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If your home has been submerged in water, you are going to want to get it dried out as soon as possible, but there are a few things that you need to be made aware of before you attempt to do this.  Floods are often unexpected events and preparing for them physically is usually not possible unless the flood comes as a result of a hurricane and even then, protecting the belongings that you have to leave in the house after you evacuate isn’t very easy to do.  You can stop most rain from getting into the house, but not flood waters.

Before you go back into the house after the majority of the water has receded, you need to make sure that going into the house will not expose you to the risk of being electrocuted.  You should not rely on the condition of your neighborhood’s electricity and assume that just because the rest of the neighborhood is without power, you are, too.  Cut the electricity to the house completely off so that you can go back inside safely. 

Get a video, digital, or traditional film camera and begin making a record of just how much damage was done to the home.  Include just how long the house was under water, what was damaged, and approximately how much it will cost to repair or replace it.  This will help a lot when you have to file a claim with your insurance company.

Help ventilate the house and start drying it out by opening all windows and doors, as long as it is not raining outside.  The breeze blowing through the house should help dry things out a little faster, but do not use an artificial heat source to do this task.  Drying out hardwood floors and some other items too quickly this way can do more damage to them than good, so using a space heater or a hot air blower is not advised. 

Any electronic devices in the house should be let to dry out completely before you attempt to use them again.  It is the electricity flowing through an electronic device that damages it to the point of being irreparable, not the water itself.  The combination of the two is what does the damage.

Take wet furniture outside and allow them to dry out; put them in the shade, if possible.  This is because direct sunlight can bleach fabrics and you do not want to do more damage to your furniture than has already been done.

Fort Lauderdale Wet Carpet Drying

Everyone who owns or rents a home should know what to do to prevent water damage.  Even if you rent the property that you’re on, it’s in your best interest to take some responsibility for your living space and do what you can do stop water damage, especially if you plan on renting there for a long time.

If you have a washing machine in your home or apartment, it’s a good idea to make sure that the hose doesn’t have any cracks in it.  If the hose ruptures and begins to spew water, it won’t be long before your entire laundry room floor is covered in water and starts leaking into the next room.  Hoses that connect to your washer should be replaced as many times and as frequently as you need to, but under normal conditions, every three to five years is sufficient. 

A leaky water heater is also a cause of water damage in the home and one of the best ways to determine if you have a leaky one is to look for rust or signs that it has leaked in the past.  If a water heater is located on a 2^nd or higher floor of the home or apartment building, it needs to be installed inside a pan that has a drain connected to a drain in the floor to make sure the water goes into the plumbing system.

Making sure that water is escaping from your roof the way it should be one of the first things on your mind if you want to prevent water damage to your attic and the rest of your house.  If you’re just renting an apartment, then this part is mostly up to your landlord or the property manager.  If you’re renting a home, then part of this is probably up to you.  Cleaning out the gutters and the general maintenance of the property is up to you unless it’s something serious.  Making sure the downspouts that are attached to the corners of the house are free of leaves and other debris will drain water away from the foundation of the house and keep it from sinking into the ground.  Keeping water draining away from the house and making sure the cracks around your doors and windows are thoroughly caulked and sealed is another step that you can take to keep water from leaking into your home.

Fire And Smoke Cleanup

Any excess amount of water coming into contact with the foundation or the inside of your home can be structurally damaging and if you own the home you’re currently living in, one of the best things that you can do to prevent this damage is to learn how to direct runoff water away from your home.

If you live in a rainy climate or even a snowy one (even snow melts eventually in most places), you should take special care to protect the structural integrity of your home. This is best done by making sure that you have good surface drainage outside of your home and this involves your roof, gutters, and downspouts. Downspout extensions also need to be paid attention to and you need to make sure that they direct water as far as possible from your home’s foundation.

Making sure your roof is properly angled according to where you live. Roofs with higher pitches are the most common in areas where snow tends to be heavy because snow can easily slide off the roof instead of being allowed to sit there and not only stress your roof because of the weight, but when it starts to melt, it will cause the water damage you’re trying to avoid. Water shouldn’t be allowed to accumulate on your roof for any period of time and this is why your roof should be angled so the water will run into the gutters.

The gutters to your home should be large enough to handle heavy amounts of rainfall, especially if you live in an area where heavy rain is common. They should also be cleaned out on a regular basis and be free of clogs of any kind. It might not be a fun home improvement activity for you or anyone you hire to do it for you, but doing this as opposed to having to repair water damage to your home will save you money in the long run.

The downspouts that are connected to your gutters are what direct the water from the gutters and down to the ground where a downspout extension should be located to make sure the water from your roof doesn’t collect around your foundation. These are normally located around the corners of the home, but can be found in other areas. The easier it is for water to get away from your home, the more money you’ll end up saving in the future.

Water Damage

When it comes to practicing your guitar, there are literally thousands  of teaching methods available. Basic, logical and effective practice habits are an essential building block for any guitarist. You can’t get away from the concept of dedicating a certain amount of time everyday with out any excuses to practice your discipline.

Guitar tools considered standard tools for practicing the guitar, such as a metronome and tuner are indispensable, however there may be ways to improve your skills right under your nose. People can be very imaginative, and come up with some terrific, out of the box practice methods that are quite unique and helpful.

Perhaps it is not unique, but one method I use and really enjoy since it is not as much work as a structured practice session, is to play to the television. The strategy is fun and really develops your ear to find ‘tones’ and the ‘keys’ and improve timing issues in a realistic way. We all watch television to some extent. The music used in different types of shows is fun to emulate in terms of how fast you can figure out what ‘key’ it is in and even the type of ’scale’  being used.

Simply put, television commercials and shows use music that is suitable for the medium. Meaning, a suspenseful ‘Law and Order’ episode may have a lot of tension in the notes played, especially before the ‘dicks’ find the unfindable clue. Commercials such as the ‘Cialis’ ( erectile disfunction medicine ) has a great lead-in slideable chord that is a great ‘measure of music’ to play with.

Since I mainly watch sporting stuff, I hear certain types of commercials that relate well to sports lovers. Maybe you have seen the car commercials for Nissan and I think Chevrolet too, and even the NFL, they use Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Pride and Joy” as their song. Well, I know this song pretty well, but it is fun, and Stevie Ray is one of my influences. I hear tunes and songs on television shows also that force me into quick ‘key’ and ’scale’ decisions.  For the little time I spend in front of the television, I get a lot of real world practice at these two important elements of music mentioned above.

I call it multi-tasking. Watching television and playing the guitar! Try it, but don’t forget  the logical and effective methods for practicing your guitar that allowed you to play with the television. Now your mom or wife can’t say TV is a worthless waste of time! Enjoy.

Guitar Players Center is dedicated to answering the unusual guitar questions and providing information on all guitars, guitar lessons and how to practice what you preach. Check it out and leave a comment or share the information. Play on.

Remodeling a kitchen is the greatest challenge any renovator faces. There are so many decisions to be made: what shape should the kitchen be, what appliances should be used and where should they go, and what materials and cabinets should be installed. These decisions, complicated themselves, are also complicated by the fact that kitchens play such a crucial role in home valuation. A home with a thoughtfully designed kitchen will garner up to 50% more than an identical home with a shabby one.

That’s why I tell all of my clients that while it makes sense to save money where possible on the usual subcontractors and designers (decorators, landscape architects, etc), hiring a kitchen designer is tantamount to hiring an architect when it comes to a home remodel, since both play an equal role in increasing the value of your home. Whether it’s a Hamptons hideaway or a NYC apartment, hiring a kitchen designer will not only more or less guarantee that your kitchen investment is recouped in your home’s appreciation; a skilled designer will also make it easier for you to get the look and functionality you want from your kitchen, for a better price than you might be able to do it for yourself.

Want custom cabinetry? All good kitchen designs use it, but a kitchen designer can get it to you for close the price of factory cabinets. Want a sleek Italian design or a contemporary kitchen feel? The right kitchen designer will listen to you to ensure that your kitchen remodel ends in a result that pleases you and your aesthetic sensibilities. So next time you visit your banker for a loan on a flip, I recommend telling them you plan to hire a kitchen designer. Doing so makes their loan less risky as the chance of a good payout for you increases. Translation: hiring a kitchen designer may get you a better rate and will definitely make you money.