Ahhhhhhhhhh. 56 degrees yesterday and it felt WONDERFUL. I hope that everyone had the opportunity to open a door or window and allow that stale, stagnant air that has been bottled up inside out, and allow some crisp, fresh air in. Turning over the air in your house or office is a great way to improve the health of the people that have been bottled up inside since waaaaaaaaay back before the holidays. The freshness gives a renewed sense that Spring may be not be too far behind and the piles of snow and ice and salt will soon be a distant memory.
Of course with all of the positives of the warmth, the higher sun and the diminishing piles of winter "crud" comes yet another opportunity for water intrusion. The snow should have all but melted off of the roof tops, ice dams shrunken or gone away as well, but where did all that "melt" go? Hopefully it ran off or evaporated, but did you check your basement to ensure that none of that water has penetrated that area? With the snow pack around the house, the water that has run off the roof may have gotten absorbed or trapped against the foundation, allowing it to seep into the house that way. I don't mean to keep harping upon water intrusion, but it is the season, and we do still need to keep our eyes open in our attic and basement areas. Ignoring moisture in these areas will only cause further issues that you may not be aware of until it's too late. Read some of my other posts to learn more about extended high levels of moisture in your home or work place and take a few minutes to inspect particularly CORNERS in the basement or attic to make sure you haven't been intruded upon.
As usual, my final word about this topic is; while the weather is nice, take a few moments to clear some of the snow away from your house and double check the gutters and downspouts to make sure that the water coming off of your roof is draining AWAY from your building. Keeping your interior dry is vital for the health of it and the people occupying it.
Pitchers and Catchers.......they are reporting!!! Snow will melt, trees will bud, grass will reappear, only a matter of days away, stay positive!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
Frozen Pipes - Avoiding a nightmare
Water Intrusion into your home or business can be a nightmare no matter how it gets in there. By practicing the following safety tips, you can avoid water intrusion and the resulting water removal and drying process as a result of frozen pipes:
1) Keep your cabinet doors open during cold spells. This allows warm air to circulate around pipes that are in them.
2) Keep a slow trickle of water flowing through faucets, especially if the pipes for those faucets run through unheated or uninsulated (under-heated or under-insulated) portions of your home or business.
3) Consider shutting off outdoor faucets (written about in a previous blog). Find the shut-off in the basement or crawlspace where the pipe feeding the faucet leads outside and turn it "off". Once you do that, open the outdoor faucet and to ensure that it drains completely and the inner valve is shut off.
Much of this is common sense, but every once in a while it's nice to have a reminder of what you can do to AVOID issues with water intrusion due to frozen pipes.
Keep your chin up, there is only a few more days until Pitchers and Catchers report to Spring Training. The thaw is so near!!!
1) Keep your cabinet doors open during cold spells. This allows warm air to circulate around pipes that are in them.
2) Keep a slow trickle of water flowing through faucets, especially if the pipes for those faucets run through unheated or uninsulated (under-heated or under-insulated) portions of your home or business.
3) Consider shutting off outdoor faucets (written about in a previous blog). Find the shut-off in the basement or crawlspace where the pipe feeding the faucet leads outside and turn it "off". Once you do that, open the outdoor faucet and to ensure that it drains completely and the inner valve is shut off.
Much of this is common sense, but every once in a while it's nice to have a reminder of what you can do to AVOID issues with water intrusion due to frozen pipes.
Keep your chin up, there is only a few more days until Pitchers and Catchers report to Spring Training. The thaw is so near!!!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Winter Weather Advisory
So here we are, almost half way through "WINTER 2008-09" and we have had one doozie of a season already. We have experienced one of the coldest December's on record, which averaged approximately 6 degrees colder than last year (according to my gas bill anyway), snow and ice have blanketed the area keeping us all wondering if we will ever see the green grass again or even the blacktop in some cases.
Along with the cold weather and the snow and ice comes a plethera of issues where our buildings are concerned. Ice dams are a common issue right now with water backing up behind them and into the wall cavities and attic spaces causing unseen infiltration until it is too late. It is important to head to the hardware store and grab a roof rake (an easy $30 investment typically), then USE IT after each snow storm.
Ice damming is a phenomenon that occurs when built up snow on the cold eaves (soffits) of the house has water from the melting snow higher up the roof run through it and freeze into a solid block of ice. As more and more water runs down the roof, the ice dam grows in height. Eventually the height of the ice causes the water to back up far enough on your roof to permeate under the shingles and into your structure. Attacking the snow from the start is crucial as once the ice forms, it's a task (no it's more than that) to get rid of the ice. Typically some sort of chisseling or chopping will need to be done to relieve the backed up water. NIGHTMARE!!! Take into account taking a ladder out on a slippery driveway (or other surface) and/or working in frigid conditions, nothing good will come of this! Call a roofer, see if they will take care of this for you, call US to deal with your water intrusion or for tips on how to deal with it on your own.
Water inside your structure for an extended amount of time is NOT GOOD at all. It must be dried and should be done by a professional. The effects of extended moisture infiltration only get worse over time with insulation R-value loss, wood rot or mold taking hold after days of wetness. Typically your Homeowner's Insurance will cover this event, check with your agent as far as to what extent it is covered. Failure to dry your structure thoroughly will cause as many problems as not raking that original snow off the roof in the first place. It all flows downhill (no pun intended).
Another big problem right now is damage from frozen and burst pipes. Once this happens, get hold of us IMMEDIATELY. I cannot stress the importance of dealing with water issues in the house in a timely manner. The longer the water sits, the more damage occurs and worse. Health and safety issues can be tied to the "mingling" of water and your structural components and the daily "stuff" tied to it. It only takes 72 hours to turn what was clean water to the equivelant of laundry discharge water and another 72 - 96 hours to turn to the equivelant of sewer water. Sounds delicious doesn't it? Most molds will begin to multiply within 48 to 72 hours where the visible signs will begin to rear their ugly heads.
Finally, it's February......have you checked and changed your furnace filter?
Again act swiftly when it comes to water intrusion in your house or business, there is a lot riding on a dry environment!
Coming next - Generator Safety
Along with the cold weather and the snow and ice comes a plethera of issues where our buildings are concerned. Ice dams are a common issue right now with water backing up behind them and into the wall cavities and attic spaces causing unseen infiltration until it is too late. It is important to head to the hardware store and grab a roof rake (an easy $30 investment typically), then USE IT after each snow storm.
Ice damming is a phenomenon that occurs when built up snow on the cold eaves (soffits) of the house has water from the melting snow higher up the roof run through it and freeze into a solid block of ice. As more and more water runs down the roof, the ice dam grows in height. Eventually the height of the ice causes the water to back up far enough on your roof to permeate under the shingles and into your structure. Attacking the snow from the start is crucial as once the ice forms, it's a task (no it's more than that) to get rid of the ice. Typically some sort of chisseling or chopping will need to be done to relieve the backed up water. NIGHTMARE!!! Take into account taking a ladder out on a slippery driveway (or other surface) and/or working in frigid conditions, nothing good will come of this! Call a roofer, see if they will take care of this for you, call US to deal with your water intrusion or for tips on how to deal with it on your own.
Water inside your structure for an extended amount of time is NOT GOOD at all. It must be dried and should be done by a professional. The effects of extended moisture infiltration only get worse over time with insulation R-value loss, wood rot or mold taking hold after days of wetness. Typically your Homeowner's Insurance will cover this event, check with your agent as far as to what extent it is covered. Failure to dry your structure thoroughly will cause as many problems as not raking that original snow off the roof in the first place. It all flows downhill (no pun intended).
Another big problem right now is damage from frozen and burst pipes. Once this happens, get hold of us IMMEDIATELY. I cannot stress the importance of dealing with water issues in the house in a timely manner. The longer the water sits, the more damage occurs and worse. Health and safety issues can be tied to the "mingling" of water and your structural components and the daily "stuff" tied to it. It only takes 72 hours to turn what was clean water to the equivelant of laundry discharge water and another 72 - 96 hours to turn to the equivelant of sewer water. Sounds delicious doesn't it? Most molds will begin to multiply within 48 to 72 hours where the visible signs will begin to rear their ugly heads.
Finally, it's February......have you checked and changed your furnace filter?
Again act swiftly when it comes to water intrusion in your house or business, there is a lot riding on a dry environment!
Coming next - Generator Safety
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