A look at the weather map shows three storms swirling in the Atlantic Ocean today: Danielle, Earl and the latest, Fiona. Danielle, once just a tropical storm, is now a category 4 hurricane—the first major one of the season. Hurricane Danielle is reported to have 135 mph winds and a path that leads it east of Bermuda at the moment. Tropical Storm Earl only has 45 mph winds, but MSNBC reports its path looks a little more problematic and is worth watching closely. Tropical Storm Fiona just developed off the east coast of Africa and few details are known about it right now.
Prepare Your Home against Hurricane Water Damage
With storms starting late in the hurricane season, home and business owners need to keep back-to-school preparations and hurricane preparations in the back of their minds. A common misconception about hurricanes is that their winds cause the most damage. However, the truth is that water is a hurricane’s most damaging factor. Two-inches of water flooding a home can cost up to $8,000 in repairs.
‘Tis the season for hurricanes, and it’s up to you to be prepared:
Know the most vulnerable places in your building or home. Find cracks and seal them ASAP, even if the weather forecast is nice. Make sure you focus on cracks around windows and doors since those can make a little bit of water turn into a big problem.
Have sandbags ready. Even if you are not technically in a flood zone, it’s always smart to place sandbags in the areas under the doors of your home and business when the weather is nasty.
Place important items and items you do not want getting wet on the second story of a business or home. If you have heavy furniture, raise it onto cinderblocks.
Cover your belongings with a plastic tarp; your electronic equipment will thank you. Though a room may not flood, there is always the potential for a leak in the roof.
Call a professional ASPAP if there is any water damage after a storm. The longer water damaged items and wet documents sit around, the more damage they will experience. Additionally, bacteria and mold thrive in and on wet or damp items, which could put your family’s health at risk.
It only takes a couple hours of work to protect your belongings from water damage and save you thousands of dollars. Make an emergency preparedness checklist today.
Logo from the Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens Home website
The Manor House at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens had water damage and mold problems in the 1990s. A small stream would flow through the basement because of poordrainage, causing plaster to crumble and other damage to the estate. In addition, the wall and balustrade that formed the outer boundary of the West Terrace also suffered water damage. Instead of just fixing the water damage and removing the growing mold, those who managed the estate saw the problem as an opportunity to make big improvements.
A Decade Later
$10 million and thirteen years later, the historical site in West Akron, Ohio is nearly finished with its water-management project with the much-anticipated West Terrace and Japanese Garden. The project allowed for the repair of the building’s water damage and the restoration of other areas of the estate. Photos found of the estate’s original landscaping, which the original owner’s son took, guided those who planned the restoration and renovation of the site.
Water-damage restoration techniques included creating a drainage system under terrace steps and repairing the reflecting pool, which had leaks and faulty repairs.
Leaks, water damage and mold, when they are not taken care of promptly and correctly, have high costs. Waiting to repair such issues will deem more expensive the longer it is put-off, can affect the health of those exposed to the mold and can cause structural damage to a building. As soon as you see mold, a leak or water damage in a building, immediately investigate the source of the water damage and repair it as soon as you can. Not doing so will cost you more in the end.
A recent fire has closed down the Madison Children’s Museum in Wisconsin until August 14, 2010. The cause of the downtown Madison museum’s closure is not due so much to the fire damage the building experienced. Rather, it is because of the following water damage.
The Good, the Bad and the Wet
A fire broke out at the museum in the early hours of the morning recently, triggering the newly installed sprinkler system. When firefighters arrived on the scene, they found a flood of water running down the rear stairs of the building. The fire originally started in the break room after a coffee maker, which was plugged into an electrical outlet, overheated and caught fire. The sprinkler systems did their job and extinguished the blaze before it could spread throughout the museum. However, the same is not true of the water, which ran down four flights of stairs. The fire damage totaled $5,000; the water damage was $45,000. However, the cost of the fire damage could have been higher if the sprinkler system did not work.
When it comes to business continuity, could your business survive being closed for a couple of weeks or more because of water or fire damage? Talk to a restoration professional today to see how you can plan to prevent such a disaster, and how to get back on your feet quickly when the unthinkable happens.
A leak that began on June 4, 2010 from a damaged pipe in Central Michigan University’s Brooks Hall will cost the educational institution $975,000 to repair. According to “Central Michigan Life,” up to 50 gallons of water, the equivalent of a medium-sized swimming pool, started on the third floor and damaged 90 rooms in the building.
David Burdette, the university’s vice president of Finance and Administrative Services, stated that the drywall, ceiling tiles, carpet, insulation and the electrical wiring in the Brooks Hall all suffered water damage and need repairs. “Central Michigan Life” states, “The wall next to the leaking pipe was completely damaged.”
Brooks Hall was renovated in 2008, and it is speculated that mistakes were made during the facelift, but the university is not publicly pointing fingers. Central Michigan University has hired a professional cleaning and restoration service to clean the building and aid in business continuityin an attempt to have the building ready for fall classes, which start on August 23, 2010.
When a place of business has a leak, it is vital that repairs be done right away. The more time water has to flow and soak into a building, the worse the water damage and mold gets, especially on items such as wet documents and wet books.
After a week of heavy rains left California wet and muddy, residents are bracing for yet another storm. The National Weather Service reports a smaller storm is expected to make landfall on Tuesday and should last a couple of days.
This comes as bad news as people took advantage of the drier weather and began the restoration process this weekend. The week of stormy weather affected the hills to the beaches: recently wildfire-devastated areas experienced mud slides and the coast had dirty beaches as the San Gabriel River sent trash to line the ocean shores. Stranger yet, cities across the state witnessed the fall of hail, and the sighting of a funnel cloud prompted a tornado warning near Brentwood. Work crews and residents in California are now scrambling to clean up what they can before the next wave of rain hits.
It is vital that water damage caused by the recent storms is cleaned up as mold damage will soon follow if items are left damp. A company that specialized in disaster recovery services can assist in this effort and help businesses and homeowners get back on their feet by drying wet documents and other items.
