How To Prevent Ice Dams In Winter

The winter season brings along with it snow covered roofs and an icy terrain. There is always a danger of snowmelt, which can result in ice dams, which are damaging to say the least. If the house is not insulated properly, homeowners can find them in a tight spot with an ice dam upstairs. Ice dams are caused when the heat from the attic melts the ice on the roof and the resulted melting water comes into the house.

The first and foremost thing to know is that we should not heat the roof, but keep it cool. This way, the snow on the roof will dissipate without becoming melted water pools. One way in which you can ensure that the temperature is low is by ensuring that there is enough insulation and sealing gaps that allow warm air to come into the attic from the house, cooling the place. The attic’s ventilation should be done in such a manner that the cold air comes in air and the warm or hot air goes out of the house.

One may find it tough to prevent ice dams if there is furnace in the attic. Better quality insulation in the form of insulating the area flanked by the roof rafters is a good way to start. Leave some gap between the insulation and the roof deck so that condensation buildup can be prevented. Just before insulation, you can install polystyrene rafter air channels. Then you can put blankets on top of the heating ducts of the furnace to reduce the heat buildup in the attic. If there is not enough movement of air to dissipate the heat, you can also install a power-driven vent at one end of the attic and another fairly sized vent towards the opposite site to bring in cold air from the outside.

There can be moisture on the ceiling due to the presence of ice dams on the roof. The dark lines in the ceiling are known as shadow lines. Having insulation in the attic floor may not mean that the trusses are adequately covered. They can be exposed to cold temperatures and can be at the receiving end of condensation. Then the moisture can ensnare the dust and cause mildew growth in the form of shadow lines. So, it is important to remove the mildew with bleach and warm water. Rinse the surface properly with water and then let it dry. In case, the surface has mildew presence or is discolored, you may need to paint again. Make sure that you apply a topcoat before going for a stain blocking primer.

What Is There to Know About Black Mold

Mold or mildew is a kind of fungi that grows and thrives on humid or damp surfaces appearing like powdery substances. Mold is sometimes referred to as toxic mold or black mold. At home, mold can grow on walls, ceilings, clothes, food, sink, carpets and many other household materials where moisture is accumulated. It can even grow in household appliances such as washing machine and air conditioners.

How to Identify Black Mold

Mold can come in different forms and appearances on the surface of where it is growing. Black mold is determined by its slippery, greenish-black appearance on the surface of the material. Black mold is scientifically known as Strachybotrys chartarum. It can sometimes be difficult to recognize the type of mold present in your home but microbial testing can determine its toxicity.

How Black Mold Grows

Mold spores are transported from one area to another by sticking to different hosts. These mold spores are airborne and so it would transfer to hosts such as humans, animals, shoes, and even through doors and windows. The spores find a moist place where it can thrive. Black mold is not a rare type of mold as it can usually be seen on the ceiling tiles, wood paneling, cardboard, drywall, and wooden floors.

The Hazard of Black Mold

Black mold is a poisonous type of fungal spore. After its formation, it grows by degrading the material or surface it rests on. In the process, mold produces Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) which are known to be dangerous to human health particularly in the respiratory tract and central nervous system. Once a person is exposed to this toxic substance from the mold, there is a risk of getting an irritation to the mucous membrane or a complication in the respiratory system.

Signs and Symptoms of Black Mold Poisoning

The following are symptoms to watch out when black mold poisoning happens:
• Headache
• Hard cough
• Red, swelling eyes
• Shortness of breath
• Skin rashes and irritation
• Nausea
• Memory loss
• Dizziness
• Poor concentration
• Allergic reactions
• Asthma attacks
• Change in blood pressure
• Liver pain and other internal organs
• Poor digestion

Because it is a toxic type of mold, black mold can lead to illnesses such as asthma, bronchitis, and even death of infants due to respiratory bleeding.
When black molds start to appear on the surfaces of your house and household materials, it is important to prevent its growth immediately before it can bring harm to the health of the household members especially when there are infants or kids in your home. The best kind of prevention is to constantly keep the house clean and free from moisture.

The effect of water damage on your perishable items

Crops and vegetables in the fields and garden are marauded by fierce flash floods. After the a flash flood has subsided, its time to review the extent of the water damage both inside and outside of your home.

What should you do? Is it fine to eat the vegetables that are growing in your garden after the floods have pillaged it?

Some of the factors that you have to take into consideration while deciding on whether these fruits and vegetables are edible are:

• The extent of damage on these produce in the form of bacterial contaminants and sewage gush.
• Intensity of flooding in terms of silt accumulation and water depth
• Kind of produce and time the flood occurred
• The age of the crop produce when the flooding happened.
• Duration of flooding

Mostly, fruits and vegetables that are immature, at the pre-blossom or blossom state at the time of flooding, are fit to eat by the time of harvesting. Never consume fruits and vegetables that were stuck by severe flooding at the time of harvesting. If the flooding was light, you can do s; but in both the cases, you have to bear in mind the bacterial contamination. It is important to wash the fruits and vegetables and cook them well before eating.

Bacterial infection is possible in case of fleshy vegetables like tomatoes and pepper; and leafy vegetables like lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, celery. It is possible for silt and dirt to stick in the leaves, vegetables and other openings in the garden produce which may become difficult to extricate. For strawberries, you should not consume it in any case, no matter what phase of maturity they are in.

Fruits that have solid outer skin like eggplant, melons, sweet corn should be rinsed thoroughly with clean water; before you remove the skin or the husk. You have to then carefully peel or husk it well before cooking. Bulb and tuber crops like onions, carrots, beets, radishes, potatoes are fortunately not so vulnerable to bacterial contamination. However, you should scrub them with water, peel carefully and then cook well before consuming them.

Flood water that is contaminated with bacteria and other microorganisms, metals, animal waste, sewage can find their way not just on the surface of the farm produce but also in the tissues of the plants. The Food and Drug Administration calls such kind of produce ‘adulterated’ and illegal. If your garden or farm near a flooded area but has not come in contact with flood, you can prevent cross contamination by keeping cleaning equipment and harvest away from such areas. If your field is not planted but has been flooded partially or completely, find out the extent of the damage and find out if it can be damaging to the healthy, by doing microbial soil testing. Proper food handling in the kitchen is also very important; basic hygiene practices should be followed like cleaning the vegetables and fruits thoroughly with clean water, keeping hands clean while cutting them and preparing them, disinfecting kitchen tables and surfaces etc

How to Clean Up After a Flood

Sometimes cleaning up after a flood can be a huge task; depending on the amount of water. One of the main difficulties is that this water can contain so many different nasty chemicals or other things you don’t want in your home. If you are dealing with a large flood that has affected your whole local area then you really could have a big job in front of you. Just remember that when attempting any type of cleanup operation like this the priority is always on safety.

Getting Started on your Cleanup after a Flood

After you have contacted your insurance agent and the waters have receded you are ready to begin your cleanup operation. In many cases you will have professionals to help you, but not always and you may still be expected to do some of the work yourself. At this stage you might also want to take plenty of photos of the damage in case you later need it for proof in an insurance claim; the insurer will have their own photographer but it makes sense that you should have your own too.

Directions for a Flood Clean Up
The exact directions you will need to follow with a flood cleanup will depend on the extent of your flood but here are some common tips.

- Remove as much mud from your home as possible. The flood is likely to have left a lot of this behind and you want to get rid of as much of this nasty stuff as possible by shoveling it out of your home. This vile substance could contain anything so be careful and avoid allowing it to touch your skin.
- After you have removed as much mud as possible by shovel you can down use a hose to help you get rid of more of it. Some of the mud will have become hard so this will make it more manageable. You can use the spray to move the mud without having to touch it.
- Wash everything in your home that has been affected by the water with disinfectant. There will be many items which won’t be salvageable and you will need to get rid of these or risk mold. Items made of cloth or other such materials will probably be too damaged by water to be fit for anywhere other than a bin.
- Make sure you disinfect every surface that has been touched by the water.

Protecting Wet Basements In Case of Flooding

Dismissing leaky wet basements as a minor issue can turn out to be a huge error on our part. Water in the basement does cause major structural problems of the house and even leads to different types of health problems for the family. If you think water leaking in the basement does not really harm, think what can happen in long-term. Due to persistent leaking, standing water and moisture issues, your home may be party to structural deterioration and mold growth, both of which can be detrimental to your residence.

Continuous seepage of water at the basement area and around the house can foster mold growth. Molds usually need a water source, so when there are wet spots or there is waste water in your basement, you are guaranteed to face mold problem. Molds are much more than a greenish stain or something that causes musty odor; they can pose serious health risks. Allergic reactions, skin problems, lung infection, toxic infection and even death are some of the worst things that can happen due to mold influx. To remove mold growth, make sure you clean the basement regularly and remove the water source. Also make sure you remove existing mold. You can take the help of professional mold removal experts to do the job for you. They will clean the basement properly and remove all wet molds so that they do not come back. So if you face such a problem, make sure that you get in touch with a local foundation specialist to stop the leaks and prevent mold growth.

Check the cracks: Water can seep in to your basement through the smallest of cracks or fissure in the walls or the foundation. The cracks are definitely going to grow bigger. Water expands while freezing; this means the cycle of freezing and thawing during the winter season can gradually result in those cracks getting wider and bigger. Over time, water can simply destroy the foundation, posing a grave risk to the condition of your home. The best thing you can do in this condition is going for foundation crack repair. This process involves totally filling any foundation cracks, forming a enduring watertight seal that keeps water and away and makes the foundation strong.. If it were not for foundation repair, the wet basement condition can only become worse.
To ensure that there is a good waterproof foundation, you have to make sure that things are taken care of during the foundation laying process. Make sure that the concrete is evened and there are no extreme temperatures that can create cracks at the drying stage. Professionals should check the foundation over succeeding days, so that they are aware about the areas that need to be filled in. If procedures are adhered to properly and there are good weather conditions, filling in won’t be needed. Make sure that the foundation is completely dry especially if you have a basement home.

In old homes, waterproofing the basement implies having a sump pump work when rain levels attain a certain point. Basement homes and building that are at the bottom of hills have the greatest problems that are related to flooding. Even in case of electric sump pumps, rain that comes down heavily can pose problems.

common causes of water damage in your home

Water can cause destruction of any type of material. It can cause wood to rot, mold growth and metal to rust. Some factors that can cause these problems are leaky pipes, a leaking roof, or even water overflow from a bath tub. When it comes to piping there are mainly two types of leaky pipes either a slow leak or one that produces a constant spray of water. Slow leaks are harder to detect because water may have a chance of drying. With either type of leak once you notice the problem it is important to have the piping repaired. A failed sump pump could lead to sewage in your basement. Storms, ground water, and overflow from lakes can cause destruction to your home too. Regular maintenance to gutters, floor drains, sump pumps, and roof drains can reduce the risk water damage. Also, inspect that windows, door, bathtubs, and showers are properly sealed.

The more common area affected by floods are the basement. A wet basement can cause allergic reactions from mold forming. Mold can also produce an unpleasant smell. If not treated it can be a serious health hazard and cause serious illness or even death. If you have a finished basement belongings can be contaminated with mold or fungus.  To help stop the formation of mold use strong chemicals such as bleach and water to clean infected area. Mold can form inside of walls and ceilings. For you best interest contact a water removal specialist to inspect walls and ceilings to determine mold or fungus is growing. When dealing with contaminated belongs always use caution and wear protected apparel such as rubber boots, gloves and a face mask as the least.

Contact your insurance company to file a claim of the water damage. Your insurance policy could cover the damages and help with repairs. If not, you may want to purchase flood insurance.  Check to see if you community participates in the National Flood Insurance Program. Make record of the damages for documentation with either photos or video.  Contacting a restoration company is a good idea as they can help removing the water and properly clean belongings.