Those of us who have basements in our homes see it as either a curse or a blessing, depending on the condition of it. You can leave the drywall and carpet out of the basement and use it for storage like many homeowners do or you can put it in and use it for an extra bedroom, family room, or an area to entertain guests. The bad thing about using the basement sometimes, though, is that if it is not properly waterproofed, you can have some moisture and humidity issues to deal with later on if you are not dealing with them already. No one wants to stay in a humid, smelly basement for long and this will turn off any guests that you might want to have over in that area.
Take care of any indoor water issues first. This can include bursting water pipes, hot water heater (that really should be in the basement and nowhere else) or if you use a portion of the basement as a laundry room, it can be a malfunctioning clothes washer. Make sure that your dryer has a vent so that the excess humidity will be directed to the outside of the house. It is also a good idea to never hang clothes up to dry in the basement, unless it is just a single article or two. Water evaporates from the clothing and settles into the air, creating humidity. Clothes should also be dried in the electric dryer as soon as they are done washing to help reduce this problem.
Another thing you should do, especially if you use the basement for a laundry room or if you have an extra bathroom in it, is install an exhaust vent. You can do this in more than one spot if you need to, depending on the size of your basement. This will displace some of the humidity to the outside of the house and not allow it to be soaked up by the ceiling.
Another thing to worry about when you have a humid basement is mold. Mold loves to grow on any dead organic material and once it starts growing, you will be hard pressed to get rid of it without removing the source of the water first. If you have water issues in the basement, make sure these are taken care of before putting any carpet down, since carpet that becomes molded is hard to clean and any padding underneath it that becomes contaminated will have to be torn up and thrown away.
Showing posts with label fire. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fire. Show all posts
Friday, January 18, 2008
Hurricanes and Water Sanitation
The flood waters that wreak havoc on your home when rivers run over their banks or when hurricanes come calling can contain almost anything that you can think of (and some things you can’t) that can be harmful to your health and the health of any pets you may have living with you. If you are unfamiliar with how to prepare for a hurricane, then you may want to do a little research into just what you need to do before the storm hits, especially if you do not plan on leaving your home during that time.
The most important thing that you can have during a hurricane or any other disaster is clean water to drink. You will absolutely not be able to trust the water that comes out of your faucet during the storm, because the local water supply may have been contaminated by sea water, sewage, leaves, sticks, or almost anything else that the wind and water can carry with it. One easy way to get the clean water that you will need for a hurricane is to collect it in milk jugs that you have saved and cleaned out. This is a good alternative to buying a lot of bottled water at the store, especially since it may not be available in the quantity you need by the time you get there.
Purifying water after the storm has already started and you have run out of the supply that you had saved up is not too difficult. If you can get water out of your faucet, you can boil it for at least 10 minutes to get drinking water. If the electricity is off, though, you may not be able to boil anything and you may have to result to water purification tablets, which can be purchased at most outdoor supply stores. Hikers and campers take these with them often, especially when going into the wilderness to camp and not staying at a camp area near town.
The water damage to your home may be very little or extensive, depending on how close to the flooded area of town you are. Your windows should have been boarded up to help prevent the panes from being broken by the wind and as many parts of your home waterproofed so water cannot get inside as possible. If the area outside your home is flooded, do not let children or pets get in these waters, since they are likely contaminated.
The most important thing that you can have during a hurricane or any other disaster is clean water to drink. You will absolutely not be able to trust the water that comes out of your faucet during the storm, because the local water supply may have been contaminated by sea water, sewage, leaves, sticks, or almost anything else that the wind and water can carry with it. One easy way to get the clean water that you will need for a hurricane is to collect it in milk jugs that you have saved and cleaned out. This is a good alternative to buying a lot of bottled water at the store, especially since it may not be available in the quantity you need by the time you get there.
Purifying water after the storm has already started and you have run out of the supply that you had saved up is not too difficult. If you can get water out of your faucet, you can boil it for at least 10 minutes to get drinking water. If the electricity is off, though, you may not be able to boil anything and you may have to result to water purification tablets, which can be purchased at most outdoor supply stores. Hikers and campers take these with them often, especially when going into the wilderness to camp and not staying at a camp area near town.
The water damage to your home may be very little or extensive, depending on how close to the flooded area of town you are. Your windows should have been boarded up to help prevent the panes from being broken by the wind and as many parts of your home waterproofed so water cannot get inside as possible. If the area outside your home is flooded, do not let children or pets get in these waters, since they are likely contaminated.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Are You Ready To Prevent A House Fire?
Preventing your house from catching on fire is probably not as difficult as you think it is, even though there are a large number of house fires all around the world every year. These cause an extensive loss of life and loss of property, but knowing a few simple rules and guidelines can save you from most of the risk of this happening to you. After you read this, make sure the rest of your family knows your house fire safety rules and that you are serious about enforcing them.
The first thing that you need is a fire extinguisher on each level of your home and the knowledge of how to use it correctly. It should be at least 5 pounds and there should be one in the kitchen, since this is the main area of the home where fires start. Know that a fire does not always have to be put out with a fire extinguisher, so if you can put out a small fire on the stove that started under the burner with a handful or two of baking soda, go for it. But, do not hesitate to use your fire extinguisher if you think for a minute it is getting out of hand.
All combustible materials need to be kept away from heat sources like furnaces, water heaters, and space heaters.
Space heaters are a problem all to themselves, since their specific purpose is to put out heat and since you have the option of placing them wherever you want them, their level of risk is increased. Never place these items on carpet if you can help it, especially those space heaters that sit low to the floor with short legs. Do not use these to dry any fabric and never use them with extension cords unless the cord is heavy duty. Small extension cords coupled with appliances that use a lot of electricity, especially to produce heat, will melt.
Flammable chemicals need to be kept outside of the house and away from it in a shed, if possible. If you do not have a shed or storage area to put these in, have a neighbor or a friend who does store them for you.
Cleaning items with turpentine or gas should be done outside. The fumes from these chemicals should not be allowed to build up inside the house, since they are heavier than air and will settle on the floor.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Mold Remediation and
water damage restoration> companies across the united states. [Run 20]
The first thing that you need is a fire extinguisher on each level of your home and the knowledge of how to use it correctly. It should be at least 5 pounds and there should be one in the kitchen, since this is the main area of the home where fires start. Know that a fire does not always have to be put out with a fire extinguisher, so if you can put out a small fire on the stove that started under the burner with a handful or two of baking soda, go for it. But, do not hesitate to use your fire extinguisher if you think for a minute it is getting out of hand.
All combustible materials need to be kept away from heat sources like furnaces, water heaters, and space heaters.
Space heaters are a problem all to themselves, since their specific purpose is to put out heat and since you have the option of placing them wherever you want them, their level of risk is increased. Never place these items on carpet if you can help it, especially those space heaters that sit low to the floor with short legs. Do not use these to dry any fabric and never use them with extension cords unless the cord is heavy duty. Small extension cords coupled with appliances that use a lot of electricity, especially to produce heat, will melt.
Flammable chemicals need to be kept outside of the house and away from it in a shed, if possible. If you do not have a shed or storage area to put these in, have a neighbor or a friend who does store them for you.
Cleaning items with turpentine or gas should be done outside. The fumes from these chemicals should not be allowed to build up inside the house, since they are heavier than air and will settle on the floor.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Mold Remediation and
water damage restoration> companies across the united states. [Run 20]
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