Ten Tips to Prevent Flooding of Your Home or Business

June 14, 2012 - PRLog -- Water flooding of your house, condominium, apartment, workplace or other building can cause severe water damage and massive mold growth inside of, and on, the walls, ceilings, floors, basement, crawl space, attic, and the heating/cooling equipment and ducts of your flooded building.

Here are ten tips to help minimize the possibilities of water flooding and resulting mold infestation, according to mold expert Phillip Fry, Certified Environmental Hygienist, Certified Mold Inspector and Certified Mold Remediator, and author of the ebook Do It Best Yourself Mold Inspection, Testing, Remediation, and Prevention, which is available at http://www.moldmart.net.

1. If you are going to be away from your home or business for the weekend, a vacation, or any other prolonged absence, turn off the water inlet valve at your outside water meter or water well so that water cannot flood your home through a plumbing line break or leak that develops during your absence.

2. Periodically, turn off all water-using equipment/fixtures in your home or business so that you can carefully watch your water meter usage dial for an hour or so to make sure that the water meter is not turning because of water flowing in a hidden or unknown water leak.

3. Inspect that your outdoor lot grading takes water away from your home or business and NOT toward your home.

4. Make sure that the drain lines from your roof gutters take the water away from your home or business and NOT put the rainfall into the ground around your home foundation and basement walls.

5. Have your roof carefully inspected at least once a year by a licensed roof contractor or a capable handyman who should check the roof thoroughly for missing shingles, degraded roof components, separation of the roof from chimneys and exhaust pipes, and other roof problems.

6. If your house or commercial lot is at risk of flooding from a higher neighboring property, build on your lot lines a solid wall masonry fence (hollow block construction with cement surface finishing containing adequate amounts of waterproofing compound) on such water-vulnerable boundaries of your property.

7. Use a hidden moisture meter from time to time to scan all floors, walls, and ceilings for hidden moisture/water problems (such as from roof leaks, siding leaks, or plumbing leaks).

8. Make sure that the condensation drain line from your roof-mounted air conditioning unit is not clogged because clogging backs up the air conditioning condensate water into your home or business because of the clogged drain line.

9. Be ever vigilant for warning signs of an impending water flood problem---such as water stains and mold growth on ceilings and walls, the underside of attic roof sheathing, and mold water pooling, water dripping, water leaks, or mold growth anywhere inside your home or business.

10. Where possible, do not install water-using items such as solar collection panels, air conditioning units, and hot water heaters on your home or business roof or inside the attic. If you already have such items installed in such locations, remove and then reinstall them in less-risky areas (such as over your garage, covered patio or porch, or workshop---or on the ground).

For free mold advice and help in Arizona, California, Texas, or anywhere else, please email or phone Phillip Fry at his contact information posted at http://www.moldtestdallastexas.com.  Read the top 100 mold health symptoms and problems at http://www.arizonamoldinspection.net.

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