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Hello,
To all the 2011 Flood victims of Bismarck, Mandan, and surrounding areas affected by the Missouri river, Heart river, Apple creek, and other bodies of water reaching their flood stage levels. At this point in time most of the rivers in North Dakota have receeded back to their normal flows and river levels. But for most of you that live on the Missouri river that is not the case; this is only the half way point for what the corps of engineers is telling us will be a long summer of high water and an extended time frame of large water releases dependng on rainfall, snowmelt, and mother nature. Since we are past the preparation stages for flooding I will discuss ways to minimize damage in homes that currently have water damage or standing water. |
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Tips
- Flood Water Control- There are many different ways to control water from entering your personal residence or home. The first and most obvious solution would be building a dike or water dam that can withstand stong current and floating debris that may harm or puncture the dike. This can be built using sandbags, compacted dirt or clay, covered with industrial fabric or plastic. There are also other ways to lower the water table in conjuction with these dams to keep basements dry using sandpoint wells, or waterwells around the home.
- Humidity- If water is present or was present in your home this is one of the biggest factors in saving other parts of your home, personal property, and buildng materials that were not affected. Setting up dehumidifiers on your main floor, and upper levels will help keep humidity levels low and lessen the chances of mold growth on those floors. If your lowest level currently has standing water, setting up a couple of fans exhausting out of the windows will help bring dryer air down from the upper levels and lower humidity in your basement. If seepage is continous in your home, blowing air at puddles is not the solution, this will only increase humidity levels. So remember air exchange in the basement is key and keeping humidity levels well below 60% will prevent secondary damage in your home.
- Removal of Wet Building material- This is the next step in controlling your flooding situation. This is an option if it is possible to access your home and you only have minimal amounts of water in your basement. Contact and check with an electrician first to see if it is safe to enter, depending on the amounts of water you had or currently have. Remember every situation is different and electricity and water do not mix. At this point you should contact a restoration professional to advise you on what should be removed, how much should be removed, what can be dried and what can't be dried. Again every situation will be different, but in a long term flooding situation materials commonly removed include: drywall, insulation, floor coverings (wood, laminate, carpet, pad cushion, and vinyl), cabinetry, trimwork, doors, and windows depending on the water level.
- Cleaning, Dissinfecting, and Protection- Flood water is contaminated and can carry many diseases. Make sure you protect yourself with the proper personal protective gear, and respirators rated for your situation. Also make sure you are up to date on your tetanus shot. After demolition cleaning, dissinfecting should be performed on all areas affected by the flood water. This should be performed by a licensed and trained remediation contractor (Arrow) to ensure safety and that a thourough inspection of the house has been done.
- Structural Drying- After the home has been cleaned, dissinfected, tested, and properly inspected the dying process of the structure may begin. Open or closed drying systems may be used to perform this step in the process. We will design and use the right equipment needed for each indivudual project. Use of a professional restoration company is key here to ensure that the structure is properly dried before the reconstruction phase begins. Certain materials not properly dried will mold and eventually rot causing a much larger problem for the homeowner in the future.
- Qualified Contractors- Do not hire contractors who recommend just fogging or spraying as a way to clean up. Certain types of moldy building materials need to be removed. Check the contractors references for similar work they have done in the area. Try to hire local contractors over out of state storm chasers, when they leave you will be left to deal with the problems they left behind. Ask for a detailed scope of work and ask questions, most of the time this will separate out the professionals.
Hopefully this advice will be helpful to the flood victims of 2011. If you have any questions, concerns or would like to contact us just click on the link to your left.
Sincerely,
Tyler, Howard, Chad, and Marsha Leier |
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