In general, most people are not aware of the fact that water tends to do a lot more damage to your chimney than the fires that you burn in them actually do. The rest of your home is protected by the roof and the eaves, but your chimney remains completely vulnerable to all the cycles of nature, whether it is rain, sleet, snow or just a simple change in seasons.
Whether the chimney is made of brick, steel, tile, cast iron, or some other building material, it will eventually begin to deteriorate as it comes into contact with the elements of nature. Water damage usually occurs to chimneys simply because of the fact that some people do not know how to take care of them properly, even though taking care of a chimney is fairly easy.
Replacing the very top of the chimney is one of the best things that you can do to prevent water damage. What you do not want is a chimney crown that is made of a simple mortar mix, which is about the same thing used to lay the bricks of your home. This will deteriorate, chip, and crack much faster over time than a crown that is made of portland cement. This should hang over the edge of the chimney by at least two inches on all sides.
You should also check and see if the flashing around your chimney needs to be replaced. The flashing is located between your chimney and the roofing material and serves to keep rain water from seeping down into the crack underneath it and causing damage to the ceiling or walls.
There are a few different products that you can use to help waterproof your masonry chimney. Some of these products will allow your chimney to breathe water vapor and moisture out, but not allow it under the seal.
You should take good care of your chimney and keep a check on it every so often to make sure that it is not deteriorating at an excessive rate. If your chimney has cracks in it or areas look particularly unstable, you need to do whatever you have to in order to get this repaired as soon as possible. Severely water damaged chimneys can have pieces fall off of them before you know it and seriously injure someone in your family.
In addition to protecting your chimney from water damage, protecting the inside from becoming a fire hazard is also necessary and you can do this by burning logs that are specifically manufactured to cleanse your chimney of any buildup that may exist.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
South Carolina Water Damage Restoration and and other states such as
Chicago Water Damage Restoration companies across the united states.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Water Damaged Cars and How to Avoid Them
When you are going to purchase a used vehicle, you have enough problems to worry about most of the time. The problems of what kind of vehicle you want, what kind you need, what color it should be, whether it should be a manual or automatic transmission and even where to purchase the vehicle from can be quite time consuming. Something most people do not think to ask when they purchase a used vehicle, however, is whether or not the vehicle has ever been underwater for any period of time. Most used car dealers and individuals are hesitant to mention this information and sometimes an insurance claim is not filed. This means that the flooding of the vehicle is not recorded in its vehicle report that you can get from companies like CarFax.com, so even if you order a report and it shows all the other damage to the car, the flooding may not show up. Damage to a vehicle only shows up if a claim was filed on it and this tends to be a problem, especially when the damage is as hidden as flood damage can be.
Take a look around the inside of the car first. Look in the glove box and check for signs of rust in there and around the floor near the seats. The vehicle should not have a musty smell inside or a clean, air freshener smell. You should smell next to nothing. The musty smell is due to mold growing in the carpet or the upholstery. If you smell air freshener, this may be an attempt by the dealer or owner to hide the musty smell underneath it. Be wary of cars that have been treated with air freshener. Also note whether the upholstery matches the rest of the car. It may have been taken up and replaced to hide water damage.
The engine is not safe, either. Sand, silt, and mud can seep into an engine along with the water and ruin it.
Make sure that all the electrical components in the vehicle work as they should, such as fuel gauges, the battery gauge, oil light, and etcetera. If these do not work as they should, you might be facing some water damage.
Check the trunk for rust around the tail lights, as well. Mud or silt inside the car in this area or around the seats in the car can be a sign of flooding, as well.
As always, you should get a mechanic that you trust to do a complete inspection of the vehicle so you can be almost certain that the car is in decent shape before finalizing the purchase.
Jim Corkern is a writer and respected contributor to the Water damage restoration and mold remediation Industry. Visit his sites for more information.
http://www.localrestoration.com and
http://www.moldrestorationusa.com
Take a look around the inside of the car first. Look in the glove box and check for signs of rust in there and around the floor near the seats. The vehicle should not have a musty smell inside or a clean, air freshener smell. You should smell next to nothing. The musty smell is due to mold growing in the carpet or the upholstery. If you smell air freshener, this may be an attempt by the dealer or owner to hide the musty smell underneath it. Be wary of cars that have been treated with air freshener. Also note whether the upholstery matches the rest of the car. It may have been taken up and replaced to hide water damage.
The engine is not safe, either. Sand, silt, and mud can seep into an engine along with the water and ruin it.
Make sure that all the electrical components in the vehicle work as they should, such as fuel gauges, the battery gauge, oil light, and etcetera. If these do not work as they should, you might be facing some water damage.
Check the trunk for rust around the tail lights, as well. Mud or silt inside the car in this area or around the seats in the car can be a sign of flooding, as well.
As always, you should get a mechanic that you trust to do a complete inspection of the vehicle so you can be almost certain that the car is in decent shape before finalizing the purchase.
Jim Corkern is a writer and respected contributor to the Water damage restoration and mold remediation Industry. Visit his sites for more information.
http://www.localrestoration.com and
http://www.moldrestorationusa.com
Water Damage and Structural Inspection
Whether you are buying a new home or are considering possibly selling your old one, you need to know that the home is a good value for the price. Sometimes you might want to have someone professionally inspect the home for you to alert you of anything that might need to be repaired or any changes that might need to be made to the home, but this is not always the case if you know what you need to look for. There are several different things you should keep an eye out for when you do your own home inspection either before you buy or before you sell.
The dirt around the foundation of the home should be slanted away from it so that any rainfall will flow away from the home instead of settling around the foundation in a pocket. This water will seep down into your basement, if you have one. Downspouts should have extensions that will further help direct water away from the base of the home.
Go away from the home and stand a fair distance from it and just look at the structure. Taking someone with you is a good idea because a second opinion is usually wanted. Ask yourself and the person you took with you if the home appears to be tilted one way or another. The structure should not appear to be unstable. After you to this, go inside and be certain that all corners are at a right angle where they need to be. Go into the living room and in other rooms of the home and jump in the middle of it. If the floor flexes or shakes at all, you may have a problem.
Check kitchen and bathroom fixtures for leaks and for quality. Also note whether there is a steam vent in these two rooms so that steam is allowed to escape the home and not cause water damage to the walls and ceilings.
The roof on the home should not need to be replaced in at least the next five years unless you are unhappy with just the appearance of it. It should not require many repairs, if it requires any at all. Water damage can occur to the attic beams, the insulation, and the drywall underneath. Note that if fiberglass insulation gets wet, it becomes useless and needs to be taken out and replaced.
The house should have a central heat and air unit and if it does not, locate the furnace and determine what type it is. Determine how many rooms of the house do not have access to the heater, if there are any.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
water damage restoration companies and
mold remediation companies across the united states.
The dirt around the foundation of the home should be slanted away from it so that any rainfall will flow away from the home instead of settling around the foundation in a pocket. This water will seep down into your basement, if you have one. Downspouts should have extensions that will further help direct water away from the base of the home.
Go away from the home and stand a fair distance from it and just look at the structure. Taking someone with you is a good idea because a second opinion is usually wanted. Ask yourself and the person you took with you if the home appears to be tilted one way or another. The structure should not appear to be unstable. After you to this, go inside and be certain that all corners are at a right angle where they need to be. Go into the living room and in other rooms of the home and jump in the middle of it. If the floor flexes or shakes at all, you may have a problem.
Check kitchen and bathroom fixtures for leaks and for quality. Also note whether there is a steam vent in these two rooms so that steam is allowed to escape the home and not cause water damage to the walls and ceilings.
The roof on the home should not need to be replaced in at least the next five years unless you are unhappy with just the appearance of it. It should not require many repairs, if it requires any at all. Water damage can occur to the attic beams, the insulation, and the drywall underneath. Note that if fiberglass insulation gets wet, it becomes useless and needs to be taken out and replaced.
The house should have a central heat and air unit and if it does not, locate the furnace and determine what type it is. Determine how many rooms of the house do not have access to the heater, if there are any.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
water damage restoration companies and
mold remediation companies across the united states.
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