Rebuilding after a disaster has damaged or destroyed your home can be very challenging. Here are some tips from CSLB to help you through the process.
Tuesday, July 7, 2020
Rebuilding After a Disaster
Rebuilding after a disaster has damaged or destroyed your home can be very challenging. Here are some tips from CSLB to help you through the process.
Saturday, July 4, 2020
Happy 4th of July!
Have a Safe and Happy 4th of July!
“We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it.”
-William Faulkner
Wednesday, July 1, 2020
Some Steps to Protect Your Home From Wildfires
If flames ignite, Cal Fire captain and local resident Scott Green knows that firefighters may be unable to save everything that needs saving. So his rural home protects itself. He shows us how to take defensive steps.
Sunday, June 28, 2020
Proper Location of Smoke Alarms
NFPA requires that smoke alarms are located in several locations throughout the home. This video identifies where they should be placed to ensure adequate protection in the event of a home fire.
Thursday, June 25, 2020
How to Salvage Your Valuables After Serious Flooding
Saving family keepsakes after a storm can be painstaking, but it's worth it
Heavy rain and severe weather can upend your life. And if you're faced with mucking out your house and tearing out saturated drywall, recovering keepsakes and family treasures might seem like a task for a later day.
But saving your valuables can be a race against the clock—mold can form within 48 hours. To help, the Heritage Emergency National Task Force, cosponsored by FEMA and the Smithsonian Institution, has developed guidelines for how to salvage what you want and dispose of what can’t be saved.
The first step is to determine what type of water you’re dealing with—salty, dirty, or contaminated by sewage or chemicals. If your valuables have come in contact with toxic water during flooding, you might have to call a professional conservator because trying to clean them yourself can be a health risk. If the water was untainted, then take steps to reduce the humidity around your items as you work to clean and dry them. Here’s how from FEMA’s checklist:
Save Your Valuables
Prioritize. You may not be able to save everything after flooding, so focus on what’s most important to you, whether for sentimental or monetary reasons.
"We always hear about dollar-amount damages, but often the losses that affect us the most are the ones to which a dollar amount cannot be assigned," says Lori Foley, administrator of the Heritage Emergency National Task Force. "What do you own that you’d miss terribly if you lost it? Photographs of loved ones in frames, albums, or shoeboxes? Books and paintings passed down through generations? Grandma’s recipe box?"
Air-dry. Gentle air-drying indoors is best. Weather permitting, open your windows to increase indoor airflow. If it’s too hot and humid, use fans, air conditioners, and dehumidifiers. Avoid using hair dryers, irons, ovens, and prolonged exposure to sunlight, which can do irreversible damage.
Handle with care. Delicate items can be especially fragile when wet, so be careful when you handle them. Separate sodden materials by removing photographs from damp albums and taking paintings and prints out of their frames. Place white paper towels between every few pages of wet books.
Clean gently. Loosen dirt and debris on fragile objects carefully with soft cloths and brushes. Avoid rubbing, which can grind in dirt.
Salvage photos. Clean photographs by rinsing them carefully in clean water. Air-dry photos on a plastic screen or paper towel, or by hanging them by the corners with plastic clothespins. Don’t let the image come into contact with other surfaces as it dries.
Cold storage. Damp objects and items that cannot be dealt with immediately should be put in open, unsealed boxes or bags. If you can’t attend to items within 48 hours, you can put photos, papers, books, and textiles in the freezer and clean them later.
"In general, you can freeze many items that cannot be dried out in 48 hours – photos, books, documents, textiles," says Foley. "Freezing stops mold from growing, ink from running, and dyes from transferring. Freezing items allows you to buy some time to devote to other activities. When you are able, you can return to the frozen items and recover them on your own time."
Dispose of the Debris
Once the waters recede, residents will be able to go back into their homes and start cleaning up, and piles of ruined household belongings will be put on the curb. Cleanup can take months if not years.
Because mold creates a serious health risk, it’s important to remove wet items from your home as soon as possible. FEMA recommends not waiting for your insurance adjuster before cleaning up. Instead, document the flooding damage on your cell phone or camera. Before dragging debris to the curb, check with your municipality on how it wants you to separate items for the garbage haulers. FEMA recommends sorting items into the following six categories:
For more information and resources, see FEMA’s After the Flood: Advice for Salvaging Damaged Family Treasures.
Article Source: https://www.consumerreports.org/cleaning/how-to-salvage-valuables-after-flooding/
Heavy rain and severe weather can upend your life. And if you're faced with mucking out your house and tearing out saturated drywall, recovering keepsakes and family treasures might seem like a task for a later day.
But saving your valuables can be a race against the clock—mold can form within 48 hours. To help, the Heritage Emergency National Task Force, cosponsored by FEMA and the Smithsonian Institution, has developed guidelines for how to salvage what you want and dispose of what can’t be saved.
The first step is to determine what type of water you’re dealing with—salty, dirty, or contaminated by sewage or chemicals. If your valuables have come in contact with toxic water during flooding, you might have to call a professional conservator because trying to clean them yourself can be a health risk. If the water was untainted, then take steps to reduce the humidity around your items as you work to clean and dry them. Here’s how from FEMA’s checklist:
Save Your Valuables
Prioritize. You may not be able to save everything after flooding, so focus on what’s most important to you, whether for sentimental or monetary reasons.
"We always hear about dollar-amount damages, but often the losses that affect us the most are the ones to which a dollar amount cannot be assigned," says Lori Foley, administrator of the Heritage Emergency National Task Force. "What do you own that you’d miss terribly if you lost it? Photographs of loved ones in frames, albums, or shoeboxes? Books and paintings passed down through generations? Grandma’s recipe box?"
Air-dry. Gentle air-drying indoors is best. Weather permitting, open your windows to increase indoor airflow. If it’s too hot and humid, use fans, air conditioners, and dehumidifiers. Avoid using hair dryers, irons, ovens, and prolonged exposure to sunlight, which can do irreversible damage.
Handle with care. Delicate items can be especially fragile when wet, so be careful when you handle them. Separate sodden materials by removing photographs from damp albums and taking paintings and prints out of their frames. Place white paper towels between every few pages of wet books.
Clean gently. Loosen dirt and debris on fragile objects carefully with soft cloths and brushes. Avoid rubbing, which can grind in dirt.
Salvage photos. Clean photographs by rinsing them carefully in clean water. Air-dry photos on a plastic screen or paper towel, or by hanging them by the corners with plastic clothespins. Don’t let the image come into contact with other surfaces as it dries.
Cold storage. Damp objects and items that cannot be dealt with immediately should be put in open, unsealed boxes or bags. If you can’t attend to items within 48 hours, you can put photos, papers, books, and textiles in the freezer and clean them later.
"In general, you can freeze many items that cannot be dried out in 48 hours – photos, books, documents, textiles," says Foley. "Freezing stops mold from growing, ink from running, and dyes from transferring. Freezing items allows you to buy some time to devote to other activities. When you are able, you can return to the frozen items and recover them on your own time."
Dispose of the Debris
Once the waters recede, residents will be able to go back into their homes and start cleaning up, and piles of ruined household belongings will be put on the curb. Cleanup can take months if not years.
Because mold creates a serious health risk, it’s important to remove wet items from your home as soon as possible. FEMA recommends not waiting for your insurance adjuster before cleaning up. Instead, document the flooding damage on your cell phone or camera. Before dragging debris to the curb, check with your municipality on how it wants you to separate items for the garbage haulers. FEMA recommends sorting items into the following six categories:
- Bagged household garbage such as food, packaging, and paper.
- Building materials and furniture, including drywall, carpeting, and mattresses.
- Vegetation debris such as tree branches, plants, and leaves.
- Hazardous household waste, including batteries, paints, and cleaning supplies.
- Large appliances such as refrigerators, water heaters, and air conditioners.
- Electronics such as TVs, computers, and stereo equipment.
For more information and resources, see FEMA’s After the Flood: Advice for Salvaging Damaged Family Treasures.
Article Source: https://www.consumerreports.org/cleaning/how-to-salvage-valuables-after-flooding/
Monday, June 22, 2020
How to Prevent Water Damage From Household Fixtures - This Old House
This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows ways to detect and stop common plumbing leaks.
Friday, June 19, 2020
Basics About Hiring Home Damage Restoration Company
By the time you're in the market for a home damage restoration company, chances are pretty good that the worst has already happened, and you're now looking for the best way to cope with the disaster and salvage as much as you can of your house and personal possessions.
These companies are often your first call after your home has been damaged by flood, hurricane, tornado, fire, or smoke. In most cases, the quicker you're able to get someone out to survey the damage, the better the chances that your house will be more easily and successfully restored to its former condition.
After an accident or another tragic event, most people are in a state of shock and have no idea how best to even begin coping with the destruction left in the wake of the tragedy. A reputable home restoration company is not just out to make a profit from your family's misfortune, and should always be there, fighting for your interests.
Quality service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and is able to get to the scene of the damage fairly quickly. Once there, the company will take photographs and speak to you about the best course of repair. They'll advise you what needs to be done, how quickly it needs to be done, and how much the restoration is going to cost you.
Since it's not only the fact of the devastation to a family's home that causes anxiety and a sense of loss but the stress of figuring out how to pay for the repairs, a restoring company will work with you to file your insurance claim and get it approved quickly. The specialists who work for the company see loss and damage every day, and they have experience working with the system to help get their clients the results they need, figuring out how best to cope with the difficulties in the meantime.
Although most people don't have the time or presence of mind to shop around for a home restoration company in the wake of major damage, it's important to remember that all companies are not created equally.
Choosing one that is a preferred vendor, works with virtually all insurance companies, offers a payment plan, and has all the relevant industry certifications is essential for success. If you're a homeowner, your best bet is to do your research and choose a restoration company you'd trust if the worst should ever happen. Hopefully, it's a call you never need to make, but if you do, you're prepared and able to start rebuilding from the first moment.
These companies are often your first call after your home has been damaged by flood, hurricane, tornado, fire, or smoke. In most cases, the quicker you're able to get someone out to survey the damage, the better the chances that your house will be more easily and successfully restored to its former condition.
After an accident or another tragic event, most people are in a state of shock and have no idea how best to even begin coping with the destruction left in the wake of the tragedy. A reputable home restoration company is not just out to make a profit from your family's misfortune, and should always be there, fighting for your interests.
Quality service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and is able to get to the scene of the damage fairly quickly. Once there, the company will take photographs and speak to you about the best course of repair. They'll advise you what needs to be done, how quickly it needs to be done, and how much the restoration is going to cost you.
Since it's not only the fact of the devastation to a family's home that causes anxiety and a sense of loss but the stress of figuring out how to pay for the repairs, a restoring company will work with you to file your insurance claim and get it approved quickly. The specialists who work for the company see loss and damage every day, and they have experience working with the system to help get their clients the results they need, figuring out how best to cope with the difficulties in the meantime.
Although most people don't have the time or presence of mind to shop around for a home restoration company in the wake of major damage, it's important to remember that all companies are not created equally.
Choosing one that is a preferred vendor, works with virtually all insurance companies, offers a payment plan, and has all the relevant industry certifications is essential for success. If you're a homeowner, your best bet is to do your research and choose a restoration company you'd trust if the worst should ever happen. Hopefully, it's a call you never need to make, but if you do, you're prepared and able to start rebuilding from the first moment.
Tuesday, June 16, 2020
Grilling Fire Safety Tips
This grilling season, NFPA tests your knowledge and demonstrates the proper way to use your grill safely to prevent fires.
Saturday, June 13, 2020
CSLB's Easy Way to Find a Licensed Contractor Near You
CSLB shows you how to find a licensed contractor that lives near you. This video was recorded in Davis, CA during one of CSLB's Senior Scam Stopper Seminars.
Wednesday, June 10, 2020
The Dangers of Consumer Fireworks
Each July 4th, thousands of people, most often children and teens, are injured while using consumer fireworks. Despite the dangers of fireworks, few people understand the associated risks - devastating burns, other injuries, fires, and even death.
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