Tag Archive: flood preparation

So flood waters have receded and, thanks to your Flood Solutions flood vents, your home is structurally sound. The next step is to dry out your home to prevent growth of mold or mildew. This needs to be done as quickly as possible, as residents of Hamptons Roads, Virginia found out during recent flooding.

Mold and mildew can have serious health consequences. Mold can lead to infections, difficulty breathing, skin reactions and long-term health problems. Mold and mildew consist of microscopic organisms that thrive in moist, wet areas. You can’t always detect them, but they often discolor walls or ceilings and have a musty or foul odor.

Mold and mildew can start to grow as quickly as 24 hours after water exposure. The faster you act, the better your chances of reducing mold damage. Start by removing anything porous from your home, such as carpets or insulation.  Use a bleach-water solution to wash non-porous items, such as floors, concrete walls, countertops, and glass. When using the bleach mixture, open windows and doors to increase airflow and ventilation and wear protective gloves and eye gear. Fans and dehumidifiers can also help remove excess moisture, but don’t turn on your HVAC system until its been inspected and cleaned. A mold-infested HVAC system can quickly spread mold throughout your home. Unfortunately, drying your home is not a quick process – it can take days or even weeks.

Depending on the extent of the water damage, you might want to consider hiring a professional cleaning and drying company to restore your home. They’ll make sure the job is done properly and document damages and restoration for insurance purposes.

It’s always a good idea to minimize damage to your home through good flood preparation. Install FEMA compliant flood vents, use mold-mildew resistant building materials, and don’t install carpets or other porous materials in your basement. Contact Flood Solutions to learn more.

In an earlier blog post, we talked about FEMA’s new app for mobile devices that gives emergency preparedness tips and locations of FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers. There are plenty of other great apps that provide support in emergency situations.

If a major storm is heading your way, you can use an app to track its progress. Hurricane Tracker is an app compatible with iPhones, iPod Touch, and iPads. It has maps, storm status push updates, and audio and video updates. Similarly, Android users can check out Hurricane Software which also provides up-to-date hurricane information.

A great app for emergency and non-emergency situations are flashlight apps for mobile devices. There are plenty to choose from, but Universal Flashlight (for Apple devices) and Droid Light (for Android devices) are among the more popular ones. These apps are great when you find yourself suddenly without power and need to find your way in the dark. Whether a storm has taken out the power line or you simply can’t find your glasses in a dark hotel room, this app is an easy one to load and forget about – until you need it.

None of these apps will be of much use if you can’t keep them charged. Fortunately, there are plenty of emergency chargers on the market to keep smart phones and tablets going when power is out. This is a great item to add to your home emergency kit!

If your area is at risk of flooding, flood vents are a proven way to help maintain the structural integrity of your home. We have a complete line of FEMA compliant flood vents for every application. Contact Flood Solutions to learn more.

FEMA regularly updates flood maps as they gather new data and complete flood mitigation projects. This means you might find your home included in a flood hazard area. This happened recently in Scottsdale, Arizona when FEMA updated their flood maps for that region.

If FEMA flood map revisions put your home in a flood hazard area, FEMA will notify you six months before the change is made official. If you find yourself with a FEAM notification in your mailbox, here are some tips on what you can do:

1. Talk to your insurance agent. If you hold a federally backed mortgage, you’ll be required to purchase flood insurance (if you don’t have some already).  Talk to your insurance agent to make sure you get the right coverage. Even if you’re not required to purchase flood insurance (maybe you don’t have a mortgage, or maybe your mortgage is not federally backed) you should still think about getting insurance. It’s an important way to recover losses should a flood occur.
2. Contact your community flood plain administrator. If your community disagrees with the flood map changes, they can decide to appeal the change. If your community doesn’t plan to appeal, but you disagree with the revised flood maps, you can appeal as an individual. You’ll need to have solid data to support your appeal.
3. Take steps to prepare for a flood. If your home is at greater risk of flooding, you’ll want to prepare. You can minimize flood damage to your home by elevating your furnace and hot water heater, installing values in sewer traps to prevent flood water from backing up into your home, and installing flood vents to minimize pressure damage to your foundation.

Check the FEMA website for more information on flood preparation and flood map changes.

Flood Solutions carries a variety of flood vent sizes and models for installation into existing concrete foundations (and other foundation materials) and for new construction. Contact us to learn more.

FEMA, the federal agency charged with helping communities nationwide prepare, respond, and recover from natural and manmade disasters, recently re-launched its Ready.gov website.

Craig Fugate, administrator of FEMA describes the changes:

The new website provides valuable information on disaster planning. Learn what to do before, during, and after an emergency, get guidelines for making a disaster plan, and learn how to build your own disaster kits. It also has information on preparing as a community and as a business. It even has games for kids!

The site can be accessed via your computer, tablet or mobile device. (There’s even a mobile version of the website at http://m.fema.gov.)

In addition, FEMA also recently released an app for Apple or Android Smartphones. The app provides preparedness information for different types of disasters and even a map with FEMA Disaster Recovery Center locations. You won’t want to rely on this app in the middle of a disaster (when communications may be down), but it can be a useful preparation tool.

When you’re taking steps to minimize flood damage, don’t forget to consider installing flood vents. Flood Solutions has FEMA compliant flood vent models. Contact us to learn more!

Flood vents are a proven way to minimize flood damage. Although counterintuitive, allowing flood water to flow into your home helps preserve the integrity and stability of foundations and walls as water levels rise.

Thankfully, installing flood vents into concrete or other foundations is not difficult. They can be installed into existing openings (retrofitted) or in new home construction. Make sure the bottom of the flood vent opening is no more than 12” above the adjacent grade and that they are level.

Flood Solutions has different flood vent models for different applications. Our flood vent model F is perfect for existing openings. It is made of heavy-duty aluminum with a 1” front mounting flange. It is 1.25” deep. Our flood vent model D is perfect for new construction installation with its 4” deep channel frame and heavy-duty aluminum construction. These can be installed into existing openings or mortared into place as walls are constructed. Our flood vent model C is a special heavy-duty cast aluminum constructed vent designed for existing openings or new construction. It is 3/8” deep.

All our flood vents are available in different colors and sizes.

Complete instructions are included with all Flood Solutions state certified flood vents but the process is pretty simple. When installing a Model F flood vent into an existing opening, you basically just have to drill holes for the screws, insert anchors, secure the vent and caulk around the outside. It’s even easier to install a flood vent into new construction using the Model D. Generally, you just need to insert the vent into the opening while the mortar is wet and then mortar the vent into place when constructing the wall.

Once you’re flood vents are installed, you can relax knowing your flood vents will help protect the integrity of your home if flooding should occur.

To learn more about our flood vents, contact Flood Solutions. You can purchase our flood vents directly via our website.

When flooding is imminent, it’s too late to take steps to significantly reduce property damage. As residents of New York State’s Southern Tier found out during recent flooding, it pays to prepare for flooding well before it occurs. By taking a few precautionary steps, you can not only minimize damage to your home but also reduce after-flood repair costs.

Flood vents are one of the most effective ways to protect your home during flooding. Installed in the foundation of your home, flood vents allow free flow of water in and out of buildings. Protecting your home by letting water in (as opposed to keeping it out) might surprise you, but unequal water pressure from inside or outside your home can lead to structural damage and even building collapse. Mopping up a wet basement will cost less than repairing your foundation or replacing your home.

You can minimize damage to the contents of your house by putting as little in your basement as possible. Elevate your furnace, hot water heater and electrical panel and move anything expensive or valuable to higher floors. When you remodel or repair your home, use mold resistant drywall and insulation. For more flood mitigation tips, see FEMA’s list of flood preparation steps.

Don’t wait until flood waters threaten before taking action to protect your home and reduce repair costs. Contact Flood Solutions while your basement is still dry.