How to Repair Smoke Damage in Your Kitchen

Smoke damage in kitchen of Brampton homeSmoke damage can be very difficult to clean up.  Smoke has the ability to embed itself into just about anything in your home, leaving a nasty (and lasting) odor throughout your home.  If you’ve ever been inside a home after a fire, even a minor one, you know what I mean.

Smoke is actually hot air polluted with contaminants like oil and ash. These settle on ceilings, walls and horizontal surfaces creating a smelly, dirty mess. If the problem is widespread you may like to consider calling for assistance from a smoke remediation specialist, an HVAC duct cleaning company and a general cleaning firm. If the damage is minor and you have the time and patience then these tips should help you to get started.

Tip 1 – Open all the doors and windows. Read to the bottom of the page to figure out what you’re going to need. While you’re at the hardware store purchasing your requirements remember to include a generous supply of protective gloves and two pairs of masks and goggles.

Tip 2 – Rent yourself a couple of industrial fans. Position them in the middle of the room and run them for 24 hours to clear any residual smoke. While you’re waiting, adjust your masks and goggles to ensure a tight fit and get used to wearing them.

Tip 3 – Vacuum up the soot and dirt. Take your time and remove as much as possible as this will simplify cleaning surfaces later. Always work from below the dirt or from the nearside of it to avoid drawing it towards you. If it’s still wet, try to avoid spreading stains.

Tip 4 – Wash your mask and goggles, rinse them thoroughly and hang them out to dry. Put the other set on plus a fresh set of gloves. Remove anything that’s damaged beyond repair and store it somewhere that simplifies taking it to the tip.

Tip 5 – Wipe all the surfaces with a damp cloth remembering to rinse it frequently and change the water regularly. Take your time again. Your mission is to remove the residue, not spread it around.

Tip 6 – Add a tablespoon of tri-sodium phosphate to a bucket of warm water and repeat the exercise. A vinegar spray can help with stubborn stains but be careful of over-wetting chip or drywall as this can soak in and encourage mold. You are now in a position to start repairing the damage and recovering your home.

Tip 7 – Ask your insurance company for consent to replace any carpets, curtains and soft furnishings. Trust me, you will not get them properly clean and they will stink forever. Strip off any wallpaper as the same applies.

Tip 8 – Prime walls with oil-based stain blocking primer. Repeat until all stains have disappeared. Add a final coat to make doubly sure. After that you can safely over paint with the medium of your choice.

Tip 9 – Install replacement fittings and carpets. Hang new curtains and position new furniture. The job’s done. You got your house back and you did it all yourself!

This sounds like a lot of hard work and it surely is. Like I said earlier, there are smoke remediation specialists, HVAC duct cleaning companies, and general cleaning firms all over town. If you have fire damage insurance, you can opt to have a professional service come in and restore your home and it’s contents, or just start over again.

 

 

 

 

Tips for Selecting a Tankless Water Heater

The installation of a tankless water heater is a good option if you want to lower energy costs and create more space in your basement or garage. The function of a tankless water heater means that water is heated when it needs to be used, which is different than conventional water heaters that keep water constantly heated inside a tank. These on-demand water heaters can help to provide a great upgrade to your house, but setting up and selecting the right one can be difficult, so we created this series of tips to help you through the process.

plumbers-toronto

Plan Ahead
Updating to a tankless water heater should be done before your existing water heater fails. You want to have sufficient time to explore the options available for your home. If your existing tank fails, then the time to find a sufficient tankless water heater is limited, as time is needed to determine the costs of a new water installation and how practical it is to install one in your home.

Many types of tankless water heaters are available for residential installation. The best models for your home will have an Energy Star label. Make sure you are purchasing a qualified model by reviewing all the models that are available. You can do this by viewing an Energy Start product list.

Proper Size

The size of water heaters you need is based on a factor called gallons per minute. This is also known as the flow rate. You will need a tankless water heater that can supply hot water to appliances including a washing machine and dishwasher, while still being able to power a faucet and a shower. The best way to think about this is to take a week and look at what items in your house your family tends to use at the same time. If you feel like two showers and a washing machine are often on at once then a high gallon per minute flow rate may be needed.

Efficiency Comparison

Comparing the efficiency of a tankless water heater is done by checking the Energy Factor for a unit. This is the measure of heat transfer efficiency and heat loss. A unit that has a high Energy Factor will be more efficient than units with a lower Energy Factor and will help you save money on your electricity.

Tankless water heater panel Toronto

Do the Math

Talk to an experienced plumber to determine the proper size of unit for your home. If you are unable to meet with a plumber, then compare a few figures. A shower and bath will normally require 2.5 gallons per minute, a washing machine normally requires 3.3 gallons per minute, and a dishwasher normally requires 1.3 gallons per minute. If you know your incoming water temperature (which is most areas is around 50 degrees) then you can easily calculate what type of temperature increase you will get with different applications in your house needing hot water  at different GPM’s.
Product Rebates

The installation of a tankless water heater in your home may qualify for an tax rebate. You will want to check to see if any rebates or offers are available in your area from Energy Star Partners; however, there are not always rebates available in different areas or for different products.

Additional Information

Review the various brands of tankless water heaters available on the market to find the best one for your home such as Rheem, Eemax, Chronomite and Bosch. There are also a lot of great online resources for more information on tankless water heaters as well.

Iron Bacteria: The Orange Sludge In Your Basement

iron bacteria in toronto basement Is that orange sludge in my basement dangerous?

Did you ever dig down into a pool of water and find an orange sludge where ferrous iron was present? While it’s not dangerous as such, it does impart an unpleasant taste, appear oily and look like unprocessed sewage. We usually find this frequently in older Toronto basements, especially leaky basements.  Many homeowner insurance policies don’t cover this in the small print.

While Iron Bacteria (for this is what the orange sludge is) are not injurious to human health, they do stain water a rusty brown – and anything else they come in contact with like clothes and soft furnishings.

Iron Bacteria Facts

Iron bacteria are living micro-organisms that oxidise rusty iron that’s dissolved in water. They do this by attaching themselves to the iron object the water’s passing through. This could be a supply pipe or a sump pump. It could equally be a rusty piece of iron outside your basement in the backfill.

They are also prolific procreators of their species. In no time at all they’ll have babies attached on their backs. Within months the colony becomes a plaque-like biofilm. The inhabitants have found a place where they can live off rusty water, in the same we survive by breathing oxygen.

iron bacteria in richmond hill home

How the Problem Starts

While iron bacteria are naturally present in ferrous rocks (for example those containing manganese) chopping up a basement floor to install drainage introduces the oxygen they need to thrive on. All that’s needed is a piece of rusty iron left behind, or even exposed rebar cause by inadequate concrete pours.

Builders frequently exacerbate the problem by installing open drains inside basements to take bacteria-rich water away. Iron bacteria just love oxygen-rich environments like these. This adds power to the argument that the only way to stop water-penetration professionally, is outside basement walls.

Ways of Dealing with the Problem

If you have iron bacteria in your water-supply my advice is to stay away from chemicals that could be compounds of acids, disinfectants and biocides. These may well treat the symptoms, but they’re the last thing you want entering nearby streams and ponds. If you have a septic tank they’ll also kill it stone dead, which is a whole lot worse than something harmless, except that it looks like orange sludge.

It’s far more responsible to pump water that’s 140° hot through the system. This effectively pasteurizes the bacteria and kills them stone dead. You don’t need a high-pressure pump to do this. Your diesel-fired burner, 300 psi delivery and a handy bleed point are all you need.

Conclusion of the Matter

While iron bacteria isn’t necessarily dangerous to human health, it is an annoyance and can can effect the water quality in your home if left untreated.  If you see that orange sludge throughout your basement, it may be a sign that you have water problems and may need to call in a professional to find the source of your leaky basement.

Have questions about water or mold in your basement?  Contact us here, we’re happy to answer any questions.