The Flood Co. Blog

Posts Tagged ‘flooding’

When water damage occurs timing is crucial. A delay of even 48 hours can result in significant water damage compared to an immediate timely response. This is why our personnel are on call 24 hour a day 7 days a week. Your initial response is very important as it helps to prevent further flood damage. Once the flood begins to dissipate the task of water removal and water damage restoration starts immediately.

There are three categories of damage water…

Clean Water - Originate from a source that does not pose substantial harm to humans. Examples: tub or sink overflow, broken water supply lines, melting ice and snow.

Gray Water - Unsanitary water contains some degree of contamination that would cause sickness if consumed by humans. Examples: Aquarium. water beds, dishwasher overflow, toiler backup with no feces present.

Black Water – Highly contaminated water that could cause death or serious illness if consumed by humans. Examples: sewage backup, ground surface water or rising water from streams or rivers that carry silt and organic matters.

Water Damage Inspections – We have over 17 years of experience with Water Damage Restoration and Clean up. Because of our experience and training we know what to look for and what we are looking at to help you get it cleaned up as quickly as possible. We are licensed, insured and certified in water damage, water damage restoration, water removal, flood damage, and sewer cleanup. We use a variety of instruments, tools and meters to diagnose and detect water damage including, moisture meter, moisture probe, non penetrating meter, penetrating meter, hammer probe, thermo hygromator and infra red camera.

Insurance coverage that protects losses caused to property because of floods is called flood insurance. If your area is prone to floods, buying flood insurance would be a wise decision. Floods cause a great deal of water damage to millions of homes. Having a flood insurance means you are spared the damages that are caused by flooding.

You might not want to purchase because of the expense you would incur, but it is better to pay for the insurance than to spend even more rebuilding your home if it is damaged by floods. Remember, homeowner’s insurance policy will not pay for the damages caused by floods to your home; this is a misconception that some people have.

What is excess flood insurance?

Excess flood insurance can be purchased from an excess and surplus carrier or can also be purchased from certain flood insurance companies.

If the value of your real estate exceeds the amount provided by the National Flood Insurance Program, you will be safe if you get an excess flood insurance. If you have property located in a flood prone zone, you are eligible for excess flood insurance.

Other things you need to know

You can go for quality and low cost flood insurance coverage. A licensed insurance agent should be able to offer discounts in comparison to other coverage plans. If the flood insurance coverage is recognized and approved by a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), it will imply that you are receiving flood coverage similar to everyone else but for a lesser cost.

This will cover your home for a wide range of flooding cases. The main reason for having flood insurance is when an area receives very heavy rainfall in a short period of time causing a flood and hampering your property. Other events that can cause flooding and call for flood insurance include water damage to the home due to melting snow, a swimming pool leak, clogged storm drains, and other such calamities.

The cost of the flood insurance will depend on the coverage plan that you have selected. You need to do your research for getting the coverage you require and at a low price. Arming yourself with flood insurance will save you from the aches and pains that could be caused by heavy losses incurred because of the ravages of a flood. So be safe and not sorry. Get a flood insurance coverage as soon as possible.

It May Be A Lot Easier Than You Think

Would you like to understand the FEMA flood vent regulations that apply to your home? And reduce your flood insurance premiums by a sizable amount?

This document makes the regulations easy to understand, points out the benefits of installing flood vents, and will help you decide what kind of vents to install.

Properly positioned and installed flood vents in your home’s foundation walls will not only help you protect your investment, they can help you save money. And, despite what you may have heard, the regulations governing their type and placement are easy to understand.

These regulations were stipulated by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), a program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Requirements: the Basics

1 – Openings must be installed in foundation walls so that water can flow, unimpeded, in and out of the crawl space without damaging the walls’ integrity. The regulation is easy to remember: one square inch of opening in the foundation wall for every square foot of the area of your house. For example, a 2,000-square-foot crawl space would need 2,000 square inches of opening. The number of flood vents you need to install depends on the size and type of vent you buy. (More on that later.)

2 – Each enclosed area must have a minimum of two openings. If there are multiple enclosed areas within the foundation walls, each area must have at least two openings in its exterior walls.

3 – Flood vents must be below flood level to work. The bottom of each opening must be no more than 1 foot above whichever of these is higher: the interior or exterior grade immediately under the opening.

4 – Any screens, grates, grilles, fixed louvers, or other covers or devices you install must not block or hinder the automatic flow of flood waters into and out of the enclosed area.

Why Are Flood Vents Required?

The purpose of flood vents (also called “flood gates” or “flood ports”) is to reduce structural damage from flooding. These permanent openings accomplish this objective by allowing water to pass into or out of a building’s exterior foundation walls.

Why is that so important? In a flood situation, if the water pressure inside and outside your home can’t equalize rapidly enough, the windows and doors could blow out. In addition, this pressure can compromise the foundation and make your home unsafe to live in. Studies have shown that houses with proper openings survive a flood; homes without such vents collapse.

Who Needs Flood Vents?

According to its website, the NFIP “requires flood vents for residential basements, crawl spaces, garages, and other enclosed structures that are below the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) in Special Flood Hazard Areas.” BFE is the height of the base flood, usually in feet, in relation to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 or other datum as specified.

If your home isn’t mortgaged, you aren’t required by FEMA/NFIP regulations to have flood insurance or flood vents. However, flood insurance is advisable to protect your investment. And foundation flood vents are still a wise move to ensure that flood waters do not structurally damage your home. How Cost Savings Add Up

Properly installed and situated flood vents can pay for themselves very quickly. They allow you to save in two ways. The annual reduction on your flood insurance premiums can be considerable. Secondly, should flood waters rise to your home, flood vents can reduce the risk of structural damage, which can be very costly to repair.

Which Type of Flood Vent Should You Install?

There are two types of flood vents on the market: non-engineered and engineered. Engineered vents have been designed in such a way that they provide a more efficient flood relief system, and thus fewer vents will need to be installed.

The opening size of the non-engineered flood vent is calculated by multiplying the width times the height of the opening. The opening size of the engineered flood vent is calculated using a mathematical formula that takes into account certain coefficients, net area and opening shapes. This formula calculation must be certified by a professional engineer. The main difference between the two types of flood vents is that fewer of the engineered flood vents are required to meet NFIP requirements. For example, a non-engineered 8″ x 16″ vent is rated at 128 square inches while an engineered 8″ x 16″ is rated at 200 square inches.

Other design and performance criteria for engineered openings are specified by the American Society of Civil Engineers:

1 – Engineered openings are to perform such that the difference between the exterior and interior water levels shall not exceed 1 foot during base flood conditions.

2 – Engineered openings are to be not less than 3 inches in any direction in the plane of the wall. This requirement applies to the hole in the wall, excluding any screen, grate, grille, louvers, or devices that may be placed in or over the opening. The 3-inch opening requirement applies to the hole in the wall; not the space between the grates, grilles or louvers.

In a Nutshell: Numbers to Remember

FEMA’s flood insurance requirements boil down to this:

1 – One square inch of opening in a foundation wall per square foot of house.

2 – Vents must be less than 12 inches above the ground.

3 – Two vents per enclosed area, on different exterior walls.

That’s it. Make sure you have the appropriate flood vents installed — or do it yourself — then call your flood insurance company to get a reduction in your premiums. You’ll also enjoy the peace of mind of knowing that you’re not only compliant, you’re safer.  Prevent flood damage with flood vents.

When you need water damage cleanup the key is moisture control. Moisture control is important so you don’t get mold in your home. There are many things to think about when it comes to mold. If you had to perform water damage cleanup and you have mold in your home then you most likely didn’t get the home dry enough. When moisture still lingers in the home then mold will begin to grow. If you have mold then it needs to be cleaned up immediately and the moisture problem needs to be remedied.Water damage cleanup needs to happen within a day or two from the flooding. You should not put off the cleanup efforts because mold grows quickly.

The water damaged areas need to be cleaned up and completely dried. This may require a professional if you cannot get the areas dry. The areas cannot contain moisture as this is just a feeding ground for mold. If you have more than two feet of mold then you should have a professional perform the cleanup. This is because it is common for people to have severe allergic reactions to mold and you can also become very sick. You cannot just kill mold. The mold must be entirely removed. You also need to get to the source and cure what is causing the mold from growing. This might require a professional service. When you need water damage cleanup you need to be sure the job is done right. If you decide to clean the water damage yourself then you must be sure the structure is entirely dry and there is no moisture. Mold will grow if there is moisture in the structure anywhere in a home. This can be dangerous to all of the occupants of the home.

Cleaning up different kinds of damages in your house is very much necessary. Damages can be created due to a number of reasons. Water, fire and molds are some of the worst enemies of your house. They can damage each and every item present in your house.

At certain point if time it becomes quite difficult to prevent these kinds of damages but you can always act fast and prevent further damages. When the disaster strikes your house you might be clueless about what to do. Your brain might not work very fast at this point of time.

This is the reason why you should always be ready for such situations. There are certain companies which can help you come out of this situation and repair and renovate everything so that they are not destroyed by the disaster. Water damage cleanup Utah can help you save your house from the worst disasters.

These companies have grown in number but it is very important to find the company which provides the best service. Flood damage cleanup Utah is not possible by companies which do not have the essential equipments required for this purpose.

Salt Lake City is one of the most popular cities of this state. This city is the capital of the state as well as the largest city. This is one of the reasons why most of the popular companies are located in this city. Water damage cleanup Salt Lake City companies have branches in the leading cities of Utah.

It also offers services to various other cities of the state. Other than this, you will also find some popular names in water damage Ogden Utah. Other than water damage these companies also offer mold cleanup Utah.

Molds are usually small fungi that grow in places which are moist and dark. These molds are quite harmful and they are usually responsible for creating different kinds of diseases. Sometimes these diseases might even become quite fatal.

So you need to contact the best mold cleanup company to get the best results. It is always important to learn about the company well before choosing it. During the time of disaster it is not possible to search for the best company in the market.

This is the reason why you should prepare yourself before the disaster strikes your house and your property. Molds are usually the results of water damage which needs to be cleaned as soon as possible.

You should understand one thing that you do not have much time to waste in this case. Faster you act better for you and your property. Water damage cleanup Utah companies will charge certain amount of fees for the purpose. Different companies offer different quotes.

It is your duty to choose the right quote. You will find various customer testimonials on these websites of these companies. It is important to bring out the impure water from the house so that it does not create any kind of harm to you and your family.

Water Damage Repairs brought about by floods

Floods in Utah

Water damages are everywhere in your household. They may be caused by different factors but their effects are usually the same. They can be as big as property losses or as small as a water spot. But then again, these damages can be frustrating and tedious when they evolve into a bigger problem.

Floods are usually one of the causes of water damages. And the kinds of floods would entail the intensity of the damage that can be done. For instance, there are many types of floods that usually flood Utah: urban, flash and river flooding. And most of the floods in Utah are caused by snow melt and mountain runoff which can be considered disastrous.

When residing in a place like Utah, it is important to be aware of what you can do to be prepared. The first thing that you should prioritize is the strength of your own homes. Having a strong home would entail having a safer place to stay in times of these scary disasters. But if your house cannot really handle the strength of the catastrophe, it would be wise to evacuate and find a safer place.

There is worse condition in the home after result of the heavy flood. Flood water is the source of bacteria & mold growth in house & it is important you to start water damage repair procedure immediately to prevent damage to your home.

It is very important that you throw out the thing that are damaged by water; and ensure that make a list of all the damaged things for insurance. Getting rid of house hold & personal items can be a painful experience. It should be done to protect your health. If there is water damage to your walls & floors, you must repair the damage. It is best to call an expert to perform the cleanup & restore your home to a living condition once again.

There are a few tips to apply during a flood:

Never plug in electrics or try to turn your electricity off in standing water. Call a qualified technician.

When it comes to water and flood damage, cleanup should begin within 24-48 hours to prevent the growth of mold and other harmful bacteria.

Never try to do work without the proper knowledge as it can do more damage to the house.

Water damage is something that no one wants to happen in their home, but there may be times that it does occur. That is why it is vital for everyone to know the dos and don’ts for water damage cleanup.

Knowing the do’s and don’ts will help you know exactly what needs to be done to get it done right. It will also help you see why delaying in the cleanup can be a big mistake.

Let’s start with the dos for cleanup.

1. Consider the temperature outside and if it is above 60 degrees, then use a dehumidifier to help clean up the water.

2. Start the cleanup by mopping up as much water as you possibly can using a mop or a dry cloth, depending on how much water there is.

3. If water gets onto any of your wood furniture, slowly dry them instead of letting them sit in direct sunlight to dry. The sun can cause damage to the wood.

Slowly drying the wood without using any heat will help prevent the wood from warping and becoming deformed.

4. Have fans going to help speed up the drying and circulate the air.

5. Get rid of any rugs that has been too damaged by the water to be cleaned or repaired easily. If you can clean them, then be sure to take care of this right away.

Be sure you wash the rugs thoroughly using hot water and then get them really dry before placing them back. Only put them back after all of the water has been cleaned up.

6. Large furniture needs to be dried or cleaned thoroughly right away or you could end up with mold problems. This will make it unsafe for your family to breathe the air in your home.

If you don’t want to do the drying or cleaning yourself of your large furniture, then you can hire professionals to handle it for you.

Now you need to know the don’ts, which are below:

1. Don’t use an ordinary household vacuum to clean up water. You will need to have an industrial wet or dry vacuum to use instead to get the job done right.

2. Don’t ever use electrical appliances, even if you are wearing rubber boots while you are standing on wet carpet or floors.

3. Be sure to turn off the electric switch in your home before starting the cleanup. This will ensure your safety when you are doing cleanup in any room of the home that has water in it.

4. Don’t lift or try and replace carpet that is glued down. Lifting it incorrectly can cause the carpet to shrink and that is why it should be handled by a professional.

Now that you know the dos and don’ts for water damage cleanup, you can be sure the job is done right. You may want to hire water restoration experts to do it for you, if you don’t feel comfortable doing the cleanup yourself. Either way you decide to do it, just be sure that it is done immediately or other problems can occur that you don’t need or want.

Has your home gotten water damaged and now you need to do water damage cleanup, but are not sure if you should do this yourself or hire a professional? The answer is completely up to you, but to help you make the smart choice for your cleanup you need to know some important information about water cleanup.

Before the water cleanup can be done it is important to determine all the areas that will need to be cleaned. If you have carpet where the water damage was then the carpet will need to be pulled up to remove the water underneath it. Then if the carpet can be cleaned you can clean it or if it is damaged beyond repair then you will have to remove it.

You will also need to watch for water in the walls which can be very hard to clean up if you don’t know how to do it correctly. The professionals have the knowledge and expertise to cleanup water from anywhere it is found. This is knowledge that you will have to take time to learn before you can do cleanup if you want to ensure that it is done right.

Another thing that will have to be done is to check the ceilings for sagging, dampness and brown stains. If the problem is really bad then the ceiling will have to be replaced. Insulation will also have to be discarded if it is wet so that the joists can dry and then new insulation will need to be installed.

No matter where the water cleanup needs to be done you have to always be conscious of the wires and electrical outlets because water around these areas can easily cause electrocution. For many people this is reason enough for them to hire professionals because not knowing what you are doing can be really dangerous for you.

Professionals know the dangers and are prepared to deal with them without injuring themselves or someone else. Plus, any areas of your home that are wet will have to be sanitized and this can be hard to do if you don’t have the knowledge for it.

If you don’t sanitize the area then you can end up with mold and bacteria which will be unhealthy for anyone living in your home.

Now that you know this important information about water damage cleanup; all that remains is to take the time to decide if you want to attempt the cleanup yourself or if you are going to hire a professional to do it for you. Just remember that this type of cleanup can be dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing and this will help you make up your mind about the smart choice for you.

Where a property has been subject to a serious blaze; the owners are often left with the daunting fact that the need to repair both the fire damage as well as flood damage. Due to the huge amounts of water that must be used to put a blaze out it is likely that the property will be left with a few inches of water on the floors. There can be a strong temptation for many to carry out their own fire and flood restoration following a fire, without fully understanding the risks.

A shock to the system

A potentially lethal danger that must be considered by those carrying out their own fire and flood restoration is that of electrocution. The damage that is caused by fire can frequently leave electrics exposed. These wires provide the opportunity for an electric shock – especially when combined with the excess water in the building.

Toxic risks

The possibility that there could be unseen toxins in the air is the next factor you must consider if attempting your own fire and flood restoration. Toxic mold will often form in concealed areas of flooded buildings and poses a serious health risk. In addition there is a good chance that toxic fumes from burnt materials could still be present in the property.

Structural weaknesses

The final risk that must always be kept in mind is the damage that can be sustained by the physical structure of a building that has suffered from fire and flood damage. Just flooding or fire on its own has the power to make floors and walls unsafe. A combination of the two only serves to multiply the risk of floors falling in and walls collapsing.

The safest option

We suggest that anyone thinking of carrying out their own fire and flood restoration should first ponder employing a specialist service first. Most property owners will be able to claim on their insurance for the cost of fire and flood restoration. We suggest that you are better advised to bring in a specialized restoration team, who have all the right equipment, rather than put yourself at risk.

A wet basement can cause several issues, and basement waterproofing ought to be a priority for anyone residing in a place which is both matter to high ranges of rainfall or to an occasional increasing inside the water table. In reality, in some states, the nature of the soil along with the water table is such that drinking water can rise up into the basements of several houses, and sometimes even filter up into the yards of low-lying dwellings that are situated under the historical optimum drinking water stage for your region.

In such cases, it is important to waterproof the entire reduce locations of the house to avoid water ingress because the drinking water table rises during intervals of high rainfall. Floods really are a diverse dilemma, because even houses without drinking water table or basement-flooding issues is going to be matter to ingress of drinking water into their basements. Right here, we’re discussing houses that have intrinsically Drenched basements that have a tendency to acquire worse when the drinking water table rise.

Amongst the problems that you just could encounter if your basement is matter to dampness or perhaps drinking water ingression, are mold and also other fungal growths, deterioration of the concrete or no matter what else helps make up the floor of the basement, and you also also have the prospective for crumbling foundations to take into account. They are just a few factors why you should not get a Drenched basement lightly, and why basement waterproofing is vital for you.

A standard damp-proof course is just not the answer, because this only prevents drinking water increasing over a fixed stage from the foundations: typically developed into a house by means of a polythene layer in between two reduce programs of brick or stonework. A Drenched basement is brought on by drinking water seeping through the bottom of the total property, not just up the partitions. Right here are far more facts:

What Brings about a Drenched Basement?

A Drenched basement can be brought on by a number of factors, such as normal river flooding, extreme rainfall along with a increasing drinking water table. Some states are particularly susceptible to drinking water filtering up through the soil from the drinking water table, Indiana being a common illustration. Any soil which is composed of clay and silt jointly tends to carry drinking water and stop it from draining downwards.

That is certainly simply because both silt and clay particles are particularly modest, which is one explanation why clay is so valuable for producing pottery: the modest particle dimensions enables it to form a stiff pliable mud, the particles of which stick jointly when the drinking water is evaporated off during firing. Whilst this clay is fantastic for potters and ceramic firms, it really is negative news for your property in the event you live in a district with silt and clay soil.

This stiff, pliable mud also holds water and so the earth beneath your own home in no way dries out appropriately. When drinking water rises, it finds an easy route through the clay/silt structure by means of the ‘capillary action’ that these high-quality structures permit. Not just does it retain water but when the drinking water table rises due to a rise in floor drinking water by way of extreme rain, the resultant hydrostatic stress forces the drinking water through the floors and partitions of the basement, particularly by way of weak factors such as cracks in concrete or joints in between bricks.

The outcome can be a Drenched basement that may lead to a gradual deterioration inside the structure of the house, advancement of molds and also other fungi and standard decay, leading to a sluggish but inexorable deterioration of the basement, and anything at all stored there could be liable to perish. Some people attempt to beat this dilemma by digging a sump, putting in a pump which has a stage change, and pumping the drinking water out ahead of it reaches basement floor stage – but this is not constantly powerful.

How you can Offer With a Drenched Basement

The solution is powerful basement waterproofing, despite the fact that the waterproofing must be tailored to your wants of each basement. Some remedies applied tend not to include waterproofing but, as indicated over, include amassing the drinking water since it rises into the basement. This can be diverted into channels that result in a sunken sump fitted which has a sump pump initiated by a drinking water stage indicator, as explained over like a do-it-yourself resolution.

The big difference in between the 2 is the fact that your Do it yourself sump collects drinking water since it rises, whilst the ‘professional’ sump has drinking water diverted to it since it rises. Really frankly, there is little difference between the 2, because a sump will only collect drinking water on the stage of the drinking water table, whether or not that drinking water is diverted or not. The only truly impact means of basement drinking water proofing to avoid a drenched basement is always to avert the drinking water obtaining into the basement, not pumping it out as soon as it gets there.

That is certainly something you can not do your self, and you also must make contact with an expert to have the basement waterproofing perform carried out. However, as soon as it has been performed, you are able to be sure that drinking water will no longer seep into your basement and begin degrading its structure as would nevertheless take place which has a drinking water sump. The sump is high-quality for occasional flooding, but not like a resolution to a chronic drinking water table or flooding dilemma which is endemic in your locality.