To successfully survive through the winter season, you will have to understand first the different types of cold weather storms and their impact.

Blizzards are winter storms that are often accompanied by strong winds and heavy snow. Accumulation of large amounts of snow can cause considerable damage to your roof and other structures.

Ice storms cover buildings, power lines, trees, vehicles, roads and practically all the other things with ice. Large chunks of ice can fall as the accumulated ice starts to melt and can injure anyone standing or moving below. Ice on your roof melts in the day and re-freezes during the day causing ice dams. Ice dams block water to flow freely in the gutter, causing the water to seep into your home.

Freezing rain or sleet is the combination of rain and snow that can cause slippery conditions. It covers the roads, driveways and sideways with ice as the temperature drops.

Keeping Yourself and Your Family Safe

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) suggests that homeowners should keep the shovels and melting agents, such as rock salt, handy. Deicers such as sand and calcium magnesium oxide improve traction, and you should stock them before the winter season sets in.

FEMA also recommends that you should stock up adequate quantity of fuel to keep your home properly heated and in addition install a backup heating source. Keep these sources in a ventilated area and away from flammable items. Keep a fire extinguisher in your home.

You should also stock up enough food and water as well as extra blankets and warm clothing to get through a brief period of isolation safely. Keep a transistor radio with new batteries to get updated information in the event of a power failure.

Protecting Your Home from Cold Weather Storms

Winterize your home properly to protect it from the damages caused by cold weather storms. Inspect your shutters, siding and other external protective material carefully and ensure that they are firmly secured. Intense winds, moisture and ice from cold weather storms can easily rip off these exterior safety materials, in case they are loose.
Make sure that your gutters are not blocked by debris. Ensure that your walkways to avoid any tripping hazard when covered by snow and ice. Apply weather stripping to your doors and caulk your windows to keep the heat inside your home.

Check your roof for many cracks or missing shingles. Fix the broken sections of your roof immediately. Use roof heating cables to prevent the formation of ice dams on your roofs and in gutters.

Winterize your pipes. Insulate the pipes, particularly those that are located in exposed or unheated parts of your home to make sure they don’t freeze and burst. Find out where your water shut-off valves are located so that you can turn the water supply off if you notice any leakage.

Tree branches that hang over your roof or your parking area can damage your structure and cars as well as injure people. Trim the branches regularly. Remove the sickly ones to ensure that they don’t fall on someone or your home.

By maintaining your home and keeping adequate supplies, you will be ready to face the cold weather storms safely and effectively.

The most basic mold removal treatment is probably a complete household cleanup. However, if the source of moisture is not identified, mold can still continue to grow even with regular cleaning. Finding out the source of moisture causing mold damage in the home is an important thing to do.

Sources of Moisture
• Water leaks
The most common sources of water leaks are the kitchen sink, bathroom walls, floors, and bathtubs. Any sign of leak must be addressed immediately. If the leak is severe, professional plumbing services are available. Apart from broken pipes, damaged gutters may also cause the leak, which produces mold growth on the ceiling.
• Flood
The aftermath of flooding can leave the home a total wreck. Homes affected by tropical storm and flooding must be on the lookout for mold infestation even after the waters have subsided and have dried up. Hiring a mold contractor may be effective and is also recommended but can be quite costly. A simple way to cleanup after a flood is to segregate the contaminated items and discard those that can no longer be saved. The infested items must be dried up either through a fan or under the heat of the sun to totally remove moisture. Any presence of molds of these items should be brushed off.
• Poor drainage system
If the problem is not with water leakage, check for any defects in the water system or the drainage. Standing water is a major cause of high level of humidity indoors. Broken and loose faucets will definitely produce a lot of moisture. If these are not checked, mold damage is possible to occur in the many areas of the house.
• Condensation
The production of water vapor caused by steam from cooking or from shower and the effects of condensation on concrete areas can be a good thriving spot for molds. Even household appliances are not exempted from mold growth. Carpets are favorite spots of molds. This is best prevented with the use of a dehumidifier. The indoor ventilation must also be right and proper in order to keep a good air circulation inside the house.

After the flooding, when there is excess water in the home or office, you should take no chances and hire a mold removal specialist to remove all traces of mold growths from your house. They have the right gear and they are trained to identify that foster mold formation which is not visible as easily. Also you should not allow children or the elderly to enter places that have more water accumulation because the atmosphere in the room is filled with pollutants. Standing water actually is contaminated and is a breeding ground for microbes that can become airborne and cause infections. You can imagine if the floodwater that has entered your house or verandah contains sewage and dead bodies of animals and insects.

If you do it yourself or consult professionals to do it, make sure that you thoroughly clean the floors, the walls and the ceilings. You should also switch off the mains so that there is no damage to electrical appliances. Do not open the heating gas appliances because there can be a case of short-circuit. The process of drying out and cleaning can even take weeks because microorganisms will always thrive till the humidity is high. The musty odor in the house is the characteristic of the house still being humid and breeding microorganisms. Also materials that are moist and cannot be cleaned and dried after even 24-48 hours should be gotten rid of because they will be a breeding ground for microorganisms.

You may have to consider repairing and replacing certain things in the house; including certain electrical equipment, air conditioning system, fibrous insulation etc that has come in contact with water. You should only use those disinfectants, sanitizers and cleaning products that are certified as safe by the relevant authorities. You should also make sure that there is enough ventilation for fresh air by opening the doors and windows. After the rooms are properly dry and a competent person has checked the electric board, you can switch on the electricity.

It is important to make sure that we restore the condition of everything in our home and even make it strong enough to resist mold growth and minimize damage in future, if floods or some such thing take place. Though family members can pitch in and together clean and dry the various rooms in the house, you also have the option to ask authorized professionals to remove mold growth and check the gas and electricity lines to make sure that there is no problem.

When your area is at high risk for flooding, often times your local community will make sandbags available to its residents.  Using sandbags is a rather simple but effective way to prevent flood water damage as the bags act as a barrier to move water around buildings instead of through them. If you plan to use sandbags to protect your home, be sure that you stack them in the correct manner using a ‘stair stepped’ and overlapping method so that water cannot seep through.

In order to minimize your risk of flooding you should be aware of the fact that water often make its way into your basement through cracks in your foundation and through pipe holes, doors and windows. Be sure to fill in any cracks you find with the proper sealant and be sure to seal the openings around pipes with a caulk.  Be certain that you maintain a  graded slope around your home so that rainwater drains away from the house. Ensure also that your gutters and downspouts are cleaned out and in good working condition so that they direct water several yards away from your home.

 If you live in a particularly dry environment such as the Southeast, be wary of flash flooding that results from sudden spring  rains. Very dry land becomes nearly rock hard in many places which prevents it from soaking in rainwater. A heavy rainstorm that dumps a good  amount of water on this type of land for a couple of hours can cause rather abrupt flash flooding which could end up in the lower levels of your home. Be sure that your foundation is crack-free and invest in domed window well coverings that lock into place. This will prevent water from rushing in through your basement windows.

Being prepared well ahead of time is crucial when it comes to preventing flood water from invading your home. If you live in an area that is especially vulnerable you may want to consider taking out flood insurance which will cover any loses you may ensue.

In responding to broken pipes here are some steps you can follow isolate water from damaging anymore of your home. Make sure the main water supply is shut off with the main stop tap.  This area is normally where the main service pipe connects to the home or under the kitchen sink.  Let all the pipes drain out of water by turning on the cold taps.  Next turn off the water heating system and run the hot water tap to help drain the water supply. Flushing toilets also can help in clearing out the rest of the water in the piping. Once this is done the leaking should stop if there is no more running through the taps.  Remember to turn off the homes main electrical and to never touch anything electrical if it’s wet as this may result in serious injury. Trying to locate the exact location of the break is important so you know what piping has to be repaired. If it a tiny crack a patch may fix the problem for a short while. If it is the main water pipe it should be repaired regardless of how badly it is damaged. Also check your home to see if pipes in walls or ceilings are leaking. Take notice to bulges or water spots in the ceiling. This is an indication that there is a leaking or broken pipe.  Be careful when being around these areas with the chances of the ceiling collapsing. It is a good idea to contact a professional disaster clean up company to have your home properly cleaned and dried.  A professional plumper can make sure broken or cracked pipes are properly fixed.  If electrical wiring is damaged contact an electrician. Also contact your insurance agency to file an insurance claim. You insurance agent will assist you in carry out what steps to take in your policy. In addition to contacting your insurance company make record of the incident by taking photos or videos for filing the claim.

Michigan homes generally will have copper or galvanized plumbing. With either piping they are vulnerable to different elements. If temperature fall below freezing there is a chance pipes could crack or burst. Metal piping is more likely to rust or corrode over time and if your property is using well water with a salt filter, you can have additional challenges. Be careful if you are doing construction in your home not to damage piping and if it happens have it repaired as soon as possible so no further damage occurs.  High water pressure can lead into pipes breaking make certain water pressure is normal. Having piping construction done properly and good quality pipes can greater your chances of not having to deal with bursting pipes.