Below are the 3 most recent journal entries recorded in samuelhrchambbe's InsaneJournal:

Thursday, March 31st, 2011
6:08 pm	Water Damage: When to call a pro. When water damage strikes your home, how do you know when or if it’s time to employ a professional? I would suggest you start by assessing what needs to be accomplished. Whether it’s a water damage or a small one, that in it’s self can be hard to figure out. Once you’ve determined what needs to be done, do you have time to doperform the work? Are you physically capable of doing the job? How long will it take you to get the job finished? If you have affirmative answers for these questions, then read the next step. Will I need specific materials or equipment to do the job? Do I have or can I get hold of ample equipment to do the job? If you are a do it yourselfer, then you know the value of employing the right tools and/or equipment to do the job. Also, think of the risks if the job is not done right. In a water damage situation, if you don’t dryout the affected area quickly, the resulting damage could be much more pricey. Many cleaning and restoration issues can be depressing if things don’t happen as easily or quickly as we’ve foreseen. a few projects with a lot of time and hard work can be executed adequately by a vigilant “do it yourselfer”. Water damage restoration projects generally require perfection, because if isn't done precisely, the costs to restore continue to increase. Whether you do it yourself or you employ a professional the foremost thing is to remain focused on these 3 issues; figure out what’s wet, get it dried out quickly, and make sure the drying is complete. Current Mood: nauseated Current Music: Indy (Comment on this)
Wednesday, March 30th, 2011
9:57 am	Spot Removal Procedure Carpet spot 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 required . 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. Remember not to use a circular motion to remove a spot as this destroys texture. To prevent wick up , the final 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 brick , or other suitable weight object on the towel to keep the towel in contact with the surface . This allows any stain wicking up from the backing to go into the towels rather than remain on the carpet surface. Allow to dry, remove the heavy object and towels and fluff up the carpet. **Be sure to try , on an inconspicuous area of your carpet any solutions you plan to use as it might affect color or texture. Do not continue if color in the test area marks off on a white paper towel . Some products needed to remove spots: • Paper towels (white) or terry towels (white). • Powdered laundry detergent without bleach • Sprayer for applying detergents and special solutions such as vinegar or Household ammonia solutions. • Household ammonia , vinegar and rubbing alcohol . • Spoon and dull knife . • Heavy book or brick . General Procedure Unknown and greasy spots. Step 1: Remove as much of the foreign material as you can by blotting with a white paper towel or scraping with a dull knife . Apply rubbing alcohol or a dry cleaning solvent to a clean white paper towel or terry towel . If the spot extends deep into the pile use a blotting action until the spot is gone or no color is transferred to the towel . Do not allow the solvent to penetrate into the backing, as this will ruin the latex bond. If the spot is on the surface only, rub in one direction at a time. Never use a circular action to remove a spot as this may ruin the carpet pile. Stop if spot is removed. If not, go to step 3. Water based spots. Step 2: Absorb 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 affected 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 spot is completely gone. Blot dry and apply the paper towels and stack of books. If it is not completely gone go to step 3. Step 3: Remove as much of the material as possible by blotting with a paper towel. Apply a small amount a detergent* solution to the stain. Use a blotting action to work the detergent solution into the affected area . If spot is being removed continue applying solution and blotting with a white paper towel until the spot is no longer visible. Rinse the area with water using a spray bottle, blot to remove excess moisture, spray lightly with water , do not blot this time; apply pad of paper towels and book and allow to 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 change 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 make 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 spot removers available. Many stains require specialized solutions. 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-vac to remove the bulk of the spill. If just a small amount was spilled blot with a paper towel to absorb as much of the spot 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 carpet backing. Blot with a white paper towel to remove excess moisture. Once neutralized, begin with step 3 of the removal guide . All solutions for removing blood need to be cool . B. Beer, coffee, perfume, tea and wine. For big spills use a ShopVac to extract the majority of the spill. If only a small amount was spilled, blot with a paper towel to remove as much of the spot as possible, then neutralize with a solution of 1/3 cup of vinegar, 2/3 cup of water . Saturate , using a spray bottle and blot to absorb excess solution. After neutralizing , go to step 3 of instructions . C. Egg, excrement, urine, and vomit. Remove as much of the stain as you can by using a spoon or dull knife . Remove as much of the spot as possible, then neutralize by spraying the affected area with an ammonia solution. Care should be taken 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 transferred to the paper or towel. You will need to 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 carpets. Olefin is a fairly raw oil base byproduct and it is very easy to melt with heat or friction. E. Bubble Gum. Freeze the gum using an ice cube . Shatter the frozen gum with a knife handle and vacuum. Some citrus based products Like De-Solv-It® by Orange-Sol have been shown to break down the stickiness of gum so that it can be removed from the carpet. F. Mud. Let mud dry . Shatter 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 remain for 5 minutes. Go to step 3 of instructions to remove the lemon juice. Most rust removers contain a strong acid and are not recommended for use by homeowners. H. Nail Polish. Remove as much of the nail polish as possible using a spoon . Apply a non-oily nail polish remover to a clean white cloth and gently rub (in only one direction at a time) or blot the spot. Repeat until spot is removed. Do not allow nail polish remover to get to the carpet backing. Go to step 3 to remove the nail polish remover .Water Damage Lawrence KS Water Damage Lawrence Kansas Current Mood: nauseated Current Music: Indy (Comment on this)
Tuesday, March 29th, 2011
7:21 pm	Get to know your insurance agent. 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 Current Mood: nauseated Current Music: Indy (Comment on this)