#Flood damage cleanup Baton Rouge

[purocleanbatonrouge]

PuroClean of East Baton Rouge

PuroClean of East Baton Rouge is a leading repair company dedicated to serving both homeowners and business services by restoring water-damaged properties to their previous splendor. With a strong concentrate on quality and customer satisfaction, our IICRC certified professionals bring a wealth of understanding and experience to every repair job. Whether it's water damage, fire and smoke damage, or mold remediation, we pride ourselves on delivering the best-in-class services in the repair industry.

At PuroClean, we comprehend the devastating effect that water damage, fires, and mold can have on homes and the lives of those impacted. That's why we act quickly and efficiently to decrease the damage and prevent further problems. Our skilled professionals use cutting edge equipment and advanced techniques to deal with even the most challenging remediation tasks, making sure a thorough and long lasting solution.

Beyond our technical proficiency, we approach every project with empathy and compassion, acknowledging the tension and disruption that these occurrences can cause. Our goal is to supply a seamless restoration process, guiding our clients through every step and ensuring their peace of mind throughout the entire journey.

When catastrophe strikes, you can rely on PuroClean of East Baton Rouge to be there for you, offering reliable, efficient, and compassionate remediation services that assist bring your property and life back to normal.

SERVICES: Water Damage Restoration, Mold Removal & Remediation, Biohazard Cleanup Services, Water Damage Restoration, Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration, Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning, Duct Cleaning, Tile & Grout Cleaning Contact Us:

PuroClean of East Baton Rouge 225-963-5550 https://www.puroclean.com/baton-rouge-la-puroclean-east-baton-rouge/

[servicesprosofbatonrouge]

Website: https://waterdamagerestorationbatonrouge.com/water-damage/

Address: 301 Main St Ste 2200, Baton Rouge, LA 70801

Phone: +1 225-960-6940

Services Pros of Baton Rouge is a local disaster cleanup and restoration company in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Services Pros provides 24/7 emergency response to clean and restore your home or business from sewer backups, storm damage, basement flooding, and water and fire damage disasters. Certified cleaning of mold in attics, crawl spaces and walls. Services Pros works with all insurance companies to handle the claim process quickly and restore your property back to a pre-loss condition.

Business mail: service@waterdamagerestorationbatonrouge.com

[unitedfireandwater]

Bathroom Water Damage in Baton Rouge

How To Prevent Water Damage In The Bathroom

Your bathroom is one of the most frequently used rooms in your home. Water is necessary for the bathroom fixtures to function. Toilets, sinks, showers, and tubs all require plumbing to make them work. As these fixtures wear over time, they are susceptible to corrosion, loosened connections, and damage. Unfortunately, with all the water and all the potential problems, bathrooms are very prone to water damage. No need to despair; united fire & water a dKI company has a few ways that you can help prevent water damage from occurring in your bathroom.

Keep drains clean and clear

When drains get blockages or clogs, they disrupt the flow of water, leading to overflow and flooding. Soap scum, grime, and hair are all common culprits of drain clogs in bathrooms. Since you cannot avoid these things going down your sink and shower drain, what you can do is help to minimize what actually makes it down the drain. Drain shields and guards are inexpensive purchases that you place over the drain to filter what can and cannot go down them. They catch hair and excess soap scum and grim so that you can wipe them down instead of letting them run down the drain where they can build up and eventually cause clogs. You should also clean out drains periodically with commercial grade drain cleaner or a mixture of baking soda, vinegar, and hot water. This will prevent too much build up from forming inside the drainpipe and help reduce the risk of clogs.

Do not overwork your toilet

Toilets tend to clog and overflow frequently, and that is a messy problem that no one wants to have to deal with. Save yourself the trouble of toilet water cleanup by being considerate of how much you are putting down your toilet.  Make sure that you are not outing too much toilet paper down the toilet, and do not flush anything other than toilet paper. Sanitary wipes and other personal hygiene products should be thrown away in the garbage, not down the toilet where they can cause blockages. You should also pay attention to the water level in your toilet. If it is too low, or too high, there could be a drainage problem somewhere. If you have small children in your home, be sure to teach them not to flush anything down the toilet, and keep a close watch on them.

Inspect your shower and tub regularly

Grout and caulk are key players in sealing fixtures, and keeping water from leaking out of the shower and tub and causing water damage in your bathroom. If you notice that caulk or grout is chipped, cracked, or deteriorating repair it. You should consider reapplying caulk every few years to avoid any leaks. If there are any cracks or other damage areas in your shower or tub, get them corrected.  Keep tubs and showers clean from build up that could wash down the drain.

Check your plumbing regularly

As pipes age, they begin to corrode and rust, causing leaks over time. You should inspect your pipes regularly and look for any signs that may indicate they are leaking. Some signs of water damage from leaking pipes are: musty smells, water spots or stains, bubbling on walls, warping on floors. Check the faucet supply lines under bathroom vanities to be sure no water is leaking, and check the connections behind the toilet.

Keeping up with routine maintenance in you bathroom, and performing regular inspection will help reduce the risk of water damage and help you find it sooner if there is a problem. If your bathroom does suffer from water damage don’t hesitate to give United Fire & Water in Baton Rouge a call!

Tags: baton rouge water damage cleanup, water damage remediation in Baton Rouge, water damage cleanup baton rouge

[catscratching]

Every time I see more reports of the ‘Cajun Navy’ rolling up, I cry a little.  It’s been so hard being up here watching the cities of family and loved ones flood and suffer hurricane damage.

Then I see all the videos and stories of people from Houston and now Florida say ‘A bunch of boats from Breaux Bridge just showed up out of nowhere and got us out, God bless them’.  Or today’s, ‘Yeah we’re from Baton Rouge’.

These people literally got home from Houston, took a shower and gassed up, then started trucking east.

In the midst of our personal tradgedy, my family has stepped up too; my uncle went to Houston with his boat and may get deployed with FEMA into Florida, my parents donated money (my father wanted to help with their church network’s cleanup / refugee efforts but his health is poor).  

When I moved to Canada, everyone asked if I spoke French, since I am of Creole descent.  My dad didn’t want us to learn French because only the ‘uneducated’ speak it (this attitude was more pervasive in the 50s, as near as I can tell). 

Today I am so incredibly proud of being a Cajun. 

[omgstupendousbouquetbasement]

Severe Storms Spawn Tornadoes Near Kansas City

Tornadoes damaged homes and knocked down trees and power lines Tuesday in the U.S. state of Kansas in the latest round of severe weather that has repeatedly battered the central part of the country since last week. The tornado activity just west of Kansas City injured at least 12 people, while severe storms sparked warnings as far east as New York. Residents of the Midwestern states of Ohio and Indiana spent Tuesday sifting through the ravages of a series of powerful tornadoes that killed at least one person, injured more than 130 others and destroyed homes, schools and business.  Two of the devastating twisters struck the Dayton, Ohio, suburbs of Beavercreek and Trotwood, while a third touched down 128 kilometers northwest in Celina, Ohio. The National Weather Service classified all three as EF3s on the Enhanced Fujita scale, meaning they packed estimated wind speeds of between 218–266 kilometers per hour and were capable of severe damage.  At least a dozen communities suffered damage late Monday and early Tuesday as storms raced through the area. The National Weather Service (NWS) said as many as 55 tornadoes may have touched down late Monday into Tuesday across eight states stretching eastward from Idaho and Colorado. Storm reports posted online by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Storm Prediction Center said 14 suspected tornadoes touched down in Indiana, 12 in Colorado and nine in Ohio. Seven were reported in Iowa, five in Nebraska, four in Illinois, three in Minnesota, and one in Idaho. ​The storms tore roofs off homes, toppled trees, downed power lines and created so much debris that cleanup crews had to use a snowplow to clear one highway in Ohio.  According to NWS, Tuesday was the 12th consecutive day where multiple tornadoes were reported in the United States. While the high number of twisters is not unusual, they are usually not as widespread. As the stormy weather plagued the central U.S., several cities in the South experienced record-shattering high temperatures.  Over the weekend, Augusta, Georgia, tied a 141-year-old record high, as the temperature soared to 98 degrees Fahrenheit. Savannah, Georgia, tied the record for the earliest occurrence of triple-digit heat in the city, and Charleston, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina, reached 100 for the first time ever in May. Meteorologists predict the scorching trend will continue, and high temperature records will be set in cities from Louisiana to Virginia.  Also breaking records was flooding along the Mississippi River in eight states. NWS said the flooding is the longest-lasting since the "Great Flood" of 1927. The river has remained above flood stage since February 17, while in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, it has remained there since early January.  By contrast, instead of sunshine and warmth, California has been hit by a rare late May snowstorm, bringing record low temperatures. In the mountains of Northern and Southern California, surprise snowfalls have extended the ski season. Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort announced plans to stay open into August. from Blogger http://bit.ly/2Qx6J4e via IFTTT

[jenny123scm]

DryMax Restoration | The Most Common Flood Cleanup DIY Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Life is all about trying new things failing at them and practicing until you get better and better until one day after a lot of trial and, error and mistakes and failures, you are proficient at that thing you initially started but failed miserably at. That said, the try-until-you-succeed-and-teach-yourself-as-you-go-along method, fashionably DIY these days, is not always the right fit for all situations.

For example, you are probably not going to find many people advising you to DIY your car engine repair unless you have a project car that you do not mind not being able to drive for a while or ever again. Cookies are a great project for DIY. If you screw them up, it’s not a big deal, your investment on both materials and time is pretty nominal, so if you do ruin them, it’s a learning experience with minimal consequences.

DIY issues start to get pretty out of hand with home repairs, some small things like clearing a clogged drain or maybe even repairing a hole in some drywall are not majorly risky DIY projects, but when you find yourself with a major flood in your house, that’s when you want to be careful. In this article, I will discuss some of the major pitfalls a lot of people run into when they try and deploy the DIY method when cleaning up from a major flood in their home.

The first mistake a lot of people make with flood cleanup is that they take way too long to figure out what is causing the water to flow or how to get the standing water out from the area it is in. Picture this, you’ve got a flooded basement, you have no clue where the water came from or maybe you do and you’re staring at a burst pipe gushing water into your new basement pond, how to do you make that water stop flowing, it’s a broken pipe, where is the off switch? While you are fumbling for your phone and reading articles like this one, that pipe is dumping hundreds of gallons of basement and house destroying water into your home, you’re off to a great DIY start, congrats!

Okay so you’ve managed to find the main water line valve in your home and turn it off, so the water is not flowing anymore out of the burst pipe, now how do you get the thousands of gallons of standing water out of your basement aquarium? Alright, so you do some more quick internet searching, and now you learn that you need something called a sump pump to move all of that water out of your basement to some sort of drain or area far enough away from your house so as not to do even more damage to your foundation. Do you have a sump pump, do you have the proper hosing to move that water to a safe area? Oh no, you need to check Amazon Prime or sprint over to your closest Home Depot.

The next and sometimes final mistake, some unfortunate people make with flood cleanup, are fatal. Some silly DIY’er might go stumbling into their flooded basement and get shocked with thousands of volts of electricity, and their unconscious body falls face-first into the water because they never thought to make sure the power was off before trudging in. A flood cleanup is not a joke, and the proper safety precautions must be taken. Not taking safety seriously can result in severe injury and or death.

Call Drymax Restoration today for all of your flood cleanup needs in Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Opelousas, Broussard, Alexandria, and the LA areas. We are here to give you and your loved ones peace of mind in one of the most stressful situations for homeowners.

[bigbirdgladiator]

Severe thunderstorms, including a few tornadoes, tore through the southern Plains Sunday night, but the storms will still pack a punch farther east in the central United States into Monday evening.The necessary ingredients for thunderstorm development came together Sunday night as a cold front collided with the warm, moist air in place across the southern Plains.Thunderstorms exploded from southern Kansas to central Texas late Sunday evening and expanded as they moved eastward later Sunday night.The storms congealed into a powerful line of thunderstorms, or squall line, as the night progressed. The squall line persisted into the first thing Monday morning, but has morphed into a swath of heavy, gusty thunderstorms during the midday hours. "The main threats from the storms into Monday evening will be from blinding downpours and strong wind gusts but an isolated tornado cannot be ruled-out," according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Edwards.Cities in the path of the storms include Nashville, Tennessee; London, Kentucky; Columbus, Ohio; Jackson, Mississippi; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Galveston, Texas; and Huntsville, Alabama.Just after 9 p.m. CDT, a confirmed tornado caused damage near Dallas, Texas. About half an hour later, over 50,000 customers were without power in Dallas County, Texas, according to PowerOutage.US.As the storms rolled through Memphis, Tennessee, at the start of Monday, damaging winds and a tornado warning prompted evacuations of airline passengers who had boarded planes. Delays followed as many passengers had to pass through security checkpoints again.It is a good idea to keep cell phones charged with the volume turned up and severe weather alerts enabled. This will allow you to be notified if a severe thunderstorm or tornado is heading for your community before you wake up.Straight-line wind gusts up to an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 55 mph can toss around loose outdoor items, such as lightweight furniture or fall decorations, that are not brought inside or secured beforehand.Tree damage and sporadic power outages can also occur in such winds.The thunderstorms will move along at a quick enough pace across the Tennessee Valley to limit concerns for flash flooding. However, storms near the Gulf coast will move at a slower pace and have a greater potential to cause flash flooding.As the storms continue to advance, people in Chattanooga, Tennessee; Montgomery, Alabama; Biloxi, Mississippi and New Orleans could be hit with disruptive weather later Monday afternoon. Strong storms may even survive the trip into Atlanta Monday evening.Although the threat for tornadoes will be less on Monday than what it was on Sunday night, there is the still the potential for an isolated. The tornado could be wrapped in rain and difficult to spot.Drier, cooler air will sweep in from west to east across the South behind the thunderstorms, aiding any cleanup operations that may be needed. Download the free AccuWeather app to see the latest forecast and advisories for your region. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2MW7iDB

[worldtopnewsoftheday]

Severe thunderstorms, including a few tornadoes, tore through the southern Plains Sunday night, but the storms will still pack a punch farther east in the central United States into Monday evening.The necessary ingredients for thunderstorm development came together Sunday night as a cold front collided with the warm, moist air in place across the southern Plains.Thunderstorms exploded from southern Kansas to central Texas late Sunday evening and expanded as they moved eastward later Sunday night.The storms congealed into a powerful line of thunderstorms, or squall line, as the night progressed. The squall line persisted into the first thing Monday morning, but has morphed into a swath of heavy, gusty thunderstorms during the midday hours. "The main threats from the storms into Monday evening will be from blinding downpours and strong wind gusts but an isolated tornado cannot be ruled-out," according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Edwards.Cities in the path of the storms include Nashville, Tennessee; London, Kentucky; Columbus, Ohio; Jackson, Mississippi; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Galveston, Texas; and Huntsville, Alabama.Just after 9 p.m. CDT, a confirmed tornado caused damage near Dallas, Texas. About half an hour later, over 50,000 customers were without power in Dallas County, Texas, according to PowerOutage.US.As the storms rolled through Memphis, Tennessee, at the start of Monday, damaging winds and a tornado warning prompted evacuations of airline passengers who had boarded planes. Delays followed as many passengers had to pass through security checkpoints again.It is a good idea to keep cell phones charged with the volume turned up and severe weather alerts enabled. This will allow you to be notified if a severe thunderstorm or tornado is heading for your community before you wake up.Straight-line wind gusts up to an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 55 mph can toss around loose outdoor items, such as lightweight furniture or fall decorations, that are not brought inside or secured beforehand.Tree damage and sporadic power outages can also occur in such winds.The thunderstorms will move along at a quick enough pace across the Tennessee Valley to limit concerns for flash flooding. However, storms near the Gulf coast will move at a slower pace and have a greater potential to cause flash flooding.As the storms continue to advance, people in Chattanooga, Tennessee; Montgomery, Alabama; Biloxi, Mississippi and New Orleans could be hit with disruptive weather later Monday afternoon. Strong storms may even survive the trip into Atlanta Monday evening.Although the threat for tornadoes will be less on Monday than what it was on Sunday night, there is the still the potential for an isolated. The tornado could be wrapped in rain and difficult to spot.Drier, cooler air will sweep in from west to east across the South behind the thunderstorms, aiding any cleanup operations that may be needed. Download the free AccuWeather app to see the latest forecast and advisories for your region. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2MW7iDB

[unitedfireandwater]

Bathroom Water Damage in Baton Rouge

How To Prevent Water Damage In The Bathroom

Your bathroom is one of the most frequently used rooms in your home. Water is necessary for the bathroom fixtures to function. Toilets, sinks, showers, and tubs all require plumbing to make them work. As these fixtures wear over time, they are susceptible to corrosion, loosened connections, and damage. Unfortunately, with all the water and all the potential problems, bathrooms are very prone to water damage. No need to despair; United Fire & Water a DKI Company has a few ways that you can help prevent water damage from occurring in your bathroom.

Keep drains clean and clear

When drains get blockages or clogs, they disrupt the flow of water, leading to overflow and flooding. Soap scum, grime, and hair are all common culprits of drain clogs in bathrooms. Since you cannot avoid these things going down your sink and shower drain, what you can do is help to minimize what actually makes it down the drain. Drain shields and guards are inexpensive purchases that you place over the drain to filter what can and cannot go down them. They catch hair and excess soap scum and grim so that you can wipe them down instead of letting them run down the drain where they can build up and eventually cause clogs. You should also clean out drains periodically with commercial grade drain cleaner or a mixture of baking soda, vinegar, and hot water. This will prevent too much build up from forming inside the drainpipe and help reduce the risk of clogs.

Do not overwork your toilet

Toilets tend to clog and overflow frequently, and that is a messy problem that no one wants to have to deal with. Save yourself the trouble of toilet water cleanup by being considerate of how much you are putting down your toilet.  Make sure that you are not outing too much toilet paper down the toilet, and do not flush anything other than toilet paper. Sanitary wipes and other personal hygiene products should be thrown away in the garbage, not down the toilet where they can cause blockages. You should also pay attention to the water level in your toilet. If it is too low, or too high, there could be a drainage problem somewhere. If you have small children in your home, be sure to teach them not to flush anything down the toilet, and keep a close watch on them.

Inspect your shower and tub regularly

Grout and caulk are key players in sealing fixtures, and keeping water from leaking out of the shower and tub and causing water damage in your bathroom. If you notice that caulk or grout is chipped, cracked, or deteriorating repair it. You should consider reapplying caulk every few years to avoid any leaks. If there are any cracks or other damage areas in your shower or tub, get them corrected.  Keep tubs and showers clean from build up that could wash down the drain.

Check your plumbing regularly

As pipes age, they begin to corrode and rust, causing leaks over time. You should inspect your pipes regularly and look for any signs that may indicate they are leaking. Some signs of water damage from leaking pipes are: musty smells, water spots or stains, bubbling on walls, warping on floors. Check the faucet supply lines under bathroom vanities to be sure no water is leaking, and check the connections behind the toilet.

Keeping up with routine maintenance in you bathroom, and performing regular inspection will help reduce the risk of water damage and help you find it sooner if there is a problem. If your bathroom does suffer from water damage don’t hesitate to give United Fire & Water in Baton Rouge a call!

Tags: baton rouge water damage cleanup, water damage remediation in Baton Rouge, water damage cleanup baton rouge

[linzzz-morgan-blog]

Water Damage Restoration Baton Rouge Terrace | Louisiana – Water Damage Restoration Batonrouge

Baton Rouge Terrace FLOOD DAMAGE RESTORATION AND REPAIR At Baton Rouge Terrace Flood Damage Restoration & Repair, we provide a wide array of services to assist both the home water damage and business water damage client in cleaning up property which has sustained water damage.

When a flood or other incident has resulted in damage to your property, it may be devastating. The loss of items, some of which may be private or irreplaceable, is bad enough. When you start to calculate costs of cleanup and restoration, things can get scary. Water Damage Restoration Baton Rouge Terrace has plenty of experience in helping the client in most steps of water damage repair, including handling the paperwork involved

— Read on waterdamagerestorationbatonrouge.com/water-damage-restoration-baton-rouge-terrace-louisiana/

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[nsula]

NSU collecting hurricane cleanup supplies

NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University students are doing their part to help residents of the Carolinas as they begin cleanup in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. Dr. Curt Phifer, professor of biology in the Louisiana Scholars’ College, is spearheading efforts to collect supplies for cleanup buckets that will be transported to affected disaster areas through the United Methodist Center on Relief (UMCOR), located in Baldwin.

 “We’re asking every RSO [Registered Student Organization] at NSU, service organizations, fraternities, sororities, honor societies, religious groups, to put together at least one Cleaning Bucket of supplies.  SGA [Student Government Association] has bought the empty buckets and will deliver them to the shipping site,” Phifer said.

 Buckets are available to each organization in the SGA office on the first floor of the Student Union.  Each bucket has a list of specific items and how to assemble the bucket.  Assembled buckets can be returned to the SGA office by 4:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 24.  They will be loaded on a truck Tuesday

 “Many NSU students have expressed an interest in helping the people in North and South Carolina who have been affected by Hurricane Florence,” Phifer said.  “After hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav and Harvey, and extreme flooding in the Baton Rouge-Denham Springs area, all of us have been affected personally or have friends and family who know what it’s like to see your home destroyed or damaged.”

 More information on UMCOR and specific items needed for cleaning kits is available at https://www.umcor.org/UMCOR/Relief-Supplies/Relief-Supply-Kits/Cleaning.  Phifer can be reached at (318) 357-4588 or phifer@nsula.edu

[mattressclarity]

Bedding Companies Step Up To Hep After Hurricane Harvey

During Hurricane Harvey, thousands of people were displaced from their homes. Many of them are returning to houses damaged by water and mud, which require cleanup at best or are completely uninhabitable at worst.

Among those helping hurricane survivors rebuild are mattress and bedding companies, providing a dry bed for people in need.

Staff at the NRG Center in Houston are stocked with supplies. michelmond/Shutterstock

Mattress Firm franchises in Sioux Falls, SD and Sioux City banded together to donate $20,000 to the American Red Cross, helping provide emergency survival kits for people staying in shelters.

The Mattress Firm corporate HQ will donate $1 million in product to nonprofits helping people who lost their homes in the flooding. In addition, portions of every purchase made at any Mattress Firm store by September 5th were donated “to provide up to an additional $1 million of pillows, blankets, and mattresses for people who have lost their homes and have to rebuild.”

Finally, the company is accepting donations of essential items at their locations in Austin, College Station, Dallas-Fort Worth, Harker Heights, Killeen, San Antonio or Temple, TX, promising to transport those items to Harvey survivors.

Online bedding retailer PureCare is donating 500 “sleep essentials” packages, which include total encasement protectors, pillows, sheets and sleep masks, to families in need, according to an article online at BedTimes Magazine.

Mattress1One has pledged to donate $50,000 in cash and over 1,000 mattresses and box springs. New Jersey mattress companies Eclipse International and Eastman House are teaming up with Sleep Designs to manufacture and donate twin mattresses to Harvey families in shelters.

Individuals are providing bedding on a smaller scale. Katie Harper, a 9-year-old from Baton Rouge, LA, sews blankets and pillow cases after school every day. “Last year it happened to us and a lot of friends had flooded,” Katie explained to news outlet WAFB. “So, I wanted to make some pillows and blankets for them in Houston.” As of last weekend, she’d completed 10 bedding sets.

People seek shelter from Hurricane Harvey at Lonestar College North Harris in Houston. All Stock Photos/Shutterstock

And local businesses are doing their part, too. Houston bedding company Biscuit Home asked Instagram followers to re-gram information on how to help Harvey victims and pledged to donate up to 2,500 bedding sets depending on the response. Exclusive Furniture plan to donate up to 1,000 mattresses to displaced individuals. 

In Houston, furniture store owner Jim McIngvale, known as “Mattress Mack,” opened his two showroom doors to families in need. Over 400 people showed up.

“We sell home theater furniture that you watch TV in, they’re sleeping on that,” McIngvale told NPR. “They’re sleeping on recliners, sleeping on sofas and love seats. We have sleeper sofas, they pulled them out and slept on that. They’re sleeping on hundreds of mattresses throughout the store. They’re sleeping on the couches — wherever they can find a place that’s comfortable, and God bless ’em.”

To donate, text REDCROSS to 90999 to give $10 to American Red Cross Disaster Relief.

  Featured image: Kristi Blokhin/Shutterstock

  The post Bedding Companies Step Up To Hep After Hurricane Harvey appeared first on Mattress Clarity.

[newstfionline]

An Enormous, Urgent Task: Hauling Away Harvey’s Debris

By John Schwartz and Alan Blinder, NY Times, Sept. 6, 2017

HOUSTON--On Labor Day, Pireta Darby sat on the front porch of her house in the Kashmere Gardens neighborhood. The fruits of her labors were before her: the sodden objects lugged out of the home she shares with her mother and granddaughter. Here were two couches piled high with ripped-out carpet. A coffee table. A folding chair. And so much more, removed from the family home of about 60 years.

“I guess they’ll just come with the big truck with the claw thing” to haul it away, she said, gazing at the mess; at least the family has insurance.

The piles up and down this street, and along many other nearby streets--shards of wallboard and mildewing carpet, artificial flowers and computer monitors--stand taller than some people. There are sofas and desk chairs, ironing boards and drum sets--discrete items all destroyed by a storm and the floodwaters that followed. And across this city, there are more than 100,000 such piles, many of them even larger.

Of all the challenges that southeast Texas faces after Hurricane Harvey, few will linger longer or more visibly than the millions of pounds of debris already crowding curbs and edging onto streets. The cleanup, needed from northeast Houston’s neighborhoods to the wealthy suburbs southwest of the city, will take months and cost billions of dollars.

Mayor Sylvester Turner of Houston has identified two priorities for his city’s recovery: housing and debris removal.

“We’re going to pick it up, and we’re going to operate with the highest degree of urgency,” Mr. Turner said.

At the same time, Houston officials are asking residents to separate their Harvey-related waste into five piles: appliances; electronics; construction and demolition debris; household hazardous waste; and vegetative debris. A look at these streets suggested that few people seemed to be heeding the city’s pleas.

Other cities have been through this battle with a storm’s leavings. After floodwaters inundated East Baton Rouge Parish, La., last year, crews collected about two million cubic yards of debris. Superstorm Sandy, in 2012, led to about six million cubic yards of debris in New York State--the equivalent of four Empire State Buildings, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Katrina left behind 38 million cubic yards. Getting the stuff gone is a long process. It was only last month that Baton Rouge finished the debris removal process it organized in the wake of last year’s flooding there.

In Houston, where city officials say that some eight million cubic yards of debris will need to be hauled away, collection is farther along in some neighborhoods than in others. In Ms. Darby’s neighborhood, only a handful of volunteers were around to help in the disaster zone. In Bellaire, a wealthy city southwest of downtown, dozens of trucks were parked on the streets, their owners helping people bring their belongings outside. Poachers picked through the refuse for items that could potentially be sold, leading residents to spray-paint warning signs telling people to stay away from their debris.

The job of deciding how to move these mountains has been left to county and local officials, who hire debris removal companies to help them dig out. FEMA will reimburse the local governments for 90 percent of the cost.

One major removal company, AshBritt, already has “dozens of operations” going on in Texas from Harvey, said Jared Moskowitz, the general counsel for the company. He said he expects more to come.

Judith Enck, a former regional administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency whose territory included New York and New Jersey, said that environmental considerations have to be part of the process, even after a disaster.

Ms. Enck, who calls herself a “solid waste geek,” was heavily involved in debris removal after Sandy hit the Northeast. Figuring out what to do with debris is one of the most challenging aspects of any storm, and because decisions are generally made at the local level, she said, “every community has to kind of reinvent the wheel.”

Setting aside appliances like refrigerators for recycling, chipping downed trees for mulch instead of burning them, prevents pollution and extends the life of landfills. Leaking landfills can pollute groundwater. “The victims of these storms are already in environmentally compromised situations,” she said, “and the way debris is handled should not make it worse.”

She said that separating waste by type is anything but fussy, especially in the age of climate change, when scientists have shown that global warming is producing wetter storms and contributing to more destructive storm surges, and could also be making some storms more powerful.

“I fully understand people saying, ‘This is an emergency--let’s suspend the norms,’ “ Ms. Enck said. “But these hurricanes and floods are becoming the norm.”

At Ms. Darby’s house, the process of tossing and salvaging continued. With the help of some family members and their friends, the Darbys were packing some items into plastic containers for safekeeping at self-storage facility while they stay at a hotel. Flooding is not new to them: Tropical Storm Allison caused substantial damage in 2001, and the Darbys lived in a FEMA trailer while they fixed the house up that time.

As Ms. Darby decided what to toss and what to try to save, she reflected on how she had told herself a while back that she really should get rid of some things. “The Lord has a way of making you clean up and clean out,” she said with a laugh.

Her mother, Mary Darby, 84, was less sanguine, even after telling herself that the family had lost only possessions, not loved ones. Standing in her home, mold already visible on the walls, she began to cry.

“It’s material,” she said a few moments later. “But it hurts.”

[jenny123scm]

DryMax Water and Fire Restoration is proud to serve the Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Opelousas, Broussard and Alexandria areas providing water removal, water damage cleanup, and water damage restoration services for homes damaged by flooding or water intrusion. Our technicians are highly trained and certified in water removal and restoration techniques using modern, professional equipment. Our dedication to customer service and doing what is right is what sets us apart from other restoration companies. Visit our website drymaxrestoration.com/

[jenny123g-blog]

Water Damage Services Lafayette, LA

DryMax Water and Fire Restoration is proud to serve the Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Opelousas, Broussard and Alexandria areas providing water removal, water damage cleanup, and water damage restoration services for homes damaged by flooding or water intrusion.

[unitedfireandwater]

Bathroom Water Damage in Baton Rouge

How To Prevent Water Damage In The Bathroom

Your bathroom is one of the most frequently used rooms in your home. Water is necessary for the bathroom fixtures to function. Toilets, sinks, showers, and tubs all require plumbing to make them work. As these fixtures wear over time, they are susceptible to corrosion, loosened connections, and damage. Unfortunately, with all the water and all the potential problems, bathrooms are very prone to water damage. No need to despair; United Fire & Water a DKI Company has a few ways that you can help prevent water damage from occurring in your bathroom.

Keep drains clean and clear

When drains get blockages or clogs, they disrupt the flow of water, leading to overflow and flooding. Soap scum, grime, and hair are all common culprits of drain clogs in bathrooms. Since you cannot avoid these things going down your sink and shower drain, what you can do is help to minimize what actually makes it down the drain. Drain shields and guards are inexpensive purchases that you place over the drain to filter what can and cannot go down them. They catch hair and excess soap scum and grim so that you can wipe them down instead of letting them run down the drain where they can build up and eventually cause clogs. You should also clean out drains periodically with commercial grade drain cleaner or a mixture of baking soda, vinegar, and hot water. This will prevent too much build up from forming inside the drainpipe and help reduce the risk of clogs.

Do not overwork your toilet

Toilets tend to clog and overflow frequently, and that is a messy problem that no one wants to have to deal with. Save yourself the trouble of toilet water cleanup by being considerate of how much you are putting down your toilet.  Make sure that you are not outing too much toilet paper down the toilet, and do not flush anything other than toilet paper. Sanitary wipes and other personal hygiene products should be thrown away in the garbage, not down the toilet where they can cause blockages. You should also pay attention to the water level in your toilet. If it is too low, or too high, there could be a drainage problem somewhere. If you have small children in your home, be sure to teach them not to flush anything down the toilet, and keep a close watch on them.

Inspect your shower and tub regularly

Grout and caulk are key players in sealing fixtures, and keeping water from leaking out of the shower and tub and causing water damage in your bathroom. If you notice that caulk or grout is chipped, cracked, or deteriorating repair it. You should consider reapplying caulk every few years to avoid any leaks. If there are any cracks or other damage areas in your shower or tub, get them corrected.  Keep tubs and showers clean from build up that could wash down the drain.

Check your plumbing regularly

As pipes age, they begin to corrode and rust, causing leaks over time. You should inspect your pipes regularly and look for any signs that may indicate they are leaking. Some signs of water damage from leaking pipes are: musty smells, water spots or stains, bubbling on walls, warping on floors. Check the faucet supply lines under bathroom vanities to be sure no water is leaking, and check the connections behind the toilet.

Keeping up with routine maintenance in you bathroom, and performing regular inspection will help reduce the risk of water damage and help you find it sooner if there is a problem. If your bathroom does suffer from water damage don’t hesitate to give United Fire & Water in Baton Rouge a call!

Tags: baton rouge water damage cleanup, water damage remediation in Baton Rouge, water damage cleanup baton rouge