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<br />how to make sure that your loss- <br />es are covered. Then throw the <br />stuff out, preferably in sealed <br />plastic garbage bags. <br />Don't take chances with <br />frozen food if the electricity <br />went off unless the food is still <br />thoroughly frozen and contains <br />ice crystals. As a rule, food will <br />remain frozen for up to 3 days <br />in a closed freezer without <br />power. Don't refreeze thawed <br />food. However, you can cook <br />raw meat that was partially <br />thawed and then freeze it. <br />Dispose of discarded items <br />properly. Do not burn or bury <br />them. There will usually be <br />more frequent garbage pickups <br />after a flood. Your local newspa- <br />pers or local TV and radio <br />stations will have announce- <br />ments about trash pickup <br />schedules and drop-off sites. <br /> <br />How f'oodw.'er. Affect <br />Your Home <br />Once contents and debris have <br />been cleared, the next step is <br />to get the water out of the <br />ceilings and walls. How you <br />drain and dry your ceilings and <br />walls depends on what they are <br />made of <br /> <br />Wallboard <br />Most ceilings and walls are cov- <br />ered with wallboard, especially <br />in newer homes. Wallboard acts <br />like a sponge, drawing water <br />up above the flood level. It be- <br />comes very fragile if it stays wet <br />for long and will fall apart when <br />bumped. When the wallboard <br />finally dries, there will still be <br />mud and contaminants dried <br />inside. <br /> <br />Wallboard that has been <br />soaked by floodwater can be a <br />permanent health hazard. <br />Therefore, this book recom- <br />mends that you throw out <br />flooded wallboard. On the other <br />hand, if the wallboard was <br />soaked by clean rainwater, it can <br />be dried in place with plenty of <br />fresh air moving through the <br />area. <br /> <br />Plaster <br />Plaster will survive a flood better <br />than wallboard. You should not <br />need to replace it, but it will <br />take a very long time to dry. <br />Sometimes the plaster will <br />separate from its wood laths as it <br />dries. Then the wall will have to <br />be removed and replaced. <br /> <br />Insulation <br />There are 3 main types of insula- <br />tion, and each reacts differently <br />to floodwaters. Styrofoam sur- <br />vives best; it may only need to <br />be hosed off. <br />Fiberglass batts should be <br />thrown out if they are muddy. If <br />soaked by clean rainwater, <br />remove them so the rest of the <br />wall can dry. They can be put <br />back in the wall, but it will take <br />a very long time for them to dry. <br />Cellulose (loose or blown-in <br />treated paper) insulation holds <br />water for a long time. It can also <br />lose its antifungal and fire retar- <br />dant abilities. Therefore, flooded <br />cellulose insulation should be <br />replaced. <br /> <br />Wood <br />If it is allowed to dry naturally, <br />wood will usually regain its orig- <br />inal shape. Different layers of <br /> <br />/ <br />f~ <br />5:r~' p <br />---K"'o1il"~ <br />Dry Out Your Home ,1{ <br /> <br />Water and Wood <br /> <br />Wood always has some water in it. <br />but a flood can bring its moisture <br />content up to 30 percent. This caus- <br />es swelling. However, if allowed to <br />dry naturally, wood will usually go <br />back to its original shape. Unlike <br />wallboard, wet studs and sills that <br />are touched by floodwaters do not <br />need to be thrown out. Hollow <br />wood doors usually have cardboard <br />spacers in the middle that lose their <br />shape when wet. Generally, these <br />doors come apan after they are <br />flooded and need to be replaced. <br /> <br />17 <br />