water damage lawrence kansas blog

When disaster strikes your home, how do you know when or if it’s time to call a professional? I would recommend you start by assessing what needs to be performed. Whether it’s a water damage or a small one, that in it’s self can be hard to find out. Once you’ve determined what is required, do you have time to finish the work? Are you physically able to do the work? How long will it take you to get the work completed? If you have favorable answers for these questions, then take a look at the next step. Will I need specific products or supplies to do the job? Do I have or can I secure adequate equipment to do the work? If you are a do it yourselfer, then you know the usefulness of employing the correct tools and/or equipment to do the work.

Also, think of the risks if the job is not done correctly. In a water damage situation, if you do not dry the affected area in a timely fashion, the resulting damage could be much more pricey. Many cleaning and restoration issues can be disappointing if things do not happen as easily or quickly as we’ve expected. a few projects with a lot of time and hard work can be accomplished satisfactorily by a mindful “do it yourselfer”.

Water damage restoration projects generally require perfection, because if isn’t done correctly, the expense to restore continue to increase. Whether you do it yourself or you employ a professional the main thing is to remain centered on these 3 issues; determine what’s wet, get it dried out quickly, and make sure the drying is complete.

Carpet stain removal can be simple or tedious depending upon the spot and how long it has been on the carpet. At times many applications of the spot removal solution, or a second solution is needed. Listed below is a general spot removal guide . If the origin of the spot is a mystery, begin with step 1. If the origin of the spot is known begin at the appropriate step. Do not use a circular motion to remove a spot as this ruins texture. To prevent the spot from returning , the last step should always be to flush with clear water, blot dry and put a white cotton terry cloth towel over the damp area. Put a book, or other heavy object on the towel to keep the towel in contact with the carpet pile. This allows any stain wicking up from the backing to go into the towels rather than remain on the carpet surface. Allow to dry, take away the brick and towels and brush up the pile .

**Be sure to try , on a hidden area of the carpet any solutions you plan to use as it might affect color or texture. Do not use if color in the test area comes off on a white paper towel .

Some things to have available to remove spots:

• White paper towels or white terry towels .

• Non Bleach Tide (or similar)

• Spray bottle for applying detergents and special solutions such as vinegar or Household ammonia solutions.

• Household ammonia , vinegar and rubbing alcohol .

• Spoon and dull knife .

• Heavy item such as a brick.

General Procedure

Unknown and greasy spots.

Step 1: Remove as much of the foreign material as possible by blotting with a white towel or scraping with a spoon . Apply rubbing alcohol or a dry cleaning solvent to a clean white cloth . If the spot extends deep into the carpet use a blotting motion until the spot is removed or no color is transferred to the paper towel . Do not allow the solvent to penetrate into the backing, as this will damage the latex bond. If the spot is on the surface only, rub in one direction at a time. Never use a circular motion to remove a spot as this may damage the carpet pile. Stop if spot is removed. If not, go to step 3.

Water based spots.

Step 2: Blot up as much of the spill as is possible. A wet/dry vacuum is useful if a large amount of liquid was spilled. If spot has dried, saturate the tufts in the area with tap water (do not over saturate the area ). Allow to remain for around 1 minute and blot. If the spot is being removed using water, continue until the stain is completely removed . Blot dry and apply the paper towels and heavy book . If the stain is not completely removed go to step 3.

Step 3: Remove as much of the foreign material as possible by blotting with a white towel . Apply a small amount a detergent* solution to the spot . Use a blotting motion to work the detergent solution into the carpet . If stain is being removed continue applying solution and blotting with a paper towel until the stain is removed . Flush with only water using a spray bottle, blot to remove excess moisture, spray lightly with only water, do not blot this time; apply stack of white paper towels and brick and let dry. If there is still some stain on the carpet and blotting is not removing it, then moisten the tufts in the stained area with 3% hydrogen peroxide. Let stand for one (1) hour. Blot and repeat until carpet is spot free. Light will cause hydrogen peroxide to revert back to water so no rinsing is necessary . Apply pad of paper towels and weight down with a brick, book, or other heavy object.

*To prepare a detergent solution, mix 1/4 teaspoon of Non Bleach Tide (or similar) powdered laundry detergent, with 1 quart of water, or use approved carpet spotters available.

Several types of spots need specialized treatments .

A. Blood, catsup, cheese, chocolate, cough syrup, mixed drinks, soft drinks, soy sauce, starch, toothpaste, watercolor and white glue.

For large spills use a Wet/Dry vacuum to extract the bulk of the spill. If just a small amount was spilled blot with a towel to soak up as much of the stain as possible then neutralize with a solution of 1 tablespoon of clear Household ammonia to 1/2 cup of tap water. Saturate spot using spray bottle. Do not wet the backing . Blot with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture. Once neutralized, proceed to step 3 of the instructions . All solutions for removing blood should be cool.

B. Beer, coffee, perfume, tea and wine.

For large spills use a WetDry vacuum to remove the bulk of the spill. If only a small amount was spilled, blot with a towel to absorb as much of the stain as possible, then neutralize with a mixture of 1/3 cup of vinegar, 2/3 cup of water . Apply to the spot, using a spray bottle and blot to absorb excess liquid . After the area has been neutralized, go to step 3 of instructions .

C. Egg, excrement, urine, and vomit.

Remove as much of the stain as you can with a dull knife . Soak up as much of the spot as possible, then neutralize the area by spraying the area with an ammonia solution. Make sure to remove all protein matter. Blot to remove excess liquid and go to step 3 of the instructions .

D. Candle Wax

Spread brown paper (such as grocery bag, making sure there is no ink on the area you will be using) over the area and iron with the on the “warm” setting. The wax will be absorbed into the paper or towel. Replace the paper as it absorbs up the wax. Remove any traces with rubbing alcohol or dry cleaning fluid. Don’t use an iron on Olefin . Olefin is a fairly raw oil base byproduct and it is easy to melt or distort with heat or friction.

E. Gum .

Use an ice cube to freeze the gum. Break up the frozen gum with a spoon and vacuum. Some citrus based products such as De-Solv-It® by Orange-Sol have been demonstrated to break down the stickiness of gum so that it can be removed from the carpet.

F. Mud.

Let mud dry completely. Break up the dried mud with the handle of a knife or a spoon and vacuum. Go to step 3 of the instructions .

G. Rust.

Apply lemon juice to the area, using a spray bottle, and allow to work for 5 minutes. Go to step 3 of instructions to remove the lemon juice. Most rust removers contain a very strong acid and are not suggested for use by homeowners.

H. Nail Polish.

Remove as much of the nail polish as possible using a spoon or dull knife . Apply a non-oily nail polish remover to a clean white cloth and agitate (in only one direction at a time) or blot the spot. Continue until polish is removed. Do not allow nail polish remover to get to the latex backing . Proceed to step 3 to remove the nail polish remover .
Water Damage Lawrence Kansas
Water Damage Lawrence KS

I had a friend tell me that he wanted to find another insurance agent. And wanted to know what he should look for in a good agent.

I think as homeowners our relationships with our insurance agents can be very important. Your agent should be more than just a company name to you, and you should be more than just a name & address to them. I am always surprised when a customer tells me they know their agent’s name, but have never actually met him/her. My opinion would be that if you’ve had an agent for more than a year and they haven’t made an attempt to meet or contact you … find another agent!

You should have a comfort level that they are honest and caring. Conversely they should know you by name and sight and they should have a comfort level that you are honest and caring. Why is the relationship so important? I’ve seen a lot of disasters happen over the years including fires, smoke damage, and water damage . Many with clear coverage or clearly no coverage, many with easy understandable explanation of what happened and/or why it happened. But, other times there was a lot of “grey” area of how the policy could be interpreted; many times the explanation seemed somewhat awkward. And those are the times when you want him/her to remember that you are an honest and caring individual. Somebody they are willing to go to bat for in a tough situation. They are your personal contact, your protector, and your defender to a large possibly very indifferent corporate entity. A large possibly very indifferent corporate entity that would rather save money then spend it on you!

Now this doesn’t mean that because your agent is your friend that they will be able to bend the rules or give you something that you are not entitled too. That’s not my point; you should expect them to be fair and honest with you and their company. But, if there is some wiggle room or some timely guidance that can be given, you want them on your side. And you should expect that they “have your back”!
Water Damage Lawrence KS
Water Damage Lawrence Kansas