Your kitchen and bathroom are the two most common areas to find water damage in your home and preventing it is probably a lot easier than you think. It might be a little annoying to have to remember to do these things on a semi-regular basis, but you won’t regret it when you realize how much money you’ll be saving. Water damage restoration can be expensive and why pay those costs when you can take a few minutes every now and then to make sure your two most at risk areas are covered?
If you’re lucky enough to have a dishwasher, you know that sometimes you’re unlucky enough for it to leak water out into your kitchen floor. If you do, it’s best to get this taken care of as soon as possible. The longer you allow your dishwasher to leak water into the floor, the more susceptible that area of the floor will be to water damage. Check the hose or pipes that lead to the dishwasher and see if those are leaking or have any weak spots.
One trick to use to see if you have any hidden leaks in your home is to turn off any and everything in your home that uses water (don’t even flush the toilet) and check what your water meter says. Leave these things off for about an hour and then go back and check your meter again. If the numbers have changed, you have a leak somewhere in your home.
The ice maker in your refrigerator can cause water damage a lot easier than you might think. The water line to this part of the refrigerator can rupture or like any other water line in your house, a connection can be lose and cause water to spew into the floor. If the door to your freezer doesn’t shut completely, then everything in your freezer will thaw.
A lot of water damage in the bathroom can be caused by a toilet that keeps overflowing over time. If you have small children in the house, make sure to supervise them while they’re in the bathroom. Most people know that babies putting objects into the toilet that do not belong there is a common occurrence and isn’t to be taken lightly. A piece of jewelry or a toy car can be the cause of a series of toilet backups and as a result, water damage around the base of the toilet. This will eventually cause the wood to rot if you don’t have a tile floor or if the tile around the base of the toilet is not sealed properly.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
damage restoration companies and
mold removal companies across the united states.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Water Damaged Cars And Why You Don’t Want One
Looking around for a used vehicle to buy either as your first car or as a replacement for your last one can be a hassle enough by itself without having to worry about whether you’re going to end up buying a lemon. You have to worry about financing, what kind of vehicle is best, and if it’s going to break down on you as soon as you get it home, but one thing that a lot of people don’t tend to think about when shopping for a new vehicle is if it has ever been completely submerged in water.
These vehicles aren’t always readily noticeable as having been submerged before. Dishonest car dealers and individuals looking to cheat you aren’t likely to tell you that a vehicle has been flooded, so you have to watch out for yourself.
One of the most dangerous things about vehicles that have been flooded can be is the possibility of mold growth in the interior of the car. It’s just as dangerous as the mold that can grow inside your home, but you’re less likely to notice it because most people don’t think about mold growing in their cars. Sometimes bad car dealers will try to cover the odor of mold in the car with air or carpet fresheners. You never know if the mold has been completely removed from the car unless the carpet has been replaced and the interior cleaned by a professional.
Even the engine isn’t safe. Any flood waters the car has been exposed to contain sand, dirt, silt, or any number of debris that can work its way into the engine and cause it to malfunction. Even sewage can be found in some flood waters.
There are also electrical problems abound in vehicles that have been flooded before. Many things on a vehicle today are monitored not by manual gauges, but by electronics and trying to use these by powering on the car before it’s completely dried out will probably ruin them.
Look for rust in the trunk of the car, particularly around the headlights and smell the interior closely. If there’s a musty odor or you can detect a scented air or carpet freshener has been used, it’s probably a good idea to go somewhere else to find a vehicle. Even if you purchase a vehicle history report off of a website, you might not get all the information on a vehicle. You’ll get any information that was reported to the insurance company and a claim was done on, but if the car was submerged and the person or dealer chooses to sell it without reporting the incident, they can.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
damage restoration companies and
mold removal companies across the united states.
These vehicles aren’t always readily noticeable as having been submerged before. Dishonest car dealers and individuals looking to cheat you aren’t likely to tell you that a vehicle has been flooded, so you have to watch out for yourself.
One of the most dangerous things about vehicles that have been flooded can be is the possibility of mold growth in the interior of the car. It’s just as dangerous as the mold that can grow inside your home, but you’re less likely to notice it because most people don’t think about mold growing in their cars. Sometimes bad car dealers will try to cover the odor of mold in the car with air or carpet fresheners. You never know if the mold has been completely removed from the car unless the carpet has been replaced and the interior cleaned by a professional.
Even the engine isn’t safe. Any flood waters the car has been exposed to contain sand, dirt, silt, or any number of debris that can work its way into the engine and cause it to malfunction. Even sewage can be found in some flood waters.
There are also electrical problems abound in vehicles that have been flooded before. Many things on a vehicle today are monitored not by manual gauges, but by electronics and trying to use these by powering on the car before it’s completely dried out will probably ruin them.
Look for rust in the trunk of the car, particularly around the headlights and smell the interior closely. If there’s a musty odor or you can detect a scented air or carpet freshener has been used, it’s probably a good idea to go somewhere else to find a vehicle. Even if you purchase a vehicle history report off of a website, you might not get all the information on a vehicle. You’ll get any information that was reported to the insurance company and a claim was done on, but if the car was submerged and the person or dealer chooses to sell it without reporting the incident, they can.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
damage restoration companies and
mold removal companies across the united states.
Water Damage and Its Causes
Water damage is one of the worst things that a homeowner or a landlord can have to deal with on their property and most of us generally know what causes it, but what about the specifics? There are many different causes of water damage, but some are a bit more evident and common than others.
One of the best things that you can do to prevent water damage in your bathroom is to have a tile floor and not a carpeted one. Carpeted bathroom floors are popular in some circles, but they’re particularly good at absorbing water and hiding a water damaged (and probably mold infested) floor underneath. If you don’t have a tile floor yet and you can’t afford to have one installed at this time, do your best to make sure that your toilet and bath tub do not overflow.
A leaky roof is often a culprit of water damage in the attic and on ceilings and this can be prevented by purchasing a waterproofing sealant for your rooftop. This will prevent water from seeping into the house through a small sized leak. Unless something punctures your roof, this should fix most problems. Making sure your roof is properly angled depending on the climate that you live in is also essential to preventing water damage due to a leaky roof. If the roof is not properly angled so that snow and ice can fall off and to the ground, it will weigh down on it and eventually cause not only structural damage, but also water leaks.
Check the pipes underneath your kitchen and bathroom sinks and also any other pipes that are exposed to make sure that they are not cracked or otherwise damaged. They and any hoses should connect firmly to dishwashers, laundry washers, and sinks. Properly insulating your exposed pipes indoors and outdoors is also essential to keep them from freezing and bursting during the winter. If it drops below 20 degrees, leave a little water running through your faucets; running water is more difficult to freeze than its standing counterpart.
The land around the base of your home should be sloping away from it so that water is directed away from the foundation. If it is not, it will leak into your cellar and possibly cause structural damage to your home’s foundation. Water loosens soil and it can cause your home to sink into the ground over time.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
water damage restoration companies and
Dallas Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors.
One of the best things that you can do to prevent water damage in your bathroom is to have a tile floor and not a carpeted one. Carpeted bathroom floors are popular in some circles, but they’re particularly good at absorbing water and hiding a water damaged (and probably mold infested) floor underneath. If you don’t have a tile floor yet and you can’t afford to have one installed at this time, do your best to make sure that your toilet and bath tub do not overflow.
A leaky roof is often a culprit of water damage in the attic and on ceilings and this can be prevented by purchasing a waterproofing sealant for your rooftop. This will prevent water from seeping into the house through a small sized leak. Unless something punctures your roof, this should fix most problems. Making sure your roof is properly angled depending on the climate that you live in is also essential to preventing water damage due to a leaky roof. If the roof is not properly angled so that snow and ice can fall off and to the ground, it will weigh down on it and eventually cause not only structural damage, but also water leaks.
Check the pipes underneath your kitchen and bathroom sinks and also any other pipes that are exposed to make sure that they are not cracked or otherwise damaged. They and any hoses should connect firmly to dishwashers, laundry washers, and sinks. Properly insulating your exposed pipes indoors and outdoors is also essential to keep them from freezing and bursting during the winter. If it drops below 20 degrees, leave a little water running through your faucets; running water is more difficult to freeze than its standing counterpart.
The land around the base of your home should be sloping away from it so that water is directed away from the foundation. If it is not, it will leak into your cellar and possibly cause structural damage to your home’s foundation. Water loosens soil and it can cause your home to sink into the ground over time.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
water damage restoration companies and
Dallas Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
