Quite a few homes have fireplaces, but not all of them are fit to be used as they are because they have not been cleaned in so long that when you do try to use them, it fills the house with smoke. This can do a lot of damage to the inside of the home, including ruin the paint on your walls, your curtains, and discolor your carpet. It is also a health risk, since breathing this in is not good for anyone, but the elderly, people with allergies, pets, and children are especially affected. Fortunately, though, in most situations you can make a fire that will not smoke up your house without much trouble as long as you follow a few rules.
The damper of your chimney needs to be open before you do anything. Burn some paper or other easily combustible materials in the fireplace, because you want to warm the chimney up. Cold air in the chimney is will push the warm air down and cause the smoke to fill up the room.
Open up the windows in the house and make sure that there is enough air circulating to ignite the fire. A home that is insulated well might not have enough of a draft to allow the wood to catch on fire.
You should also have some fireplace bricks underneath the grill to add some more air circulation to the process. More draft in the fireplace will make it easier for the fire to ignite.
The top of the fireplace also needs to be cleaned out regularly, since anything that gets stuck in it like leaves, sticks, bird nests can keep the smoke from being able to escape and so it floods back into the house, which is exactly where you do not want it.
You should also have the fireplace cleaned by a professional cleaning service if possible, since a layer of creosote is likely built up on the inside of the chimney. This is a tar-like substance that results from burning wood in the fireplace and if your chimney has not been professionally cleaned before and you have lived in your house for many years, then it is time for it to be. Creosote can catch on fire and cause the whole house to burn down, so having it cleaned out is essential.
To keep your fireplace functioning the way that it should, you need to know how to use it and take care of it and by the time winter gets to you, you will be able to enjoy your fireplace once again.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Connecticut flood water damage restoration and other states and cities such as
South Carolina Sewage Damage Clean-up companies across the united states.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Avoid Purchasing a Flooded Car
If you are looking to purchase a vehicle, odds are fair that you cannot afford to purchase a brand new one right off the lot. Buying a new vehicle is often not necessary and you can get some pretty good deals, since most vehicles depreciate in value by thousands of dollars right after you drive them off the lot that you bought it from.
While there are many factors to consider when you purchase a used vehicle, one important thing to avoid when you do go looking is a vehicle that shows signs of water damage. The car could have been driven into a river or any other body of water and you simply not realize it, because the signs are often difficult to spot. You can purchase a vehicle history report from sites like Carfax.com, but you should be aware that these reports are not always entirely accurate. If damage was done to a vehicle and a claim not filed on it with the owner’s insurance company, then the damage will not show up on the history report. Unless the owner tells you the car was flooded, you will often not realize it until it is too late.
Look at the nooks and crannies of the vehicle for signs of silt or rust, especially in the trunk and the glove box. The area around the tail lights in the trunk is one of the first areas on a vehicle that will rust.
The upholstery in the vehicle also needs to be looked at. Smell the inside of the car and note if it is musty at all. This can be a sign that mold has started to grow inside either in the upholstery or the carpet itself. Be wary if the vehicle has been treated with air fresheners, since this may be being used to cover up an odor.
Flex the wires located under the dashboard. If they are brittle and crack at all, then they have probably been exposed to water.
Another thing to take into consideration if you can stand the condition of the interior of the car is the engine. Sand, dirt, and silt getting inside an engine like this can potentially ruin it and the last thing you want to do with a car you just purchased is replace the engine.
Always get a vehicle history report when you purchase a vehicle, but be sure to do your own inspection before buying anything. Hire a trusted mechanic to inspect the technical parts of the car if you have no experience in them, as well.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
New York water damage restoration and other states and cities such as
New York Basement Water Removal companies across the united states.
While there are many factors to consider when you purchase a used vehicle, one important thing to avoid when you do go looking is a vehicle that shows signs of water damage. The car could have been driven into a river or any other body of water and you simply not realize it, because the signs are often difficult to spot. You can purchase a vehicle history report from sites like Carfax.com, but you should be aware that these reports are not always entirely accurate. If damage was done to a vehicle and a claim not filed on it with the owner’s insurance company, then the damage will not show up on the history report. Unless the owner tells you the car was flooded, you will often not realize it until it is too late.
Look at the nooks and crannies of the vehicle for signs of silt or rust, especially in the trunk and the glove box. The area around the tail lights in the trunk is one of the first areas on a vehicle that will rust.
The upholstery in the vehicle also needs to be looked at. Smell the inside of the car and note if it is musty at all. This can be a sign that mold has started to grow inside either in the upholstery or the carpet itself. Be wary if the vehicle has been treated with air fresheners, since this may be being used to cover up an odor.
Flex the wires located under the dashboard. If they are brittle and crack at all, then they have probably been exposed to water.
Another thing to take into consideration if you can stand the condition of the interior of the car is the engine. Sand, dirt, and silt getting inside an engine like this can potentially ruin it and the last thing you want to do with a car you just purchased is replace the engine.
Always get a vehicle history report when you purchase a vehicle, but be sure to do your own inspection before buying anything. Hire a trusted mechanic to inspect the technical parts of the car if you have no experience in them, as well.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
New York water damage restoration and other states and cities such as
New York Basement Water Removal companies across the united states.
Mold Spores and HEPA Filters
While you may think that HEPA filters are overrated and you do not need to have any appliances in your home that have them, you may want to rethink that logic and take a moment to consider all the things that contaminate the air inside your house. As people are spending more and more time making a living while working from home, we do not realize just how many airborne particles we are inhaling. Whether it is smoke, pet dander, dead skin cells, mold spores, chemical fumes, dust mites, or anything else that might become airborne, having a HEPA filter either on your vacuum cleaner or having an air purifier equipped with one can improve the quality of your health by leaps and bounds.
High Efficiency Particulate Air filters are becoming more and more popular these days, but many of us are still skeptical about what exactly their qualifications are. These filters are made up of fibers that are arranged randomly so that dust and other small particles in the air have a hard time navigating through them. They are capable of removing 99.97% of all particles in the air down to 0.3 microns in diameter. This is approximately 1/300 the width of a human hair.
Removing mold spores and other possible allergens are of particular concern for parents of children who have allergies and respiratory conditions. A household that suffers from a high mold spore count can benefit from the purchase of a vacuum cleaner that is equipped with a HEPA filter until they can afford to remove the mold from the property.
HEPA filters used in hospitals and other clean areas have also been known to incorporate ultra-violet lights to kill some live bacteria that often become trapped by it. Some of the most effective HEPA filters are capable of removing 99.995% of particles from the air and this means that they are very effective in reducing incidences of airborne disease transmission.
Some vacuum cleaners also come equipped with HEPA filters, although in order to be effective, all the air that the machine takes in must be pushed out through the filter and none of the air can be allowed to get past it. To get through the extra amount of air resistance, the motor of the vacuum also needs to be much more powerful, so these machines are typically quite a bit more expensive than your normal vacuum.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Connecticut water damage contractors and other states and cities such as
Chicago mold remediation companies across the united states.
High Efficiency Particulate Air filters are becoming more and more popular these days, but many of us are still skeptical about what exactly their qualifications are. These filters are made up of fibers that are arranged randomly so that dust and other small particles in the air have a hard time navigating through them. They are capable of removing 99.97% of all particles in the air down to 0.3 microns in diameter. This is approximately 1/300 the width of a human hair.
Removing mold spores and other possible allergens are of particular concern for parents of children who have allergies and respiratory conditions. A household that suffers from a high mold spore count can benefit from the purchase of a vacuum cleaner that is equipped with a HEPA filter until they can afford to remove the mold from the property.
HEPA filters used in hospitals and other clean areas have also been known to incorporate ultra-violet lights to kill some live bacteria that often become trapped by it. Some of the most effective HEPA filters are capable of removing 99.995% of particles from the air and this means that they are very effective in reducing incidences of airborne disease transmission.
Some vacuum cleaners also come equipped with HEPA filters, although in order to be effective, all the air that the machine takes in must be pushed out through the filter and none of the air can be allowed to get past it. To get through the extra amount of air resistance, the motor of the vacuum also needs to be much more powerful, so these machines are typically quite a bit more expensive than your normal vacuum.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Connecticut water damage contractors and other states and cities such as
Chicago mold remediation companies across the united states.
Water Damage Concerns in the Kitchen
The heart of the house is the kitchen for most people, but they may not realize just how important taking care of this room is. Its structural integrity is often overlooked and everything in it is bound to take a lot of abuse, since it is one of the only rooms in your home that everyone goes into at least once or twice a day. The only other room that competes with this frequency is the bathroom in most circumstances, but it can suffer from about the same amount and kind of neglect. That neglect is water damage and these are the areas most at risk for it for obvious reasons.
Water damage not only does physical damage to the home, but it can also do a lot of damage to the value of the home, as well. Most people understate the drop in value that this can cause and thus, are not as careful in their kitchens as they need to be.
The most important structure in the kitchen is not really the most obvious one: the floor. The floor of your kitchen really needs to be water tight, since there are bound to be all kinds of spills, not just of water, but also of grease. For this reason, hardwood floors should not be put in the kitchen. Installing laminate floors that appear almost like natural wood is a great alternative, since they will handle spills much better.
Your dishwasher is also a concern. Malfunctions and leaks can end up doing a lot of damage to the floor over time and if you have one that does this often, consider saving up the money necessary to purchase a new one to replace it.
Another thing to consider is the ceilings and upper walls. You might not realize this, either, but the ceiling of your kitchen takes just as much of a beating as the floor does over the years. Steam from cooking on the stove year after year is absorbed by it and will eventually cause it to discolor or even to sag. Consider installing an exhaust vent in your kitchen if one does not already exist. This should do a great job of ridding the room of the excess humidity that can cause damage to the ceiling and also mold growth over time.
Try to keep any spills of water on the floor or counters cleaned up, since water and grease can do damage to anything if they are allowed to stay on the surface long enough.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
New York water damage restoration contractors and other states and cities such as
Connecticut mold remediation and water damage restoration companies across the united states.
Water damage not only does physical damage to the home, but it can also do a lot of damage to the value of the home, as well. Most people understate the drop in value that this can cause and thus, are not as careful in their kitchens as they need to be.
The most important structure in the kitchen is not really the most obvious one: the floor. The floor of your kitchen really needs to be water tight, since there are bound to be all kinds of spills, not just of water, but also of grease. For this reason, hardwood floors should not be put in the kitchen. Installing laminate floors that appear almost like natural wood is a great alternative, since they will handle spills much better.
Your dishwasher is also a concern. Malfunctions and leaks can end up doing a lot of damage to the floor over time and if you have one that does this often, consider saving up the money necessary to purchase a new one to replace it.
Another thing to consider is the ceilings and upper walls. You might not realize this, either, but the ceiling of your kitchen takes just as much of a beating as the floor does over the years. Steam from cooking on the stove year after year is absorbed by it and will eventually cause it to discolor or even to sag. Consider installing an exhaust vent in your kitchen if one does not already exist. This should do a great job of ridding the room of the excess humidity that can cause damage to the ceiling and also mold growth over time.
Try to keep any spills of water on the floor or counters cleaned up, since water and grease can do damage to anything if they are allowed to stay on the surface long enough.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
New York water damage restoration contractors and other states and cities such as
Connecticut mold remediation and water damage restoration companies across the united states.
Water Damage Considerations in the Bathroom
The bath has almost always been an important part of daily life for us all, even back into the ancient Romans who were known for their lavish and expensive bathing areas. The importance of the bath has not declined over time but has actually become much more important than it used to be, since most people are expected to bathe at least once a day. The bathroom takes a pretty heavy amount of abuse, though, and most people do not realize just how important it is not to neglect this area of the house. Neglecting the bathroom can knock thousands of dollars off the value of the home, especially if it appears to be structurally damaged by water.
Structural damage is significantly more important to take care of than cosmetic damage when you are trying to sell a home and a lot of the time, this damage is due to rotting support beams in the house. This is pretty common in the wet rooms of the property, such as the kitchen and the bathroom. One of the last things that any homeowner wants to deal with is the floor of a room collapsing, especially in the rooms that can add or subtract the most value from the house.
Make sure that the floor of your bathroom is extremely water tight. If water can get under the tile, it will soak the floor underneath and even though it does not seem like a lot to worry about, it will really add up over time. Having hardwood floors installed in either the kitchen or bathroom is not a good idea. Try installing laminate that is made to look like hardwood instead for a similar, yet more practical effect.
The ceiling and upper walls are often forgotten about completely when we think about the structural integrity of our homes, since we do not often look up long enough to realize that they need care, too. They take abuse in a different way, though; the steam that comes from taking a bath or a shower can damage these more than you think and this is why having an exhaust fan (as you see in most hotel bathrooms) is almost imperative if you want to avoid having to repaint or replace drywall in the future.
Something else important to think about is how often you allow your bathtub or toilet to overflow. If the bathroom is on the second floor or higher, this can wreak a huge amount of damage not only on the floor, but the ceiling underneath it. Do your best to not begin running a bath while you are on the phone or leave the room if you have to answer it. Keep an eye on it from the time you begin it until the time it ends and do not get occupied with other chores in the house.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
flood and water damage cleanup and
water damage restoration> companies across the united states.
Structural damage is significantly more important to take care of than cosmetic damage when you are trying to sell a home and a lot of the time, this damage is due to rotting support beams in the house. This is pretty common in the wet rooms of the property, such as the kitchen and the bathroom. One of the last things that any homeowner wants to deal with is the floor of a room collapsing, especially in the rooms that can add or subtract the most value from the house.
Make sure that the floor of your bathroom is extremely water tight. If water can get under the tile, it will soak the floor underneath and even though it does not seem like a lot to worry about, it will really add up over time. Having hardwood floors installed in either the kitchen or bathroom is not a good idea. Try installing laminate that is made to look like hardwood instead for a similar, yet more practical effect.
The ceiling and upper walls are often forgotten about completely when we think about the structural integrity of our homes, since we do not often look up long enough to realize that they need care, too. They take abuse in a different way, though; the steam that comes from taking a bath or a shower can damage these more than you think and this is why having an exhaust fan (as you see in most hotel bathrooms) is almost imperative if you want to avoid having to repaint or replace drywall in the future.
Something else important to think about is how often you allow your bathtub or toilet to overflow. If the bathroom is on the second floor or higher, this can wreak a huge amount of damage not only on the floor, but the ceiling underneath it. Do your best to not begin running a bath while you are on the phone or leave the room if you have to answer it. Keep an eye on it from the time you begin it until the time it ends and do not get occupied with other chores in the house.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
flood and water damage cleanup and
water damage restoration> companies across the united states.
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