Saturday, September 29, 2007

Fixing A Water Damaged Laptop

You might not it, but the circuit board in your laptop and any other electronic items in your house were rinsed in clean water and dried before they were put into use? As long as the water is clean, the device will not be irreparably damaged. If something is allowed to soak in dirty water, however, with different particles and other mineral content, then the device will become damaged.

If you have a laptop that has gotten wet, the first thing to do is to turn it off immediately and remove all sources of power from it including the A/C adapter and batteries. Set these aside while you take the laptop and turn it upside down. This will stop any more liquid from seeping further into the computer.

After you do that, use paper towels or a rag to mop up the liquid that was spilled, wipe the liquid off the keyboard and the outside. Also wipe down anything else electronic nearby that got wet, too, like an external CD-ROM or external hard drive.

Disassemble the laptop (take a look at your user’s manual, too) and allow the insides to air out for at least a full day. Most people who have gone through this procedure recommend longer, especially if the liquid got further down into the computer. The best thing to do is let it sit and dry until you are confident that the interior is completely moisture-free.

If the only liquid it came into contact with was water out of your faucet, then allowing it to dry should be all that is necessary, but if it was something like soda, tea, or coffee that was spilled onto it, then you will want to clean it with some rubbing alcohol. You can use cotton swabs for this. Do not apply any heat to the device while you are cleaning it with alcohol and wait until the smell of alcohol is completely gone before you try to power it up.

Put the device back together after you are finished letting it dry or cleaning it up. Reattach the battery and see if it powers on. If it does, wait and see if it starts up as it should. If it does not, then attach the A/C adapter and plug it up. If you can turn the device on after trying this, then all you should need is a new battery. This should be pretty easy to obtain, as long as you have the money to purchase it with, either from the manufacturer or from a site like eBay.



Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Florida water damage restoration companies and
Miami Water Damage Restoration. contractors

One Of The Most Deadly Fevers In America Caused By Mold

In the deserts of the Southwestern United States, Mexico, and different parts of South America exists a particularly nasty variety of mold that can cause an extremely serious skin disease. This is Coccidioides immitis and if left untreated, it can turn fatal.

Coccidioidomycosis (or Valley Fever) is caused by inhaling the spores of C. immitis. The clinical features of this disease (when there are any symptoms at all) usually include rashes, headaches, coughing, fever, and myalgia. Myalgia is another name for “muscle pain” and this can be the cause of many different disorders and diseases. The most frequent cause of this is the extensive use of a certain muscle or a set of muscles. If the patient does not have a history of accidents, then it is probably due to a viral or a bacterial infection. If it is a long term symptom, then it could be a symptom of some kind of nutritional deficiency.

One of the most common causes of the inhalation of the C. immitis spores is the disturbance of contaminated, dusty soil. This can be due to either a person exposing themselves to the soil while in the process of work, recreation, or as a result of a natural disaster such as an earthquake or a dust storm. The states where the disease is known to be endemic are California, Arizona, and New Mexico.

The incidence of this disease in the year 1995 in Arizona was 15 infections per 100,000 people.

Those at risk for this disease are those who work in areas where the disease is endemic and do work that exposes them to contaminated dust and soil, which are construction workers, archeologists, or any kind of agricultural worker. Pregnant women that are in their third trimester, Asians, African Americans, and anyone who has a weakened immune system are also particularly at risk to contract this disease.

Some people who contract this disease do not recover and this can bring on chronic pulmonary infection or even a disseminated infection that can be located all over the body. If not treated or a person with HIV or AIDs does not recover completely from this disease, severe pulmonary disease may surface.

In 2001, a group of archeologists who had been working at a dig in Utah developed the disease within about two weeks of being exposed to the contaminated soil. Since then, there has been a new regulation put into place requiring the watering of the soil before digging can begin and for the use of breathing masks.


Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Miami Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors and
Orlando water Damage companies.

Why Use Dogs To Detect Mold When Kits Are Just As Effective

There have been reports of different mold remediation companies using dogs in order to detect the presence of toxic mold in the homes and businesses that they are paid to treat. Obviously, this is probably not a good idea on the part of the remediation service, as animals are not any less susceptible to the effects of toxic molds and other fungi than we human beings are. Any medical mycologist will gladly give you this information and also inform you that this practice of using dogs to sniff out mold is not something that should be promoted. It is cruelty to animals and needs to be stopped. In modern times, there is no reason whatsoever for this method of mold detection to continue at all for any reason. There are many other ways to detect mold besides putting a defenseless animal in danger.

Dogs cannot identify what species of mold is present or in what quantity; only trained and certified scientists are capable of doing this. Some people will tell you that they use dogs because of the health risk that it presents to humans to detect the mold themselves, but this claim is not worthy of anyone’s belief. The fact is that mold inspectors and investigators that become ill and develop serious lung and skin diseases are contracting these because of the incorrect usage of their personal protection equipment. Biohazard suits and respirators should be used when a professional is attempting to locate or remove mold from a home or business. The diseases and conditions that can be caused by mold can very well result in death and while we humans have the ability to go to a doctor and acknowledge when we are will, dogs and other animals do not have this choice. It is frequently the case that by the time a mold related infection occurring in a pet is noticed, it is completely beyond treatment and the animal needs to be put down to avoid further suffering.

Our pets can become affected by fungal eye infections, respiratory diseases, kidney, and other infections caused by pathogenic molds. After an exposure to toxic or allergenic molds, the immune system of the body develops an allergic sensitivity and becomes less able to defend itself against opportunistic infections.

Please do not hire anyone who uses “mold dogs” to detect mold in your home or business. If you would not allow your own pet to be used in such a manner, why would you allow any other animal? There are plenty of other ways for a reputable mold remediation company to detect mold in your home.


Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
mold removal in Atlanta Georgia and
Water Damage Restoration companies.

Saturday, September 8, 2007

Taking Care of Smoke Damaged Clothes

Most clothes that are damaged directly by fire cannot be saved, but those that are damaged only by the soot and ash that is left behind afterward can be if they are taken care of properly. Most often this kind of damage occurs to clothing that is hanging in the closet and becomes engulfed in smoke as the fire ravages another part of the house. Clothes that have soot and ash all over them might not be as difficult as you think that it is, but you still need to take care in the way that you attempt to clean the clothing. Most of this task will be just sorting the clothing into types of fabric and determining when to wash them.

Begin by sorting the clothes by how heavily soiled they are. Lightly soiled items need to be washed first, but they should be shaken out thoroughly first to remove excess soot.

Make piles of clothing and put synthetics with synthetics and organics with organics. Cotton and wool items will be a little more difficult to get the smoke smell out of than synthetic items, but it can be done.

Use as much laundry detergent as the detergent’s manufacturer says to use for every load you need to wash and you should also add one cup of water conditioner. Adding a half a cup of all-fabric bleach will also help. The temperature of the water also matters when washing these soiled clothing items and you should also use the most amount of water that your washer will be able to handle.

Synthetic items should be washed in warm water only in order to stop them from wrinkling when the spin cycle turns on.

All soiled items need to be washed twice and if the soot is still visible, the clothes need to be air dried instead of using the electric dryer. The smoke odor should be gone after they air dry, but if it is not, then the clothes should be aired out outside the house and washed again. Detergents that have perfumes can mask the smell of smoke damage, but after the perfume dissipates, the smell may return.

Chlorinated bleach should not be used on fabric that is organic, because the fabric might have been weakened in certain areas due to the excess heat.

Items that are not subject to dye running, such as very light colors, can be washed in hot water, but this can vary depending on the type of fabric. Look at the clothing tag and see what the care directions say.


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.waterbasementct.info and
http://www.moldrestorationusa.com

Sump Pumps in Wet Basements

Having a wet basement due to a flood, hurricane, or ground water seeping in is at the very least an inconvenience to most homeowners and at the most, it can lead to serious structural damage that can cost thousands to fix. No matter what you use your basement for, you probably have a lot of important things down there that you either use all the time or are simply in storage to be taken care of at a later date.

The best thing that you can do to prevent having a wet basement is to keep a properly functioning sump pump in it so that the water that builds up in the lowest portion of the basement is pumped out when it reaches a certain level. The pump directs the water to a drain that carries it outside and away from your home’s foundation. This makes sure that the rest of the basement does not become flooded with water.

Keeping an eye on your sump pump and making sure that it working correctly is essential if you want to keep a dry basement. After all, the pump cannot do all the work on its own. It can pump the water out of the basement during heavy rains and floods, but keeping it maintained is your job. Check the float inside the tank and make sure that it is working right by pouring a large amount of water into it. The float should rise to the top, cause the pump to turn on, the water will drain out, and the float will trigger the pump to turn off when it gets to the bottom of the tank. This is how the pump behaves when it is working properly.

Having a backup pump is also a good idea and a lot of times the backup tends to be a water pressure powered one and this will come from the water system in your house. If the electricity flips off during a storm, the backup pump that does not require electricity will take care of the water flooding into your basement.

You should also consider what kind of pump you need to install in your home. Cast iron pumps will last much longer than the plastic ones, but they do come at a higher cost.

Submersible sump pumps are something else you might want to think about. These are designed to work while under water, but these are quieter and tend to last longer than other types.

Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
mold removal in Atlanta Georgia and
Water Damage Restoration companies.
Having a wet basement due to a flood, hurricane, or ground water seeping in is at the very least an inconvenience to most homeowners and at the most, it can lead to serious structural damage that can cost thousands to fix. No matter what you use your basement for, you probably have a lot of important things down there that you either use all the time or are simply in storage to be taken care of at a later date.

The best thing that you can do to prevent having a wet basement is to keep a properly functioning sump pump in it so that the water that builds up in the lowest portion of the basement is pumped out when it reaches a certain level. The pump directs the water to a drain that carries it outside and away from your home’s foundation. This makes sure that the rest of the basement does not become flooded with water.

Keeping an eye on your sump pump and making sure that it working correctly is essential if you want to keep a dry basement. After all, the pump cannot do all the work on its own. It can pump the water out of the basement during heavy rains and floods, but keeping it maintained is your job. Check the float inside the tank and make sure that it is working right by pouring a large amount of water into it. The float should rise to the top, cause the pump to turn on, the water will drain out, and the float will trigger the pump to turn off when it gets to the bottom of the tank. This is how the pump behaves when it is working properly.

Having a backup pump is also a good idea and a lot of times the backup tends to be a water pressure powered one and this will come from the water system in your house. If the electricity flips off during a storm, the backup pump that does not require electricity will take care of the water flooding into your basement.

You should also consider what kind of pump you need to install in your home. Cast iron pumps will last much longer than the plastic ones, but they do come at a higher cost.

Submersible sump pumps are something else you might want to think about. These are designed to work while under water, but these are quieter and tend to last longer than other types.


Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
mold removal in Atlanta Georgia and
Water Damage Restoration companies.

Restoration of Water Damaged Papers

One of the first things that should be on your mind after a flood or a hurricane is the important papers and other documents that are in your home inside dressers, desks, and on tables. Sometimes these are the only copies in existence and if you lose them, you might be facing a little bit of inconvenience or you could possibly be facing some legal trouble. Protecting these documents should be one of the first things that you think about when a storm is about to hit and after it is over, you also need to be concerned about how to restore them should they become damaged.

Purchasing a waterproof and fireproof safe is a very good idea if you have any important documents and since most people do, this should apply to you. Whether it is a marriage certificate, birth certificate, warranty on your newly constructed home or large appliance, or any other paper that could have legal significance, you should do your best to make sure that these documents are in a safe place. A waterproof and fireproof safe will help keep these documents protected during times of tragedy striking your house.

Documents should be taken out of standing water before 2 days is up, since mold will start to grow sometime closely afterward. Mold eats organically based items such as paper and wood, so making sure that these items do not become molded is very important. Dry a flat surface to lay these documents onto and open the windows and doors in the home to allow for ventilation. This will help dry the papers out faster.

Any standing water that still exists in your home should be removed, as well. The humidity needs to be lowered as much as you can and the temperature should be put at near 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

Items that need to be taken to a freeze dry facility for restoration should be packed in freezer wrap. Pack these only as tightly as you need to in order to prevent them from sticking to each other in the box. Books should be packed with other like-sized items and papers should be packed in a separate box with other papers. Put your name, address, phone number, and content list on the box and transport it to the facility of your choosing


Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Water Damage Miami and
water damage restoration in atlanta companies.

Repairing Wet Basement Concrete

Water leaking into the basement through concrete walls is something of a nuisance if it does not cause structural damage and if it does, well, then it is a much bigger problem that needs to be dealt with. Whether you use your basement for storage or for an extra bedroom or an entertainment area, having a wet basement tends to create an uncomfortable atmosphere. Musty smells from mold growth will result, especially if there are things in the basement for the mold to feed on, such as paper or furniture. Not only is the smell quite repulsive, but the mold also creates a health risk for anyone living in the house. Mold often gets transferred from room to room by people and pets, so the infestation being mainly in the basement will not stop it from getting to other areas of your house.

So, what can you do to waterproof your basement walls? If there are already cracks in them, particularly in the middle of the wall, then sealing up the cracks is a fairly easy job to do. The only thing that you need to really do is determine what kind of material that you need to fill in the cracks with.

Caulking the crack shut does not work because it does not bond to the concrete and water will eventually cause it to come loose and just fall out. Cement does not work, either, since it is rigid and concrete is always moving, expanding, and shrinking.

Using a low-pressure injection of concrete is one of the best things that you can do to correct this problem. While it used to be expensive and need a heavy amount of equipment to accomplish, you can do it these days with a normal caulking gun.

Expandable polyurethane is one material that you can use to fill in cracks allowing water into the house. While it does not give the concrete any added strength, it does create a waterproof barrier. The polyurethane will bond to the crack whether water is seeping in through it at the time or not.

Go around the exterior of the house and find where water could be seeping inside. This could be around the foundation where water settles into pockets because the soil is not piled high enough around the house. You can fix this by getting soil from another area of your yard, if possible, or purchasing some and packing it in these pockets around the house.

If the problem is ground water, one of the only things that you can do about this is to install a drain system in the yard so the soil does not get oversaturated.


Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Water Damage Restoration Contractors and
Miami water Damage companiesalt

Repairing Tile Grout Helps Stop Water Damage

When the grout between the tile in our bathrooms becomes cracked, loose, or missing, water is allowed to get underneath the tile and damage the wooden floor underneath it. This damage can eventually become structural and cause the need for replacement of the entire floor or at least a sizeable portion of it. This will not only cost you quite a bit of money, but will also cause the loss of at least a day or two in repairing it. Not many people want to have to tear up the tile on the floor in the bathroom or on the walls of the shower and then tear up the floor, too. Repairing grout is not a difficult job to do and it is something that you can do yourself to keep your floor waterproofed.

There are a few different kinds of grout that you can use to repair the cracked or missing grout in your bathroom. There is unsanded, sanded, epoxy, or acrylic grout and depending on the kind of tile that you will use the grout between, you will need to use one instead of the other. If you have marble tiles, you should not use sanded grout, since this will etch the marble irreparably. Use acrylic or unsanded grout on marble tiles.

Mix the grout according to the manufacturer’s instructions and before you go to replace the grout, the area should be cleaned with a mixture of water and vinegar. Use a grout saw to take out the damaged and loose grout, but be careful not to chip the tile. Dampen the joints with water and use a paper towel to soak up the water. The joints need to be filled up and the surface should be rounded out with a stick. Use a damp sponge to get rid of the excess.

Allow the grout to set firmly in the joints and the directions on the grout package should tell you how long this is going to take. A grout sealant should be applied over the grout after it dries, since this grout is going in an area that is going to be wet.

Clean the tile with a damp rag after the sealant dries and allow it to dry again. After the cloudy haze starts to appear on the tile, use a dry towel to polish this off.

You do not need to hire a professional to do these small home improvement jobs. Most of the time jobs of this size can be done by you and you will save a significant amount of money doing them on your own.


Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Water Damage Restoration Contractors and
Miami water Damage companies.