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Hurricane Harvey is leaving his mark across the Gulf States. Flooding is still going on in a wide area and moving north. Waiting is one of the hardest tasks in life, especially when waiting for a disaster to end or to see if any of your precious belongings or treasures survived a disaster. This one will not end for years.
After the waiting is over, the first thing that we all want to do is get back to our homes after a tragedy. The smartest person taking the very best advice can’t negate the desire, (the very NEED) to see what is left after the natural tragedy.
We understand that, but hope you can follow these suggestions to avoid even more tragedy than what has occurred up to the point where a return into the home is possible.
· Do not enter unsafe structures
· Cut off electrical power until checked by an electrician
· Do not enter the home if the water has not subsided
· Do not enter the home until the gas is shut off
· Leave the gas line and gas appliances off until checked
· Do not use water damaged appliances until checked
· Wear gloves, mask, eye protection and good shoes
· Precious pictures and books can be preserved by freeze drying
· Take photographs of the damage for insurance use
No matter what the cause of water damage, quick action can protect your investment and treasures. Yes, I remember I just begged you to be patient and wait until it is safe to go into your home. That does not go well with telling you that quick action can minimize your loss. This is difficult, but health and safety trumps saving possessions.
There is great irony in this tearful saga. Mold is needed to make the cheese that made the dip that stained the shirt, that needs anti-stain treatment………in the flooded house that Dan did not build. Click Here to Download a .PDF Copy as Printed
It started with a wonderful Sunday dinner out with the kids and grandson. It was a good meal, pleasant restaurant, great time. The appetizer was a very tasty, yet gooey cheese and spinach sauce with chunks of bread for dipping into that delightful cheese mixture. One of my “dips” turned into a “drop” between the plate and my mouth. Oops!
On the way home from dinner, my wife and I discuss what she thought I should write about tonight. She usually has the inside story on what readers would be thinking about. I deadline on this article tomorrow. She has a couple of greatly appreciated suggestions.
We pull into our driveway and realize that we had missed a heavy rain storm. The newly planted flowers were laying on their sides in exhaustion from the drenching. Great! They will stand up again and I get out of watering them today.
Please let me explain in my own defense. This is a new “home to us” and I have not yet learned everything about the place. On this glorious evening, I learn that when there is a very hard storm, water comes under the basement door and spreads across the basement.
What Does a Mold Expert Do When It is His House That Floods?
Back to the stain on my shirt. I walk downstairs into the basement while taking my shirt off. (Multi-tasking). I realize that as I step onto the concrete floor, there was a “slosh” noise, not the leather shoe on concrete shuffle appropriate for a multitasking senior with his shirt halfway over his head.
Recognizing that multi-tasking was not getting me where I want to go, I complete the easiest task at hand and finish taking the shirt off and the spot stain treated. ü
I start a new “to do” list based upon my discovery of why the shoes made a slosh instead of a shuffle. The next step is to consult a mold or disaster recovery professional. Oh, that’s me. ü
I look around to see why there is water on the floor and if whatever that cause is, whether it has stopped. I know that if the source of water has not ended, stopping the water leak is the next step.
The water leaked under the basement door. The rain has stopped and therefore the cause of the water event is ended. That is good news. ü
Triple check that there is not an electrical potential hazard relating to the abundant pool of water in the area affected by water. (üüü)
If there is a potential electrical hazard such as wet walls with outlets or an extension cord lying in the water I must exercise great caution. The choice is to safely turn off the electricity or think of the Jaws movie and stay out of the water.
I remove anything that is still absorbing water and is being damaged because of standing water. That would include the cardboard box of decorations that was moved downstairs two days ago because the kitchen cabinets are being delivered tomorrow. ü
Next step is to get out the “wet and dry shop vac” and begin to sucking up the standing water. ü
I sadly observe that the shop vac first had water moving toward the wand, and then running back onto the floor from the end of the wand. Note that water went up the hose at first and then……when about a cup of water was drawn up, that water was running back out of the wand. It was like watching someone going up the first section of a two-level escalator and then turning around and going back down the escalator rather than to the top section of the upper floor.
I remind myself, to not panic when realizing that the nice easy to carry shop vac that was purchased because it was small and light is not strong enough to suck a pool of water in a basement. ü
Go to “Plan B” and take the top off of the floor drain. Grab a broom and sweep water into the floor drain. ü
It is time to take photos of the current condition and be grateful that your wife does not upload a YouTube viral video of your panic and frantic efforts to this point. ü
Next step? Throw out the very few wet cardboard boxes. Be grateful that you are a mold aware person who knows that basement storage should be plastic bins and not cardboard. Cardboard is the “Breakfast of Champions” for mold. odor and wood destroying insects. ü
Without standing in any water, set up the dehumidifier placing the water drain hose into the floor drain. ü
Find a shirt that does not have an appetizer stain front and center. Put on the clean shirt realizing that you sadly are not a good sight to see when bare chested. ü
Be grateful that you have caught the water problem before it did any damage. Consult with your environmental person. In this particular case, this is accomplished by inward reflection: “self…..have you followed the proper procedures?” if not, go do what you should have done.
After the panic and work, go write the article due in the morning.
In summary, when faced with and unexpected and unwanted water event:
· Identify the source of the leak
· Stop the source of the leak
· If beyond what you can handle, call a professional
· Document conditions for insurance
· Verify that electricity isn’t a hazard
· Remove anything that can be damaged by the water contact and dry it
· Remove, sweep or suction standing water
· Dehumidify
· If you can’t dehumidify, open windows
· Realize that you have 24 to 48 to dry out before mold is a problem
· When appropriate, seek professional drying services
· Focus on the fact that mold and odors can damage health and the value of a home
Use the checklist above to make sure everything is done as it should be Check
Oh, one last thing on my list …..Install an exterior drain or concrete curb so that this doesn’t ever happen again!
Unwelcome water problems create heartache, health problems and often financial hardship. Knowing how to protect yourself and recover from the water event can keep a bad situation from getting worse.
Understanding water damage and recovery can be important to almost everybody. Frozen pipes, burst washing machine hoses and many other common occurrences can result in serious water damage. Flooding can occur almost anywhere. As a college student, the author’s dorm room on the 18th floor was flooded by the sprinkler system on the 19th floor. Strange and silly things that cause water damage do happen.
Weeks, months and possibly years after leaks and flooding occurs, new problems can arise from improper or incomplete restoration. Plaster can fall, wood can rot, and building exteriors collapse all as a result of uncorrected moisture problems. Allergies, neural and respiratory diseases as well as other serious health threats can result from improperly or untreated water problems.
All you ever needed to know about water damage you learned in high school gym class
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS SUBJECT, CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD DAN'S FULL ARTICLE ON THIS SUBJECT:
Click Here To Download A Copy of the "After the Flood" Article
Wall and furniture cavities and hidden surfaces such as carpet pad can create the same conditions as the dirty gym clothes. Nasty bacteria, mold and fungi can be found on every surface of a home. Flowing water drives the organic pollutants into every recess. Floodwaters can also deposit the bacteria from sewage.
Drying only the exposed surfaces of a building does not kill the hidden mold and bacteria any more effectively than cleaning the outside of the nasty smelling locker.
Imagine picking up the flood water soaked baby blanket, your parents wedding picture or the family bible. The question of what to do with possessions, furnishing and contents is important to the financial and emotional recovery after a flood water or mold disaster. When talking about items that have a sentimental value, the understanding of “what to clean or throw out” can also a deeply emotional question.
The short story is if it has porous surfaces and is already moldy or was under flood water, it will probably need thrown away. This includes cardboard, carpet, padding, stuffed animals and upholstered furnishings. Mattresses and box springs are on that list.
Food items that have been in contact with mold or flood water should be thrown away.
Materials that have a solid surface such as plastic, glass or metal are easily cleaned and preserved. Soap and water is the simplest cleaning method. A mixture of ½ cup of Clorox to a gallon of water is a great way to disinfect the hard surfaced materials. Do not use a higher concentration of Clorox as it can result in injury to people, pets and the items the mixture contacts.
Fabric clothing is readily saved by washing in regular laundry detergent unless the fabric has been damaged. The sooner the material is cleaned, the less chance of irreversible damage to material. Mold and flood contaminants will clean out of cloth material, but damaged clothing is not restored to its original condition by washing. Leather is difficult to properly clean and should be handled by a cleaning professional as soon as possible.
The paper and cloth materials that did not get wet or damp and do not have visible mold or damaged may be preserved by simply HEPA vacuuming.
Larger appliances that have some mold exposure but have not been under water may be saved with cleaning. The exception can be the electronic systems of appliances that can be damaged by moisture or mold. Consult a professional about these items. As an example, a hard drive may be removed from a computer and salvaged, but the drive could be damaged if it is powered on while in a computer with damaged circuitry.
Food preparation appliances that have been exposed to flood water or mold will probably need replaced. The cost of cleaning some of these items will often exceed the cost of replacement. Failure to clean these can result in recontamination of the home or illness to residents.
Forced air furnaces can distribute mold, flood water disease and bacteria through an entire home. These need professionally addressed as serious health problems can be caused by airborne biological contaminants
Any handling of contaminated materials should be done with personal protective equipment such as gloves, eye protection and masks. Some contaminants can enter through the eyes and skin, especially if there is an open cut or wound. Use proper protective equipment as appropriate for the conditions.
There are some building materials used in the construction that, in all circumstances, will require replacement as opposed to cleaning. Fiberboard ductwork is one such example. Insulation is another common example.
In Summary
To minimize loss, begin the effort to protect your home and possessions as soon as it can be done safely. If attempting the work, yourself, learn about safe methods and follow proper safety precautions.
Consider consulting a professional for work beyond your comfort zone or background. Good health is priceless and improper handling of contaminated materials can result is serious health problems. Proper remediation cleaning may also protect materials from requiring replacement and save more money than the cost of the services.
Go to www.Envirospect.info for more links and additional information about Sick Building Syndrome and its effects on your health. To download a PDF copy our Article “The Top 6 Questions After Flooding”, go to: http://goo.gl/vMIU9s
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For information about mold testing professionals across the country, go to www.Testall.com Email questions to: DanH@Testall.com Like Envirospect on Facebook or connect @DanHoward251
Frozen Pipes
Shut off valves to an area of frozen pipes if just a part of a home is frozen.
If the whole house is frozen, turn off the main valve for the house. If the pipes have burst in the pipe section before the shutoff valve, have the service shut off at the street. The goal is to avoid water leaking into the home from pipes when they begin to thaw.
Open all of the valves to drain down water as the pipes thaw. Even if the traps and fixtures are frozen, adding RV antifreeze may reduce the damage to fixtures. If you do not have antifreeze, add salt to try to reduce the amount of freeze damage. The salt will not know it is in a commode as opposed to on your sidewalk and will melt the ice.
Turn off the gas lines to your home. There is a main valve outside at the meter. Turning the gas supply off to the home may save you from an explosion.
Shut off the electrical power at the main panel. This can avoid shock during the disaster or damage to your electronic equipment and appliances when power is restored to an area.
Be very careful when reentering a flood or fire damaged home. These can and will collapse without warning possibly leaving whoever is in the building in the same condition as the Wicked Witch in Oz after the house fell on her. By the way, we all know you will want back into the home after a disaster, but it is really not a good idea until cleared by a professional.
The drinking water system may be contaminated. Disease can be flushed into the drinking water supply. Flood waters can be contaminated by sewage system overflows. Even a small open cut can be the start of a serious illness or infection when in contact with flood waters.
Do not turn on the electricity or gas in a damaged home until the home is checked by a professional. Damaged appliances can be a risk of fire, injury or explosion. If appliance and other basic equipment are not properly dried and cleaned before they are tuned on, you may cause permanent damage to them.