After your home has been flooded, you might walk around it after the waters have receded and wonder to yourself just what you need to try to save and what you need to get rid of pretty quickly, since you know that contaminated items left in the home can infect everything else.
One of the first things that you need to know is that porous items, especially those that have a lot of padding, will need to be thrown away. This is because they need to be completely dried out so that mold does not start to grow in them and because these items can be difficult to disinfect, since padding makes it difficult for the disinfectant to get through the entire depth of it. This means that any bed or décor pillows will need to be thrown out, as well as any stuffed animals that you have for your children.
It will also be very hard to save upholstered furniture. The dirt, silt, and chemicals often found in flood waters will get past the outer fabric fairly easily if the item is in the water for more than a couple of hours and the padding inside will soak up quite a bit of it.
Saving your curtains and other fabric items that are exposed like this depends on how much damage was done to them. The dyes in the fabric may have bled or it may have become stained from being left in the water for so long.
Items like table cloths and towels can be saved if they are washed a few times in enough disinfectant, but even items that have not come into contact with the flood water can become molded after a few days if they are left in the house, due to the high humidity.
Any electric blankets that you may have that were exposed to the flood water will need to be completely thrown away. These items could possibly have wiring damage and can malfunction if you try to use them. They are in no way safe to continue using after being submerged in water.
Blankets can be washed, but you will need to do this a few times in hot water. Chlorine bleach can sanitize these items, but you will need to be careful what you use it on, since the dyes may run on some items. Try to find a laundry detergent that disinfects, as well. Borax detergent can be helpful in killing mold.
Wooden items that have had their finishes breached by flood waters may be contaminated and will need to be disinfected thoroughly.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Which Flooded Items Can I Save?
You may not be very sure what you can save after a flood wreaks havoc on the interior and exterior of your home, but there are some definite things that you can save and things that you will have to throw away.
Certain items that have been soaked in dirty flood water for many hours will probably not be salvageable. Wooden shutters, aluminum, wooden blinds, things made of vinyl, and etcetera can usually not be saved. Metal items will corrode and wooden items tend to warp over time, since it is porous and soaks up water easily.
Any pillows that were in the flood water need to be thrown out, since it will be hard to get rid of all the dirt from the material. It will also be difficult to completely disinfect them.
When you purchase a disinfectant, you should make sure that it is approved by the EPA and that it has a registration number somewhere on the label. This will assure you that the cleaner meets the EPA’s requirements. Having the correct disinfectant for the task at hand is also important. Some disinfectants are only effective on hard surfaces.
Before you begin washing your clothing and other fabrics, you should make sure that the water is safe to use and it not contaminated. If the tap water is safe to drink, it is safe to wash your clothes in. You also might want to make an effort to sanitize your washing machine before you use it. You can do this by running some detergent and bleach through the washer using the most water it can handle.
You can use a water hose to get rid of mud and dirt that is still on the floors of your home and on the furniture. Dried mud and dirt can be scraped and shaken off of most textiles.
When you are dealing with water damaged furniture, you have only a few options. If flood water reached the fabric, it may be stained and if they were in the water for more than a few hours, the silt and dirt that was in the water probably got through both the fabric and the padding. Unfortunately, padding will retain water and allow mold to grow. The majority of the time, your best bet will be to simply discard the upholstered furniture altogether. Restoring this furniture will mean stripping everything down to the frame.
If water gets through the finish on some wood items, it will mildew and the joints in the wooden frame of the item may also become loose.
Mattresses or box springs can be saved if they have come into contact with only a minimum of clean flood water (such as broken water pipes), but mattresses that have been come into contact with dirty flood waters cannot be due to the biological and chemical hazards that exist in them. You should not use a mattress that has a musty odor after it dries, since this means that mold is present. Have this item sanitized by a professional.
Certain items that have been soaked in dirty flood water for many hours will probably not be salvageable. Wooden shutters, aluminum, wooden blinds, things made of vinyl, and etcetera can usually not be saved. Metal items will corrode and wooden items tend to warp over time, since it is porous and soaks up water easily.
Any pillows that were in the flood water need to be thrown out, since it will be hard to get rid of all the dirt from the material. It will also be difficult to completely disinfect them.
When you purchase a disinfectant, you should make sure that it is approved by the EPA and that it has a registration number somewhere on the label. This will assure you that the cleaner meets the EPA’s requirements. Having the correct disinfectant for the task at hand is also important. Some disinfectants are only effective on hard surfaces.
Before you begin washing your clothing and other fabrics, you should make sure that the water is safe to use and it not contaminated. If the tap water is safe to drink, it is safe to wash your clothes in. You also might want to make an effort to sanitize your washing machine before you use it. You can do this by running some detergent and bleach through the washer using the most water it can handle.
You can use a water hose to get rid of mud and dirt that is still on the floors of your home and on the furniture. Dried mud and dirt can be scraped and shaken off of most textiles.
When you are dealing with water damaged furniture, you have only a few options. If flood water reached the fabric, it may be stained and if they were in the water for more than a few hours, the silt and dirt that was in the water probably got through both the fabric and the padding. Unfortunately, padding will retain water and allow mold to grow. The majority of the time, your best bet will be to simply discard the upholstered furniture altogether. Restoring this furniture will mean stripping everything down to the frame.
If water gets through the finish on some wood items, it will mildew and the joints in the wooden frame of the item may also become loose.
Mattresses or box springs can be saved if they have come into contact with only a minimum of clean flood water (such as broken water pipes), but mattresses that have been come into contact with dirty flood waters cannot be due to the biological and chemical hazards that exist in them. You should not use a mattress that has a musty odor after it dries, since this means that mold is present. Have this item sanitized by a professional.
Water Sanitation Using Heat and Bleach
When you are having to sit a hurricane out in your home or other building, the most important thing that you need to have plenty of is clean water. Hurricanes are often something that we can prepare for in the United States, since we can typically see them coming, but failing to pay attention to the weather reports during hurricane season does happen to some of us.
You should have on hand about a gallon of clean water for every person staying with you. This will be used up in a day’s time, so having one gallon for every person for every day you expect the storm to last plus a few is a good idea.
Having a gas powered electricity generator is something else that you might want to have on hand, especially if you might not have enough water. If the electricity goes out and you run out of water, you will not be able to boil any water to make sure that it is sanitary before you drink it. During storms like this you should never assume that the tap water is alright to drink. Local water treatment plants could be contaminated with all kinds of things during this inclement weather and you should never drink it until the storm clears and your local government okays it.
Boiling water is the best way to sanitize it if you have no other means of doing so, such as a high quality water filter. Bring the water to a boil and keep it like this for about 5 to 10 minutes. Covering the boiling pot of water should shorten the time necessary to get the water boiling and will help you save fuel.
Liquid Clorox bleach can also be used to sanitize water. It can be used to purity tap water and make it safe for you to drink. This will kill any bacteria and microorganisms living in it and the process is fairly simple.
Any water should be let to stand in a container until any debris or sediment settles to the bottom. The clear water should be poured into another container, leaving the water still containing sediment in the bottom of the first one. You only need to use a couple of drops of bleach per quart of water.
As a backup for boiling and bleach, you can also purchase water purification tablets at most outdoor supply stores. People who go camping or hiking often take these with them in case they need them, but you can also benefit from keeping a few on hand.
You should have on hand about a gallon of clean water for every person staying with you. This will be used up in a day’s time, so having one gallon for every person for every day you expect the storm to last plus a few is a good idea.
Having a gas powered electricity generator is something else that you might want to have on hand, especially if you might not have enough water. If the electricity goes out and you run out of water, you will not be able to boil any water to make sure that it is sanitary before you drink it. During storms like this you should never assume that the tap water is alright to drink. Local water treatment plants could be contaminated with all kinds of things during this inclement weather and you should never drink it until the storm clears and your local government okays it.
Boiling water is the best way to sanitize it if you have no other means of doing so, such as a high quality water filter. Bring the water to a boil and keep it like this for about 5 to 10 minutes. Covering the boiling pot of water should shorten the time necessary to get the water boiling and will help you save fuel.
Liquid Clorox bleach can also be used to sanitize water. It can be used to purity tap water and make it safe for you to drink. This will kill any bacteria and microorganisms living in it and the process is fairly simple.
Any water should be let to stand in a container until any debris or sediment settles to the bottom. The clear water should be poured into another container, leaving the water still containing sediment in the bottom of the first one. You only need to use a couple of drops of bleach per quart of water.
As a backup for boiling and bleach, you can also purchase water purification tablets at most outdoor supply stores. People who go camping or hiking often take these with them in case they need them, but you can also benefit from keeping a few on hand.
Water Sanitation Options
The most important thing that you need to have plenty of on hand during a hurricane or tropical storm is simply clean water. Clean water may be more difficult to obtain during these times than you might think, so you need to try and have plenty of it stocked up beforehand if you live in an area that is prone to having these serious storms. If you happen to run out before the storm is completely over, though, there are a few things that you can do to make sure that you have enough to last you.
For every person that will be with you during the storm, you should be saving at least one gallon for them per day for use.
An electricity generator that is powered by gas might be a good thing to have around, as well, since electricity tends to go out during hurricanes and tropical storms, affecting your ability to boil water for drinking. You can boil water on your stove for about 10 minutes or so and make it safe to drink as long as you filter out any sediment that might be in it first. Do not drink flood water, since this will likely have more in it than you can get rid of by simply boiling it.
If you do not have electricity, using chlorinated bleach to sanitize water is also a good idea. You only have to use a couple of drops for each gallon of water you want to sanitize. Be aware that you should only use regular chlorinated bleach for this process. Do not use lemon or any other scented bleach.
When you filter water out of your tap for boiling, you should pour this through a clean (white, if possible) cloth and let the water set until it is no longer cloudy. Do not under any circumstances drink water straight out of the tap after the storm has hit, since your water treatment plant could be contaminated. Do not drink water out of the tap that has not been boiled until your local government says that your tap water is safe to drink.
If you do not have electricity or bleach, then using some water purification tablets to sanitize your water is also an option. Purchase some of these at an outdoor supply store where hiking and camping supplies are.
For every person that will be with you during the storm, you should be saving at least one gallon for them per day for use.
An electricity generator that is powered by gas might be a good thing to have around, as well, since electricity tends to go out during hurricanes and tropical storms, affecting your ability to boil water for drinking. You can boil water on your stove for about 10 minutes or so and make it safe to drink as long as you filter out any sediment that might be in it first. Do not drink flood water, since this will likely have more in it than you can get rid of by simply boiling it.
If you do not have electricity, using chlorinated bleach to sanitize water is also a good idea. You only have to use a couple of drops for each gallon of water you want to sanitize. Be aware that you should only use regular chlorinated bleach for this process. Do not use lemon or any other scented bleach.
When you filter water out of your tap for boiling, you should pour this through a clean (white, if possible) cloth and let the water set until it is no longer cloudy. Do not under any circumstances drink water straight out of the tap after the storm has hit, since your water treatment plant could be contaminated. Do not drink water out of the tap that has not been boiled until your local government says that your tap water is safe to drink.
If you do not have electricity or bleach, then using some water purification tablets to sanitize your water is also an option. Purchase some of these at an outdoor supply store where hiking and camping supplies are.
Water Damage Risk Areas
Correcting the water damage in your bathroom is usually a time consuming task depending on the severity of it, but the prevention of such damage is usually within the reach of most homeowners. The fact is that preventing this damage is usually much, much easier than the act of having to actually repair it after it has already occurred. Steam from showers and baths can discolor ceilings and cause mold growth, overflowing toilets onto cracked tile can lead to rotting of the floor underneath it, and there is always the possibility of mold growth. You should do what you can to protect this room in your home, since it is one of the most important rooms along with the kitchen.
There are a few different areas of your bathroom that you need to keep an eye on and look for any sign of abnormalities in on a regular basis. These areas that are the most at risk are the toilet, shower, bath tub, and the sink.
The bath tub and shower usually require some special attention, since these are the largest sources of water in the room and present the most risk. Over time, the tiles around the tub and shower can become cracked and if it is allowed to overflow, the floor underneath can become so damaged that the whole floor will need to be taken up and redone. Missing grout can also cause this. Repair the tile floor as soon as you notice cracks in it. Also make sure that the caulking around the tub is not loose or missing and if it is, you should re-caulk this yourself or have a professional do it for you.
Check the plumbing underneath the sink and make sure that there are no leaks. Loose seals in this plumbing should be replaced as soon as possible, as well.
The toilet can also overflow and the tile around this area can also be breached if it is cracked, so in the same manner as the area around the tub, the cracked tile needs to be dealt with. Keep your toilet from overflowing by not putting more paper in the toilet than it can handle. A lid lock can be purchased and put on toilets in homes that have small children that are prone to putting things in the toilet that do not belong there.
If you can see signs of moisture on the drywall, then you might also have a problem in the plumbing running through the walls. You need to call in a professional to deal with this problem.
There are a few different areas of your bathroom that you need to keep an eye on and look for any sign of abnormalities in on a regular basis. These areas that are the most at risk are the toilet, shower, bath tub, and the sink.
The bath tub and shower usually require some special attention, since these are the largest sources of water in the room and present the most risk. Over time, the tiles around the tub and shower can become cracked and if it is allowed to overflow, the floor underneath can become so damaged that the whole floor will need to be taken up and redone. Missing grout can also cause this. Repair the tile floor as soon as you notice cracks in it. Also make sure that the caulking around the tub is not loose or missing and if it is, you should re-caulk this yourself or have a professional do it for you.
Check the plumbing underneath the sink and make sure that there are no leaks. Loose seals in this plumbing should be replaced as soon as possible, as well.
The toilet can also overflow and the tile around this area can also be breached if it is cracked, so in the same manner as the area around the tub, the cracked tile needs to be dealt with. Keep your toilet from overflowing by not putting more paper in the toilet than it can handle. A lid lock can be purchased and put on toilets in homes that have small children that are prone to putting things in the toilet that do not belong there.
If you can see signs of moisture on the drywall, then you might also have a problem in the plumbing running through the walls. You need to call in a professional to deal with this problem.
Restoring Smoke Damaged Clothes
Anyone who has been the victim of a house fire will tell you that the cleanup that you have to do afterward is a huge chore and that a lot of things in your house will either have to be cleaned thoroughly or have to be replaced. Unfortunately, this includes something that everyone has to use on a daily basis: clothing. The vast majority of us have to wear clothing every day of our lives and if a fire were to affect our whole wardrobe, a lot of us would be in some trouble.
Fortunately for us, though, cleaning smoke damaged clothing is not always as difficult as some might make it out to be. You will need to sort your clothing fairly heavily, though, since there are so many factors involved. How soiled the clothing is, what it is made out of, and what color it is. This will be the most time consuming part of the whole task.
Some things will need to be dry cleaned, but you do not want to take these to a normal dry cleaning service. Make sure that the dry cleaning service that you are dealing with has experience in dealing with smoke damaged clothing items.
Sort your clothes. Lightly soiled clothing should be put into one group and heavily soiled items into another. Sort them further by dividing them into kinds of fabric. Put synthetic fabrics into one pile and organics such as wool and cotton in another. Further sort them by color type. Bright warm colors, cool colors, dark colors, and reds should be given their own group. Do not be concerned over whether there is enough in each pile to constitute a full load. Washing them separately like this is necessary.
Before you wash the heavily soiled clothing, take them outside and shake them out. The excess soot and ash need to be removed so that the water in the washing machine does not become too saturated with dirt to be of any real use. Heavily soiled clothes should be washed twice or more.
Use as much detergent as the washer requires and add about a cup of water conditioner to the mix. Some all-fabric bleach can also be used. Use as much water as your machine can handle for each load.
Synthetic items should be washed in warm water so that they do not start to wrinkle during the washer’s spin cycle. Wrinkles can be difficult to remove from synthetic fabrics.
Hang the clothes out to dry instead of using the dryer, but do not do this in your basement or a confined area. Clothes should never be hung to dry inside the house; only do this outside. After they dry, smell them and see if the smoke odor is still there. If it is, wash them again and repeat the drying process.
Fortunately for us, though, cleaning smoke damaged clothing is not always as difficult as some might make it out to be. You will need to sort your clothing fairly heavily, though, since there are so many factors involved. How soiled the clothing is, what it is made out of, and what color it is. This will be the most time consuming part of the whole task.
Some things will need to be dry cleaned, but you do not want to take these to a normal dry cleaning service. Make sure that the dry cleaning service that you are dealing with has experience in dealing with smoke damaged clothing items.
Sort your clothes. Lightly soiled clothing should be put into one group and heavily soiled items into another. Sort them further by dividing them into kinds of fabric. Put synthetic fabrics into one pile and organics such as wool and cotton in another. Further sort them by color type. Bright warm colors, cool colors, dark colors, and reds should be given their own group. Do not be concerned over whether there is enough in each pile to constitute a full load. Washing them separately like this is necessary.
Before you wash the heavily soiled clothing, take them outside and shake them out. The excess soot and ash need to be removed so that the water in the washing machine does not become too saturated with dirt to be of any real use. Heavily soiled clothes should be washed twice or more.
Use as much detergent as the washer requires and add about a cup of water conditioner to the mix. Some all-fabric bleach can also be used. Use as much water as your machine can handle for each load.
Synthetic items should be washed in warm water so that they do not start to wrinkle during the washer’s spin cycle. Wrinkles can be difficult to remove from synthetic fabrics.
Hang the clothes out to dry instead of using the dryer, but do not do this in your basement or a confined area. Clothes should never be hung to dry inside the house; only do this outside. After they dry, smell them and see if the smoke odor is still there. If it is, wash them again and repeat the drying process.
Mold Allergy Issues
Allergies plague millions of people the world over, whether the kind of allergy is related to food, pet dander, grasses, mold, or certain chemicals. The symptoms are usually the most prevalent during the spring, summer, and early fall and are caused by seasonal molds and plants. Molds simply lie dormant during the winter time and are unable to continue growing if they are exposed to freezing temperatures. Once spring comes back, mold spore levels in the outdoors skyrocket, wreaking havoc on those of us who happen to be allergic to certain varieties.
The allergy symptoms associated with mold are typically about the same as the allergy symptoms that are caused by almost anything else. Depending upon the severity of the allergy of the person affected, the symptoms can range from a simple runny nose all the way to a serious reaction requiring hospitalization. Children, the elderly, and anyone with a weakened immune system needs to be careful when it comes to just how much of their allergen that they come into contact with. Allergy symptoms related to mold can also seemingly be made worse by eating foods that have been processed containing mold. This can include cheeses made with mold like gorgonzola or blue cheese or just simple funguses like mushrooms. Beer and bread have also been known to worsen these reactions, since they are made with yeast, which is a fungus.
While the majority of molds in the world do not cause allergic reactions, there are a few genii that do. Most allergic reactions are caused by molds in Penicillium, Cladosporium, and Alternaria. Even though Penicillin is named after the genus Penicillium, there are molds in this genus that can cause allergic reactions just like the others.
Try to keep an eye on the mold spore reports that occur on your local news stations regularly, usually every morning, noon, and every evening. If you have children or elderly members of your family that are allergic to mold spores or have any other kind of allergy, you need to be careful about taking them out of the home during times of high spore or pollen counts. A mistake can be deadly if they are exposed to their allergen for a long period of time. If you have any doubts as to whether you should take them outside during these times, the best bet is to have them stay home.
The allergy symptoms associated with mold are typically about the same as the allergy symptoms that are caused by almost anything else. Depending upon the severity of the allergy of the person affected, the symptoms can range from a simple runny nose all the way to a serious reaction requiring hospitalization. Children, the elderly, and anyone with a weakened immune system needs to be careful when it comes to just how much of their allergen that they come into contact with. Allergy symptoms related to mold can also seemingly be made worse by eating foods that have been processed containing mold. This can include cheeses made with mold like gorgonzola or blue cheese or just simple funguses like mushrooms. Beer and bread have also been known to worsen these reactions, since they are made with yeast, which is a fungus.
While the majority of molds in the world do not cause allergic reactions, there are a few genii that do. Most allergic reactions are caused by molds in Penicillium, Cladosporium, and Alternaria. Even though Penicillin is named after the genus Penicillium, there are molds in this genus that can cause allergic reactions just like the others.
Try to keep an eye on the mold spore reports that occur on your local news stations regularly, usually every morning, noon, and every evening. If you have children or elderly members of your family that are allergic to mold spores or have any other kind of allergy, you need to be careful about taking them out of the home during times of high spore or pollen counts. A mistake can be deadly if they are exposed to their allergen for a long period of time. If you have any doubts as to whether you should take them outside during these times, the best bet is to have them stay home.
How to Sanitize Your Water
“Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink” is a saying that most of us are familiar with and unfortunately for those of us who live in hurricane and tropical storm prone areas, there may be some real truth to it. The amount of water that is clean and sanitary to drink during these storms is very limited if you do not have enough water saved up in advance.
You need to keep plenty of clean bottled water on hand during hurricane season and doing this is not very difficult. Save milk jugs and store tap water in them. Try to keep them in an area of your home that is high up, so you are sure that flood waters will not contaminate them. Keep around at least one gallon of water for each person staying with you during the storm for every day you expect the storm to last and then some. Running out of clean water is not something you want to do.
Boiling tap water is an option if you have electricity. If not, a small gas powered generator can do the trick if you are without power for a significant period and can really be a life saver. Filter the water first through a cloth to get any sediment that may have gotten into the local water supply out before you let it set for a while. Put the clear water into a pot and boil for about ten minutes or so. This should give you clean water to drink or bathe in. You should never drink water from your faucet during a hurricane or flood, because of the risk of the local water supply being contaminated with sea water or sewage. Flood water or sea water also cannot be boiled to the point of being safe to drink, since it may be contaminated with more biohazards and chemicals than boiling can get rid of.
A couple of drops of bleach in a gallon of water can also sanitize it, but you should not use scented bleach for this. Allow the water to set for about 30 minutes or longer before drinking it. Do not be alarmed about this idea, since bleach has been used in water supplies for years to sanitize the water that we drink.
Water purification tablets are also available for purchase at most outdoor or camping supply stores. These can be used in the place of heat or bleach in sanitizing water.
You need to keep plenty of clean bottled water on hand during hurricane season and doing this is not very difficult. Save milk jugs and store tap water in them. Try to keep them in an area of your home that is high up, so you are sure that flood waters will not contaminate them. Keep around at least one gallon of water for each person staying with you during the storm for every day you expect the storm to last and then some. Running out of clean water is not something you want to do.
Boiling tap water is an option if you have electricity. If not, a small gas powered generator can do the trick if you are without power for a significant period and can really be a life saver. Filter the water first through a cloth to get any sediment that may have gotten into the local water supply out before you let it set for a while. Put the clear water into a pot and boil for about ten minutes or so. This should give you clean water to drink or bathe in. You should never drink water from your faucet during a hurricane or flood, because of the risk of the local water supply being contaminated with sea water or sewage. Flood water or sea water also cannot be boiled to the point of being safe to drink, since it may be contaminated with more biohazards and chemicals than boiling can get rid of.
A couple of drops of bleach in a gallon of water can also sanitize it, but you should not use scented bleach for this. Allow the water to set for about 30 minutes or longer before drinking it. Do not be alarmed about this idea, since bleach has been used in water supplies for years to sanitize the water that we drink.
Water purification tablets are also available for purchase at most outdoor or camping supply stores. These can be used in the place of heat or bleach in sanitizing water.
Draining Water From Your Yard
Standing water in the yard is a very unattractive feature of a person’s property not only due to its aesthetically displeasing characteristic, but also because of the potential water damage that it can cause to the property if there is enough of it in the right area. The owner’s first instinct to fix this problem is to try and plant things in the area where the water tends to build up, but this will not typically work. Any plants that are put in an area that floods from time to time will drown and die. Getting rid of the standing water on your property is not too difficult most of the time, since the problem usually lies simply with the elevation of the part of the yard that is affected the most.
If it is a problem with the elevation of the flooded area, then all you really need to do is add soil to that area and make it level with the rest of your yard. This will keep the flooding at bay as long as the water builds up as a result of heavy rain. Plant some grass over it both to hide the soil and to keep it in place.
Installing a drainage system is also an option, but you need to contact your local building commission and be certain that you will be allowed to build a drainage system. Building permits can be tricky and you need to make sure that your building project is on the up and up before you start working on anything.
Digging a French drain is not very difficult to do. Dig a little ditch in your yard and lay a piece of PVC pipe down inside it. Cover it up with gravel and this will direct the water anywhere you want it to, like a city sewer or ditch. When you dig it, you need to be sure that the highest point of the pipe is in the area that you want to drain and that the lowest point is where you want the water to drain to. You need to make the pipe slant downhill 6 inches for every 100 feet. To keep soil from getting in the pipe, you should install a strainer over the end. A simple sink strainer capped over the end could work for this or a piece of wire mesh. A strainer at the lower end is not needed.
If it is a problem with the elevation of the flooded area, then all you really need to do is add soil to that area and make it level with the rest of your yard. This will keep the flooding at bay as long as the water builds up as a result of heavy rain. Plant some grass over it both to hide the soil and to keep it in place.
Installing a drainage system is also an option, but you need to contact your local building commission and be certain that you will be allowed to build a drainage system. Building permits can be tricky and you need to make sure that your building project is on the up and up before you start working on anything.
Digging a French drain is not very difficult to do. Dig a little ditch in your yard and lay a piece of PVC pipe down inside it. Cover it up with gravel and this will direct the water anywhere you want it to, like a city sewer or ditch. When you dig it, you need to be sure that the highest point of the pipe is in the area that you want to drain and that the lowest point is where you want the water to drain to. You need to make the pipe slant downhill 6 inches for every 100 feet. To keep soil from getting in the pipe, you should install a strainer over the end. A simple sink strainer capped over the end could work for this or a piece of wire mesh. A strainer at the lower end is not needed.
Bathroom Humidity and Mold Problems
A relaxing bath or shower can be just what you need after a long day at work, but when you look up and around you and you see mold starting to grow on the walls, the relaxation usually gets ruined by the worry about that mold problem. It shows itself as a splotchy growth on the drywall and it usually moves slowly from one end of the room to the other. If left untreated, it will eventually cover the rest of your bathroom and then you really will not have much of a good time bathing.
Most of the time drywall that becomes contaminated needs to be taken out and thrown away, unless the growth is very new and superficial. If it is old growth and is found to be embedded into the wall, then the drywall cannot be cleaned, since it is such a porous surface. This is unfortunate, because tearing out drywall and replacing it can cost quite a bit, especially if you have to hire someone else to do it for you.
A lot of people seem to like installing carpet in their bathrooms, but what they may not realize is just what a very bad idea this is. Water and mold go hand in hand and once carpet gets wet and is allowed to stay that way on a continuing basis as it will be in a bathroom, it eventually begins to mold. When carpet gets moldy, the unfortunate fact about this, as with drywall, is that it usually has to be thrown out. Carpet can be cleaned, but the padding underneath it cannot and if mold continues to grow on the padding, any new carpet that you put over it will also be contaminated and so will the old carpet if you attempted to clean it.
Try to keep the humidity in the bathroom down by installing an exhaust vent to let steam and moisture out of the house. Also keep wet items of clothing and towels washed as often as possible and avoid letting them stay on the floor, especially a carpeted one.
Keep an eye on your toilet and make sure that it is flushing properly and that the members of your house are not putting too much toilet paper in it. Feminine napkins can sometimes be put into toilets, but this is usually only recommended for homes that are connected to city sewer systems. Homes with septic tanks tend to have a harder time with feminine napkins being put in the toilet and can stop up the whole system, particularly if the pipes are old and corroded.
Most of the time drywall that becomes contaminated needs to be taken out and thrown away, unless the growth is very new and superficial. If it is old growth and is found to be embedded into the wall, then the drywall cannot be cleaned, since it is such a porous surface. This is unfortunate, because tearing out drywall and replacing it can cost quite a bit, especially if you have to hire someone else to do it for you.
A lot of people seem to like installing carpet in their bathrooms, but what they may not realize is just what a very bad idea this is. Water and mold go hand in hand and once carpet gets wet and is allowed to stay that way on a continuing basis as it will be in a bathroom, it eventually begins to mold. When carpet gets moldy, the unfortunate fact about this, as with drywall, is that it usually has to be thrown out. Carpet can be cleaned, but the padding underneath it cannot and if mold continues to grow on the padding, any new carpet that you put over it will also be contaminated and so will the old carpet if you attempted to clean it.
Try to keep the humidity in the bathroom down by installing an exhaust vent to let steam and moisture out of the house. Also keep wet items of clothing and towels washed as often as possible and avoid letting them stay on the floor, especially a carpeted one.
Keep an eye on your toilet and make sure that it is flushing properly and that the members of your house are not putting too much toilet paper in it. Feminine napkins can sometimes be put into toilets, but this is usually only recommended for homes that are connected to city sewer systems. Homes with septic tanks tend to have a harder time with feminine napkins being put in the toilet and can stop up the whole system, particularly if the pipes are old and corroded.
What to Know About Hiring a Contractor
Hiring a contractor to build your house might be some tricky business, especially since there are so many factors involved, but it does not have to be a nightmare if you do your research and know what to look for.
First of all, the contractor that you choose needs to be a licensed one. After you discover that they are licensed, find out if there have been any lawsuits or claims filed against that license. They should also have the appropriate levels of insurance so if anyone is injured while they are on your property, you are not liable for their medical bills.
Second of all, you need to talk to each contractor you are considering in person and make sure that you can get along with this person. You both need to be able to get along so you can concentrate on the process of building the home instead of arguing about this or that. This person will be in your life for at least a few months, so hiring someone that you can tolerate is important.
Next, you need to get references from each contractor that you talk to and talk to those references at length and make sure that the contractor does good work. Ask if they have had any mold or water damage issues since their home was constructed or since their remodeling work was finished. Mold may be the most important issue to look for, since this gets built into new homes more often than most people think due to materials being stored directly on the ground or because they have been rained on.
You should also consider what your contract with this person is going to have in it. You should schedule a date for when the project will start and an approximate date that you want it to have been completed by. If you are expecting a baby or any other major event that will require you to have the home completed, take this into account when hiring your contractor. Find out when they can start on the project and if you do not have any room to be flexible (this is rare), consider hiring someone else.
The contract also needs to contain exactly what materials you want your home to be built from, from the kitchen counter material to the type of finish you want on all the hardware. Be very specific and do not give room for any substitutions, since some contractors will substitute lower grade materials without you noticing if they can get away with it.
First of all, the contractor that you choose needs to be a licensed one. After you discover that they are licensed, find out if there have been any lawsuits or claims filed against that license. They should also have the appropriate levels of insurance so if anyone is injured while they are on your property, you are not liable for their medical bills.
Second of all, you need to talk to each contractor you are considering in person and make sure that you can get along with this person. You both need to be able to get along so you can concentrate on the process of building the home instead of arguing about this or that. This person will be in your life for at least a few months, so hiring someone that you can tolerate is important.
Next, you need to get references from each contractor that you talk to and talk to those references at length and make sure that the contractor does good work. Ask if they have had any mold or water damage issues since their home was constructed or since their remodeling work was finished. Mold may be the most important issue to look for, since this gets built into new homes more often than most people think due to materials being stored directly on the ground or because they have been rained on.
You should also consider what your contract with this person is going to have in it. You should schedule a date for when the project will start and an approximate date that you want it to have been completed by. If you are expecting a baby or any other major event that will require you to have the home completed, take this into account when hiring your contractor. Find out when they can start on the project and if you do not have any room to be flexible (this is rare), consider hiring someone else.
The contract also needs to contain exactly what materials you want your home to be built from, from the kitchen counter material to the type of finish you want on all the hardware. Be very specific and do not give room for any substitutions, since some contractors will substitute lower grade materials without you noticing if they can get away with it.
Space Heater Fire Prevention
While a large number of people use space heaters in their home during the winter to avoid having to pay the gas bill during that time, most people are not completely aware of just how much damage these little conveniences can do to their home if they are left unattended or used incorrectly.
Any homeowner with children should be wary of using space heaters, depending on how old the child is. Small children tend to touch things they are unfamiliar with or things that look “cool” and this can be a really big hazard. It is a bad idea to use a space heater in a child’s room at night, especially since smaller children tend to have stuffed animals and toys all over the room that could easily get too close and start a fire.
Something else that you should know about space heaters is using extension cords with them is a very bad idea if you do not have access to a heavy duty one. The smaller extension cords that are used for lamps or other electronics simply cannot stand up to the high amount of electrical current needed to power a space heater and they will eventually melt. You may or may not realize it, either, since sometimes you will be able to smell the melting plastic, but other times you might not. Use an extension cord that is marked as being at least a 14 gauge or higher cord. This should be able to handle most space heaters.
A great number of fires concerning space heaters happen at night when people are sleeping. If you can help it, try to leave space heaters off at night. Cover yourself with more blankets or anything else you have to do in order to stay warm, since a space heater may catch on fire and end up causing you and everyone else in the house to be much, much warmer than you intended.
Space heaters should never be used as dryers for any kind of wet clothing, even though some people have done this by setting something they want to make warm on top of it. Do not do this even for a few seconds and even if you are right there watching it. It is a bad practice to get into and once you become confident that nothing will happen, you will let your guard down and a fire will eventually happen. It may not happen the first, second, or third time, but fires are unpredictable and you never know when one may start.
Keep at least one smoke detector in your home and have one located on each floor, whether you use space heaters in your home during the winter or not. Fires can break out no matter what kind of heating system you may use.
Any homeowner with children should be wary of using space heaters, depending on how old the child is. Small children tend to touch things they are unfamiliar with or things that look “cool” and this can be a really big hazard. It is a bad idea to use a space heater in a child’s room at night, especially since smaller children tend to have stuffed animals and toys all over the room that could easily get too close and start a fire.
Something else that you should know about space heaters is using extension cords with them is a very bad idea if you do not have access to a heavy duty one. The smaller extension cords that are used for lamps or other electronics simply cannot stand up to the high amount of electrical current needed to power a space heater and they will eventually melt. You may or may not realize it, either, since sometimes you will be able to smell the melting plastic, but other times you might not. Use an extension cord that is marked as being at least a 14 gauge or higher cord. This should be able to handle most space heaters.
A great number of fires concerning space heaters happen at night when people are sleeping. If you can help it, try to leave space heaters off at night. Cover yourself with more blankets or anything else you have to do in order to stay warm, since a space heater may catch on fire and end up causing you and everyone else in the house to be much, much warmer than you intended.
Space heaters should never be used as dryers for any kind of wet clothing, even though some people have done this by setting something they want to make warm on top of it. Do not do this even for a few seconds and even if you are right there watching it. It is a bad practice to get into and once you become confident that nothing will happen, you will let your guard down and a fire will eventually happen. It may not happen the first, second, or third time, but fires are unpredictable and you never know when one may start.
Keep at least one smoke detector in your home and have one located on each floor, whether you use space heaters in your home during the winter or not. Fires can break out no matter what kind of heating system you may use.
Simple Ways to Prevent Water Damage
Finding mold growth in your house does not always require the help of a professional, since not all mold is hidden in nooks and crannies or behind the wall. The easiest places to find mold growth are typically in the bathroom, laundry room, kitchen, and basement. These are usually the places that show the signs of negligence the most and mold growing in these rooms is usually fairly easy to spot.
In a bathroom, the usual place to find mold growth is around the upper walls and ceiling if it does not have an exhaust vent or a window in it. Even though building codes in most places now require that there be either an exhaust vent or a window in the bathroom, older homes may not have either one. It is in your best interest to make sure that your bathroom is renovated to include one of these two features, although if your bathroom is located in the center of your house and not attached to an outer wall, you will have to install a vent to get rid of the excess moisture. What happens is that the moisture is soaked up by the ceiling or the upper walls and allows mold to grow on it and eventually, the ceiling will absorb so much water that it will be in danger of collapsing. The need for an exhaust vent also extends to the kitchen, since steam comes off the stove from cooking dinner.
Another problem to worry about in bathrooms or kitchens is whether or not the floor is waterproofed. No matter what kind of flooring that you have in either room it should be completely water tight so water does not get underneath it and to the floor joists. Floors have completely collapsed in these rooms due to this when waterproofing the floor would have been much cheaper than repairing the damage done by neglecting to do this.
Overflowing toilets, bathtubs, and kitchen sinks also cause mold growth and water damage to a home if it is allowed to happen very often, so making sure that this does not happen and that the floor around it is waterproofed is extremely important. You should do your best not to get preoccupied with other chores or talking on the phone while you are running a tub of bathwater or filling up the kitchen sink.
Any small leaks under the kitchen or bathroom sink also need to be taken care of fairly quickly. Put a bucket underneath it for a temporary fix if you have to, but do not let the drip continue to come into contact with the inside of your cabinet.
In a bathroom, the usual place to find mold growth is around the upper walls and ceiling if it does not have an exhaust vent or a window in it. Even though building codes in most places now require that there be either an exhaust vent or a window in the bathroom, older homes may not have either one. It is in your best interest to make sure that your bathroom is renovated to include one of these two features, although if your bathroom is located in the center of your house and not attached to an outer wall, you will have to install a vent to get rid of the excess moisture. What happens is that the moisture is soaked up by the ceiling or the upper walls and allows mold to grow on it and eventually, the ceiling will absorb so much water that it will be in danger of collapsing. The need for an exhaust vent also extends to the kitchen, since steam comes off the stove from cooking dinner.
Another problem to worry about in bathrooms or kitchens is whether or not the floor is waterproofed. No matter what kind of flooring that you have in either room it should be completely water tight so water does not get underneath it and to the floor joists. Floors have completely collapsed in these rooms due to this when waterproofing the floor would have been much cheaper than repairing the damage done by neglecting to do this.
Overflowing toilets, bathtubs, and kitchen sinks also cause mold growth and water damage to a home if it is allowed to happen very often, so making sure that this does not happen and that the floor around it is waterproofed is extremely important. You should do your best not to get preoccupied with other chores or talking on the phone while you are running a tub of bathwater or filling up the kitchen sink.
Any small leaks under the kitchen or bathroom sink also need to be taken care of fairly quickly. Put a bucket underneath it for a temporary fix if you have to, but do not let the drip continue to come into contact with the inside of your cabinet.
Remodeling Your First Bathroom and Kitchen
The two things that can make or break a house purchasing deal are the kitchen and the bathroom. This is for a very good reason, since both of these rooms are visited by each household member at least once a day and by the time we die, we will have spent a large amount of our time in both of these places. So making them the most comfortable and pleasant rooms in the house to be in is very important to anyone wanting to stay in the same home for many years.
If you have purchased an older home in the hopes of remodeling both of these rooms, then you have a few structural and practical issues that you should think of before you get to the decoration design process. The fact is that the kitchen and bathroom are the two most humid and moist areas of your home and should be cared for accordingly. Be careful when choosing the type of flooring that will go down in these rooms. If you will be cooking for a large family every year at Thanksgiving or Christmas or you are expecting to, putting down a material a little more resilient than linoleum or tile may be the way to go.
Since so much water goes through both of these rooms every day and mold is always a problem in areas where there is a large amount of water, you should not put hardwood flooring down in either of these places. Wood is porous and mold loves to grow on any dead organic material. Not only this, but it will also soak up any water you spill on it. If you must have the look of wood in these rooms, try for a laminate, since they can give the look of wood, but not offer the drawbacks.
Natural stone like travertine is much easier to take care of than hardwood, linoleum, or tile, so if you can afford it, this may be the way to go if you want a floor that can last for a great many years.
You need an exhaust fan in both of these rooms to keep the humidity down. The walls and ceilings absorb much more water than you think over time and this can eventually cause the tape on the seams of the drywall pieces and eventually the pieces of drywall themselves to sag and crack. This is not only dangerous because the drywall can collapse on you, but also because mold grows on surfaces that are constantly moist. Install a vent that you can turn on and off to help solve this problem.
If you have purchased an older home in the hopes of remodeling both of these rooms, then you have a few structural and practical issues that you should think of before you get to the decoration design process. The fact is that the kitchen and bathroom are the two most humid and moist areas of your home and should be cared for accordingly. Be careful when choosing the type of flooring that will go down in these rooms. If you will be cooking for a large family every year at Thanksgiving or Christmas or you are expecting to, putting down a material a little more resilient than linoleum or tile may be the way to go.
Since so much water goes through both of these rooms every day and mold is always a problem in areas where there is a large amount of water, you should not put hardwood flooring down in either of these places. Wood is porous and mold loves to grow on any dead organic material. Not only this, but it will also soak up any water you spill on it. If you must have the look of wood in these rooms, try for a laminate, since they can give the look of wood, but not offer the drawbacks.
Natural stone like travertine is much easier to take care of than hardwood, linoleum, or tile, so if you can afford it, this may be the way to go if you want a floor that can last for a great many years.
You need an exhaust fan in both of these rooms to keep the humidity down. The walls and ceilings absorb much more water than you think over time and this can eventually cause the tape on the seams of the drywall pieces and eventually the pieces of drywall themselves to sag and crack. This is not only dangerous because the drywall can collapse on you, but also because mold grows on surfaces that are constantly moist. Install a vent that you can turn on and off to help solve this problem.
Remodeling the Kitchen and Bathroom
The favorite and most frequented rooms of the house tend to be the bathroom and the kitchen and while these are the rooms that can add or subtract the most value from your home, most people do not realize just how important it is to take care of them. A great deal of time in everyone’s life will be spent in one of these two places in the home and making them the most comfortable and pleasant rooms in the house to be in can be quite a task, especially if you have just moved into a home where they need a bit of TLC.
Some of the giveaway signs that a kitchen needs a little remodeling are the cabinets and the flooring. If these are out of date, water damaged, or otherwise unpleasant to your eyes, you will want to replace these as soon as you can. Sometimes all they need is a simple coat of paint or a drawer or two replaced, but any cabinet that shows signs of severe water damage such as rotting need to be thrown out. It is hard to make a kitchen look new and modern with old, partially rotten cabinets still in it.
The same goes for the bathroom. A water damaged or molded vanity needs to be thrown out and replaced with a new one if you want your bathroom to look brand new.
Something else that you need to think of when you are remodeling your kitchen and bathroom is the existence of a steam vent so the moist air in the room can escape. Bathrooms and kitchens that do not have ways for steam to escape will be the victim of mold growth and a sagging ceiling if the problem is not dealt with. These are not too difficult to install, but will cost you maybe a couple hundred dollars and half a day’s time. If you are unsure how to do this yourself, you can hire someone to do it for you.
The floor of both these rooms should be waterproofed, but the bathroom floor is more important than the kitchen since a much larger amount of water flows through the bathroom every day. Rotting floors in the bathroom is a big problem, since there are a number of cases every year where the bathroom floor completely gives out due to the amount of water the floor joists have soaked up over the years.
Some of the giveaway signs that a kitchen needs a little remodeling are the cabinets and the flooring. If these are out of date, water damaged, or otherwise unpleasant to your eyes, you will want to replace these as soon as you can. Sometimes all they need is a simple coat of paint or a drawer or two replaced, but any cabinet that shows signs of severe water damage such as rotting need to be thrown out. It is hard to make a kitchen look new and modern with old, partially rotten cabinets still in it.
The same goes for the bathroom. A water damaged or molded vanity needs to be thrown out and replaced with a new one if you want your bathroom to look brand new.
Something else that you need to think of when you are remodeling your kitchen and bathroom is the existence of a steam vent so the moist air in the room can escape. Bathrooms and kitchens that do not have ways for steam to escape will be the victim of mold growth and a sagging ceiling if the problem is not dealt with. These are not too difficult to install, but will cost you maybe a couple hundred dollars and half a day’s time. If you are unsure how to do this yourself, you can hire someone to do it for you.
The floor of both these rooms should be waterproofed, but the bathroom floor is more important than the kitchen since a much larger amount of water flows through the bathroom every day. Rotting floors in the bathroom is a big problem, since there are a number of cases every year where the bathroom floor completely gives out due to the amount of water the floor joists have soaked up over the years.
Mistakes Made With Fire
Almost everyone has let the bathtub or the kitchen sink overflow at least once, but what most people do not realize is that not paying attention to what you are doing when you are working with heat and water is that these can cause much more damage to their home than they may think. Since fires tend to do much more immediate and devastating damage, they are what will be covered here.
One of the biggest mistakes that you could ever make in your home is leaving something unattended in the kitchen on the stove. We all know what devastating damage a fire can do to a home, but the number of people that put items on the stove and leave the room are staggering. Almost all of us do this on a day to day basis because we get preoccupied with other chores or have to answer the phone or tend to other matters in the household. If you can put any of these things off until later and focus on cooking, please focus on cooking and try to leave the kitchen as little as possible. A fire can start in an instant and this is especially true when you are cooking with grease. At least one person that I know has burned her entire house down and everything in it by putting a pan of grease on the stove, sitting down to watch television, and falling asleep. She lost everything. So, if you are cooking with grease or a deep fryer, forget everything else and just focus on the food. If you absolutely must multitask and watch TV in the kitchen, adding a small television on the counter or under the cabinet may be the way to go.
Another mistake that people make when dealing with electricity and possible fire concerns the space heaters that some people use to get by during the winter. These are notorious for starting house fires, but you do not have to be a victim as long as you know how to use these safely.
The first thing you should know about space heaters is that you should NEVER use an extension cord with them. Simple extension cords simply cannot handle the amount of current necessary to run these items and they will melt fairly quickly. If you must use an extension cord, it needs to be a heavy duty cord marked as being at least a 14 gauge.
You should also be careful with where you place space heaters. If possible, they need to be on a non-carpeted surface, but you can put them on carpet if you are careful. Heaters with more space between the heat source and the floor are safer to use on carpeted areas than ones with shorter legs. Try to avoid space heaters with short legs if you can, since these tend to start more fires than any other kind.
One of the biggest mistakes that you could ever make in your home is leaving something unattended in the kitchen on the stove. We all know what devastating damage a fire can do to a home, but the number of people that put items on the stove and leave the room are staggering. Almost all of us do this on a day to day basis because we get preoccupied with other chores or have to answer the phone or tend to other matters in the household. If you can put any of these things off until later and focus on cooking, please focus on cooking and try to leave the kitchen as little as possible. A fire can start in an instant and this is especially true when you are cooking with grease. At least one person that I know has burned her entire house down and everything in it by putting a pan of grease on the stove, sitting down to watch television, and falling asleep. She lost everything. So, if you are cooking with grease or a deep fryer, forget everything else and just focus on the food. If you absolutely must multitask and watch TV in the kitchen, adding a small television on the counter or under the cabinet may be the way to go.
Another mistake that people make when dealing with electricity and possible fire concerns the space heaters that some people use to get by during the winter. These are notorious for starting house fires, but you do not have to be a victim as long as you know how to use these safely.
The first thing you should know about space heaters is that you should NEVER use an extension cord with them. Simple extension cords simply cannot handle the amount of current necessary to run these items and they will melt fairly quickly. If you must use an extension cord, it needs to be a heavy duty cord marked as being at least a 14 gauge.
You should also be careful with where you place space heaters. If possible, they need to be on a non-carpeted surface, but you can put them on carpet if you are careful. Heaters with more space between the heat source and the floor are safer to use on carpeted areas than ones with shorter legs. Try to avoid space heaters with short legs if you can, since these tend to start more fires than any other kind.
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.
Home Contractors, Mold, and Water Damage
The worst thing that you can find in your newly built home is mold, but it is something that is built into homes these days by careless contractors bent on getting the job done with as little effort as possible on their part. As the employer of the contractor, it is your responsibility and in your best interests to be at the job site on a regular basis to ensure that the building materials that your contractor purchased to build your home with are both up to your standards and that they are handled correctly.
Your contractor should have purchased only the materials that you outlined in your contract with him or her to purchase. They should have purchased nothing more and nothing less. None of these materials, especially drywall, should be stored directly upon the ground where it comes into contact with the soil. They should be stored on tarps or raised up off the ground in some way. This will help ensure that mold does not start to grow on them before they are used in the construction of the house.
The building site should also be covered with tarps before it rains until the roof and walls are put up to protect the interior of the structure.
Before you hired your contractor, you should have obtained references from him or her to determine the quality of their craftsmanship. This is something that you should do when hiring anyone to do almost anything for you concerning an investment such as this. You should ask the references whether they have had any problems with mold or water damage since their home was built and if it was due to bad construction or not. As long as your contractor is known for good building practices, you should have no problem with the way that he treats the building materials for your house.
It is unfortunate that you cannot be at the site of your home’s new construction all the time, but the more you are able to check on the progress of your home’s construction, the better. You should have a mold inspector come and inspect the property at least twice, once during the middle of the construction and again once it is completed to determine that there is no mold growing in the home.
Your contractor should have purchased only the materials that you outlined in your contract with him or her to purchase. They should have purchased nothing more and nothing less. None of these materials, especially drywall, should be stored directly upon the ground where it comes into contact with the soil. They should be stored on tarps or raised up off the ground in some way. This will help ensure that mold does not start to grow on them before they are used in the construction of the house.
The building site should also be covered with tarps before it rains until the roof and walls are put up to protect the interior of the structure.
Before you hired your contractor, you should have obtained references from him or her to determine the quality of their craftsmanship. This is something that you should do when hiring anyone to do almost anything for you concerning an investment such as this. You should ask the references whether they have had any problems with mold or water damage since their home was built and if it was due to bad construction or not. As long as your contractor is known for good building practices, you should have no problem with the way that he treats the building materials for your house.
It is unfortunate that you cannot be at the site of your home’s new construction all the time, but the more you are able to check on the progress of your home’s construction, the better. You should have a mold inspector come and inspect the property at least twice, once during the middle of the construction and again once it is completed to determine that there is no mold growing in the home.
Home Contractors, Mold, and Water Damage
The worst thing that you can find in your newly built home is mold, but it is something that is built into homes these days by careless contractors bent on getting the job done with as little effort as possible on their part. As the employer of the contractor, it is your responsibility and in your best interests to be at the job site on a regular basis to ensure that the building materials that your contractor purchased to build your home with are both up to your standards and that they are handled correctly.
Your contractor should have purchased only the materials that you outlined in your contract with him or her to purchase. They should have purchased nothing more and nothing less. None of these materials, especially drywall, should be stored directly upon the ground where it comes into contact with the soil. They should be stored on tarps or raised up off the ground in some way. This will help ensure that mold does not start to grow on them before they are used in the construction of the house.
The building site should also be covered with tarps before it rains until the roof and walls are put up to protect the interior of the structure.
Before you hired your contractor, you should have obtained references from him or her to determine the quality of their craftsmanship. This is something that you should do when hiring anyone to do almost anything for you concerning an investment such as this. You should ask the references whether they have had any problems with mold or water damage since their home was built and if it was due to bad construction or not. As long as your contractor is known for good building practices, you should have no problem with the way that he treats the building materials for your house.
It is unfortunate that you cannot be at the site of your home’s new construction all the time, but the more you are able to check on the progress of your home’s construction, the better. You should have a mold inspector come and inspect the property at least twice, once during the middle of the construction and again once it is completed to determine that there is no mold growing in the home.
Your contractor should have purchased only the materials that you outlined in your contract with him or her to purchase. They should have purchased nothing more and nothing less. None of these materials, especially drywall, should be stored directly upon the ground where it comes into contact with the soil. They should be stored on tarps or raised up off the ground in some way. This will help ensure that mold does not start to grow on them before they are used in the construction of the house.
The building site should also be covered with tarps before it rains until the roof and walls are put up to protect the interior of the structure.
Before you hired your contractor, you should have obtained references from him or her to determine the quality of their craftsmanship. This is something that you should do when hiring anyone to do almost anything for you concerning an investment such as this. You should ask the references whether they have had any problems with mold or water damage since their home was built and if it was due to bad construction or not. As long as your contractor is known for good building practices, you should have no problem with the way that he treats the building materials for your house.
It is unfortunate that you cannot be at the site of your home’s new construction all the time, but the more you are able to check on the progress of your home’s construction, the better. You should have a mold inspector come and inspect the property at least twice, once during the middle of the construction and again once it is completed to determine that there is no mold growing in the home.
Home Building Contractors
Having a home built for you is a tricky procedure, especially since there are so many different factors to consider. The first thing that you need to think of, though, is just who you will hire to do this task for you. There are a large number of contractors out there that would love to do the job, but the fact is that not all of them are honest or completely up to the task of making sure it gets done correctly. Many contractors have been known to use poor quality materials, even if they are up to local building code standards. They may end up causing damage to your home, but you cannot do anything about it as long as the materials the contractor used are up to local structural codes.
When choosing a contractor, you should talk to people that you know and trust first to find out if they can recommend anyone for the job. Only after you have exhausted these resources should you look to the local phone book. No matter which method you use, you should obtain at least three different references from at least three different contractors so you will have some options. Contact each of the references and ask if the newly built home has had any problems with mold or water damage since the construction was finished. Other structural problems should also be asked about.
After you have gotten a few different contractors to choose from that you find to be reputable, ask each one of them for a fixed price bid based on the building plan that you give to them and what materials you want the home built out of. They may try to get you to accept a time and materials contract, but this can be tricky, since time and materials contract allow the price to vary depending on different factors such as the cost of labor and building materials. They may quote you a low price in the beginning, but it can quickly rise as unexpected issues come up with the building process.
The contract with your contractor should be very specific as to what is covered in it. It should include the date that the project will begin and a date by which it should be finished and also include what specific building materials you wish for the home to be built out of so that your contractor does not have much room to substitute other, lesser materials.
When choosing a contractor, you should talk to people that you know and trust first to find out if they can recommend anyone for the job. Only after you have exhausted these resources should you look to the local phone book. No matter which method you use, you should obtain at least three different references from at least three different contractors so you will have some options. Contact each of the references and ask if the newly built home has had any problems with mold or water damage since the construction was finished. Other structural problems should also be asked about.
After you have gotten a few different contractors to choose from that you find to be reputable, ask each one of them for a fixed price bid based on the building plan that you give to them and what materials you want the home built out of. They may try to get you to accept a time and materials contract, but this can be tricky, since time and materials contract allow the price to vary depending on different factors such as the cost of labor and building materials. They may quote you a low price in the beginning, but it can quickly rise as unexpected issues come up with the building process.
The contract with your contractor should be very specific as to what is covered in it. It should include the date that the project will begin and a date by which it should be finished and also include what specific building materials you wish for the home to be built out of so that your contractor does not have much room to substitute other, lesser materials.
Getting the Right Contractor
There are a number of factors that you need to consider when hiring a contractor to build your new home and the process of finding the right one can be somewhat tricky. While you may think that hiring a contractor is a few simple steps, but a lot of it can be attributed to your own intuition.
Talk to your relatives and friends and find out if they can recommend a good contractor to you. This is the most reliable way to do find a contractor to build your house, but if you do not have anyone that you can talk to or they cannot recommend anyone, then you should try the phone book. The general consensus is to never use the phone book to hire people to work on your home, but not all of us have the friends or relatives that can give us advice on who to choose.
Get in touch with a few different contractors and ask for at least three references from each one and contact them all. Ask if they have had any issues with water damage or mold in their newly constructed home and ask about other structural problems that might exist. Write down what you discover about each contractor and use this to make a decision on who to offer the job. Get a fixed price bid from the ones you think are good enough for the job and make sure they get the same building plan.
Your contract with them should have a number of specifics in it so that there is no room for confusion as to what is expected of your contractor. Dates showing where the project should begin and approximately when it should end are to be included along with a list of materials the home will be built out of. Consider offering incentives to your contractor if the job is completed early and offer penalties if the job is not completed by a certain date if moving in as soon as possible is important to you.
Any contractor that you hire should have the proper insurance for himself and his workers so workers are covered by his insurance while they are working on your property. You need to obtain copies of all these insurance policies and keep them in a job folder along with other necessary documents like your building contract and a payment schedule.
You should make payments to your contractor as work progresses and do not let your payments get ahead of the work that has been done.
Talk to your relatives and friends and find out if they can recommend a good contractor to you. This is the most reliable way to do find a contractor to build your house, but if you do not have anyone that you can talk to or they cannot recommend anyone, then you should try the phone book. The general consensus is to never use the phone book to hire people to work on your home, but not all of us have the friends or relatives that can give us advice on who to choose.
Get in touch with a few different contractors and ask for at least three references from each one and contact them all. Ask if they have had any issues with water damage or mold in their newly constructed home and ask about other structural problems that might exist. Write down what you discover about each contractor and use this to make a decision on who to offer the job. Get a fixed price bid from the ones you think are good enough for the job and make sure they get the same building plan.
Your contract with them should have a number of specifics in it so that there is no room for confusion as to what is expected of your contractor. Dates showing where the project should begin and approximately when it should end are to be included along with a list of materials the home will be built out of. Consider offering incentives to your contractor if the job is completed early and offer penalties if the job is not completed by a certain date if moving in as soon as possible is important to you.
Any contractor that you hire should have the proper insurance for himself and his workers so workers are covered by his insurance while they are working on your property. You need to obtain copies of all these insurance policies and keep them in a job folder along with other necessary documents like your building contract and a payment schedule.
You should make payments to your contractor as work progresses and do not let your payments get ahead of the work that has been done.
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.
Carelessness Concerning Electricity 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.
Buying a Home: What To Look For
Most people would love to design and have their own custom home built and anyone that gets the chance to do this would do well to do their research on the entire home building process before even dialing the first number to a contractor. Know what issues can crop up with buying a home that already exists and educate yourself on this before considering having a home built for you. There are a number of things that a person wanting to build or even just purchase a home should do research on before they begin the process.
One of the most important things that you can look for when you are purchasing a home is mold. While you may not be able to see mold if it is growing inside the walls, floors, or ceiling, you can often smell that something is wrong with the house or look for other signs that mold may be growing in the house. Look around in the more moist areas of the home for mold, like the kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, and the basement. These are generally the areas where mold likes to grow the best simply due to the amount of moisture in these rooms. If you find no mold growing here, then odds are good that it is probably not growing anywhere else.
Water damage is also something that you want to look for. If you notice any buckling in the floors and the home is fairly new, ask if the home has been flooded in the past, either due to a natural disaster or due to a waterbed rupturing or a similar accident. Human errors like bathtubs, toilets, or kitchen sinks overflowing on a regular basis can also cause significant damage to the floor and carpet. You can avoid these most of the time just by paying attention to what you are doing when filling up a sink or a bathtub. Try not to leave the room.
You should also look on the outside of the house for signs of smoke damage under the eaves. This could be a sign that the inside of the house has been on fire at some point or another. If you see this, ask the seller about it to make sure that he or she is telling you the entire history of the property. There could be problems with it that you are unaware of and the last thing that a new homeowner wants to find is a bunch of surprises that they never factored into their budget.
One of the most important things that you can look for when you are purchasing a home is mold. While you may not be able to see mold if it is growing inside the walls, floors, or ceiling, you can often smell that something is wrong with the house or look for other signs that mold may be growing in the house. Look around in the more moist areas of the home for mold, like the kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, and the basement. These are generally the areas where mold likes to grow the best simply due to the amount of moisture in these rooms. If you find no mold growing here, then odds are good that it is probably not growing anywhere else.
Water damage is also something that you want to look for. If you notice any buckling in the floors and the home is fairly new, ask if the home has been flooded in the past, either due to a natural disaster or due to a waterbed rupturing or a similar accident. Human errors like bathtubs, toilets, or kitchen sinks overflowing on a regular basis can also cause significant damage to the floor and carpet. You can avoid these most of the time just by paying attention to what you are doing when filling up a sink or a bathtub. Try not to leave the room.
You should also look on the outside of the house for signs of smoke damage under the eaves. This could be a sign that the inside of the house has been on fire at some point or another. If you see this, ask the seller about it to make sure that he or she is telling you the entire history of the property. There could be problems with it that you are unaware of and the last thing that a new homeowner wants to find is a bunch of surprises that they never factored into their budget.
Bathroom and Kitchen Remodeling Necessities
The one thing that most wives want in their home is a bathroom and kitchen customized to their tastes. Since we will spend a large amount of time in these rooms before we die (especially wives), these need to be the most pleasant and comfortable rooms in the house to be in. You should be able to spend a lot of time in this room without wanting to leave, but if you have just moved into a house where these rooms need a little TLC, then you have the perfect opportunity to make sure you have the ability to do just that.
One of the first things that shows the age of the house is the flooring in the kitchen and the bathroom. Water damaged or molded flooring shows the most age, but old linoleum and cracked tiles can show it just about as much, depending on the extent of the damage. You should choose the new flooring of your choice according to what you can afford and make sure that the materials that you build the kitchen out of are of consistent quality, but these days it is best not to go with a linoleum floor. Travertine stone floors are in style and are expensive, but are easy to take care of and will last a long time. It will be harder for water and mold to get underneath this than linoleum, as well.
While the kitchen floor is at risk for water damage and mold, the bathroom floor is even more in danger. This is because a much larger amount of water goes through the bathroom every day than in the kitchen, so making sure that this floor is very water tight is essential if you want the floor joists underneath to maintain their integrity over the years.
You also need to consider the fact that the kitchen and the bathroom are the two rooms in the house that are the most humid. You should have a range hood installed over the stove which will serve as a vent to draw the steam out of the kitchen and stop the ceiling from absorbing water and thus becoming molded over time. Mold is an extremely unsanitary and unsightly thing to have in the kitchen, so making sure the steam has a place to go is a good idea. An exhaust vent should also be installed in the bathroom above the tub or the shower and depending on your budget, the light in the room can also be included along with the vent.
One of the first things that shows the age of the house is the flooring in the kitchen and the bathroom. Water damaged or molded flooring shows the most age, but old linoleum and cracked tiles can show it just about as much, depending on the extent of the damage. You should choose the new flooring of your choice according to what you can afford and make sure that the materials that you build the kitchen out of are of consistent quality, but these days it is best not to go with a linoleum floor. Travertine stone floors are in style and are expensive, but are easy to take care of and will last a long time. It will be harder for water and mold to get underneath this than linoleum, as well.
While the kitchen floor is at risk for water damage and mold, the bathroom floor is even more in danger. This is because a much larger amount of water goes through the bathroom every day than in the kitchen, so making sure that this floor is very water tight is essential if you want the floor joists underneath to maintain their integrity over the years.
You also need to consider the fact that the kitchen and the bathroom are the two rooms in the house that are the most humid. You should have a range hood installed over the stove which will serve as a vent to draw the steam out of the kitchen and stop the ceiling from absorbing water and thus becoming molded over time. Mold is an extremely unsanitary and unsightly thing to have in the kitchen, so making sure the steam has a place to go is a good idea. An exhaust vent should also be installed in the bathroom above the tub or the shower and depending on your budget, the light in the room can also be included along with the vent.
Advice For Hiring a Contractor
Most people would love to be able to design and have a home built just for them, but not everyone has this opportunity. If you do, though, it would benefit you to do a lot of research beforehand to make sure that you get the right person to do the job.
Something you should understand about hiring a contractor is that the best place to find a good one is not in the phone book. The contractors with the ads that look the best are not always the best people for the job and if you or someone you know has ever had a home built and was dissatisfied, then you probably already know this. Ask your friends and relatives for someone that they can recommend to build your home for you, even if the only work they have had done for them is some small scale remodeling. If the contractor that they hired did a good job, then even if that person does not build entire homes, they can probably point you to someone else who will do similar quality work. Only resort to the phone book if you cannot find anyone through friends or relatives.
Get a few different contractors from any source you like, but be sure to talk with them face to face first. You will have to deal with them for at least a few months of your life, so make sure that you get along. You need to have somewhat of a bond with your contractor so that you can focus on getting the house done right, not arguing.
The contractor you choose should also have all the appropriate insurances and that you can obtain a copy of all of these policies to keep on hand in a job file. Keep a record of every piece of paper concerning the job and the progress of the project, including a payment schedule. You should pay your contractor as the work is done and never let your payments get ahead of the amount of work that has been done on the house.
Mold can also grow on building materials that are stored directly on the ground. Visit the job site regularly to make sure that the contractor is not doing this, especially with drywall. Everything should be stored on tarps and the site should be covered during rain until the roof and walls are put up to protect the interior
Something you should understand about hiring a contractor is that the best place to find a good one is not in the phone book. The contractors with the ads that look the best are not always the best people for the job and if you or someone you know has ever had a home built and was dissatisfied, then you probably already know this. Ask your friends and relatives for someone that they can recommend to build your home for you, even if the only work they have had done for them is some small scale remodeling. If the contractor that they hired did a good job, then even if that person does not build entire homes, they can probably point you to someone else who will do similar quality work. Only resort to the phone book if you cannot find anyone through friends or relatives.
Get a few different contractors from any source you like, but be sure to talk with them face to face first. You will have to deal with them for at least a few months of your life, so make sure that you get along. You need to have somewhat of a bond with your contractor so that you can focus on getting the house done right, not arguing.
The contractor you choose should also have all the appropriate insurances and that you can obtain a copy of all of these policies to keep on hand in a job file. Keep a record of every piece of paper concerning the job and the progress of the project, including a payment schedule. You should pay your contractor as the work is done and never let your payments get ahead of the amount of work that has been done on the house.
Mold can also grow on building materials that are stored directly on the ground. Visit the job site regularly to make sure that the contractor is not doing this, especially with drywall. Everything should be stored on tarps and the site should be covered during rain until the roof and walls are put up to protect the interior
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