Damage history

The smell of smoke can really irritate your nose and overwhelm your body's respiration, especially if your home suffered from fire. If your home is foul-smelling, it is easy to eliminate the odor using a room deodorizer. Going natural, dried eucalyptus branches placed inside a pot or vase could also keep off the bad smell away.

What if something is burned inside your house or a part of your house was razed by fire? Surely, it will leave a lot of residues and odors. Could a spray of deodorizer or a pot of eucalyptus bring the magic? Probably not. What is even worse is that the bad smell from smoke will make the repair and restoration more difficult. And since using even the most potent odor-removing techniques and sprays will not take away the smoke from your home, the most practical thing that you-and other homeowners-should do is hire experts who could conduct smoke damage cleanup. Knowing that eliminating the smell of unwanted smoke is often beyond your skill or even that of your most reliable handyman, follow what most insurance companies suggest: hire experts.

But if fire only affected a small part of your home, probably your kitchen or bedroom, and if there is no structural damage at all-just a few soot and an awful smell of smoke-your insurance claim, being limited only to the smoke and soot, might discourage you to hire a cleanup team.

With this, you have only two options: it's either you hire someone and pay for his service at your own expense or do the work yourself.

If you decide to do the work on your home, here are the things that you might need for a do-it-yourself smoke damage cleanup:

• Vacuum cleaner. Choose a unit that can handle wet and dry surfaces.

• Dry, cleaning sponges. Choose sponges that are specially made for cleaning soot. They are available in cleaning and paint supply stores and you could also find one at art suppliers since they are also great for cleaning paintings and other artworks.

• Tri-sodium phosphate (TSP). This is chemical, though caustic, works as an all-purpose cleaning agent that easily wipes grease and soot. Pine cleaners are also effective and they are less caustic than TSP but using them requires longer time before effects come out.

• Bucket. Your bucket should be at least gallon-size so you could mix TSP and other cleaners properly.

• Sponges, rags, and mop. You will use these for cleaning and wiping out hard and stained surfaces.

• Rubber gloves. Use rubber gloves while mixing cleaners and cleaning the surfaces to avoid skin irritation. Oils from your fingers can cause further damage on the surfaces that you have contact with especially when mixed with soot. Thus, using rubber gloves will make your work easier and more effective.

• Vacuum cleaner with edge attachment. This equipment is great for stains and soot on hard-to-reach corners and cracks.

Since most smoke damage are widespread and affects a huge area in your house, you could enlist the help of professional smoke damage cleanup experts. They have better equipment, skills, and expertise than you do that could save you time and money in the long run. If a greater part of your home is razed by fire and it is only redeemable when an expert team of professionals steps in to do the job, then don't think twice. Contact your most trusted restoration professional now and let their expertise save your home from further dereliction.

For more information, visit http://www.warriorrestoration.net and find more ways to keep your home free from mold and damage and hazards that might prove dangerous to your home and to your health.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Will_Wallace

How to Avoid Hurricane Damage

Once an impending hurricane hits, there often is little that can be done. Luckily, there are preventative measures that you can take to protect your property against wind and water damage.

These steps range from those best left to professionals to those for do-it-yourselfers.

Before making structural changes to your property, check local building codes and keep in mind that not all homes require the same degree of storm protection. For example, areas with a high likelihood of hurricanes and other strong storms may benefit greatly from "hurricane straps," while this may not be an advisable investment for other property owners.

Check with your local American Red Cross or other emergency management offices for information on the area's flood elevation, which can help you determine how much water is likely to flow into your property.

Also, remember that homeowners insurance does not cover flooding, so it is important to purchase flood insurance. Note: It will be 30 days before the policy takes effect, so don't wait until the storm warning appears.

Securing the Roof

High winds can cause your roofing structure to fail, if the sheathing is not properly installed.

Roofs are designed to transfer the force of high winds down to the foundation. If the roof sheathing is not nailed into the rafters or trusses of your roofing structure, then it can fail to perform as designed.

From the attic, examine the roofing boards for proper installation. When replacing your roof, make sure that the sheathing complies with the latest industry standards.

Check for proper bracing of your roof's gables, the upper portion of a sidewall that comes to a triangular point at the ridge of a sloping roof. From inside the attic space, you should see X-shaped supports in these areas. If these supports are not in place, be sure to hire a contractor to brace them properly.

Hurricane straps, which are galvanized metal braces that keep the roof securely fastened to the walls of a home or building, are advised for properties in areas with a high hurricane risk. Installing braces should be left to a licensed professional.

Securing Windows and Doors

Your property's windows and doors must be properly braced to withstand the high winds of hurricanes, because, if breached, the resulting high pressure can cause serious damage to your walls and roofing structure.

Protect your property's vulnerable openings with storm shutters. They can be purchased for exposed windows, skylights, doors and other glass surfaces. They are available in steel, wood or aluminum. Their protection benefit can be mimicked with plywood.

Also most bolts that come with your doors are not capable of withstanding the high winds associated with hurricanes. Reinforcing bolts to secure your doors to the top and bottom frame will ensure that your doors will be able to handle the storm.

Protecting Home Systems from Flooding

Your electrical system can be ravaged by flooding. To minimize and prevent damage to this vital system, make sure that the main electrical panel board and all electrical outlets and switches are located at least 12 inches above the flood elevation for your area. If not, consider elevating all wire and service lines 12 inches above the flood elevation, but be sure that all electrical wiring is done be a licensed electrician.

Electrically run units, such as washers, dryers, furnaces and water heaters, should be moved to a higher level or elevated at least 12 inches above the flood elevation, if possible. A base of concrete or pressure treated lumber that can hold the weight may be used to elevate the units. Consider building a flood wall around these units, if they cannot be relocated.

To prevent floating and potential spills, anchor fuel tanks to the floor and be sure that vents and openings are above projected flood elevation.

To protect your floor drain, install a float plug and a licensed plumber should put in a backflow valve to prevent sewage back up.

ACCORD Restoration specializes in clean-up, repair, restoration and rebuilding after fires, floods, storms or natural disasters. We offer reliable, 24/7/365 emergency services carried out with expert craftsmanship.

To learn more visit http://www.accordrestoration.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Frank_Nemshick