There are a number of things that you need to do to prepare for the next hurricane if you live on the gulf or Atlantic coast of the United States, but those who have just moved there may not realize just what those things may be or which are the most important.
The thing that you will need to survive the most is clean water. The human body can survive for a week or longer without food, but without water, death will follow in a pretty short time. You may not be able to get to the store and obtain the water that you need, so you should save this up ahead of time. This is easily done if you keep milk jugs and rinse them out. Store these in a closet or other area of your house until the storm is on its way. Fill them up and you should have plenty of clean water to drink and bathe with, depending on how many people are staying with you.
Whatever you do, refrain from drinking water out of the faucet after the storm has already hit. This water could be contaminated with anything, including mud, silt, sewage, chemicals, and sea water. Sea water is dangerous enough by itself, since it can cause you to become extremely dehydrated and can even cause death within a few hours. You should never, ever, under any circumstances, drink sea water. It will kill you.
You will also need a fair supply of food to eat while you are stuck in the house. This should include mainly non-perishable items and foods that do not require cooking, since it is likely that the electricity will go out while you are there.
You should also make sure you have a decent amount of cash on you, in case your local bank and ATM is unavailable for a while after the storm is over.
Special items like medication for the elderly, babies, or those with different medical needs should be gathered up and put into a Ziploc bag or other kind of waterproof case.
You also need a flashlight and some extra batteries. A hand crank radio is also good to have around so you will know what is going on in the outside world even after the electricity goes out.
You will also want to have a rain coat or poncho, some heavy rubber boots, and an umbrella to use in case you have to go out of the house for anything, but you should avoid this if at all possible.
You can also include some water purification tablets in your supply kit. These usually can be bought at outdoor supply stores or at your local department store.
Showing posts with label how-to. Show all posts
Showing posts with label how-to. Show all posts
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Steps to Prevent a House Fire
Whether you think that it can happen to you or not, a house fire can be one of the most trying experiences that you can have, but the majority of house fires can be prevented simply by paying attention to what you are doing and using the electrical devices in your home the way that they were intended.
When cooking in the kitchen, you should never leave oil or shortening to heat on the stove unattended. This is the cause of more house fires than you can imagine and it is easily avoidable by simply not leaving the room for more than a minute or two (literally). If you have to put out a grease fire, you should know that you cannot do this with water. Use baking soda or your fire extinguisher, depending on the size of the fire. If it is very small, the baking soda should take care of it. If it is larger and threatens to spread beyond the stove, use the fire extinguisher.
The electrical devices most notorious for starting house fires are used during the winter to keep the house or the people in it as warm as possible. Electric blankets have been known to catch beds on fire with people asleep in them and go on to burn the rest of the house to the ground. While you may think that you know how to use an electric blanket, you may want to reconsider leaving it on while you are asleep under it. If you absolutely must leave it on, it should be on a low setting. Never leave it on a high setting, especially when it is underneath other blankets. The other blankets will insulate the heat and make it even more likely to catch on fire. Secondly, do not allow pets or children to walk on the bed while it is on it. Walking on electric blankets can damage the heating elements.
Space heaters are another concern for those of us who cannot afford to pay the extra cost of a gas bill during the winter time to heat the house. These can cause house fires quickly, as well, and should be used with caution. Do not place them in the rooms of small children since they often have a number of plush toys and blankets in the room that can catch on fire. An area of at least 3 to 5 feet or more should be cleared from around the heater so it does not catch anything on fire.
Something else to consider when using devices that emit heat is to never use an extension cord with them unless it is a heavy duty gauge of at least 14. Small cords used with lamps and other devices cannot handle the current needed to provide power to devices that emit heat. They will melt.
When cooking in the kitchen, you should never leave oil or shortening to heat on the stove unattended. This is the cause of more house fires than you can imagine and it is easily avoidable by simply not leaving the room for more than a minute or two (literally). If you have to put out a grease fire, you should know that you cannot do this with water. Use baking soda or your fire extinguisher, depending on the size of the fire. If it is very small, the baking soda should take care of it. If it is larger and threatens to spread beyond the stove, use the fire extinguisher.
The electrical devices most notorious for starting house fires are used during the winter to keep the house or the people in it as warm as possible. Electric blankets have been known to catch beds on fire with people asleep in them and go on to burn the rest of the house to the ground. While you may think that you know how to use an electric blanket, you may want to reconsider leaving it on while you are asleep under it. If you absolutely must leave it on, it should be on a low setting. Never leave it on a high setting, especially when it is underneath other blankets. The other blankets will insulate the heat and make it even more likely to catch on fire. Secondly, do not allow pets or children to walk on the bed while it is on it. Walking on electric blankets can damage the heating elements.
Space heaters are another concern for those of us who cannot afford to pay the extra cost of a gas bill during the winter time to heat the house. These can cause house fires quickly, as well, and should be used with caution. Do not place them in the rooms of small children since they often have a number of plush toys and blankets in the room that can catch on fire. An area of at least 3 to 5 feet or more should be cleared from around the heater so it does not catch anything on fire.
Something else to consider when using devices that emit heat is to never use an extension cord with them unless it is a heavy duty gauge of at least 14. Small cords used with lamps and other devices cannot handle the current needed to provide power to devices that emit heat. They will melt.
Bathroom Water Damage and Mold Help
Nobody wants to find mold growing in the bathroom, but you will if you do not take the proper steps to make sure that it is taken care of on a regular basis. There are a number of things that you can do to stop mold from growing in your bathroom and since you will spend a large amount of time in this room over the years, it is suggested that you take these steps no matter what it might cost your wallet. The last thing you want is to need a mold remediation done in the bathroom that could cost you thousands of dollars simply because you did not take the time and effort to care for it.
One of the most important parts of your bathroom is not the tub, the toilet, or the sink, but the floor. This holds up everything else in the room and if this goes, the entire thing will fall to the ground underneath the house. This happens more often than you think and it is usually due to floors not being properly waterproofed. You can do this by making sure that there are no cracked tiles or cracked portions of linoleum or whatever flooring you have decided to have put down in the bathroom. If the flooring is old and you have not had it replaced since you have lived in the home and it is damaged, you will want to seriously consider having the floor checked out to see if it is water damaged. Mold can also start growing underneath it, so if the bathroom smells musty at all, you may want to have the house checked for this, too.
Another thing that you want to consider adding to the room is an exhaust vent. Exhaust vents are required by many local building codes and you may not really feel like you need it if you have a window, but installing one is a good investment since it is not always a good idea to leave the bathroom window open. The reason for these vents is so steam is not absorbed by the ceiling and upper walls and cause them to become molded over time. Ceilings that absorb water like this will also start to sag and possibly collapse later.
You should also keep an eye on the plumbing underneath the sink and near the toilet. You should not neglect the slow drips that can happen with these pipes and you should get them fixed as soon as possible, no matter how water tight your floor might be.
One of the most important parts of your bathroom is not the tub, the toilet, or the sink, but the floor. This holds up everything else in the room and if this goes, the entire thing will fall to the ground underneath the house. This happens more often than you think and it is usually due to floors not being properly waterproofed. You can do this by making sure that there are no cracked tiles or cracked portions of linoleum or whatever flooring you have decided to have put down in the bathroom. If the flooring is old and you have not had it replaced since you have lived in the home and it is damaged, you will want to seriously consider having the floor checked out to see if it is water damaged. Mold can also start growing underneath it, so if the bathroom smells musty at all, you may want to have the house checked for this, too.
Another thing that you want to consider adding to the room is an exhaust vent. Exhaust vents are required by many local building codes and you may not really feel like you need it if you have a window, but installing one is a good investment since it is not always a good idea to leave the bathroom window open. The reason for these vents is so steam is not absorbed by the ceiling and upper walls and cause them to become molded over time. Ceilings that absorb water like this will also start to sag and possibly collapse later.
You should also keep an eye on the plumbing underneath the sink and near the toilet. You should not neglect the slow drips that can happen with these pipes and you should get them fixed as soon as possible, no matter how water tight your floor might be.
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