If you can see mold on the outer surface of your bathroom wall, odds are that you’re looking at a mold problem inside the wall, as well, and cleaning the mold off the outer surface of the wall isn’t going to be enough. If you truly want to get rid of all the mold, you’ll want to replace mold-contaminated building materials, except for wood supports. This includes plywood, carpet, papered sheetrock, plasterboard, and etcetera. If your bathroom has carpet in it and you find mold growing anywhere near the floor, replace the carpet.
Whatever you do, don’t try to cut corners by painting on top of your mold problem. Mold eats paint like candy and it’s nowhere near an effective solution. Even paints containing mildicides are not effective, because these are not strong enough to kill toxic mold infestations.
If you leave moist dirty clothes or towels on the floor in your bathroom closet often, expect mold to grow there. Toss your clothes in a plastic clothes basket instead of directly on the floor and this is one of the best things that you can do to prevent mold in the bathroom that most people don’t think about. We tend to let damp or even wet towels stay on the floor indefinitely, especially if we live in busy households. Clean out your dirty clothes bin often, especially if the clothes are wet.
Check the caulking around the bath tub or shower stall and make sure it isn’t cracked, broken, or even missing in certain areas. If you feel cold air coming in through a hole in the caulking, you should re-caulk it immediately.
It’s not uncommon to find mold growing around the base of your toilet, especially if the toilet has overflowed often in the past or worse, if you have carpet in your bathroom instead of tile. Carpet is generally a bad idea in a bathroom unless you’re very diligent in cleaning up spills of water as soon as they’re made.
You want a vent or a fan in your bathroom so that heat and moisture can escape to the outside of the house. Mold grows not only on the floors of the bathroom, but also on the ceilings where water has been absorbed due to the steam of taking a shower being unable to escape the room.
If you can see mold on the outer surface of your bathroom wall, odds are that you’re looking at a mold problem inside the wall, as well, and cleaning the mold off the outer surface of the wall isn’t going to be enough. If you truly want to get rid of all the mold, you’ll want to replace mold-contaminated building materials, except for wood supports. This includes plywood, carpet, papered sheetrock, plasterboard, and etcetera. If your bathroom has carpet in it and you find mold growing anywhere near the floor, replace the carpet.
Whatever you do, don’t try to cut corners by painting on top of your mold problem. Mold eats paint like candy and it’s nowhere near an effective solution. Even paints containing mildicides are not effective, because these are not strong enough to kill toxic mold infestations.
If you leave moist dirty clothes or towels on the floor in your bathroom closet often, expect mold to grow there. Toss your clothes in a plastic clothes basket instead of directly on the floor and this is one of the best things that you can do to prevent mold in the bathroom that most people don’t think about. We tend to let damp or even wet towels stay on the floor indefinitely, especially if we live in busy households. Clean out your dirty clothes bin often, especially if the clothes are wet.
Mold: The Benefits We Forget
Although molds growing unchecked can be harmful to human health, molds that are grown in laboratories for specific purposes have been used extensively for many years in order to improve the quality of life.
Penicillin as we know it today was discovered accidentally when Alexander Fleming saw a plate of Staphylococcus aureus had become contaminated by a blue-green mold. He noted that colonies of the bacteria next to the mold were being destroyed by it; he soon after grew a pure culture of the mold and found that penicillin killed not only Staphylococcus, but many other bacteria that cause disease. He named it penicillin, published the results of his experiment in 1929, and the medical community has been using it ever since.
Molds are also used to make different kinds of cheeses, including bleu cheese. Bleu cheese in particular is rumored to have been discovered by accident and since molds are not generally associated with good food, there is good reason for this assumption. Early cheeses were aged inside caves and these places often contained the perfect conditions for mold to grow in.
Without molds, we would have neither bread nor beer and even butchers inject mold into animals before they butcher them for preservation. Aspergillus oryzae is used in Japan to convert the starch in rice into sugar in order to make the traditional alcoholic beverage of sake. Red yeast rice is also made by being cultivated with a mold called Monascus purpureus and was used as a natural food coloring before the discovery of modern chemical food coloring.
Agriculturally, molds also help to decompose different kinds of natural debris such as taking care of the leftovers from forest fires and begin building a base for new plants and trees to grow on. Decaying organic matter is also eaten by mold and thus they are the natural recyclers of the world. If it is organic in origin and needs to be gotten rid of, overtime mold can accomplish this task.
Something most people outside the medical community don’t realize is that if a medicine’s name has the ending of “mycin”, it was made using mold
Mold only becomes a problem if it begins to inhabit the same places that humans and their domesticated animals inhabit. If they remain in a checked status, they do us next to no harm and as shown here, can even provide civilization with many benefits.
Penicillin as we know it today was discovered accidentally when Alexander Fleming saw a plate of Staphylococcus aureus had become contaminated by a blue-green mold. He noted that colonies of the bacteria next to the mold were being destroyed by it; he soon after grew a pure culture of the mold and found that penicillin killed not only Staphylococcus, but many other bacteria that cause disease. He named it penicillin, published the results of his experiment in 1929, and the medical community has been using it ever since.
Molds are also used to make different kinds of cheeses, including bleu cheese. Bleu cheese in particular is rumored to have been discovered by accident and since molds are not generally associated with good food, there is good reason for this assumption. Early cheeses were aged inside caves and these places often contained the perfect conditions for mold to grow in.
Without molds, we would have neither bread nor beer and even butchers inject mold into animals before they butcher them for preservation. Aspergillus oryzae is used in Japan to convert the starch in rice into sugar in order to make the traditional alcoholic beverage of sake. Red yeast rice is also made by being cultivated with a mold called Monascus purpureus and was used as a natural food coloring before the discovery of modern chemical food coloring.
Agriculturally, molds also help to decompose different kinds of natural debris such as taking care of the leftovers from forest fires and begin building a base for new plants and trees to grow on. Decaying organic matter is also eaten by mold and thus they are the natural recyclers of the world. If it is organic in origin and needs to be gotten rid of, overtime mold can accomplish this task.
Something most people outside the medical community don’t realize is that if a medicine’s name has the ending of “mycin”, it was made using mold
Mold only becomes a problem if it begins to inhabit the same places that humans and their domesticated animals inhabit. If they remain in a checked status, they do us next to no harm and as shown here, can even provide civilization with many benefits.
Protect Your Water Pipes in the Winter
People who are spending their first winter in their new home and have never owned a home before might not think about the kind of damage a burst water pipe can cause. New homeowners don’t often think about this very real problem and it can lead to some very expensive consequences.
Water pipes in the home that are not properly insulated can freeze and burst in the winter if the temperature drops to below 20 degrees. Even a crack that is only one-eighth of an inch can let out over 250 gallons of water each day and the water damage this can cause can potentially be catastrophic. Your floors, clothes, carpet, and personal items will be damaged and as the water dries up and spring returns, it will leave you with a more serious problem. This problem is mold and when water damage to your home isn’t repaired correctly or not repaired at all, it can grow in your home and make your entire family become sick over time. While most insurance policies do not cover mold, water damage is usually covered to some extent. Preventing water damage to your home that is covered can help you prevent the mold damage to your home that isn’t covered and while any kind of water damage can cause this mold to grow, but burst frozen pipes are one of the easiest things to prevent.
One of the first things that you should do during the winter is cover your indoor water pipes with insulation. Where possible, make sure warm air can get to your pipes during a deep freeze. Do this either by opening the cabinets under your kitchen and bathroom sinks or placing a space heater in the room with these pipes. If you’re going to use space heaters, be careful and don’t leave them unattended for long or where they can possibly catch things on fire. Don’t use extension cords with space heaters and keep anything that could catch fire preferably over 5 feet away or you could be facing a fire damage problem instead of water.
Disconnect any garden hoses and make sure cracks in your home’s foundation are sealed so cold air, water, and snow can’t get inside to your pipes. Keeping a small bit of water running through hot and cold water faucets can also mean the difference between a busted and an un-busted pipe.
Water pipes in the home that are not properly insulated can freeze and burst in the winter if the temperature drops to below 20 degrees. Even a crack that is only one-eighth of an inch can let out over 250 gallons of water each day and the water damage this can cause can potentially be catastrophic. Your floors, clothes, carpet, and personal items will be damaged and as the water dries up and spring returns, it will leave you with a more serious problem. This problem is mold and when water damage to your home isn’t repaired correctly or not repaired at all, it can grow in your home and make your entire family become sick over time. While most insurance policies do not cover mold, water damage is usually covered to some extent. Preventing water damage to your home that is covered can help you prevent the mold damage to your home that isn’t covered and while any kind of water damage can cause this mold to grow, but burst frozen pipes are one of the easiest things to prevent.
One of the first things that you should do during the winter is cover your indoor water pipes with insulation. Where possible, make sure warm air can get to your pipes during a deep freeze. Do this either by opening the cabinets under your kitchen and bathroom sinks or placing a space heater in the room with these pipes. If you’re going to use space heaters, be careful and don’t leave them unattended for long or where they can possibly catch things on fire. Don’t use extension cords with space heaters and keep anything that could catch fire preferably over 5 feet away or you could be facing a fire damage problem instead of water.
Disconnect any garden hoses and make sure cracks in your home’s foundation are sealed so cold air, water, and snow can’t get inside to your pipes. Keeping a small bit of water running through hot and cold water faucets can also mean the difference between a busted and an un-busted pipe.
Protect Your Water Pipes in the Winter
People who are spending their first winter in their new home and have never owned a home before might not think about the kind of damage a burst water pipe can cause. New homeowners don’t often think about this very real problem and it can lead to some very expensive consequences.
Water pipes in the home that are not properly insulated can freeze and burst in the winter if the temperature drops to below 20 degrees. Even a crack that is only one-eighth of an inch can let out over 250 gallons of water each day and the water damage this can cause can potentially be catastrophic. Your floors, clothes, carpet, and personal items will be damaged and as the water dries up and spring returns, it will leave you with a more serious problem. This problem is mold and when water damage to your home isn’t repaired correctly or not repaired at all, it can grow in your home and make your entire family become sick over time. While most insurance policies do not cover mold, water damage is usually covered to some extent. Preventing water damage to your home that is covered can help you prevent the mold damage to your home that isn’t covered and while any kind of water damage can cause this mold to grow, but burst frozen pipes are one of the easiest things to prevent.
One of the first things that you should do during the winter is cover your indoor water pipes with insulation. Where possible, make sure warm air can get to your pipes during a deep freeze. Do this either by opening the cabinets under your kitchen and bathroom sinks or placing a space heater in the room with these pipes. If you’re going to use space heaters, be careful and don’t leave them unattended for long or where they can possibly catch things on fire. Don’t use extension cords with space heaters and keep anything that could catch fire preferably over 5 feet away or you could be facing a fire damage problem instead of water.
Disconnect any garden hoses and make sure cracks in your home’s foundation are sealed so cold air, water, and snow can’t get inside to your pipes. Keeping a small bit of water running through hot and cold water faucets can also mean the difference between a busted and an un-busted pipe.
Water pipes in the home that are not properly insulated can freeze and burst in the winter if the temperature drops to below 20 degrees. Even a crack that is only one-eighth of an inch can let out over 250 gallons of water each day and the water damage this can cause can potentially be catastrophic. Your floors, clothes, carpet, and personal items will be damaged and as the water dries up and spring returns, it will leave you with a more serious problem. This problem is mold and when water damage to your home isn’t repaired correctly or not repaired at all, it can grow in your home and make your entire family become sick over time. While most insurance policies do not cover mold, water damage is usually covered to some extent. Preventing water damage to your home that is covered can help you prevent the mold damage to your home that isn’t covered and while any kind of water damage can cause this mold to grow, but burst frozen pipes are one of the easiest things to prevent.
One of the first things that you should do during the winter is cover your indoor water pipes with insulation. Where possible, make sure warm air can get to your pipes during a deep freeze. Do this either by opening the cabinets under your kitchen and bathroom sinks or placing a space heater in the room with these pipes. If you’re going to use space heaters, be careful and don’t leave them unattended for long or where they can possibly catch things on fire. Don’t use extension cords with space heaters and keep anything that could catch fire preferably over 5 feet away or you could be facing a fire damage problem instead of water.
Disconnect any garden hoses and make sure cracks in your home’s foundation are sealed so cold air, water, and snow can’t get inside to your pipes. Keeping a small bit of water running through hot and cold water faucets can also mean the difference between a busted and an un-busted pipe.
Drying Out Water Damaged Properties
As you can imagine, drying out a home or other building that’s been submerged in water, whether it’s flood water or rain water, can be quite a daunting task. Here we’ll discuss a few different ways to begin the process.
A flood can happen in almost an instant, but drying out a home or other property can take a long time. Depending on the property you’re trying to dry out, using hot air drying techniques may damage the building, especially if it’s a historical one.
Before beginning the drying process, be sure to address the electrical hazard. Make sure all power to your home is completely off. Just because the power is off for all your neighbors, don’t assume that yours is off, too. This could be a very fatal mistake. Not only should you be careful of electrical hazards, but biological ones, as well. Flood waters such as those caused by Hurricane Katrina can be contaminated with human and animal waste, all manner of chemicals, and even cadavers. Protect your eyes, mouth, hands, and wear a respirator. Wash your hands in disinfectant soap after a session of cleaning and again before you eat.
Take pictures of the damage with a camera or if possible, videotape them. This documentation will make it easier when you begin negotiating with your insurance adjuster on what compensation you will be eligible for.
Make any repairs necessary to keep water from re-entering the home. These repairs should only be temporary while you get the majority of the building dried.
Any effort to begin drying out a home is the attic. Any wet insulation should be removed as quickly as possible; it is no longer useful, but it is heavy and holds moisture for quite a long time and will continue to cause damage to wood, metal, and drywall. If anything in the attic is soaked with water, remove it. These waterlogged items are heavy and can cause the ceilings to crack. Fresh air circulating through your home is a good way to begin and if you have any fans, turn them on once you’re confident that you can’t become electrocuted simply by walking around.
Opening the windows throughout the house (as long as it isn’t raining) will help and at this time you should begin to wash down any wooden items in the home in order to remove mud, silt, and other debris.
A flood can happen in almost an instant, but drying out a home or other property can take a long time. Depending on the property you’re trying to dry out, using hot air drying techniques may damage the building, especially if it’s a historical one.
Before beginning the drying process, be sure to address the electrical hazard. Make sure all power to your home is completely off. Just because the power is off for all your neighbors, don’t assume that yours is off, too. This could be a very fatal mistake. Not only should you be careful of electrical hazards, but biological ones, as well. Flood waters such as those caused by Hurricane Katrina can be contaminated with human and animal waste, all manner of chemicals, and even cadavers. Protect your eyes, mouth, hands, and wear a respirator. Wash your hands in disinfectant soap after a session of cleaning and again before you eat.
Take pictures of the damage with a camera or if possible, videotape them. This documentation will make it easier when you begin negotiating with your insurance adjuster on what compensation you will be eligible for.
Make any repairs necessary to keep water from re-entering the home. These repairs should only be temporary while you get the majority of the building dried.
Any effort to begin drying out a home is the attic. Any wet insulation should be removed as quickly as possible; it is no longer useful, but it is heavy and holds moisture for quite a long time and will continue to cause damage to wood, metal, and drywall. If anything in the attic is soaked with water, remove it. These waterlogged items are heavy and can cause the ceilings to crack. Fresh air circulating through your home is a good way to begin and if you have any fans, turn them on once you’re confident that you can’t become electrocuted simply by walking around.
Opening the windows throughout the house (as long as it isn’t raining) will help and at this time you should begin to wash down any wooden items in the home in order to remove mud, silt, and other debris.
Things to Know About Water Damaged Vehicles
You might not know it, but if a vehicle is caught in a flood and is partially or even entirely submerged, it isn’t always taken off to the junk yard for scrap. Many times these card are sold through salvage auctions, taken to far off locations, and cleaned up for re-sale. It’s not often the case that these cars that are being re-sold are identified as having been flooded before.
There are a lot of things you should know about water damaged vehicles. Any vehicle that has sustained water damaged is susceptible to mold growth in the vehicle’s interior, especially if the vehicle was allowed to sit untreated in warm temperatures and dry naturally. If the doors to the car or truck have been left shut and it’s been let to try naturally, the musty odor inside will be very prevalent and you won’t have to have any kind of training to detect it. Some dishonest car dealers (or private owners trying to get rid of the car) will try to mask the smell of the water damage with all manner of air fresheners and if you smell anything pleasant while looking inside a car that obviously isn’t brand new, you should probably walk away because they’re hiding something.
Look for any kind of rust in the interior of the car and the trunk, especially near the taillights and check the carpeting for signs of damage. Carpet that has soaked up water and hasn’t been properly treated will most likely stink, especially if it’s been submerged in the sewer water that’s often brought to the surface by flooding.
You might think that if the water dries out, the engine of the vehicle will be just fine, but this probably isn’t the case if it hasn’t been restored by a professional. Sewage, sand, and other debris could have seeped into it and cause misfirings and blown gaskets.
Water damaged vehicles can also suffer electrical problems, especially in newer models where most things are monitored electrically like timing on headlights, the radio, when the oil needs to be changed, and all the way down to how many miles are on the car.
Unless the carpet and its padding were removed and the interior cleaned by a professional and the car was submerged in sewer water, high levels of bacteria and mold are very possible, too.
Paying for a vehicle history from Carfax.com could be beneficial if you get the car’s VIN, but please be aware that the car will only show up as having been flood damaged if an insurance agent has looked at the car and it was recorded. If the vehicle history report doesn’t show it was flooded, but it appears to be water damaged, back away. You’re likely to find a better deal somewhere else.
There are a lot of things you should know about water damaged vehicles. Any vehicle that has sustained water damaged is susceptible to mold growth in the vehicle’s interior, especially if the vehicle was allowed to sit untreated in warm temperatures and dry naturally. If the doors to the car or truck have been left shut and it’s been let to try naturally, the musty odor inside will be very prevalent and you won’t have to have any kind of training to detect it. Some dishonest car dealers (or private owners trying to get rid of the car) will try to mask the smell of the water damage with all manner of air fresheners and if you smell anything pleasant while looking inside a car that obviously isn’t brand new, you should probably walk away because they’re hiding something.
Look for any kind of rust in the interior of the car and the trunk, especially near the taillights and check the carpeting for signs of damage. Carpet that has soaked up water and hasn’t been properly treated will most likely stink, especially if it’s been submerged in the sewer water that’s often brought to the surface by flooding.
You might think that if the water dries out, the engine of the vehicle will be just fine, but this probably isn’t the case if it hasn’t been restored by a professional. Sewage, sand, and other debris could have seeped into it and cause misfirings and blown gaskets.
Water damaged vehicles can also suffer electrical problems, especially in newer models where most things are monitored electrically like timing on headlights, the radio, when the oil needs to be changed, and all the way down to how many miles are on the car.
Unless the carpet and its padding were removed and the interior cleaned by a professional and the car was submerged in sewer water, high levels of bacteria and mold are very possible, too.
Paying for a vehicle history from Carfax.com could be beneficial if you get the car’s VIN, but please be aware that the car will only show up as having been flood damaged if an insurance agent has looked at the car and it was recorded. If the vehicle history report doesn’t show it was flooded, but it appears to be water damaged, back away. You’re likely to find a better deal somewhere else.
Water Damage and Your Homeowner’s Insurance
Not surprisingly, water damage is one of the most frequent causes of home insurance claims. Not many people like having to discover what is and what isn’t covered by their home insurance policy, but that’s often the way that it goes. A pipe bursts in the basement or an appliance such as a clothes washer or dishwasher begins to leak all over the floor while you’re gone on vacation and all of a sudden you find yourself wondering if you’re covered.
For example, if a pipe were to burst in the home due to a drop in temperature and you had left the home vacant and without the heat necessary to keep the pipes from bursting, you might not be covered. They could possibly deny you due to the fact that you did not take the necessary action that would have prevented the event.
If your bathtub overflows, you should be covered, even if it’s just because you were on the phone or tending to another matter in the house and simply forgot to turn off the water.
In most cases if a major household appliance such as a washer or a dishwasher suddenly malfunctions and water spews all over the floor and causes damage, you are covered by your homeowner’s insurance. You’ll have to pay for the cost of fixing the washing machine or dishwasher yourself, but any damage caused by the water itself should be paid for by your policy.
If the cause of the damage is heavy rain and the water leaks through the roof or floods into the basement and the house itself and items inside it are damaged, you should be covered for the cost of the water damage to the interior of your home. The damage to the belongings inside your home is probably not covered, however; if the roof leak was caused by a tree limb falling on the house, then the damage to your furniture, roof, and interior should be covered to a reasonable extent.
One of the major causes of water damage to homes, however, is usually not covered. This is a flood. Unless you have an insurance policy that specifically identifies a flood as a source of damage to the home, you aren’t covered. Flood insurance needs to be purchased from the federal government and your local community should be able to give you information as to whether or not they participate in the National Flood Insurance Program.
For example, if a pipe were to burst in the home due to a drop in temperature and you had left the home vacant and without the heat necessary to keep the pipes from bursting, you might not be covered. They could possibly deny you due to the fact that you did not take the necessary action that would have prevented the event.
If your bathtub overflows, you should be covered, even if it’s just because you were on the phone or tending to another matter in the house and simply forgot to turn off the water.
In most cases if a major household appliance such as a washer or a dishwasher suddenly malfunctions and water spews all over the floor and causes damage, you are covered by your homeowner’s insurance. You’ll have to pay for the cost of fixing the washing machine or dishwasher yourself, but any damage caused by the water itself should be paid for by your policy.
If the cause of the damage is heavy rain and the water leaks through the roof or floods into the basement and the house itself and items inside it are damaged, you should be covered for the cost of the water damage to the interior of your home. The damage to the belongings inside your home is probably not covered, however; if the roof leak was caused by a tree limb falling on the house, then the damage to your furniture, roof, and interior should be covered to a reasonable extent.
One of the major causes of water damage to homes, however, is usually not covered. This is a flood. Unless you have an insurance policy that specifically identifies a flood as a source of damage to the home, you aren’t covered. Flood insurance needs to be purchased from the federal government and your local community should be able to give you information as to whether or not they participate in the National Flood Insurance Program.
Water Damage Prevention in General
Your laundry room, basement, and roof are almost as likely to have water damage and leaks as your bathrooms and your kitchen are. So, what can you do about it?
Check your washing machine hoses often for moisture around the ends of the hose and signs of cracking or weak spots. The hose should be replaced as often as is necessary, but this shouldn’t be more than every three to five years.
The water heater in your home can pose problems, as well. If there are areas of rust on the tank or wet areas in the floor nearby, you might have a leak on your hands. Hot water heaters should be located in the lowest level of your home possible, preferably the basement, and always next to a floor drain. If it has to be installed on upper floors, it should be installed inside a large drain pan and the water directed to a drain in the floor. This way, if it begins leaking, it won’t damage your floors or any area of your home on the next floor down.
Your air conditioner collects condensation and each one should have a drain pan line to direct the water collected by your air conditioner.
Outside your home, any low spots around your house’s foundation should be filled in so that water drains away from the house and not toward it and end up seeping in through any flaws in the structure. Caulking around windows and doors should be inspected; if it is cracked or missing anywhere, it’s best to remove it and completely re-caulk it.
The area round your roof should be draining properly and if it’s not, water seeps into the wood and causes it to rot. A leaky roof can be a definite cause of water damage and is another thing that is not uncommon. Keep your gutters and downspouts free from leaves and other debris that can prevent the water from leaving the roof efficiently. Don’t walk on your roof unless you have to for repairs and it could be wise to invest in a roof preservative to help limit the amount of water your roof sponges up. Wood soaks up water pretty easily and if you want to prevent water damage to your home, it’s a good idea to get a sealant for wooden areas of your home that are exposed to the elements.
Check your washing machine hoses often for moisture around the ends of the hose and signs of cracking or weak spots. The hose should be replaced as often as is necessary, but this shouldn’t be more than every three to five years.
The water heater in your home can pose problems, as well. If there are areas of rust on the tank or wet areas in the floor nearby, you might have a leak on your hands. Hot water heaters should be located in the lowest level of your home possible, preferably the basement, and always next to a floor drain. If it has to be installed on upper floors, it should be installed inside a large drain pan and the water directed to a drain in the floor. This way, if it begins leaking, it won’t damage your floors or any area of your home on the next floor down.
Your air conditioner collects condensation and each one should have a drain pan line to direct the water collected by your air conditioner.
Outside your home, any low spots around your house’s foundation should be filled in so that water drains away from the house and not toward it and end up seeping in through any flaws in the structure. Caulking around windows and doors should be inspected; if it is cracked or missing anywhere, it’s best to remove it and completely re-caulk it.
The area round your roof should be draining properly and if it’s not, water seeps into the wood and causes it to rot. A leaky roof can be a definite cause of water damage and is another thing that is not uncommon. Keep your gutters and downspouts free from leaves and other debris that can prevent the water from leaving the roof efficiently. Don’t walk on your roof unless you have to for repairs and it could be wise to invest in a roof preservative to help limit the amount of water your roof sponges up. Wood soaks up water pretty easily and if you want to prevent water damage to your home, it’s a good idea to get a sealant for wooden areas of your home that are exposed to the elements.
How to Prevent Water Damage Outside Your Home
Any excess amount of water coming into contact with the foundation or the inside of your home can be structurally damaging and if you own the home you’re currently living in, one of the best things that you can do to prevent this damage is to learn how to direct runoff water away from your home.
If you live in a rainy climate or even a snowy one (even snow melts eventually in most places), you should take special care to protect the structural integrity of your home. This is best done by making sure that you have good surface drainage outside of your home and this involves your roof, gutters, and downspouts. Downspout extensions also need to be paid attention to and you need to make sure that they direct water as far as possible from your home’s foundation.
Making sure your roof is properly angled according to where you live. Roofs with higher pitches are the most common in areas where snow tends to be heavy because snow can easily slide off the roof instead of being allowed to sit there and not only stress your roof because of the weight, but when it starts to melt, it will cause the water damage you’re trying to avoid. Water shouldn’t be allowed to accumulate on your roof for any period of time and this is why your roof should be angled so the water will run into the gutters.
The gutters to your home should be large enough to handle heavy amounts of rainfall, especially if you live in an area where heavy rain is common. They should also be cleaned out on a regular basis and be free of clogs of any kind. It might not be a fun home improvement activity for you or anyone you hire to do it for you, but doing this as opposed to having to repair water damage to your home will save you money in the long run.
The downspouts that are connected to your gutters are what direct the water from the gutters and down to the ground where a downspout extension should be located to make sure the water from your roof doesn’t collect around your foundation. These are normally located around the corners of the home, but can be found in other areas. The easier it is for water to get away from your home, the more money you’ll end up saving in the future.
If you live in a rainy climate or even a snowy one (even snow melts eventually in most places), you should take special care to protect the structural integrity of your home. This is best done by making sure that you have good surface drainage outside of your home and this involves your roof, gutters, and downspouts. Downspout extensions also need to be paid attention to and you need to make sure that they direct water as far as possible from your home’s foundation.
Making sure your roof is properly angled according to where you live. Roofs with higher pitches are the most common in areas where snow tends to be heavy because snow can easily slide off the roof instead of being allowed to sit there and not only stress your roof because of the weight, but when it starts to melt, it will cause the water damage you’re trying to avoid. Water shouldn’t be allowed to accumulate on your roof for any period of time and this is why your roof should be angled so the water will run into the gutters.
The gutters to your home should be large enough to handle heavy amounts of rainfall, especially if you live in an area where heavy rain is common. They should also be cleaned out on a regular basis and be free of clogs of any kind. It might not be a fun home improvement activity for you or anyone you hire to do it for you, but doing this as opposed to having to repair water damage to your home will save you money in the long run.
The downspouts that are connected to your gutters are what direct the water from the gutters and down to the ground where a downspout extension should be located to make sure the water from your roof doesn’t collect around your foundation. These are normally located around the corners of the home, but can be found in other areas. The easier it is for water to get away from your home, the more money you’ll end up saving in the future.
How to Care For Water Damaged Electronics
Most of the time when electronic items become water damaged, they’re on and running and this is what causes the majority of the damage. The electricity and water flowing through the object at the same time is what fries the electronic components inside, not just the water itself.
What almost became a horror story for me was when I left my $40 CD player in the floorboard of the car along with a bag of ice that my brother was supposed to have retrieved after I got home. He didn’t and when I got in the car the next morning, it was completely submersed in water. The worst mistake I could have made at that point was to try and turn it on. Whatever you do, if you have a piece of water damaged equipment like this and it isn’t dry yet, do NOT try to turn it on! I let my CD player dry for about two weeks (after taking the batteries out) before I even considered trying to power it up. An article in the Washington Post claims that a Blackberry that had fallen into the toilet survived because it was put in a bowl of uncooked rice for a few days because rice absorbed all the moisture. If you’re going to go this route, make sure the rice is of a larger grain so it doesn’t work its way inside the device.
If you’re faced with a problem where a liquid spills into a device that is powered on and connected to the current in your wall or the current in your car, disconnect the device from its power source immediately. If it has batteries, too, remove them to make sure it has no power source at all, in case you accidentally press the “on” button. You don’t want to get shocked by touching it while it’s still plugged in, if it plugs into the wall in your house.
Other devices larger than cell phones and CD players get water damaged and those are computers, televisions, stereo equipment, video cameras, and etcetera. These items are best cared for by a professional and in fact, if you have any doubts as to your own ability to work on your smaller water damaged items, it’s really best to do this, anyway. If you’re going to call a professional, though, you should do it quickly: the liquid gradually corrodes some of the internal metal components.
What almost became a horror story for me was when I left my $40 CD player in the floorboard of the car along with a bag of ice that my brother was supposed to have retrieved after I got home. He didn’t and when I got in the car the next morning, it was completely submersed in water. The worst mistake I could have made at that point was to try and turn it on. Whatever you do, if you have a piece of water damaged equipment like this and it isn’t dry yet, do NOT try to turn it on! I let my CD player dry for about two weeks (after taking the batteries out) before I even considered trying to power it up. An article in the Washington Post claims that a Blackberry that had fallen into the toilet survived because it was put in a bowl of uncooked rice for a few days because rice absorbed all the moisture. If you’re going to go this route, make sure the rice is of a larger grain so it doesn’t work its way inside the device.
If you’re faced with a problem where a liquid spills into a device that is powered on and connected to the current in your wall or the current in your car, disconnect the device from its power source immediately. If it has batteries, too, remove them to make sure it has no power source at all, in case you accidentally press the “on” button. You don’t want to get shocked by touching it while it’s still plugged in, if it plugs into the wall in your house.
Other devices larger than cell phones and CD players get water damaged and those are computers, televisions, stereo equipment, video cameras, and etcetera. These items are best cared for by a professional and in fact, if you have any doubts as to your own ability to work on your smaller water damaged items, it’s really best to do this, anyway. If you’re going to call a professional, though, you should do it quickly: the liquid gradually corrodes some of the internal metal components.
Filing Your Flood Damage Insurance Claim
A flood can be a homeowner’s worst nightmare, especially if it engulfs almost the entire house like many of the homes that were made uninhabitable by Hurricane Katrina a few years ago. In case you ever have to face this catastrophe, here are a few tips on how to deal with it and file the insurance claim. Depending on the amount of water damage to your home, it may be salvageable and it may not, but the first step is getting your claim filed.
The first thing you should do after the water has been cleared from your home, call your insurance agent or company as soon as you can. If you can, have your name, policy number, and a phone number or e-mail address that you can be reached at handy when you call. This will speed up the process more than you think.
When you’re filing your claim, request a time frame for when your adjuster will be sent to your home. Try to be patient, especially if you live in an area that has withstood extensive damage due to a river flowing over its banks or a dam that has burst. The water damage to your home depends upon just how high the water rose in and around it.
Once the adjuster has become available and is able to reach you and your home, he or she will help you determine just how much they are willing and able to compensate you for the loss of your property and help determine just how extensive the water damage is.
If your contact information changes in any way, let your insurance adjuster know as soon as possible. If you’re in a shelter of some kind or staying with a relative or friend, give your adjuster the name of someone who has the ability to reach you. If you can’t get home, it’s best to make a list of as many items as you can think of that may need to be replaced or repaired in your home. Computers, television sets, clothing, expensive electronic equipment, books, and etcetera should be listed here. List anything of value that could have been water damaged or lost.
If you can return home, you should separate the damaged items from the undamaged items and take pictures of your property to give the adjuster a good idea of the kind of loss you have endured.
Even if this event has never happened to you or if you’re not expecting any water damage like this to your home any time soon (and who really is), one of the best things that you can do for your home is to take a video every year of your home and its contents. Put this video in a waterproof (and fireproof) safe in case the unthinkable ever happens.
The first thing you should do after the water has been cleared from your home, call your insurance agent or company as soon as you can. If you can, have your name, policy number, and a phone number or e-mail address that you can be reached at handy when you call. This will speed up the process more than you think.
When you’re filing your claim, request a time frame for when your adjuster will be sent to your home. Try to be patient, especially if you live in an area that has withstood extensive damage due to a river flowing over its banks or a dam that has burst. The water damage to your home depends upon just how high the water rose in and around it.
Once the adjuster has become available and is able to reach you and your home, he or she will help you determine just how much they are willing and able to compensate you for the loss of your property and help determine just how extensive the water damage is.
If your contact information changes in any way, let your insurance adjuster know as soon as possible. If you’re in a shelter of some kind or staying with a relative or friend, give your adjuster the name of someone who has the ability to reach you. If you can’t get home, it’s best to make a list of as many items as you can think of that may need to be replaced or repaired in your home. Computers, television sets, clothing, expensive electronic equipment, books, and etcetera should be listed here. List anything of value that could have been water damaged or lost.
If you can return home, you should separate the damaged items from the undamaged items and take pictures of your property to give the adjuster a good idea of the kind of loss you have endured.
Even if this event has never happened to you or if you’re not expecting any water damage like this to your home any time soon (and who really is), one of the best things that you can do for your home is to take a video every year of your home and its contents. Put this video in a waterproof (and fireproof) safe in case the unthinkable ever happens.
End Mold’s Romance With Your Bathroom
When home buyers finally decide to purchase a new home, one of the first things they consider remodeling tends to be the bathroom. Bathroom remodeling isn’t always the easiest thing to do, especially if you are so unlucky as to find a colony of mold living in what is supposed to be one of the most comforting and relaxing areas of your home. Most people, however, wouldn’t know what to do if they found a mold colony in any part of their home, much less their beloved bathroom, even though this is one of the more likely places to find it.
The reason that the bathroom is one of the most common places to find infestations of mold is because there is a constant pattern of heat and humidity in this space. While some kinds of mold pose no threat to human beings, other kinds of mold can be hazardous to our health and can even render our homes uninhabitable. Black mold is found in many bathrooms and basements and it is very toxic. It has been known to cause rashes, fevers, flu-like symptoms and other health complications. If you discover what you think is black mold (and it truly does appear to be black), it’s best to call in a professional to get rid of it.
While it’s expensive to have the mold in your home removed, you will definitely want to put this on your to-do list. It can and will move to other parts of your home if it’s left unchecked. After the mold is removed successfully and you continue with your bathroom remodeling project, you’ll want to take steps to prevent the re-growth of mold in the future.
Install a bathroom fan while you’re remodeling if you don’t already have one. This is one of the best things that you can do to prevent mold from sneaking back into your quiet space. Bathroom fans get rid of the majority of the moisture that mold needs to grow and survive. Even if you’re not remodeling right now and your bathroom has no visible signs of mold, don’t bet on mold not invading there in the future, if you don’t have a fan in the bathroom, you should get one.
After showering or bathing, the shower curtain should be shaken off in the tub to direct as much water as possible toward the drain. Water that collects on the walls surrounding the tub should also be wiped either dry or down toward the drain with a squeegee. You want all the surfaces in your bathroom to dry out as quickly as possible.
The reason that the bathroom is one of the most common places to find infestations of mold is because there is a constant pattern of heat and humidity in this space. While some kinds of mold pose no threat to human beings, other kinds of mold can be hazardous to our health and can even render our homes uninhabitable. Black mold is found in many bathrooms and basements and it is very toxic. It has been known to cause rashes, fevers, flu-like symptoms and other health complications. If you discover what you think is black mold (and it truly does appear to be black), it’s best to call in a professional to get rid of it.
While it’s expensive to have the mold in your home removed, you will definitely want to put this on your to-do list. It can and will move to other parts of your home if it’s left unchecked. After the mold is removed successfully and you continue with your bathroom remodeling project, you’ll want to take steps to prevent the re-growth of mold in the future.
Install a bathroom fan while you’re remodeling if you don’t already have one. This is one of the best things that you can do to prevent mold from sneaking back into your quiet space. Bathroom fans get rid of the majority of the moisture that mold needs to grow and survive. Even if you’re not remodeling right now and your bathroom has no visible signs of mold, don’t bet on mold not invading there in the future, if you don’t have a fan in the bathroom, you should get one.
After showering or bathing, the shower curtain should be shaken off in the tub to direct as much water as possible toward the drain. Water that collects on the walls surrounding the tub should also be wiped either dry or down toward the drain with a squeegee. You want all the surfaces in your bathroom to dry out as quickly as possible.
Easy Ways to Stop the Mold Invasion
One of the most damaging things to a building, especially a residential one, is mold. While there are many kinds of mold and some are good and even used to make certain foods, when it grows inside your home it tends to lead to not only structural damage, but damage to the health of the people living in it as well. Home buyers are becoming more and more aware of the mold problem and wondering what they can do about it not only because of the health consequences of mold, but also of the damage it can do to the value of their home. Here are a few things you can do to help prevent mold from growing in your home.
Ventilating your household properly and in the right places is essential. Mold grows in warm, humid areas of your home that are not properly ventilated. It doesn’t need standing water to grow, only a humidity of over around 65% and if the humidity in the house is kept low enough, mold cannot grow. If you see condensation start to build up on a windowpane inside your house, this can be a sign that the humidity in your home is too high. Keep these areas wiped dry as much as possible until you can determine the best way to keep this from happening. Try a de-humidifier to help solve this problem.
Something else that helps with mold growth prevention is paperless sheetrock. This might be only feasible if you’re planning on building a completely new home, but if you’re doing any heavy remodeling or adding on any new space, paperless sheetrock is best because mold loves to feed on paper.
If you store papers and other items in your basement like cardboard boxes, don’t store them directly in contact with the floor, especially if there’s a chance that they could come into contact with moisture such as leaks around the indoor foundation or a leaky water heater. As stated before, mold eats paper and needs moisture to survive.
Clean up spills and any leaks you find in your home as quickly as possible and if you have a fan in your bathroom that can be used to let heat and steam outside the house, use it while showering. If you can vent the heat from items like clothes dryers and stoves to the outside of the house, do this while they are in use, as well.
Cold surfaces in the home such as pipes, especially in basements, should be insulated so condensation does not form. This not only prevents mold, but also helps to prevent the pipes from rusting.
With some smart actions, preventing mold from growing in your home isn’t just beneficial, it’s easy. The benefits of a mold free home definitely outweigh the cost of going to the small bit of trouble to keep it that way.
Ventilating your household properly and in the right places is essential. Mold grows in warm, humid areas of your home that are not properly ventilated. It doesn’t need standing water to grow, only a humidity of over around 65% and if the humidity in the house is kept low enough, mold cannot grow. If you see condensation start to build up on a windowpane inside your house, this can be a sign that the humidity in your home is too high. Keep these areas wiped dry as much as possible until you can determine the best way to keep this from happening. Try a de-humidifier to help solve this problem.
Something else that helps with mold growth prevention is paperless sheetrock. This might be only feasible if you’re planning on building a completely new home, but if you’re doing any heavy remodeling or adding on any new space, paperless sheetrock is best because mold loves to feed on paper.
If you store papers and other items in your basement like cardboard boxes, don’t store them directly in contact with the floor, especially if there’s a chance that they could come into contact with moisture such as leaks around the indoor foundation or a leaky water heater. As stated before, mold eats paper and needs moisture to survive.
Clean up spills and any leaks you find in your home as quickly as possible and if you have a fan in your bathroom that can be used to let heat and steam outside the house, use it while showering. If you can vent the heat from items like clothes dryers and stoves to the outside of the house, do this while they are in use, as well.
Cold surfaces in the home such as pipes, especially in basements, should be insulated so condensation does not form. This not only prevents mold, but also helps to prevent the pipes from rusting.
With some smart actions, preventing mold from growing in your home isn’t just beneficial, it’s easy. The benefits of a mold free home definitely outweigh the cost of going to the small bit of trouble to keep it that way.
Dealing With Water Damaged Documents
Marriage, birth, and death certificates are only a few of the hundreds of different important documents and items that we have in our homes that can become damaged by flood waters or other kinds of leaks and most of us don’t know how to safely deal with these items once the damage is already done.
The first thing that you should know is that there isn’t any reason to panic, unless you’ve been away from your home for more than two days. It takes two days for mold to begin to grow on these items, so one of the first things that you should do is make the environment unfriendly to mold. Keep the house around 65 degrees Fahrenheit if you can and reduce the humidity. If there is any standing water still in the house, remove it as quickly as possible. Be careful, however, of any electrical hazards that might still exist and make sure the electricity to the house is off before you go rushing into any soaked areas. The possibility of electrocution is very real if the power isn’t off.
Air circulation in the house should be increased with fans if the air outside isn’t warmer or more humid than the air inside. If there are any emergency repairs that need to be made inside the house to ensure your safety, do them immediately.
The next thing you should do is figure out what documents in your home are going to need to be salvaged. This will include the documents listed above, marriage, birth, and death certificates, along with any insurance papers, divorce papers, and almost any other legal documents you have on hand. If the materials are not completely soaked in water, it’s possible to just air dry them and they will be fine. If they’ve been submerged for long, the best bet is to have them frozen and freeze-dried by a local facility.
Buy some freezer wrap from your local grocery store if they have it and use it to separate documents and books from each other when you pack them into boxes. Remove the most important items (i.e. legal documents, antique books of any value) first and if there are any less important items that you want to save (high school diplomas, anything that’s “one-of-a-kind”, books), remove those second. Don’t pack anything tightly in the freezer paper, just tight enough to keep the items from sticking to each other or to the inside of the box. Label each box with its contents and your contact information and have them transferred to the nearest freeze dry facility.
The first thing that you should know is that there isn’t any reason to panic, unless you’ve been away from your home for more than two days. It takes two days for mold to begin to grow on these items, so one of the first things that you should do is make the environment unfriendly to mold. Keep the house around 65 degrees Fahrenheit if you can and reduce the humidity. If there is any standing water still in the house, remove it as quickly as possible. Be careful, however, of any electrical hazards that might still exist and make sure the electricity to the house is off before you go rushing into any soaked areas. The possibility of electrocution is very real if the power isn’t off.
Air circulation in the house should be increased with fans if the air outside isn’t warmer or more humid than the air inside. If there are any emergency repairs that need to be made inside the house to ensure your safety, do them immediately.
The next thing you should do is figure out what documents in your home are going to need to be salvaged. This will include the documents listed above, marriage, birth, and death certificates, along with any insurance papers, divorce papers, and almost any other legal documents you have on hand. If the materials are not completely soaked in water, it’s possible to just air dry them and they will be fine. If they’ve been submerged for long, the best bet is to have them frozen and freeze-dried by a local facility.
Buy some freezer wrap from your local grocery store if they have it and use it to separate documents and books from each other when you pack them into boxes. Remove the most important items (i.e. legal documents, antique books of any value) first and if there are any less important items that you want to save (high school diplomas, anything that’s “one-of-a-kind”, books), remove those second. Don’t pack anything tightly in the freezer paper, just tight enough to keep the items from sticking to each other or to the inside of the box. Label each box with its contents and your contact information and have them transferred to the nearest freeze dry facility.
Aspergillus Mold
Aspergillus is a genus of mold that can be found indoors. Some species of this genus can be detrimental to human beings and pets and have the ability to cause Aspergillosis.
Aspergillosis is the name of a variety of different diseases that are caused by Aspergillus molds. Those who have weak immune systems, such as infants and the elderly, and those who have compromised immune systems, such as people with HIV, AIDs, or other diseases that weaken the body are particularly at risk to develop one of many forms of Aspergillosis.
The symptoms of Aspergillosis can include cough, chest pain or trouble breathing, and fever. Typically only people with immune systems that are already weak or who already suffer from other kinds of lung diseases are in danger of developing the disease. Major forms of the disease that occur in human beings are allergic aspergillosis, which affects cystic fibrosis, asthma, and sinusitis patients, acute invasive aspergillosis, and disseminated invasive aspergillosis. The most common species of Aspergillus molds that cause diseases in humans and animals are Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus.
Something named after the Aspergillus genus is an aspergilloma, which is also called a mycetoma or a fungus ball. This is a collection of fungus which exists in a cavity in a person or animal’s body such as the lungs and Aspergillus is the culptrit of most of these infections. Most people who have aspergillomas don’t have any symptoms that are related to the fungus growing inside them and so people often live for decades without knowing about their infection. The most common symptom of having aspergillomas is the coughing up of blood or hemoptysis; this blood loss is usually not consequential, merely a sign that aspergillomas could exist in the body.
These diseases not only occur in humans, but also in plants and animals. Wasted grain with aspergillus mold colonies growing on it and feed lots in the area around Burley, Idaho is suspected to have caused the death of over 2,000 mallard ducks. Moldy grain was also the cause of death in about 500 mallards in 2005 in Iowa.
While some Aspergillus molds can be harmful to human beings, other molds from this genus are used commercially, particularly in Japan where beverages such as sake are fermented using Aspergillus oryzae. Aspergillus niger is also used as a major source of citric acid and it accounts for over 99% of the globe’s citric acid production and this is total to more than 4.5 million metric tons a year.
Aspergillosis is the name of a variety of different diseases that are caused by Aspergillus molds. Those who have weak immune systems, such as infants and the elderly, and those who have compromised immune systems, such as people with HIV, AIDs, or other diseases that weaken the body are particularly at risk to develop one of many forms of Aspergillosis.
The symptoms of Aspergillosis can include cough, chest pain or trouble breathing, and fever. Typically only people with immune systems that are already weak or who already suffer from other kinds of lung diseases are in danger of developing the disease. Major forms of the disease that occur in human beings are allergic aspergillosis, which affects cystic fibrosis, asthma, and sinusitis patients, acute invasive aspergillosis, and disseminated invasive aspergillosis. The most common species of Aspergillus molds that cause diseases in humans and animals are Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus.
Something named after the Aspergillus genus is an aspergilloma, which is also called a mycetoma or a fungus ball. This is a collection of fungus which exists in a cavity in a person or animal’s body such as the lungs and Aspergillus is the culptrit of most of these infections. Most people who have aspergillomas don’t have any symptoms that are related to the fungus growing inside them and so people often live for decades without knowing about their infection. The most common symptom of having aspergillomas is the coughing up of blood or hemoptysis; this blood loss is usually not consequential, merely a sign that aspergillomas could exist in the body.
These diseases not only occur in humans, but also in plants and animals. Wasted grain with aspergillus mold colonies growing on it and feed lots in the area around Burley, Idaho is suspected to have caused the death of over 2,000 mallard ducks. Moldy grain was also the cause of death in about 500 mallards in 2005 in Iowa.
While some Aspergillus molds can be harmful to human beings, other molds from this genus are used commercially, particularly in Japan where beverages such as sake are fermented using Aspergillus oryzae. Aspergillus niger is also used as a major source of citric acid and it accounts for over 99% of the globe’s citric acid production and this is total to more than 4.5 million metric tons a year.
A Few Quick Facts About Mold
Something that a lot of people don’t know about mold is that it is everywhere we are. It’s hard to escape mold entirely, because it’s in the air we breathe. It is a form of fungi that grows all around the world and there are countless species of it that can be almost any color you can think of. A lot of them are harmless, but the ones that aren’t, such as toxic black mold, are the ones that most people are concerned about growing in their homes. Along with being unsightly, it can cause many health complications, especially if someone living or working in the affected area is allergic to it.
How does it get into your building? It usually comes from outdoors, either due to water leaking into the house from outside or because the humidity in a home is too high. Areas with water damage such as roofs, flooded areas, crawl spaces, and plumbing leaks are often sites for mold infections.
Why should you worry about it? Aside from the health complications that some molds can cause, it has been known to grow on furniture, clothing stuffed into the backs of closets, and even children’s toys. All these items need to be cleaned thoroughly and sterilized before being used again, if they’re used again at all. Some items like clothing are easier to throw away than they are to clean. The structural damage that mold can cause to your home overtime can be substantial and as soon as you discover a mold infestation, it’s best to either call in a professional to get rid of it or, if it’s a smaller infection, remove the mold and clean the area yourself using the different testing and cleaning kits that are available on the market today.
Who should worry about mold the most? The people who are most affected by mold in their homes or places of business are infants and small children, the elderly, people with respiratory conditions such as asthma or emphysema, anyone with a weakened immune system, such as people with HIV or AIDS, chemotherapy patients, anyone who has just had surgery, and pregnant women.
How do you prevent mold? The easiest way to prevent mold is to make sure your home is a cool and dry environment. Bathrooms and kitchens should be paid special attention to. Clean up spills and leaking water quickly and do not allow standing water in any part of your home, even the basement, because the infestation can and will spread to other areas of your home. Do your best to direct heat and moisture from clothes dryers, dish washers, stoves, and bathrooms outside your home with the appropriate fans and vents.
How does it get into your building? It usually comes from outdoors, either due to water leaking into the house from outside or because the humidity in a home is too high. Areas with water damage such as roofs, flooded areas, crawl spaces, and plumbing leaks are often sites for mold infections.
Why should you worry about it? Aside from the health complications that some molds can cause, it has been known to grow on furniture, clothing stuffed into the backs of closets, and even children’s toys. All these items need to be cleaned thoroughly and sterilized before being used again, if they’re used again at all. Some items like clothing are easier to throw away than they are to clean. The structural damage that mold can cause to your home overtime can be substantial and as soon as you discover a mold infestation, it’s best to either call in a professional to get rid of it or, if it’s a smaller infection, remove the mold and clean the area yourself using the different testing and cleaning kits that are available on the market today.
Who should worry about mold the most? The people who are most affected by mold in their homes or places of business are infants and small children, the elderly, people with respiratory conditions such as asthma or emphysema, anyone with a weakened immune system, such as people with HIV or AIDS, chemotherapy patients, anyone who has just had surgery, and pregnant women.
How do you prevent mold? The easiest way to prevent mold is to make sure your home is a cool and dry environment. Bathrooms and kitchens should be paid special attention to. Clean up spills and leaking water quickly and do not allow standing water in any part of your home, even the basement, because the infestation can and will spread to other areas of your home. Do your best to direct heat and moisture from clothes dryers, dish washers, stoves, and bathrooms outside your home with the appropriate fans and vents.
Carelessness Concerning Fire and Water
All homeowners have been careless at one time or another concerning water or electricity in their homes, but unfortunately negligence is one of the leading causes of damage to homes in the country. You should not fail to take care of your property and do maintenance whenever needed, but you should also make it a point not to take unnecessary risks when concerning water and electricity. While water does not do much immediate damage to a property, fire certainly does and carelessness with electronic items can cause fires much more quickly than anything in the natural world.
Most house fires are caused by either failing to make sure that an appliance used on a daily basis is not in danger of having electrical shorts or due to an electrical device being left unattended when it should not be. Space heaters are particularly dangerous in this regard and should not be left on overnight or used with an extension cord that is not a heavy duty gauge of at least 14. They should also not be left on overnight unless absolutely necessary, since most house fires tend to happen when people are sleeping.
This is also the case when you are cooking with grease or oil of any kind in the kitchen. Houses have caught on fire and burned completely to the ground due to leaving oil or shortening to heat in the kitchen unattended. You should never leave anything you are cooking unattended on the stove, especially if it is grease or solid shortening. It catches on fire much quicker than you would think, so no matter what reason you may find to leave the room, you should either stay in the kitchen or turn the stove off.
Water damage occurs mostly when there are leaks from the outside of the home or the plumbing, but sometimes damage occurs due to carelessness, too. This can happen when you are running a tub of bath water or filling up the kitchen sink to wash dishes, but the fact is that people often become preoccupied with other chores or phone calls and allow them to overflow onto the floor. Whenever you run a large quantity of water into a container, you should always watch it to make sure that it does not overflow, since allowing it to do so on a regular basis can cause damage to the floor, especially if it is not waterproof.
Most house fires are caused by either failing to make sure that an appliance used on a daily basis is not in danger of having electrical shorts or due to an electrical device being left unattended when it should not be. Space heaters are particularly dangerous in this regard and should not be left on overnight or used with an extension cord that is not a heavy duty gauge of at least 14. They should also not be left on overnight unless absolutely necessary, since most house fires tend to happen when people are sleeping.
This is also the case when you are cooking with grease or oil of any kind in the kitchen. Houses have caught on fire and burned completely to the ground due to leaving oil or shortening to heat in the kitchen unattended. You should never leave anything you are cooking unattended on the stove, especially if it is grease or solid shortening. It catches on fire much quicker than you would think, so no matter what reason you may find to leave the room, you should either stay in the kitchen or turn the stove off.
Water damage occurs mostly when there are leaks from the outside of the home or the plumbing, but sometimes damage occurs due to carelessness, too. This can happen when you are running a tub of bath water or filling up the kitchen sink to wash dishes, but the fact is that people often become preoccupied with other chores or phone calls and allow them to overflow onto the floor. Whenever you run a large quantity of water into a container, you should always watch it to make sure that it does not overflow, since allowing it to do so on a regular basis can cause damage to the floor, especially if it is not waterproof.
Fires And The Smoke Point Of Oil
If you cook a lot at home and with oil, then you are probably at least somewhat aware of what a smoke point refers to. Even some of us who do cook fried or stir fried foods often are not fully aware of what a smoke point is and what it might be for the particular kind of oil that we are cooking with. It is something that every cook should be familiar with, since not knowing the smoke point of the oil that you are cooking with can cause it to catch on fire. Some of the worst house fires ever have been started by cooking with oil in the kitchen and by knowing the smoke point of what you are cooking with, you can reduce the chances of having an oil fire greatly.
Unrefined oils that have been harvested using what is called cold extraction tend to have a lower smoke point than other kinds of oil. These unrefined oils usually have better flavor than refined oils and are usually used in sautéing, baking, and for salad dressings. Unrefined oils tend to include avocado oil, some nut oils, and olive oils. Oils that have high smoke points are generally peanut oil, canola, soy, and safflower oil.
A pan containing oil that has reached its smoke point needs to be removed immediately and let to cool. After it cools, it should be thrown out for a number of reasons. Oil that reaches its smoke point starts to break down and will taste very bad, which is why any kind of oil that has reached its smoke point should be thrown out. It will make the food taste bad and the smoke should not be breathed in or the oil consumed, since it can form carcinogens.
You should heat oils gradually because they will perform better than if you just pour them into a very hot pan. As long as they are heated up and cooled off slowly, you can reuse most oils, but you should throw them away as soon as they start to discolor or smell rancid.
One of the worst things that you can do is leave oil to heat in the kitchen on its own. A home catching on fire and burning down completely is not an uncommon occurrence when there is unattended oil heating in the kitchen. What makes this another very bad situation is that oil and electrical fires cannot be put out with water, no matter how much of it you throw on it. If your oil or stove catches on fire and it is fairly small, you can put it out effectively by using baking soda or using your fire extinguisher. Anyone who cooks with oil on a regular basis should have both of these items close by, just in case.
Unrefined oils that have been harvested using what is called cold extraction tend to have a lower smoke point than other kinds of oil. These unrefined oils usually have better flavor than refined oils and are usually used in sautéing, baking, and for salad dressings. Unrefined oils tend to include avocado oil, some nut oils, and olive oils. Oils that have high smoke points are generally peanut oil, canola, soy, and safflower oil.
A pan containing oil that has reached its smoke point needs to be removed immediately and let to cool. After it cools, it should be thrown out for a number of reasons. Oil that reaches its smoke point starts to break down and will taste very bad, which is why any kind of oil that has reached its smoke point should be thrown out. It will make the food taste bad and the smoke should not be breathed in or the oil consumed, since it can form carcinogens.
You should heat oils gradually because they will perform better than if you just pour them into a very hot pan. As long as they are heated up and cooled off slowly, you can reuse most oils, but you should throw them away as soon as they start to discolor or smell rancid.
One of the worst things that you can do is leave oil to heat in the kitchen on its own. A home catching on fire and burning down completely is not an uncommon occurrence when there is unattended oil heating in the kitchen. What makes this another very bad situation is that oil and electrical fires cannot be put out with water, no matter how much of it you throw on it. If your oil or stove catches on fire and it is fairly small, you can put it out effectively by using baking soda or using your fire extinguisher. Anyone who cooks with oil on a regular basis should have both of these items close by, just in case.
Steps To Prevent A House Fire
Whether you think that it can happen to you or not, a house fire can be one of the most trying experiences that you can have, but the majority of house fires can be prevented simply by paying attention to what you are doing and using the electrical devices in your home the way that they were intended.
When cooking in the kitchen, you should never leave oil or shortening to heat on the stove unattended. This is the cause of more house fires than you can imagine and it is easily avoidable by simply not leaving the room for more than a minute or two (literally). If you have to put out a grease fire, you should know that you cannot do this with water. Use baking soda or your fire extinguisher, depending on the size of the fire. If it is very small, the baking soda should take care of it. If it is larger and threatens to spread beyond the stove, use the fire extinguisher.
The electrical devices most notorious for starting house fires are used during the winter to keep the house or the people in it as warm as possible. Electric blankets have been known to catch beds on fire with people asleep in them and go on to burn the rest of the house to the ground. While you may think that you know how to use an electric blanket, you may want to reconsider leaving it on while you are asleep under it. If you absolutely must leave it on, it should be on a low setting. Never leave it on a high setting, especially when it is underneath other blankets. The other blankets will insulate the heat and make it even more likely to catch on fire. Secondly, do not allow pets or children to walk on the bed while it is on it. Walking on electric blankets can damage the heating elements.
Space heaters are another concern for those of us who cannot afford to pay the extra cost of a gas bill during the winter time to heat the house. These can cause house fires quickly, as well, and should be used with caution. Do not place them in the rooms of small children since they often have a number of plush toys and blankets in the room that can catch on fire. An area of at least 3 to 5 feet or more should be cleared from around the heater so it does not catch anything on fire.
Something else to consider when using devices that emit heat is to never use an extension cord with them unless it is a heavy duty gauge of at least 14. Small cords used with lamps and other devices cannot handle the current needed to provide power to devices that emit heat. They will melt.
When cooking in the kitchen, you should never leave oil or shortening to heat on the stove unattended. This is the cause of more house fires than you can imagine and it is easily avoidable by simply not leaving the room for more than a minute or two (literally). If you have to put out a grease fire, you should know that you cannot do this with water. Use baking soda or your fire extinguisher, depending on the size of the fire. If it is very small, the baking soda should take care of it. If it is larger and threatens to spread beyond the stove, use the fire extinguisher.
The electrical devices most notorious for starting house fires are used during the winter to keep the house or the people in it as warm as possible. Electric blankets have been known to catch beds on fire with people asleep in them and go on to burn the rest of the house to the ground. While you may think that you know how to use an electric blanket, you may want to reconsider leaving it on while you are asleep under it. If you absolutely must leave it on, it should be on a low setting. Never leave it on a high setting, especially when it is underneath other blankets. The other blankets will insulate the heat and make it even more likely to catch on fire. Secondly, do not allow pets or children to walk on the bed while it is on it. Walking on electric blankets can damage the heating elements.
Space heaters are another concern for those of us who cannot afford to pay the extra cost of a gas bill during the winter time to heat the house. These can cause house fires quickly, as well, and should be used with caution. Do not place them in the rooms of small children since they often have a number of plush toys and blankets in the room that can catch on fire. An area of at least 3 to 5 feet or more should be cleared from around the heater so it does not catch anything on fire.
Something else to consider when using devices that emit heat is to never use an extension cord with them unless it is a heavy duty gauge of at least 14. Small cords used with lamps and other devices cannot handle the current needed to provide power to devices that emit heat. They will melt.
Heating Devices Can Cause Fires
Heating Devices Can Cause Fires
There is not a homeowner in the world that wants to have to clean up after a house fire, but this is a common occurrence around the world, no matter how careful you might be. You can go through your whole life and never even see a single tiny grease fire in the kitchen and your house still burn to the ground. On the same token, you can have several small fires on your stove or in other parts of your house, and the entire thing still be standing tall when you are ninety years old. But, do not think that it all comes down to luck, because it most certainly does not. The likelihood of a fire burning your house down is directly related to how closely you pay attention to the electrical items in your home. This includes maintenance on large appliances and whether you are using small electrical appliances correctly or not.
One thing that most people do not think about causing a house fire is a curling iron. These have been used by women to curl their hair for many years, but leaving an electric one on and unattended for any period of time is not a good idea. They can cause not only burns on any small children or pets that may run into the cord, but can also cause things to catch on fire depending on where you are using it in the house.
Another item that needs to be used carefully is the space heater. These come in all shapes and sizes, but the general consensus is to never leave these on for extended periods of time and to not use extension cords with them. If you have to use an extension cord, make sure that it is a heavy gauge one with a marking of at least 14. If you can stand to turn them off while you are sleeping, it is a good idea to do so, since many fires of this nature happen at night when no one is awake to watch the heater.
A winter item that you need to be just as careful with is the electric blanket. There have been reports of people waking up with their beds on fire because they left them on while they were sleeping. You also do not want to put pressure on the heating elements in these blankets, since they are easily damaged.
There is not a homeowner in the world that wants to have to clean up after a house fire, but this is a common occurrence around the world, no matter how careful you might be. You can go through your whole life and never even see a single tiny grease fire in the kitchen and your house still burn to the ground. On the same token, you can have several small fires on your stove or in other parts of your house, and the entire thing still be standing tall when you are ninety years old. But, do not think that it all comes down to luck, because it most certainly does not. The likelihood of a fire burning your house down is directly related to how closely you pay attention to the electrical items in your home. This includes maintenance on large appliances and whether you are using small electrical appliances correctly or not.
One thing that most people do not think about causing a house fire is a curling iron. These have been used by women to curl their hair for many years, but leaving an electric one on and unattended for any period of time is not a good idea. They can cause not only burns on any small children or pets that may run into the cord, but can also cause things to catch on fire depending on where you are using it in the house.
Another item that needs to be used carefully is the space heater. These come in all shapes and sizes, but the general consensus is to never leave these on for extended periods of time and to not use extension cords with them. If you have to use an extension cord, make sure that it is a heavy gauge one with a marking of at least 14. If you can stand to turn them off while you are sleeping, it is a good idea to do so, since many fires of this nature happen at night when no one is awake to watch the heater.
A winter item that you need to be just as careful with is the electric blanket. There have been reports of people waking up with their beds on fire because they left them on while they were sleeping. You also do not want to put pressure on the heating elements in these blankets, since they are easily damaged.
Making Mistakes With Fire and Water
Everyone makes mistakes and that is just a fact of life, but the reality is that a lot of the mistakes that you can make that are the most devastating to your home can be completely avoided simply by paying attention to what you are doing. Some of the worst accidents conceivable can happen while you are inside your own home and no matter how careful you are, accidents will always happen, but one of the most important things that you can do while you are working in your home is to pay attention.
For example, when you are cooking in the kitchen, the worst thing that you can do is put something on the stove and leave it unattended. Maybe you get occupied doing other chores around the house or you have to answer the phone or tend to the kids in another room, but if you can put that off until later, never leave anything unattended on the stove for more than a few seconds. Houses have been badly fire damaged and even completely burned to the ground by leaving things unattended on the stove, especially grease. You should never begin heating grease on the stove and leave it alone. A relative of mine did this and sat down on her couch, fell asleep, and her entire house burned to the ground. Never leave the kitchen when cooking with grease unless absolutely necessary and never let yourself get preoccupied with other chores. It is just not worth the risk.
Another less immediate threat to your home is water. Water does not do the devastating immediate damage that fire can do, but this could possibly make it even more of a risk simply because you do not realize any damage is being done. Whether you are filling up the kitchen sink to wash dishes or filling up your bathtub, this is another area where getting preoccupied with other activities can get you into trouble. Doing your best to keep the sinks and tubs in your home from overflowing should keep your kitchen and bathroom floor pretty safe from water damage and mold growth.
Even if you do slip up and let a container of water overflow, you can keep it from doing too much damage to your floor by making sure the floor is waterproofed. You can do this by making sure that there are no cracks in the flooring, whether it is tile, linoleum, or anything else, no missing areas of grout, and no missing areas of sealant around the base of the cabinets.
For example, when you are cooking in the kitchen, the worst thing that you can do is put something on the stove and leave it unattended. Maybe you get occupied doing other chores around the house or you have to answer the phone or tend to the kids in another room, but if you can put that off until later, never leave anything unattended on the stove for more than a few seconds. Houses have been badly fire damaged and even completely burned to the ground by leaving things unattended on the stove, especially grease. You should never begin heating grease on the stove and leave it alone. A relative of mine did this and sat down on her couch, fell asleep, and her entire house burned to the ground. Never leave the kitchen when cooking with grease unless absolutely necessary and never let yourself get preoccupied with other chores. It is just not worth the risk.
Another less immediate threat to your home is water. Water does not do the devastating immediate damage that fire can do, but this could possibly make it even more of a risk simply because you do not realize any damage is being done. Whether you are filling up the kitchen sink to wash dishes or filling up your bathtub, this is another area where getting preoccupied with other activities can get you into trouble. Doing your best to keep the sinks and tubs in your home from overflowing should keep your kitchen and bathroom floor pretty safe from water damage and mold growth.
Even if you do slip up and let a container of water overflow, you can keep it from doing too much damage to your floor by making sure the floor is waterproofed. You can do this by making sure that there are no cracks in the flooring, whether it is tile, linoleum, or anything else, no missing areas of grout, and no missing areas of sealant around the base of the cabinets.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Dealing With Wet Front and Backyards
Standing water in the front or the back yard can be an eyesore for both the homeowner and other people in the neighborhood, but it is not typically something that cannot be remedied. Depending on the source of the problem, it can be solved usually by either installing a drainage system or by the addition of a bit of soil in the right areas.
Allowing standing water in your yard, especially around the foundation of your house, can be detrimental both to the value of the property and to the structural integrity of the home. Water collecting in pockets around the base of the house can seep down into the basement or cause the house to slowly sink into the ground due to soil displacement over time. Wet soil does not form a good foundation for a home, so you need to try and fix this problem as soon as you run across it.
Many times simply piling soil in the areas where the water collects will fix the problem, since it is usually a simple issue of elevation. Some areas of your yard may not be the same elevation as other parts and water collects in these spots. Putting soil in these and planting grass over them not only for a pleasing visual effect, but also to keep the soil well in place, is the only real way to deal with elevation issues.
Putting in a drainage system is also a good option and it is not that expensive to install. You need a shovel, some gravel, PVC pipe, and a sink strainer. You should not have to hire anyone to do this for you, since all it takes is a little common sense and a bit of effort. You do, however, need to make sure that you obtain a permit to install the drain system, depending on where you live. Some areas may require that you get a permit to install a drainage system in your yard and want you to ask permission before directing the water into a city sewer or ditch.
Dig the ditch starting at the part of the yard that you want to drain and dig it to the area you want the water to go to. This ditch should slant downhill so that the water does not simply stand inside the drain and go nowhere. To get an adequate amount of water flow, it should decline 6 inches for every 100 feet. Install the PVC pipe inside it and cover with gravel. Cover that with soil and plant grass over it. This should keep the water drained well, but if you need more than one spot in your yard drained, the construction may be a little more complicated.
Allowing standing water in your yard, especially around the foundation of your house, can be detrimental both to the value of the property and to the structural integrity of the home. Water collecting in pockets around the base of the house can seep down into the basement or cause the house to slowly sink into the ground due to soil displacement over time. Wet soil does not form a good foundation for a home, so you need to try and fix this problem as soon as you run across it.
Many times simply piling soil in the areas where the water collects will fix the problem, since it is usually a simple issue of elevation. Some areas of your yard may not be the same elevation as other parts and water collects in these spots. Putting soil in these and planting grass over them not only for a pleasing visual effect, but also to keep the soil well in place, is the only real way to deal with elevation issues.
Putting in a drainage system is also a good option and it is not that expensive to install. You need a shovel, some gravel, PVC pipe, and a sink strainer. You should not have to hire anyone to do this for you, since all it takes is a little common sense and a bit of effort. You do, however, need to make sure that you obtain a permit to install the drain system, depending on where you live. Some areas may require that you get a permit to install a drainage system in your yard and want you to ask permission before directing the water into a city sewer or ditch.
Dig the ditch starting at the part of the yard that you want to drain and dig it to the area you want the water to go to. This ditch should slant downhill so that the water does not simply stand inside the drain and go nowhere. To get an adequate amount of water flow, it should decline 6 inches for every 100 feet. Install the PVC pipe inside it and cover with gravel. Cover that with soil and plant grass over it. This should keep the water drained well, but if you need more than one spot in your yard drained, the construction may be a little more complicated.
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