Month: January 2019

With winter bringing the cold, that brings problems and issues happening around your home and business. Prepping and getting your property ready for cold winter weather may not be enough to not have issues with the cold. Most known issues come with pipes bursts or heat not working, while most do not know about ice dams. An ice dam is an ice build-up on the eaves of sloped roofs of heated buildings that results from melting snow under a snow pack reaching the eave and freezing there, if melted the water seeps back up under the shingles. Sometimes water can work its way 5 or even 10 ft. back up under the shingles.

 

Eventually, it will drip into the insulation and down into the ceilings and exterior walls beneath the eave. If the ice dam breaks free, it can pull shingles and gutters off with it, and it will damage anything it falls on: shrubs, windowsills, cars, pets, and people. If the roof sheathing stays wet, it can form mildew and start to rot. While spring is the season that we usually associate with flooding, these winter events can also cause indoor flooding situations that require water restoration. Water damage will continue until the ice dam is discovered and the affected area is repaired. Since ice dams are usually caused by heat escaping from the house, making sure your home is properly insulated can help reduce the risk of ice dam formation.

 

Using one of two methods can be beneficial by scraping snow from the roof whenever it falls. Method one is to use a snow rake from below or method two is to use a broom or plastic shovel from above, but the first method can bury you in snow, while the second can send you slipping off the roof. The best method is to call and hire professional that will get the job done correct. You can replace your shingle roof with standing seam or other metal roof. Or you can replace the bottom three feet or so of your shingle roof with a wide metal drip edge. Whatever you do, install a water-repellant membrane under any new roofing.

 

Let your friends at Blue River Restoration help you out and make sure your home is taken care of.

 

2019 could be the best year yet or disasters could happen.  Whether or not you are aware or actually know if one is going to happen, it is always best to prepared. Which goes for anything in life.  Fires, floods, earthquakes, power outages, and any other sort of catastrophes that could happen, Blue River Restoration is here to help bring knowledge to start this year off right.

General:

• Making a family emergency plan, include pets and neighbors so your family knows how to reconnect and reunite when a disaster strikes is always a good idea, no matter where you are.
• Review insurance policies.  Make sure you’re covered against floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, or high winds in hurricane-prone areas.
• Keep copies of important documents in a secure place (digital and/or waterproof location).
• Build or restock your emergency preparedness kits for home, work and your vehicle, include a flashlight, batteries, radio, cash, and first aid supplies, for adults and children.
• Every family have enough nonperishable food items and water on hand to survive for at least three days. Below are examples of types of food you should have on hand
  • Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits, vegetables and a can opener
  • Protein or fruit bars
  • Dry cereal or granola
  • Peanut butter
  • Dried fruit
  • Nuts
  • Crackers
  • Canned juices
  • Nonperishable pasteurized milk
  • High-energy foods like nuts, trail mix, and canned tuna
  • Multivitamins
  • Food for infants
  • Comfort/stress foods like chocolate, cookies, or other high-calorie sweets

Financial/Insurance:

• Personal financial planning helps families prepare for emergencies both big and small. Protect the life you’ve built. Homeowners, renters, and businesses recover more quickly when insured.

• Having insurance for your home or business property ensures you will have the financial resources needed to help you repair, rebuild or replace whatever is damaged.
• Plan for unexpected out-of-pocket expenses for lodging, food, gas and more.

• Be prepared for the cost of deductibles for insurance and medical co-pays.
• Check your flood insurance policy to ensure you have appropriate coverage. Homeowners and renters insurance does not typically cover flood damage. Just one inch of water can cause $25,000 of damage to your home.

Safety Skills

• Practice preparedness plans at least twice a year, at your home and workplace, by participating in a drill or exercise.
• Taking CPR and first aid class can help with many situations.
• Know how to shut off utilities where you live and know all emergency exits in your home and at work, and where you visit often.
• Put smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors on every level in your home, inside bedrooms, and outside sleeping areas.
• Smoke alarms should be tested once a month by pushing the test button.
• Generators should always be used outside the home.  Carbon monoxide poisoning can occur when a generator is not working, or vented, properly.
• Practice “Stop, Drop and Roll” for fires and “Drop, Cover and Hold On” for earthquakes.
• Anchoring heavy furniture and shelves to a secure wall in your home is good for the prep of disasters but also if you have small children around.
• Always expect and prepare for potential aftershocks, landslides or a tsunami if you live on a coast.

Let Blue River Restoration be the friend to help you out so tragic accidents do not happen.

When it comes to owning a home, the bills and maintenance never end. Somethings are preventable and some might happen no matter what.  Trying to prevent a pipe from bursting is something that can be done easily, but it may not always help. Here are someways keep pipes from freezing in the first place before they get out of hand:

1. Keep the heat on during the winter months, even if you are not home. If you are a renter, it may be difficult to convince your tenants to leave their heat on when they are away, especially if they are responsible for paying their own utility bills. You should inform them that the heat can help prevent pipes from freezing, and if pipes freeze and burst, it can cause a lot of water damage to the property and to their possessions.
2. Leave the cabinet doors under the kitchen sink open so that the room air can warm the pipes or place a lamp with a 60-watt bulb in the potential problem area to warm the walls and pipes. Make sure there are no combustible materials near the bulb.
3. If you are afraid a pipe will freeze, you can open the faucet fed by that pipe just a bit so the faucet drips slightly. Allowing the faucet to be open like this relieves pressure in the system. If a pipe freezes, it is actually the pressure that is created between the blockage and the faucet that will cause the pipe to burst. Allowing the faucet to be open will prevent this pressure from building up and thus keep the pipe from bursting. If the faucet is served by both hot and cold water pipes, open both faucet taps slightly, or set a single-handle faucet (such as a kitchen faucet) to warm.
4. With rigid foam insulation, close and seal all foundation vents that are near water pipes. Insulate the foundation walls and the ends of the floor joists with rigid foam insulation.
5. Consider wrapping problem pipes with UL approved heat tape that has a built-in thermostat to prevent overheating. Follow the instructions that come with heat tape carefully to keep from causing a fire hazard.
6. If the water pipes are freezing inside the exterior wall, cut an opening in the wall to expose the pipes to the home’s warm air. Place fiberglass insulation behind the pipes, between the pipes and the home’s exterior wall. The hole in the wall can be covered later with a hinged door or a panel that can be removed during cold spells.
7. Seal gaps around holes where pipes run through walls or floors, especially where the hole is letting in cold air. Use caulk or spray foam insulation (such as Great Stuff) to fill the gaps.

If it so happens that your Pipe Bursts, let your friends at Blue River Restoration be the ones to help you out and get your home back in order.