The Blind Side.....

When it comes to insurance companies, I’m a fair weather fan.  When they work well for me, I’m grateful for their existence, when they don’t come through, I curse their ancestors back to the dust from which they were first formed.  Unfortunately, when it comes to water damage, it’s pretty much a crap shoot as to whether or not you’ll get any satisfaction.

Consider the case of Duncan McCleod of Roma, Australia, whose home suffered more than $150,000 worth of damage from storms in March of this year.  Normally, such damage would be covered, but his insurance company, in their infinite wisdom, classified the damage as flood related, which was not covered, and they refused to pay for it.  Mr. McLeod and his children have been sleeping on cement floors because there is no money to replace the carpet.  How do you spell L-O-O-P-H-O-L-E?

Contrary to popular belief, insurance companies are not in the business of arbitrarily handing out money.  Quite the contrary, their goal is to get as much money from you as they can and hold on to it for as long as possible.  The insurance company doesn’t benefit when it has to pay out.

Proof positive that you should arrange to sit down with your insurance provider today and go through your policy step by step.  Have them explain to you, and if necessary put it in writing, exactly what is covered, in what circumstance, and to what degree.  Don’t take anything for granted, never assume, and don’t hesitate to be a little difficult.  You’re paying these people regularly, so they should be able to man up for a few honest, pointed questions.

Don’t let yourself get blindsided….do your homework today and be prepared for the invasion of the claims adjusters.  Knowledge is power, and I know this because I is a college grad-you-ate…….

My Name Is Earl....

Hurricane season 2010 has been a mild one so far, with four storms and only two of them really amounting to anything.  We just had Hurricane Danielle, and now, proving that behind every successful woman is a guy with a goofy name, we have Hurricane Earl.  Earl becomes a Category 3 storm sometime today (August 30), and even though it appears that he will only strike a glancing blow off the Eastern Seaboard, rest assured he’ll still leave his mark with all the subtlety of a dog doing his business on a neighborhood fence post.

As if that weren’t enough, we have tropical depression Fiona warming up in the Atlantic Basin bullpen, so things could get really interesting from this point forward.

If you’re living in the path of these storms, be prepared to move….fast.  Have an evacuation route planned and (I can’t stress this enough) make sure it leads to higher ground.  Make sure somebody out of town knows where you’re going and have appropriate contact numbers to let them know you’re okay.

Have your “go bag” ready, with food, water, medical supplies, radio with extra batteries, clothes for several days, cash, and anything else you need.  But just bring what you need…you should be able to travel light, and while the 52” big screen is nice, it’ll just slow you down.

If you have time, batten down your house, board up the windows, trim your trees, and clear rain gutters and downspouts (cause they’re gonna be real busy real soon!). 

Shut off all electricity and gas to your home.  Before doing so, fill the bathtub with water for bathing, flushing toilets, and cleaning.  This water is not for drinking (which I’m hoping goes without saying, since we just used the word toilet).

Basically, the word for the day children, is to pack up and head for the hills, there’s a storm a comin….tomorrow we’ll look into what happens when you return to where your home used to be…..oops, um, I mean, return to your happy home….yeah, that’s it……

Coming To A Basement Near You.....

A dark damp, musty room, dripping with water and creaking with age……the lair of an insidious force, which has taken over, is growing, and growing, and growing, releasing spores into the air to propagate its existence throughout the land, and waiting to bring harm upon whoever stumbles upon it……sounds like the plot of a really bad horror movie, huh?  You bet.  In fact, I’m inspired to begin writing it just as soon as I’m done here.

But what I’ve described isn’t the opening scene to some Grade-Z horror flick playing at a grindhouse theater in backwoods Texas.  No, what I am describing is happening in basements and crawlspaces all over the United States right now.  Today.  I am speaking, my friends, of mold.

Now, we’ve all seen mold.  I’ve seen it when I let the loaf of bread go bad, or when I haven’t cleaned my shower in a while, and usually it is just a reminder to toss the bread and clean the bathroom.  However, mold can play a far more sinister role.

Molds are a part of life.  Well, not exactly, more a part of death.  In nature, they break down dead organic matter, sort of nature’s own recycling plant (wow, a “green” job by Mother Nature, gosh I crack myself up!).  They reproduce by way of spores (not the most fun way to reproduce but it gets the job done, I guess), which float through the air looking for somewhere to attach themselves and begin to grow.  Preferably somewhere moist.  Damp is good.  And moist and damp are just the bee knees for mold.  I mean, you just look at the water and say, “Hey, dude, let’s party!”

All this is fine outdoors, but when it happens indoors, it cannot end well.  The same mold that breaks down organic matter is suddenly inhaled, in great quantities, by living people.  Long term exposure to high levels of mold can cause health problems as slight as an allergic reaction (which many people mistake it for) to severe as neurological disorders and in rare cases, even death.

If all this seems like a bit much responsibility for a little growth like mold to bear, hey, I didn’t write the book.  But the fact is that mold can be dangerous when grown in indoor environments.  Black mold or toxic mold (great names, by the way) is even more sinister, producing mycotoxins (man, I sound like the ubiquitous mad scientist, don’t I?) that can have damaging and lethal effects on humans and animals.

One thing I find amusing….the people who insist on having their homes tested for mold.  Mold presents itself as a blackish green, fuzzy growth on walls or pipes, and it is accompanied by a truly impressive smell.  If you think you’ve got mold, guess what?  You’ve got mold!

Mold is one of those times where I wholeheartedly encourage calling in a professional.  Mold remediation is not only difficult, but dangerous.  Don’t risk your health.  Run, don’t walk, from your home and call somebody, preferably somebody who knows more than you who can take care of your mold problem.

Don’t let your home turn into a bad set from an old Roger Corman flick.  Call your local mold remediation experts today.

Man, what can we find to talk about that is more exciting than mold?  See me Monday to find out….cheers, mates….

On A Magic Carpet Ride.....

I’m a big fan of hardwood floors, and by George the next house I have is gonna be all hardwood.  Why, do you ask?  (and if you’re asking then you obviously have WAY too much time on your hands)  But I’ll tell you….I’ve simply had enough of dealing with carpet spills.  Even the most minor problem is a bear to clean up.  You dab and soak and scrub and clean and disinfect, all the while praying that there won’t be an unsightly stain.   And then, later on, “what’s that smell?”  The one time I had to deal with major carpet flooding was enough to make me a hardwood convert.

In the case of major carpet flooding, my suggestion would be to call in an airstrike and start all over again with new, preferably waterproof carpet.  However, if you are one of those that are unnaturally attracted to your carpet and wish to restore it, I’ve got good news for you.  If your carpet has been wet for less than 48 hours, it can probably be saved.  The bad news is, you’ve got a mountain of work in front of you, honeychile.

As with any water damage, you have to first get the excess water out of your carpet, which will prove interesting, because carpets can absorb a LOT of water.  Use a wet-dr y vac or something similar.  Getting the water out will make the carpet lighter and easier to lift.  Yes, children I said “lift”. 

You’ll need to take the carpet up at the tacks and take it outside to dry thoroughly.  Lay it out flat on a driveway or patio to dry.  Be sure it’s flat; otherwise it may not fit correctly when it’s time to re-install it.  Are you sure you wouldn’t rather just throw it out?  I’m just sayin’….

While the carpet is drying, go to work on the floor.  Pull up and discard all wet or damaged carpet padding and throw it out.  I don’t care how handy you think you are, you’re never gonna repair this stuff.  Just trust me on this one, okay?

The floor will also need to be dried and cleaned, and then you should check to make sure it hasn’t warped or cracked.  If it has, well, that’s a whole ‘nother chapter.

You’re also going to have to check your drywall (inside and out) for signs of swelling or other damage.  Drywall may have to be partially or completely replaced, depending on just how spectacular of a flood you had.

And while you’re at it, make sure you check out the electrical system, or better yet have a qualified electrician do it for you.

I think you can begin to see why I’m a big proponent of hardwood floors.  To me, carpet just isn’t worth the trouble.  But I am here to serve, and part of that includes offering advice even when I’m absolutely certain the people who would take it are nuts.

Okay, next time we’ll talk about something exciting, like mold.  I can’t wait, can you?

Lightning Strikes.....Thrice.....

 To get struck by lightning once is an event, to get struck twice is amazing, to get struck three times pretty much guarantees you won’t have many friends hanging around, at least not that close.

Meet Clare and Chuck Dhimitri from Boston, a nice young couple with a propensity for attracting disaster, namely floods, to their humble abode, with three major flooding events in the last couple of years.  The most recent, in March, was so bad they had to be rescued by boat.  One can only imagine what could be worse.

The floods have cause umpteen thousands of dollars’ worth of damage, racking up debt sufficient enough to put the Dhimitris in danger of foreclosure (which to this author, almost sounds appealing).  The Dhimitris say they should have been warned about flooding possibilities before they moved in, town officials say they have looked at the site and found nothing to warrant concern.  Obviously, somebody is wrong, but it all points to a case of simple bad luck (which is putting it mildly).

If there was ever a case for making sure you have adequate flood insurance, this is it.  And the time to do it is now.  When you’re waiting to be plucked from your rooftop, and the guy coming to your rescue has a foreclosure notice in his hands, well, then you can be fairly certain that your luck has, shall we say, run out.

I feel sorry for the Dhimitris, I really do, but sometimes there has to be an unfortunate example set before people will take action.  This is one of those times.  

Good luck, Clare and Chuck!

I'm Frum Da Gubmint, An' I'm Here Ta Help.......

Recent flood damage in Wisconsin resulted in more than $50 million in damages to one county alone,  a disaster by anybody's standards.  Check that....a disaster by anybody-who-has-two-brain-cells-knocking-together's standards.  Which of course brings us to the federal government, who determined that $50 million in damages didn't quite warrant disaster relief assistance.  FEMA denied the vast majority of requests for assistance from families displaced by the flooding.  How nice.

One of the few fortunate things about our government is their ability to throw large sums of money around in cases where it might actually be needed.  The drawback is that they apparently have great difficulty deciding what constitutes need.

They can grant millions of dollars to study the sex lives of fruit flies, but turn down assistance to communities whose citizens have been displaced by flood waters.  Really says a lot for the integrity of our elected officials, doesn't it?

Problems such as this will easily be overlooked when Americans go to the polls in two short months.  Let's be about putting people in office who will (gasp!) recognize the importance of providing financial help in instances where folks genuinely need it.  Disaster relief should be every bit as important as the other issues of the day.

Wow, water damage as a political rant...who'da thunk it?  Okay, rant over.....

We Have Met The Enemy And He Is Wet.....

When you're dealing with water damage, the first thing you should do is determine what kind of water you're dealing with.  Check that....the first thing you should do is locate the source of the water and shut it off.  Water restoration means very little if there is more coming in to replace it.

Of course finding the source of the water means that you will, in all likelihood be able to determine what kind of water you're dealing with, which is in fact important if you want your cleanup efforts to be successful.

Basically you have three types of water:

Clean Water - water that is, well, um, clean.  As in, without contaminants or anything else that might do you harm if you were to ingest it.  A normal water line or overflowed sink would be an example of clean water.

Grey Water - water that is, well, um, grey (not much imagination here, huh?).  This water is mildly contaminated and may cause illness if you are unfortunate enough (or stupid enough) to ingest it.

Black Water - this is the fun stuff, sewage based flood water that is highly contaminated and may cause serious illness or death if you are enough of a complete moron to allow it anywhere on or in you.  I would go on to describe some of the characteristics of Black Water but good taste dictates that I refrain.

Water damage involving grey or black water should always be left to a professional.  The health hazards are just too great, and if you're like me, I'd just rather not have to touch the stuff.  Of course there are other schools of thought, but moving right along....

Knowing the kind of water you're dealing with will make the cleanup process more efficient, and in many cases safer for all involved.  And if you're really into the whole Black Water scene, we'll discuss that next time....

Alrighty then.....

Swept Away.....

Floods are bad enough, but flash floods are the spawn of Satan.  Floods tend to form over a period of days; you actually have the benefit of knowing that it may happen.  Flash floods rarely give any warning, occurring rapidly and sweeping across the countryside, a wall of water and debris that is capable of wiping away most anything in it's path, be it houses, livestock, cars, and people.  Flash floods can even change the course of rivers, which will give you an idea of the power involved.

If you are in a situation where a flash flood warning is issued, get to higher ground as soon as possible.  You may only have minutes or even seconds, and your life may depend on it (which would certainly be a motivation for me).  If conditions are ripe for a flash flood, stay away from streams, rivers, even low lying areas such as gullies. As I said, you don't always have the benefit of warning...better to simply get to higher ground as soon as possible.

One website suggests that, if you are caught in a flash flood and swept away, that you place your legs in front of you and try to avoid hitting any rocks.  My own personal suggestion would be to place your head between your legs and kiss your posterior goodbye, because chances are you aren't coming out of this one.  I guess it depends on how positive you're feeling at that moment.

Nearly half of all flash flood deaths are auto related, nimrods who apparently think they can walk, or at least drive, on water.  Never attempt to drive through a flash flood.....it will become a matter of brute strength, and you will lose.  If your car stalls, leave it and get to higher ground.  That's what we pay insurance premiums for.

All to say, flash floods are nothing to take lightly, even though I've done my best.  There is little warning, if any, and your life may be on the line.  Do the right thing, because none of us want our last thought to be about how epically stupid what we just did was.

Abyssinia.....

Noah....Rennaissance Man....

If you read the Bible even occasionally, you know the story of Noah and the flood.  You know, the one where God decided "the heck with this" and wiped out every living thing on the face of the earth, except for one guy who was faithful enough to build a really big boat.  And he wasn't just faithful to build the boat, but he worked on it for years out in a dry, desert region that had rarely seen rain.  No doubt the local villagers thought he was nuts.

But Noah recognized one thing...that floods can indeed occur anywhere, and at any time.  Of course this particular flood was going to occur everywhere so there was no escaping it, and it was the result of some really Divine intervention, but I digress.  And when the rains came, and came, and came, and the waters began to rise, Noah and his family were ready.  They were ready and prepared for the flood that was coming and when it was all said and done, they were the only people on the planet that survived.  Pretty strong case for being prepared, no?

Of course floods still occur today, and while we have yet to see another on one that particular level, they can still wipe out life and property on a pretty impressive scale.  The flood of Noah's day set the precedent for my conclusion that nobody is immune from the threat of flooding, and when it happens to you, you'd better be prepared.

So how do you prepare for a flood?  Run.  Run like a river when the snow melts.  Riding out a flood is ridiculous.  At best you'll end up like the one goober we see on every flood related newscast walking hip deep in water carrying an umbrella, and at worst the search parties might luck up and find your body swept downriver somewhere.

You need to have an evacuation route planned and follow it.  At the risk of insulting your intelligence, I will go one further and suggest that your evacuation route lead to higher ground.

You need to have a "go bag" prepared, with clothes for several days, food, bottled water, credit cards, extra cash, important documents (big bag, huh?), a battery powered radio with extra batteries, and anything else you may need for an extended stay under some not so pleasant conditions.

So you've got your bag and your plan, now it's time to hit the road.  If you have time, shut off utilities to your house, but if not, get out.  And be aware of your surroundings while driving.  Do not attempt to drive through flood waters that are crossing a road, for depth is deceptive.  The road may in fact not be there anymore, and it only takes two feet of moving water to sweep away a car.  Need I elaborate?

If you do screw up and end up in flood waters, roll down the window to escape.  The weight of the water will not let you open the door.  If your window will not open, then wait for the car to fill with water; the pressure will equalize and your door should open.  I know that sounds like cutting it close (as in the-man-with-the-sickle-reading-over-your-shoulder close), but in a pinch, that's about all you have left.

So that is the word for the day.....run.  Like many of you, I have a serious aversion to drowning.....I much prefer breathing.  So follow my advice and you'll remain upright and taking in air hopefully for many more years to come.

G'day, mates.....

Who Ya Gonna Call?

Like most disasters (car wrecks, personal injury, marriage...) many people do not think of how they are going to deal with a problem until it is on top of them.  Oh, sure we purchase insurance, but how many of us take the time to read a policy and discover all the little nuances, things that may not be covered?  How many rude awakenings have there been because of the level of disinterest we so often display?

Likewise for water damage.  We know it's a possibility, but how many of us are truly prepared for it when it happens?  Standing hip deep in raw sewage and pulling "goodies" out of your ear is not the time to start comparison shopping.

The good news is that there are multiple companies advertising water damage restoration services in every city.  The bad news is that there are multiple companies advertising water damage restoration services in every city.  The plain fact is that many of them are woefully unqualified to take on such a project.  There are no government regulations dictating who can do this sort of work, and while I would normally be grateful that government actually saw fit to keep their hands OUT of something, in this case it means that any yahoo with a mop and a shop vac can slap a "water damage repair" sign on the side of his Camaro and say he's in the business.  Letting this guy work on your house guarantees that a bad situation will become worse, easily doubling your repair costs and causing much in the way of additional headaches for you and your family.

There are simply certain things to look for in a water restoration company.  Here are a few:

24/7 Service - I always respect a man who answers his own phone, especially at 3AM when the waters are rising and I need help.  The ideal company should be available and able to have someone out to you promptly.

Full Staff - No work of this type should be subcontracted.  Make sure the company you choose as a full staff of trained technicians, up to speed on all the latest toys (er, I mean, "equipment") and procedures.  They should also be licensed, bonded , and insured.  I'm not really sure what "bonded" means, but it always seems to go with the other two.

Complete Service - Repairing water damage involves a lot of different steps; it's best to have one outfit be responsible for it all.  From water extraction and drying to carpet cleaning and mold removal to structural repair and reconstruction, the outfit you choose should be able to look you in the eye and say "we can do it all".

Certification - Since the government has apparently found water damage repair as boring a subject as most of us do, the industry decided to police itself, and has done an admirable job.  The Institute for Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification (IICRC) was formed in 1972, establishing standards of care, industry accepted procedures, and certification in all areas of water damage restoration.  Now a certificate or seal of approval does nothing to guarantee competent work, but if the company in question has that seal, then you can know they've at least spent time, effort, and finances on getting their people up to speed.  The result is credibility and accountability for the business, and peace of mind for a homeowner who by this point already has too much on their plate.

My advice?  Do your homework now and find a company that is qualified to do the work, somebody you can trust with your home when disaster strikes.  And then, just like car insurance, pray to whatever god you serve that you never have to call on them.

Not that my advice means much, but hey, I do spend eight hours a day writing about this stuff, so I'd like to think I've learned a thing or two.  I'd hate to see it go to waste.  So make some calls today, huh?  For me?  Thanks.  I appreciate it.

Later....

All Ashore That's A Goin'.....

Okay, so we've established that if you are a basement owner, water damage in some form is a 98% certainty.  So what do you do when it happens?  When I was a kid, we had a basement that flooded with nearly every rain, due in large part to a drain just outside the basement door that was perpetually clogged, despite our best efforts to keep it open.  When I stop to think of the molds and other wonderful substances that had to be growing as a result, and the sheer amount of it I must have inhaled., I'm sometimes amazed that I'm still here.

So your basement is flooded.  Congratulations.  You're now a member of the 98% club.  First thing you should do is shut off the electricity to your basement (well, actually the first thing you should do is stop any more water from coming in, but I assumed that was a given).  Now where was I?  Oh, yeah, electricity.  Shut it off.  Electricity and water do not mix.  At all.  Trust me on this.  Even if the power has been knocked out, you should still shut off the electricity.  Do you really want to be standing in six inches of water when the power comes surging back on?  I didn't think so.

You should then open all windows and doors to get as much air circulating as possible.  Sounds like a small gesture, but every little bit helps.

Use shop vacs or pumps to remove the excess water but, while time is of the essence, you don't want to pump the water out too fast.  Doing so will create uneven pressure on the walls, weakening them and making them prone to collapse. Which would of course, defeat the purpose.  Pump the water out at an average of about a foot a day.  Slow and steady are the keywords here.

You will also need to have an electrician check out your appliances and electrical system before further use.  Ditto for your HVAC setup.  Don't run anything until it's been gone over and approved.

Always remember the operative word in any water damage repair....."dry'.  You'll need to make sure all surfaces are thoroughly dried out before considering the repair complete.  Not dry means wet and wet means mold and mold is not good.

Hopefully, you'll be one of the 2% that never have to deal with this (like me, sorry about that!), but if you do, now you know how to handle it.  Good luck and God save the queen......

It's A Sure Thing...

If you are a homeowner with a basement, there is a 98% chance that you will experience some form of flooding or other water damage to said basement at some point during your ownership.  In other words, it's a sure thing.  It's not a question of if it will happen, more like waiting for your turn in the barrel.  Aren't you glad you decided to read this?

Now that I've made you feel oh so wonderful about your decision to purchase a home with a basement, I'll go one further and say that you're pretty much powerless to stop it.  Waterproof basements are still a fantasy (although I maintain that whoever comes up with a foolproof waterproofing method is going to become a very wealthy person), and the simple fact is that if water rises enough, your basement will flood.  Count on it.

If I haven't depressed you completely and you're still with me, then consider, there are things you can do to minimize the damage.  I firmly believe that the best defense is a great offense (even though I don't play sports, the analogy just works for me), and the best thing you can do for yourself is to simply check out your basement occasionally, looking for little problems that may become big ones later on.  Leaky pipes, broken window seals, cracks in the foundation....seemingly insignificant issues that, left alone, will be fruitful and multiply, and before you know it, you've got waterfront property at the bottom of your basement steps.

Repairing the problems as they crop up will go a long way towards staving off disaster.  It still may happen, but being proactive puts you closer to being a part of that 2% with dry basements.  And of course we all know that dry is good.  Fixing a crack or repairing a seal is always preferable to pumping three feet of water from your basement.

You can also ward off significant damage by getting everything up.  Move things like appliances, power outlets, electrical boxes etc to a higher elevation.  Even twelve inches higher off the floor would help.  Basements are also used for storage, so make sure anything valuable is stored in an upper floor.

I know this sounds like a lot, but after that storm, when you wake up to find so much water downstairs that you half expect to see Leo DeCaprio and Kate Winslett float by on a piece of wood, you'll be glad you did it.

Next time we'll look at dealing with the problem when it happens....stay tuned....

There's A Fungus Among Us....

When it comes to water damage, mold is never late to the party, generally showing up between 36 and 48 hours after the initial water damage event, spreading like wildfire, and proving well nigh impossible to get rid of.

Now we've all seen mold in our showers, and we've blown it off because it's fairly innocuous.  The worst it will do to you is have you down on your knees scrubbing it away at the behest of your wife who cannot stand the thought of anything less than a spotless bathroom..

But in the case of water damage, we're talking deranged, Roger Corman B-movie, chamber of horrors mold...the stuff that can actually kill you if you breathe enough of it.  Mold is the reason that time is of the essence when it comes to getting the water out of your home and drying everything as soon as you can.

Unfortunately, without proper breathing gear, working around this stuff can produce problems as mild as an annoying allergic reaction, or as severe as taking the grand eternal celestial dirt nap.  Given that particular nugget of wisdom, I think you can understand why it is always advisable for mold to be taken care of by a professional, somebody with the know how, experience, NASA garb, and fancy schmancy technology to get in there and rid your home of this insidious threat.

Wordplay aside....don't risk your health or that of your loved ones.  If you find evidence of mold in your home following water damage, call the pros.....

An Ounce Of Prevention....

It always amazes me.  Floods can literally happen anywhere, and at any time....here in Atlanta we discovered that just about a year ago, when torrential rains moved through and devastated much of the metro area.  The sight of Six Flags underwater was surreal, to say the least.

Proof positive that ANYONE can be affected by a flood, and yet only a small percentage of the American population have any sort of flood insurance.  When you stop to consider the incredible level of damage left behind by flood waters, I'm somewhat perplexed that anyone should take such a chance.

You can't eliminate the threat of a flood, anymore than you can stop it when it happens, but you can have peace of mind concerning what happens in the aftermath.  Take the time today to sit down with your homeowner's insurance provider, determine exactly what is and is not covered as it relates to water damage, and make the appropriate adjustments.

I guess I just think it's far better to do it now as opposed to when you're pulling raw sewage out of your ear......just sayin.....

Welcome To The Waterfront....

This is the first, but hopefully not the last (depending on the tenure of my employment, anyway) blog from yours truly. I am the Director of Content and Copywriter for Leadsbyfone, LLC, a lead generation and web optimization outfit from Atlanta, GA.  We service the water damage restoration industry by driving leads to their business (well, not ALL of them, just the ones who sign up with us!).

I'll be using this avenue to stay in touch with, well, whoever, would like to hear from me, talking about water damage events, the industry, problems, solutions, advice, basically whatever I can cobble together and make something out of.

Be sure to check out our services online:

http://www.waterdamagelocal.com
http://www.localwaterdamage.com
http://www.water911damage.com

See you on the waterfront......