Water damage is something that no homeowner wants to have to deal with, but many times it is just a fact of life. Whether it is a flood, excessive rain, or even something as devastating as a hurricane, sometimes water damage cannot be helped, but what about the water damage that occurs to our homes that are simply accidents? Or something that we have just overlooked for far too long? There are quite a few things that you can to in order to keep water damage from impacting your pocketbook, but for them to have any affect, you have to remain vigilant.
Cleaning out your rain gutters as soon as the leaves stop falling in autumn is a pretty good idea. What your rain gutters do is keep the rain that falls on your roof from simply falling to the base of your home and settling there. Allowing water to settle around the base of your home will eventually cause it to sink into the ground, doing damage not only to the structure of the house, but also to the home’s value, as well. Another way to prevent this kind of slowly occurring damage is to make sure that the soil around the foundation of your home is piled up against the house at an angle so water drains away from the foundation naturally. Keep downspouts clear of leaves and sticks, as well, and make sure that the bottom of the downspout has gully that drains the water coming out of it away from the home.
Making sure the plumbing that leads to your dishwasher or to your clothes washer is of good condition. You should not have to replace these hoses very often, maybe around every 4 to 5 years, but hoses of poor quality can rupture and leave you with a huge mess, especially if you happen to be out of the home at the time it bursts. Clean up any spills as quickly as possible, but if the floor in your kitchen is hardwood, the best thing to do is just soak up whatever water you can with towels. If you have a vacuum used to draw water up, such as a carpet shampooer, you can use this to get some more of the water out. Do not use artificial heat to dry your floor, because this can cause the floor to buckle or cause what is called “cupping”.
Something else that you can do is install a vent in your bathroom and kitchen. This allows the steam that builds up from cooking or bathing to escape the house and not be absorbed by your walls and ceiling.
Showing posts with label water safety. Show all posts
Showing posts with label water safety. Show all posts
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Hidden Water Damage Can Creep Into The Most Common Areas Of Your Home
The bathroom and the kitchen are the two rooms of our homes that, when remodeled, can add the most significant amount of value to it. They are the two centers of our houses, whether we realize it or not. A good house is usually inspected by a few different factors and these two are generally the focal points of many home buyers. Home buyers want to know if a property has a good kitchen and if it has a good bathroom. Depending on what they see, it can make or break a sale.
Unsightly water damage can usually be prevented to either area of the home unless it is caused by mother nature, such as flood or hurricane damage. What can you do to prevent water damage to the two most important rooms of your home..? Similar things can be done in each room to help keep the value of your home from going down.
Taking a bath or boiling water on the stove gives off steam, but there is not always a way for the steam to get out of the room if there is no vent installed. There should be a vent with a fan in each bathroom of the house and the kitchen, as well, to keep the steam from being absorbed by the walls. Drywall that has been damaged in this way usually starts to sag after a while because it has absorbed so much water and not only this, but mold will start to grow on walls that catch steam like this, as well. This is the perfect environment for mold to grow in.
Any plumbing in your bathroom or kitchen needs to be checked on a regular basis for cracks or weak spots in its connections. Anything in your house that uses water coming from the water system in your home needs to be checked on regularly to make sure the chance of a leak sneaking up on you is minimal. Some leaks can sneak up on you while you are away from home or asleep at night, but a lot of time it is caused by just not keeping an eye on worn hoses or damaged pipes.
Sometimes a water heater is located in a pantry or in an area near the kitchen, so keeping a check on this is a good idea, too. The water heater should be set inside of a drain pan that is connected to the water system of your home so that if it does leak, any water is directed down into the septic tank or the sewer.
Unsightly water damage can usually be prevented to either area of the home unless it is caused by mother nature, such as flood or hurricane damage. What can you do to prevent water damage to the two most important rooms of your home..? Similar things can be done in each room to help keep the value of your home from going down.
Taking a bath or boiling water on the stove gives off steam, but there is not always a way for the steam to get out of the room if there is no vent installed. There should be a vent with a fan in each bathroom of the house and the kitchen, as well, to keep the steam from being absorbed by the walls. Drywall that has been damaged in this way usually starts to sag after a while because it has absorbed so much water and not only this, but mold will start to grow on walls that catch steam like this, as well. This is the perfect environment for mold to grow in.
Any plumbing in your bathroom or kitchen needs to be checked on a regular basis for cracks or weak spots in its connections. Anything in your house that uses water coming from the water system in your home needs to be checked on regularly to make sure the chance of a leak sneaking up on you is minimal. Some leaks can sneak up on you while you are away from home or asleep at night, but a lot of time it is caused by just not keeping an eye on worn hoses or damaged pipes.
Sometimes a water heater is located in a pantry or in an area near the kitchen, so keeping a check on this is a good idea, too. The water heater should be set inside of a drain pan that is connected to the water system of your home so that if it does leak, any water is directed down into the septic tank or the sewer.
Some Tips on How to Stop Water Damage
Everyone who owns or rents a home should know what to do to prevent water damage. Even if you rent the property that you’re on, it’s in your best interest to take some responsibility for your living space and do what you can do stop water damage, especially if you plan on renting there for a long time.
If you have a washing machine in your home or apartment, it’s a good idea to make sure that the hose doesn’t have any cracks in it. If the hose ruptures and begins to spew water, it won’t be long before your entire laundry room floor is covered in water and starts leaking into the next room. Hoses that connect to your washer should be replaced as many times and as frequently as you need to, but under normal conditions, every three to five years is sufficient.
A leaky water heater is also a cause of water damage in the home and one of the best ways to determine if you have a leaky one is to look for rust or signs that it has leaked in the past. If a water heater is located on a 2nd or higher floor of the home or apartment building, it needs to be installed inside a pan that has a drain connected to a drain in the floor to make sure the water goes into the plumbing system.
Making sure that water is escaping from your roof the way it should be one of the first things on your mind if you want to prevent water damage to your attic and the rest of your house. If you’re just renting an apartment, then this part is mostly up to your landlord or the property manager. If you’re renting a home, then part of this is probably up to you. Cleaning out the gutters and the general maintenance of the property is up to you unless it’s something serious. Making sure the downspouts that are attached to the corners of the house are free of leaves and other debris will drain water away from the foundation of the house and keep it from sinking into the ground. Keeping water draining away from the house and making sure the cracks around your doors and windows are thoroughly caulked and sealed is another step that you can take to keep water from leaking into your home.
If you have a washing machine in your home or apartment, it’s a good idea to make sure that the hose doesn’t have any cracks in it. If the hose ruptures and begins to spew water, it won’t be long before your entire laundry room floor is covered in water and starts leaking into the next room. Hoses that connect to your washer should be replaced as many times and as frequently as you need to, but under normal conditions, every three to five years is sufficient.
A leaky water heater is also a cause of water damage in the home and one of the best ways to determine if you have a leaky one is to look for rust or signs that it has leaked in the past. If a water heater is located on a 2nd or higher floor of the home or apartment building, it needs to be installed inside a pan that has a drain connected to a drain in the floor to make sure the water goes into the plumbing system.
Making sure that water is escaping from your roof the way it should be one of the first things on your mind if you want to prevent water damage to your attic and the rest of your house. If you’re just renting an apartment, then this part is mostly up to your landlord or the property manager. If you’re renting a home, then part of this is probably up to you. Cleaning out the gutters and the general maintenance of the property is up to you unless it’s something serious. Making sure the downspouts that are attached to the corners of the house are free of leaves and other debris will drain water away from the foundation of the house and keep it from sinking into the ground. Keeping water draining away from the house and making sure the cracks around your doors and windows are thoroughly caulked and sealed is another step that you can take to keep water from leaking into your home.
Keeping Safe Around The Water
Lots of families go swimming during the summer to find relief from the heat, especially since their air conditioners may not work, but one thing that a lot of people are not fortunate enough to have is a swimming pool in their backyard. Many people would be grateful just to be able to afford to go to the community pool, since most of these places require an entry fee, but if you have your own pool, you really do feel on top of the world. There are a lot of safety rules that you should follow if you are lucky enough to have your own pool, though, and we are here to tell you what they are.
Children are the victims of most pool-related accidents, so you need to make every attempt to make the pool area as childproof as possible. This means making sure that you factor in the cost of building a fence around the pool to keep not only your children, but other children that live in your neighborhood safe, as well. Unfortunately, you are liable if a child from the neighborhood falls into your pool and drowns. This is the last thing that anyone wants to happen, so building a high privacy fence around the pool and keeping the gate locked at all times is extremely important.
Another good thing to have in your home if you have small children is an item called the Safety Turtle. This is one of the best products that you can purchase for your home and it will give you a lot of security when it comes to keeping your little ones out of the pool. A wrist strap is put on the child that has a small turtle-shaped device on it and when that device is submerged under water, the base station that is hooked up inside your house makes a loud noise so that no matter where you are in the house, you know that the child has likely fallen into the pool.
Your children and any visitors to the home need to be taught that it is not a good idea to run around the pool. They can fall, hit their head, and drown much faster than you realize.
Any pool chemicals that you have should be stored in a safe place and locked up so children and pets cannot get into them. These items are poisonous and if ingested, could kill you.
Children are the victims of most pool-related accidents, so you need to make every attempt to make the pool area as childproof as possible. This means making sure that you factor in the cost of building a fence around the pool to keep not only your children, but other children that live in your neighborhood safe, as well. Unfortunately, you are liable if a child from the neighborhood falls into your pool and drowns. This is the last thing that anyone wants to happen, so building a high privacy fence around the pool and keeping the gate locked at all times is extremely important.
Another good thing to have in your home if you have small children is an item called the Safety Turtle. This is one of the best products that you can purchase for your home and it will give you a lot of security when it comes to keeping your little ones out of the pool. A wrist strap is put on the child that has a small turtle-shaped device on it and when that device is submerged under water, the base station that is hooked up inside your house makes a loud noise so that no matter where you are in the house, you know that the child has likely fallen into the pool.
Your children and any visitors to the home need to be taught that it is not a good idea to run around the pool. They can fall, hit their head, and drown much faster than you realize.
Any pool chemicals that you have should be stored in a safe place and locked up so children and pets cannot get into them. These items are poisonous and if ingested, could kill you.
How To Keep Your Kids Safe Around Water
Summers can get pretty hot in the United States depending on where you live and not a whole lot of people can afford to have a pool in their own backyard, but some of us are lucky enough to afford the privilege. For those of us who can afford this luxury, there are some rules that you need to follow to keep both you, your family, and the rest of the neighborhood safe.
If you decide to have a pool put in your backyard, you need to have a fence built around it, preferably a fairly high one. This is to keep your kids and the other kids in the neighborhood safe. You probably do not realize it, but if a child wanders into your yard, falls into the pool, and drowns, you are legally responsible because the area was not properly blocked off. A child drowning in your pool, whether it is your own or a neighbor’s, is the last thing that anyone wants to happen, so factor the cost of a privacy fence into the cost of having the pool built. A fence also serves to keep out pool hoppers.
Your children should understand that if they are caught running around the pool, they will be punished in some form or another. The surface around the pool can be slick and you can fall very easily into it, hit your head, pass out, and drown. No matter how safe you may feel like you are running, accidents can still happen, so make sure all of the adults in your home lead by example and do not run around the pool.
Care should also be taken when storing pool chemicals such as chlorine tablets and other necessary items. These can be poisonous and you do not want children or animals getting into them.
Kids should never be allowed near the pool while unsupervised and a product called Safety Turtle can help you monitor them. A base station is purchased along with a wrist band that, when submerged underwater, causes the base station to alarm. This will let you know from a good distance away that your child has either gotten into the pool or has fallen into it.
Something else you need to consider if you have a pool at your home is learning CPR and first aid. While a lifeguard at a city pool may know these things and you feel safe there, you do not have the benefit of a lifeguard in your own home unless you learn to be one.
If you decide to have a pool put in your backyard, you need to have a fence built around it, preferably a fairly high one. This is to keep your kids and the other kids in the neighborhood safe. You probably do not realize it, but if a child wanders into your yard, falls into the pool, and drowns, you are legally responsible because the area was not properly blocked off. A child drowning in your pool, whether it is your own or a neighbor’s, is the last thing that anyone wants to happen, so factor the cost of a privacy fence into the cost of having the pool built. A fence also serves to keep out pool hoppers.
Your children should understand that if they are caught running around the pool, they will be punished in some form or another. The surface around the pool can be slick and you can fall very easily into it, hit your head, pass out, and drown. No matter how safe you may feel like you are running, accidents can still happen, so make sure all of the adults in your home lead by example and do not run around the pool.
Care should also be taken when storing pool chemicals such as chlorine tablets and other necessary items. These can be poisonous and you do not want children or animals getting into them.
Kids should never be allowed near the pool while unsupervised and a product called Safety Turtle can help you monitor them. A base station is purchased along with a wrist band that, when submerged underwater, causes the base station to alarm. This will let you know from a good distance away that your child has either gotten into the pool or has fallen into it.
Something else you need to consider if you have a pool at your home is learning CPR and first aid. While a lifeguard at a city pool may know these things and you feel safe there, you do not have the benefit of a lifeguard in your own home unless you learn to be one.
Household Fire Safety
A lot of people think that a house fire is something that cannot happen to them, but the fact of it is that there are a huge number of these that occur all around the world every day and destroy a large amount of property. There are a lot of things that you can do to protect your family and your property from this and it starts with having the right attitude about heat and electricity.
There are a few appliances in the house that you need to take extra care with when you use them and these are characterized by a large amount of electricity and heat. Space heaters that you use in the winter time to keep your house warm when you cannot afford a natural gas bill fit this description perfectly and the correct placement of these is critical. Never place these near curtains, upholstered furniture, and if you can help it, on carpet. Some space heaters can be used on carpet if the fan that blows the heat is at least 12 inches or so off the floor so the carpet is not heated by it. Space heaters with short legs are the most dangerous on carpet.
Be careful when using appliances with extension cords. Using something like a deep fryer, electric skillet, space heater, or electric blanket with a common household extension cord is a bad idea. You can use these with heavy duty extension cords, but make sure they are at least a 14 gauge. If it is not a heavy duty cord, it will melt.
If you use electric blankets during the winter, you should never leave them on while you are sleeping. There have been quite a few people that have woken up to their bed on fire because they decided to leave the blanket on all night instead of just using it to warm up the bed like the instructions intend. When you store these, do so in the top of the closet or somewhere else up high where it cannot be stepped on, since the heating coils inside these are easily damaged.
Grease fires in the kitchen are the most common type of fire and you should never leave anything that you are cooking on the stove or any other cooking appliance unattended. Try not to leave the room for any reason unless you can have someone come into the kitchen and watch the food for you while you take care of business in another area of the house. Never, ever leave the house while something is cooking, even if you are just boiling water.
There are a few appliances in the house that you need to take extra care with when you use them and these are characterized by a large amount of electricity and heat. Space heaters that you use in the winter time to keep your house warm when you cannot afford a natural gas bill fit this description perfectly and the correct placement of these is critical. Never place these near curtains, upholstered furniture, and if you can help it, on carpet. Some space heaters can be used on carpet if the fan that blows the heat is at least 12 inches or so off the floor so the carpet is not heated by it. Space heaters with short legs are the most dangerous on carpet.
Be careful when using appliances with extension cords. Using something like a deep fryer, electric skillet, space heater, or electric blanket with a common household extension cord is a bad idea. You can use these with heavy duty extension cords, but make sure they are at least a 14 gauge. If it is not a heavy duty cord, it will melt.
If you use electric blankets during the winter, you should never leave them on while you are sleeping. There have been quite a few people that have woken up to their bed on fire because they decided to leave the blanket on all night instead of just using it to warm up the bed like the instructions intend. When you store these, do so in the top of the closet or somewhere else up high where it cannot be stepped on, since the heating coils inside these are easily damaged.
Grease fires in the kitchen are the most common type of fire and you should never leave anything that you are cooking on the stove or any other cooking appliance unattended. Try not to leave the room for any reason unless you can have someone come into the kitchen and watch the food for you while you take care of business in another area of the house. Never, ever leave the house while something is cooking, even if you are just boiling water.
Great Tips For Water Safety
Summertime is the perfect time of year to go swimming, but no matter whether you swim in the ocean, creek, river, or in a city or backyard pool, you should never neglect to consider water safety. A large number of children and inexperienced swimmers die every year because they do not follow a few guidelines that could keep them safe from it.
The most important thing for you to do is learn how to swim. This can be one of the most useful skills you can ever learn and once you learn, you are not likely to ever regret it.
An area supervised by a lifeguard is the best place for you to swim, since the lifeguard is trained in CPR and first aid.
If you have children, they should always wear a floatation device and be supervised by you. There are likely a lot of other people and children where you are and you cannot rely on the lifeguard to be able to pay attention to everyone at the same time.
When you go to a swimming area of a beach or to a city pool, you need to read all the signs and make sure you understand what they mean. This is especially true of beaches, since certain areas of the world may be subject to different kinds of seasonal wildlife that can pose a great amount of danger. A good example is the box jellyfish that swims off the coast of Australia and can kill you. They inhabit the waters off the coast of northern Australia between November to April or May, so swimming in this area during this time is not recommended at all. You should be careful at other beaches around the world, though, even if there are no signs posted concerning dangerous wildlife.
Safety rules should be set for your entire family based on the level of swimming experience that each person has. Children and other inexperienced swimmers should not enter water that is higher than chest level.
If you have alcohol to drink, you should not go swimming, diving, boating, or driving. Alcohol impairs a lot of basic human necessities like coordination, judgment, and balance and your body will not stay as warm.
The only time you should dive into a pool of water is when the area is posted as being safe to dive into.
The local weather report can also be important to you and you should get out of the water at the first sign of a storm.
The most important thing for you to do is learn how to swim. This can be one of the most useful skills you can ever learn and once you learn, you are not likely to ever regret it.
An area supervised by a lifeguard is the best place for you to swim, since the lifeguard is trained in CPR and first aid.
If you have children, they should always wear a floatation device and be supervised by you. There are likely a lot of other people and children where you are and you cannot rely on the lifeguard to be able to pay attention to everyone at the same time.
When you go to a swimming area of a beach or to a city pool, you need to read all the signs and make sure you understand what they mean. This is especially true of beaches, since certain areas of the world may be subject to different kinds of seasonal wildlife that can pose a great amount of danger. A good example is the box jellyfish that swims off the coast of Australia and can kill you. They inhabit the waters off the coast of northern Australia between November to April or May, so swimming in this area during this time is not recommended at all. You should be careful at other beaches around the world, though, even if there are no signs posted concerning dangerous wildlife.
Safety rules should be set for your entire family based on the level of swimming experience that each person has. Children and other inexperienced swimmers should not enter water that is higher than chest level.
If you have alcohol to drink, you should not go swimming, diving, boating, or driving. Alcohol impairs a lot of basic human necessities like coordination, judgment, and balance and your body will not stay as warm.
The only time you should dive into a pool of water is when the area is posted as being safe to dive into.
The local weather report can also be important to you and you should get out of the water at the first sign of a storm.
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