Flood Repair Team Blogs

A place to find great advice, tips and other information related to your damage or just to read about others and how they made it through their crisis.

hazardous materials, future floods, evacuation, emergency procedures	28 Apr 2009
How to Prepare Your House for a Flood by David Beavers	Comment (3)

If you are unprepared for a flood then it can cost you thousands of dollars in unnecessary damage repair bills. By following these 18 simple tips you can get and stay prepared for future floods.

1. Install weather stripping to all doors and windows.

2. Fasten exterior items securely to your home to prevent them from becoming flying debris. Move loose items indoors.

3. Make sure the electric panel/fuse box is elevated above previous flood levels.

4. Make sure the furnace, water heater, washer, dryer and other items in the basement are located off the floor and elevated above previous flood levels.

5. Develop a family evacuation plan and practice it once a year.

Maryland, flooding, flooded basement, flood waters, Dehumidifiers, anti-flood	6 Mar 2009
Homemade Solutions to a Flooded Basement in Crises Like the Maryland Flooding by David Beavers	Comment (2)

In December of 2008, a water main burst in Maryland and caused furious flood waters to infest nearby houses and buildings. Many homeowners found themselves caught unprepared and left with damaged personal belongings and a flooded basement. A great loss such as this can cause any homeowner to panic and to resort to anything that promises an easy solution. But at a time like this when you have already lost a lot of your properties, it will be wise to seek cheaper and yet equally effective means to address the problem.

The following steps are homemade solutions to fixing a flooded basement:

1. Invest on a preventive solution

waterproofing, water proof, water damage, Maryland, damage restoration	6 Mar 2009
Making Use of Technology Intensive Management of Water Damage in Maryland by David Beavers	Comment (2)

The upscale state of Maryland, home to the nation’s capital, has been known to employ only the most efficient and technology intensive systems especially in the management of water damage. In the provision of efficient and effective water damage services, industry specialists have continuously sharpened their understanding of the behavior of water damage such that there are now appropriate technologies available for the effective resolution of such problems.

For starters, the technology involved in managing water damage begins with the materials used in the construction of the house or the structural components of commonly affected articles and items. Water damage shielding technology for the typical Maryland home is almost always focused on waterproofing the home’s walls and floors.

Even though a good number of these waterproofing substances come as sealants, these are not ideal merchandise to render a surface water proof because it will only protect the inside surfaces of the walls and floors and not the outside surfaces where a great amount of environmental water may push against these walls. One option to this is the application of a plaster coating to patch up the breaks in the wall while stitching materials and non shrinking cement material can also be applied in order to cover and render the wall surfaces water proof to minimize if not totally prevent water damage.

wet carpet, carpet	6 Mar 2009
Four Steps to Save Your Wet Carpet by David Beavers	Comment (1)

When you are facing the problem of having a wet carpet, you have to fix the problem right away. While it is tempting to rely on professional carpet cleaners to do the job, there may not be enough time to wait for them to address the problem. After all, the occurrence of the causes of having a wet carpet is always unexpected. If the wet carpet is not treated immediately, you will be facing greater damage. The molds might spread and form mold colonies. When this happens, you will have to dispose of the damaged carpet and spend money on a new one. Thus, you have to take it upon yourself to save your wet carpet. Fortunately, you no longer need to remain in the dark. When you follow the tips below, saving your carpet will be as easy as S.A.V.E..

1. Be SAFE

Before starting off the cleanup of the wet carpet, make sure that you have the needed safety paraphernalia on.

water extraction, Maryland, household disasters, homeowners	6 Mar 2009
Helpful Water Extraction Tips for Maryland Homeowners by David Beavers	Comment (1)

There are a lot of instances that have prompted Maryland homeowners for various water extraction activities. For the last decade, the hurricanes Floy, Isabel and Fran have caused federally declared flooding disasters due to heavy rains and flooding. There have been a lot of recorded losses but more so in insured flood losses which amounted several millions. And aside from flooding disasters, homeowners also have to deal with common household disasters that have prompted not only first aid actions but the help of water extraction Maryland companies as well.

But despite these more common disasters that Maryland homeowners are faced with, there are still many who do not exactly know what to do. As a result, repair costs are high and home structures and household items have to be replaced. To help homeowners deal with any home water accumulation or flooding disasters that requires water extraction, here are a few tips:

1. Get insurance coverage for flood damage. These past decade, flood insurance coverage have greatly increased in Maryland. If you don’t have this coverage yet, it may be time to consider one. When disaster occurs, this will be your assurance that any repairs will be taken cared of.

flooded basement, flood repair, flood damage	26 Oct 2008
Easy Tips To Clean a Flooded Basement by David Beavers	Comment (0)

Although it’s easy to call a water damage specialist, there’s a lot you can do on your own to clean your flooded basement and preserve your home. With a flood mess, acting quickly and tactfully is essential to prevent mold from growing and destroying the foundation of your home. To help prepare you for such a situation, we have compiled these easy tips to clean a flooded basement.

1. Assess the Damage. Before trying to clean anything, take a good look at your flood-damaged area. Take note of how much water is present, and how long it’s been sitting there. If there is a large amount of water, you might want to consider the likelihood of you taking care of the removal on your own. Is a water removal specialist required?

2. Turn Power Off. Before touching or entering any floodwater, find a big flashlight and turn the power off. If the flood already knocked out your power, make sure the switch gets turned to off anyways just in case the power returns. This also means of course you won’t have power to use water pumps or fans, and a portable power source or generator will be required.

insurance, flood repair, flood damage, flood	19 Oct 2008
Tips for Finding the Right Flood Insurance Coverage by David Beavers	Comment (0)

Purchasing flood insurance is not something you want to rush. To properly protect your investments you should take the time to properly prepare before purchasing flood insurance, as rates limits and coverage alter drastically between insurance companies. To help you prepare for your search, please enjoy the following list of tips for finding the right flood insurance.

1.Assess your Home’s Risk. A nation wide insurance company stated that one third of the flood claims they get come from homes not in a flood prone area. It’s important to consider your real risk for a flood of any kind, and how high if a risk it is. Depending on your homes propensity to flood, the policy you choose should adjust to it accordingly. You can go to the governments flood site, FloodSmart.com, to get a better idea of your homes risk for flooding as well as some estimates for price ranges you should be expecting.

restoration experts, restoration, flood damage repair, devastating flood, absorbing water	21 Sep 2008
10 ways to Repair and Recover After a Flood by David Beavers	Comment (0)

After a devastating flood, the last thing you want think about is acting fast. To help prepare you for the possibility, read this list of 10 ways to repair and recover after a flood, from the restoration experts at Water Damage Team.

1. Be Prepared
Just in case you do not have the time or means to call a professional right away, it is good to be prepared for emergency flood situations. Always have a mop and plenty of towels around, and keep birth certificates, etc. in an airtight waterproof container.

2. Electricity
Before beginning any serious flood damage repair, make sure you turn off the power first and foremost. Trying to repair water damage with the electricity turned on is very dangerous.