Emergency Flood damage clean-up basics Part 2
SAFETY Of course, you can't wait to get back into your home following the disaster. As soon as the water stops rising and it begins to fall, you figure that it is now safe to go in and start evaluating the damage. Not so fast! There are plenty of hidden dangers that have to be thought out before entering your home. Don't become a statistic by coming back home too soon! Check the Exterior of Your Home Do a visual walk around your home to see if there are any downed power lines, or electrical connections that may be in contact with the water. Smell the air around you. Is there a smell of gas in the air? Often times there may be a gas leak. If you find either of these problems, call the proper utility company to correct the problem. If water is still around the house, check to see if the outside walls have cracked or giving way because of the water pressure being exerted on them. If there's water still around, don't enter the home, there’s always a chance that the walls could give way and the house could collapse around you. Be cautious around porches and overhangs. These areas may have weakened during a flood and could give way or collapse. Electrical and Gas Connections When you arrive at your home, disconnecting the electrical and gas supplies are a good start. By shutting off the gas supply, you lessen the chance of fire and explosion. By disconnecting the electrical supply, you lessen the chance of electrocution. Even if the power is out or the power supply has been disconnected from the power pole by the utility company, your electrical fuse or breaker panel's main fuse or breaker may still be on. In this case, at any time during the day, the utility company could come back and turn the power on to your home. You may not be aware that they've turned the power back on and your panel is now live, subjecting you to potential shock hazards. If the only way to disconnect the gas and power is inside the home and there's water where you have to shut them off, don't enter the home to do so until you can safely enter the home and the water has been removed. Remember, water and electricity doesn’t mix. Every year people die from electrocution in flood-related accidents. Many are from entering a home after the flood waters have receded. Procedures After Flood Waters Recede Turn off all breakers till electrician can make safe Dry Out the House It is important to open up the bottom of flooded walls and remove all wet material from them. Turn on fans and dehumidifiers as soon as possible to dry the home. Deadly mold can form quickly (less than 3 days) in warm and moist areas in the home. Get wet carpeting and padding out of the home as soon as possible. Get garbage, effected clothing, etc. out of the home and clear the floor space in rooms and closets. Open the windows to let the house breath. By getting the home dried out quickly, you'll be on your way to cleaning and repairing it. Anything that the flood waters wet and cannot be thoroughly cleaned will have to be thrown away! Removing Moisture, Cleaning and Repairing Be prepared to let flood-damaged walls, ceilings and floors dry for several weeks if you do not have electricity. If restoration work is completed before proper drying, mold and mildew will continue to grow. The result may be structural damage to your home, the need to repaint walls or replace new wall coverings, and discomfort or illness to family members who have allergies. Getting the Moisture Out Get is as dry as you can as fast as you can. If the weather permits, open doors and windows to remove moisture and odors. If the outside humidity becomes greater than inside, close things up; likewise, close up the house overnight if temperatures drop and moist air might otherwise be drawn indoors. If windows are stuck tight, take off window strips and remove entire sash. If doors are stuck, drive out door hinge pins with a screwdriver and hammer, then remove. Consider using dehumidifiers to speed up drying when outside humidity levels are high. If possible, rent commercial dehumidifiers, which remove three to four times more water than home models. When using dehumidifiers, shut windows and doors. If there is severe flooding in your home, consider hiring a contractor for water removal. Some companies can dry homes in less than a week with commercial dehumidifiers and air movers. Walls and Ceilings Wash out mud, dirt and debris as soon as possible with a hose and mop cloth or sponge. Start cleaning from the top floor or upper limit of flooding and work downward. Remove wallboard, plaster and paneling to at least 2 feet past the flood level. Wallboard acts like a sponge when wet. If soaked by contaminated floodwater, it can be a permanent health hazard and should be removed. If most of the wallboard was soaked by clean rainwater, consider cutting a 4- to 12-inch-high section from the bottom and top of walls. This creates a "chimney effect" of air movement for faster drying. A reciprocating saw with a metal cutting blade works well, but use only the tip of the blade and watch out for pipes, ductwork and wiring. Plaster usually does not need to be replaced, though it will take a very long time to dry. Some paneling may be salvaged if allowed to dry slowly. You also should remove and dispose of any flood-damaged insulation, which will hold water for months after getting wet. To clean surfaces Thoroughly wash and disinfect walls, ceilings, exposed wall cavities and studs. (see three bucket method) Use a good disinfectant to prevent mildew build-up. Use an EPA registered anti- Microbial if you have it or One cup of chlorine bleach mixed with a gallon of water works well. For a soapier cleaning solution, add a half cup of mild detergent. Wear rubber gloves. If walls have already dried, work from the floor to the ceiling to prevent streaking. (Dirty water splashed on dry walls may be absorbed and become almost impossible to remove.) Overlap sections, cleaning the ceiling last. Floors Before the house has dried out, scrub floors and woodwork with a stiff brush, plenty of water, a detergent and disinfectant. Carpeting soaked by contaminated floodwater should be removed and discarded unless it can be sanitized at a commercial facility for a cost substantially less than replacement. Vinyl flooring and floor tile may need to be removed to allow drying of subfloor. Wooden floors should be dried gradually. Sudden drying could cause cracking or splitting. Some restoration companies can accelerate drying time by forcing air through the fluted underside of hardwood floorboards. Once Floors Have Dried Assess whether your floors can be repaired, replaced or recovered. Consider your time and budget as you make any decisions. Plywood subfloors may have delaminated (separated) from excessive moisture, causing buckling. Sections may have to be replaced or have new plywood nailed over them. If buckling or warping has occurred, drive nails where the floor tends to lift or bulge. This will prevent further damage. Badly warped hardwood floors usually can't be repaired. Warped, wide pine board flooring, however, will often flatten out after it has thoroughly dried. Plane or sand floors level. Do not refinish until thoroughly dry. Removing Mildew To remove surface mildew on walls or ceilings, HEPA vacuum twice, (once in each direction) Use a mildew surface cleaner mentioned above or: scrub the mildew with household detergent, then scrub with a solution of one-quarter cup bleach to 1-quart water. Rinse well with clean water. Once fully dry, apply a coat of paint containing an anti-mildew agent. To remove surface mildew on floors and woodwork, use a phosphate cleaning solution such as powdered automatic dishwashing detergent or trisodium phosphate (4 to 6 tablespoons to a gallon of water), available in hardware stores. Rinse with water, and when dry, apply a mildew-resistant finish. By using a pump sprayer wit anti -microbial such as ShockWave or equvilant, (bleach water if you just have to), you can effectively clean your home first and make it sterile.
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Emergency Flood damage clean-up basics Part 3
Cleaning and Sterilizing the Home .Professionals do not use Bleach in the clean up or the mold removal process!! Please try to get your hands on professional chemicals and solutions that are better and safer than you using Bleach. However, the governments websites still recommend the following...The recommended mixture of water to bleach is ten parts water to one part Bleach. Better yet use EPA registered anti-microbial. Contents; Deciding What to Salvage and Tips on Reconditioning Save valuable and sentimental things first. Remember they are only things. You still have your health and Jehovah, don’t stress on the temporary situation, nothing can happen that God can’t reverse. If things got wet with clean water, (roof leak) they are more likely to be saved, if they get wet from rising water (floods) the water is so contaminated that you need to treat it as if it was sewage water. Evaluating appliance damage is a high priority after a flood. Have a service person check flooded appliances before you attempt operation or invest a lot of time in clean-up. Deciding which furniture to save may be a more personal issue, especially if you have antiques and other pieces with sentimental value. Keep in mind that you don't need to repair all pieces of salvageable furniture immediately. You can clean, dry and store them in a warm, well-ventilated place until you have time to deal with them. Three bucket cleaning system 1. Pump sprayer contains detergent (do not use Sprayer for bleach) 2. Rinse bucket ~ should be changed frequently 3. Squeeze wringer bucket for dirty water 4. 32 oz mop head ~ clean or replace frequently Many items can only be saved by professionals using professional equipment, and processes, such as upholstered furniture, etc Some examples:
Before you enter a flooded basement, take time to:
For safety reasons, do not use an electric pump powered by your own electrical system. Instead, use a gas-powered pump or one connected to an outside line. Fire departments in some communities may help with pumping services. More damage may be done by pumping flooded basements too soon or too quickly. Water in the basement helps brace the walls against the extra pressure of water-logged soil outside. If water is pumped out too soon, walls may be pushed in or floors pushed up. To help prevent this kind of structural damage:
After water has been pumped from the basement, shovel out the mud and debris while it is still moist. Hose down walls to remove as much silt as possible before it dries. Scrub the walls and floor with a detergent. Floors and walls may need sanitizing, particularly if sewage has entered the basement. Scrub walls and floors with a disinfecting solution of 1 cup chlorine bleach per gallon of water. Crawl spaces Pump out the water, remove the debris, remove the vapor barrier set a fan to suck out and let dry for one or two weeks, then install new vapor barrier. (Very important or your house will never dry, NEVER) _______________________________________ The forgoing series is a Public Service provided by Lee Ramey of Mold and Mildew Solutions, IICRC Master Cleaner, Master Restoration Tech, Certified Mold Remediator, & Council Certified Indoor Environmentalist. He is a 34 year veteran of dealing with wet and flooded homes. Mold and Mildew Solutions llc, 908 13th St No. Birmingham Al 35203 205-252-5326 and lrramey@gmail.com Alabamamold.com Authors note: The forgoing is a concise amalgamated summary of the guidelines and Standards that have be published by the IICRC, EPA, FEMA and OSHA. It also assumes that you are not hiring a professional remediation company. However, you can judge the quality of the contractor if you do hire one, as they should be following these principles at a minimum. It is also based on 30 plus years of first-hand knowledge and industry practices. This is the basics so that you can get a safe home again. Flood waters contain many contaminants and should be considered as dangerous as sewage. Wet structures and contents that have been affected must be cleaned and sterilized before re-use. Please do not cut any corners, your families future health can depend upon your handling this situation right the first time. Insurance companies are not looking out for your best interests!! Do what will give YOU the healthiest outcome. Lee Emergency Flood damage clean-up basics Part 1
Materials List (per project) Worker Protection N95 or N100 respirator with exhaust valve Half-face negative air respirator w/HEPA filters Extra bags for vacuum cleaner Heavy-duty water-proof gloves Nonwoven polypropylene disposable coveralls (w/attached hood and foot cover) tyvek) Goggles or safety glasses with side shields Cap with brim, hard hat if working under people or wet materials Non-skid shoe covers Personal cleanup station Two 16 oz. eye wash bottles First aid kit (OSHA-compliant for four workers) Fire extinguisher Pump pressure sprayer Case of bottled drinking water Paper towels Toilet paper Emergency phone number sheet Plastic totes, milk crates for contents, etc. magic markers for sorting, moving boxes, plastic bags for clothes. Supplies Heavy-duty trash bags for heavy material such as plaster Two large heavy-duty garbage cans with casters Roll of 10 ft. wide 6 mil poly Staples for staple gun Rolls of duct tape Scrub brushes 4-inch-wide blade scrapers Cardboard boxes to store cleaned objects Packing tape and Magic markers Mist bottles Utility knife blades Hundred watt light bulbs for reflector lamp Box of disposable gloves 32 oz. mop heads Non phosphate detergent (like Savogran® TSP) (or) General cleaning detergent such as pine sol Mildew-cide / anti- microbial EPA registered product like ShockWave, micro-ban or equivalent If Professional Anti-microbial is not available, then use Household chlorine bleach (like Clorox® Regular-Bleach) ONLY IF YOU HAVE TO!! Tools Carpet cutter with extra blades Front-end nipper (to pull nails) Large crow bar Long handled Short flat-bar Staple gun Cat ’s paws nail puller Mop squeeze bucket 3- 5 gal. buckets (one as a rinse bucket, two as mixing buckets for cleaners) 2 – 2.5 gal. pump sprayers for cleaners Mop handle for 32 oz. mop head Broom and dust-pan Bright flashlights and headlamps Tool belt and tool belt tools including hammer, measuring tape, scratch awl, Phillips and flathead screw drivers, carpenter’s pencil, and utility knife, etc. Saw horses Cross-cut hand saw Brace and bits (where there is no electric) Drywall saw Moisture meter (like Delmhorst® J-LITE Moisture Meter) Equipment Portable generator 20 ft. extension ladder 8 ft. A-frame ladder 4 and 6-foot A-Frame ladder Window fan Lock box Shop vacuum with HEPA Shovels and Hoes Wheel barrow Hand trucks Dress Appropriately Before Entering Before you enter a home that has been flooded, be sure to have the proper clothing, footwear, and safety items that may be needed.
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Lee Ramey
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May 2020
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