Boost Your Home’s Selling Price: 5 Pro Secrets | Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports’ latest survey of real estate pros reveals low-cost fixes that can raise your home’s value when you go to sell. Plus, find our recommended appliances, paints and flooring that will help you update your house for less money.

How to Prevent Laundry Room Flooding | Ask This Old House

In this video, Ask This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey explains how and why to install an automatic shutoff valve for the washing machine supply hoses.

Water-Related Disaster? Safety First

When it comes to emergency water removal, mold removal, and flood damage restoration, leave it to the pros. Your professional disaster restoration specialist has the industry knowledge, experience, and credentials to guide you and your family through the entire process. The appropriate treatment depends on the specific nature of the damage in your home and will be tailored to meet your specific needs.

But homeowners, often feeling helpless in these situations, may ask what they can do to help during this time. The answer is simple but important: safety. Taking measures to ensure the safety of your family and your home is advice to heed. Let's take a look at some safety do's and don'ts.

Is The Home Safe?

Determine whether the house is structurally safe to enter or live in; professionals may refer to the structural integrity of the home. If you're unsure, don't enter the house and make arrangements for shelter with the help of local agencies, neighbors, and friends. Contact your insurance company, too.

If it's determined that the home is safe to enter, turn off the power by disabling the main circuit breaker; turn off the main water supply as well. A flooded basement could damage your furnace if the water reaches a dangerously high level. If you have a natural gas supply line, turn that off also; better still, leave that for a professional.

Of course, keep children and pets away from flooded areas; you don't want accidents from slippery, wet floors.

Don't operate televisions, computers, vacuums or other electrical appliances while standing on wet carpets or floors, especially concrete surfaces.

Be sure your valuables are safe. If you will not be living in the house due to the unsafe conditions, remove your valuables including documents and treasured items such as photographs and other keepsakes; store them with a trusted friend or relative. If you are able to stay in your home, move valuables to a dry, safe location.

Is There Mold?

Mold growth is often one of the ensuing problems created by flood damage. The damp conditions in your home after a flood are an ideal breeding ground for these microscopic organisms that spread by producing airborne spores. Those mix with the air inside your house and can lead to health and safety concerns for you and your family. Typical symptoms resulting from mold exposure include everything from respiratory problems and nasal and sinus congestion, to skin, eye, nose and throat irritation.

(Be on the lookout for signs of mold. They vary considerably but may include a smelly odor, a white and thread-like growth, clusters of small black spots; mold can be grayish-brown, grayish-green or white in color.)

Do treat all flood water as contaminated. The water and water-impacted surfaces may not be contaminated but until determined by a professional, don't take chances. Don't track contaminated materials and items into undamaged areas. Do keep children and pets, who are especially vulnerable, out of suspect areas. Absorbent materials such as carpeting and drywall may be unsalvageable after contaminated.

Implementing these tips will put you into action mode versus feeling helpless. More importantly, it will ensure the safety of your family and your home.

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Steps To Help Recover Immediately After A Home Fire

Watch and learn four steps from the American Red Cross to help recover immediately after a home fire. For more information on home fire recovery, please visit http://www.redcross.org/get-help/prep... . For more information on the American Red Cross Home Fire Safety Campaign, please visit: http://www.redcross.org/fire . To make a financial donation, please visit: https://www.redcross.org/donate/home-...

Disaster Recovery - Water Damage Classifications

Water damage is caused by a number of things including flooding, burst or leaky pipes, fire hoses, and regular humidity. Water damage is typically very severe because it impacts every aspect of your home. It can rots the wood in your floors, furniture and walls. It can rust the steel and other metal items. It can de-laminate plywood. It can completely ruin important documents, family photos and memorabilia.

To protect your home from water damage you must first understand the various types of water and the damage it can cause. The three classifications of water that causes damages are Clean, Grey and Black.

Clean Water

This type of water damage does not pose a health risk to humans and is really just incredibly annoying. An overflowing sink or tub or leaky appliance are examples of Clean Water damages.

Grey Water

This type refers to water that contains degrees of chemical, biological or physical contaminants. This can lead to sickness in humans and animals if consumed or exposed. Toilet bowls, dishwashers and washing machine leaks are the most common kinds of Grey Water.

Black Water

This classification contains highly unsanitary agents such as bacteria and fungus which can lead to severe illness. This classification is most rare and comes mainly from sewage, seawater, and contaminated river or stream water.

Water Damage Restoration

Water damage restoration techniques vary greatly depending on the water classification. It is important to know what classification of water you are dealing with before you attempt any restoration projects. If you suspect the water to be of either Grey or Black classification, contact your state environmental protection agency or the water bureau to have your home evaluated.
There are primarily two good techniques used to restore water damaged materials (documents, photos, books, etc).

Desiccant Dehumidification

This restoration process removes moisture from the air quickly and safely, effectively salvaging important documents and helping prevent mold growth. The process involves dehumidifying the air surrounding the damaged documents or personal effect, allowing the water molecules trapped in the damaged items to escape into the air. Desiccant dehumidification is a great restoration option available through some document reprocessing services. It is especially beneficial for businesses and government agencies because the process allows for documents to be accessible for use throughout the process should the need arise.

Freeze-Drying

This process is best for books, binders, and any bound printed matter. Freeze-drying restoration works on a similar premise as dehumidification but in a contained chamber and at much lower temperature. If you can, find a service that offers vacuum freeze-drying as this process will not warp the way regular freeze-drying can.

Time is of the essence when it comes to water damage. Starting the process of restoring your assets as soon as possible will increase the likelihood that your items can be restored to a usable state again. Additionally, mold can quickly become a secondary effect of water damage if time is allowed to pass. To help move quickly after a flood or other water damage, have an emergency plan in place ahead of time.

Water damage has the potential to ruin an entire business or home. Pre-planning and education coupled with a fast-acting, properly equipped damage recovery team can make all the difference in your life returning back to normal.

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This Old House | Masonry Lessons (S43 E7) FULL EPISODE

Mark McCullough constructs a block wall at the base of the newly poured footing and cuts a reglet in the chimney for copper flashing to prevent water from penetrating. Tom and Charlie Silva shim the old joists to ramp the transition between the old and new house discreetly. Kevin O'Connor finds Charlie and kitchen designer Karen Swanson laying out the kitchen in the newly opened space. SUBSCRIBE to This Old House: http://bit.ly/SubscribeThisOldHouse. Enjoying full-episodes of This Old House? Join This Old House INSIDER to stream every episode ever made of This Old House (over 1,000 hours), commercial-free. https://bit.ly/32CLaGe Plus, download our FREE app for full-episode streaming to your connected TV, phone or tablet: https://www.thisoldhouse.com/pages/st... Products and Services from this Episode: Exterior technology: Huber Engineered Woods https://www.huberwood.com/ About This Old House TV: (If applicable) This Old House is America’s first and most trusted home improvement show. Each season, we renovate two different historic homes—one step at a time—featuring quality craftsmanship and the latest in modern technology. We demystify home improvement and provide ideas and information so, whether you are doing it yourself or hiring out contractors, you’ll know the right way to do things or the questions to ask. Our experts including general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, landscape contractor Jenn Nawada, master carpenter Norm Abram, and host Kevin O’Connor give you the tools you need to protect and preserve your greatest investment—your home.

This Old House

Emergency Preparedness | How Ready Are You, Really?

We all know how important it is to prepare for emergencies. But how ready are you, really? One family was put to the test by the Placer Hills Fire Department and PG&E’s Public Safety Specialist team. With 10 minutes on the clock, the Childers Family was ordered to evacuate their home. While this was only a disaster readiness drill, the Childers learned real-life lessons on what essential items to grab, what actions to prioritize, and how to get out safely with every member of the family (including pets).

Pacific Gas & Electric

Man Turns $5000 Abandoned House Into a High-End Home | by @Korytan ​

Experience the incredible transformation of an abandoned house as it undergoes a meticulous restoration. Follow the journey from neglect to revival, witnessing the challenges, innovations, and craftsmanship that bring new life to the forgotten space. Enjoy! VITALII KORYTAN Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/k.o.r.y.t.a.n/ Youtube:    / @korytan  

Quantum Tech HD

Water Damage Dry Out Training with American Drying Institute (ADI)

In this episode of Restoration Renegades, Jeremy visits Jerry Blaylock of the American Drying Institute. When a home or business is flooded by a storm or unexpected plumbing disaster, most people call a Restoration expert. Jerry has trained thousands of those experts from all over the country. Together, Jerry and Jeremy "The Adventurer" visit a house built specifically for flooding, where the best water damage restoration techs receive hands on training. Jeremy turns a hose on inside this training home, which is built to the same specs as most homes across the United States. Once the ceiling, walls, furniture, carpets, and flooring are all dripping wet and thoroughly soaked, Jerry will go to work directing his students on how to properly operate the drying and measuring equipment and techniques necessary to dry it all out and save the house.

What To Do After A Fire: Think Straight And Sort It Out

Experiencing a fire at one's residence is very frightening, disturbing and upsetting. However, once the fire is out, there are a few very important things one needs to do. Recovering from the fire may take some time and many of the things that need doing are probably new to the home-owners. The damage caused to the property is not only from the fire itself but also the secondary damage from the smoke and the water and chemicals that are used to put out the fire. Here is a short guideline on what to do after a fire.

The first thing that is to be taken care of is protecting oneself from further losses. You will want the site protected from further damage by weather, theft or vandalism. The site left unsecured, could result in further damage. If the house has been left unsafe by the fire and one has to stay elsewhere, then the local police is notified before you leave, so that they can keep an eye on the property. Also, you will want to remove all valuables from the house.

Next, watch out for the electric wiring, gas or fuel, and any structural damages such as weakening of walls, roofs, etc. because of the fire. Power should only be turned back on after seeking professional advice. Edibles and medicines were probably damaged by the fire, and so check them and discard if needed in the proper way.

If you have insurance, collect all the receipts for the money spent on the fire loss and keep them for the perusal of the insurance company. You should keep all the damaged goods as well, until after they are shown to the insurance people. The sooner you contact the insurance company, the quicker they can process the claims as the damage is more easily investigated. If one has to leave home, one should leave the alternate contact options with the insurance professionals. You could also ask the insurance people to recommend the best fire damage restoration companies according to them.

Depending on the type of fire damage that occurred, the type of restoration done is also different. The restoration work could be done by property management teams, building maintenance staff or the homeowners themselves, if the damage is minimal, however, it is best to ask for professional help. This is because they are trained on fire damage restoration, not to mention their extensive experience.

To sum up, one shouldn't lose one's head after a fire. You want to take action to secure the site and the necessary precautions are taken care of. The insurance company and the police should be notified at once. In case one has to leave the premises, one should take identification, vital medicines and valuables along, and tell the important people of the new contact details. Let's not lose our heads over what to do after a fire.

We all hope to never be there, but when a disaster happens to your home you want to be sure that you have the right coverage on your insurance to help you through those tough times. You don't want to have to think about all of the details like what to do after a fire, damage repair assessments, and insurance claims. Finding a great company online to handle all of this for you would be the best option for you and your family.

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How You Can Benefit From Hiring Fire Damage Restoration Professionals

Home and property owners who have experienced property damage of any kind have felt distressed especially with the expenses from fire damage restoration and other finances. After suffering from money losses due to the expenditures, taking the restoration alone will most likely be a personal choice.

But did you know that personal restitution projects are not recommended? Although it seems more cost-effective to personally address the problem, several of these homeowners choose to abandon the project and hire professionals instead. It's mainly because they don't know what to do or have worsened the situation instead of improving it.

So before you decide to do things on your own and make matters worse, here are some benefits you can gain from hiring fire damage restoration companies.

• Expertise and skills

- Professional fire and smoke damage restorers have many years of field experience. They have seen different types of fire damage situations through the years which gave them ample knowledge in tackling unique problems. Deciding to restore your own property will require of you to learn the ropes which will take too much of your time. Fire damage restoration work is more effective when immediately done by the experts.

• Insurance assistance

- Aside from dealing with the expenses, you will also need to deal with the insurance company, with some who might be uncongenial of the situation. Instead of being helpful, they'll bury you with too much paperwork, and a long, frustrating process.

Fire and smoke damage experts, on the other hand, will provide insurance specialists to take the burden off your shoulders by doing the process on your behalf. Additionally, they will work to come up with an agreeable claim amount to cover the losses. Many insurance companies undercut homeowners but fire damage restoration companies will do otherwise.

• Right tools, manpower, and approach

- With regards to restitution works, specialized equipment and approach is necessary. Professionals sent out will work together to address the situation in the best and most effective way possible. Such companies will also have the equipment the problem asks for.

• More personal time

- Doing the restoration by yourself may result in you losing valuable time by leaving work or being unable to attend to your business. This, furthermore, results in more financial problems and headaches. But hiring fire and smoke damage experts will give you enough time to go on with working and living your daily life. Peace of mind and assurance is well on your way with these professionals.

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