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<br />~.-- <br /> <br />Tips for Repairing a Flood Damaged Building <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The most important thing 10 remember is 10 give your house plenty <br />of time to drj1 Rushing to rebuild before everything dries can <br />cause many problems. The rule of thumb is, if it takes a week for <br />visible moisture to disappear, it will take at least another week for <br />unseen parts to dry. Here are some inexpensive measures you can <br />take 10 make your recovery easier after the next flood. <br /> <br />Floors <br /> <br />Utilities <br /> <br />Particle board or pljWood fall apart when wet for lengthy periods. <br />Floor joists and some wood floors regain their shape when naturalir <br />dried. Use screws or screw nails on floors and stairs to minimize <br />warping. Completely dry subflooring before lajing new flooring <br />or carpeting. Renall, then sand or place a new underlayment for a <br />new floor. <br /> <br />Electrical: Move the main breaker or fuse box and utility meters <br />above the flood ievel for your house. Label each cin:uit. If the <br />electrical code allows, raise the electrical outlets and switches <br />above the flood level. <br /> <br />Paints <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Equipment If you plan to replace a flooded furnace, waler heater, <br />or air conditioner, install the new one on a higher floor. If your <br />new air conditioner or heat pump will be outside, install it on a <br />pIatfonn above your flood level. A water heater can be put anywhere <br />near a hot water pipe. An updraft furnace in a basement can be <br />replaced with a downdraft furnace on a floor above the flood <br />protection level. Heavy appliances may be placed on raised <br />pIatfonns inside the house where the flood protection level is not <br />100 high. Make sure washers/dryers will not vibrate off the blocks <br />or platfonn during use. A one or two foot waterproof floodwalJ <br />around appliances will protect them from shallow flooding. <br /> <br />Completely dry the surface before painting. This may take several <br />weeks, but paint will peel if applied over a damp surface. Coat <br />concrete surfaces with penetrating sealerlor easier furore cleanup. <br />Coat water-sl2ined areas with shellac or commercial sl2in killer <br />first or the stains will bleed Ihrough the paint. Dryproofing requires <br />thick plastic or rubberized sheeting. Waterproofing paints do not <br />keep out floodwaters. <br /> <br />Windows <br /> <br />Walls <br /> <br />The best protection from high wind damage is boarding up all <br />windows or installing hurricane shuners. Taping windows will not <br />prevent stonn breakage. To board up windows, cut plywood 10 fit <br />all doors and windows. Label for quick pairing of coverings and <br />openings. Store with the nailslfasteners for attachment. <br /> <br />Wash and disinfect the studs and sills if the wallboard and insulation <br />were removed. If rebuilding, consider metal studs and sills as they <br />are Jess damaged by water than wooden ones. Pressure-trealed <br />wood resists mildew and wood-eating insects but may swell when <br />soaked. Warning: Some pressure-treated wood sbould not be used <br />inside the house. It depends on the chemicals used to treat them. <br />Ask your lumber company for consumer infonnation that gives <br />specific precautions. <br /> <br />Water Resistant Products <br /> <br />Wallboard <br /> <br />>- Concrete, concrete block, or glazed brick <br /> <br />.. Clay, concrete, or ceramic tile <br /> <br />>- Galvanized or stainless steel nails, hurricane clips, and <br />connectors (in areas subject to saltwater flooding) <br /> <br />>- Indoor-outdoor carpeting, synthetic backing (nol fastened <br />down) <br /> <br />>- Vmyl, terrazzo, or rubber floor covering, with waterproof <br />adhesives <br /> <br />~ Metal doors and window frames <br /> <br />~ Polyester-epoxy paints (Warning: do nol use mildew-resistanl <br />painl indoors as il contains a toxic ingredient.) <br /> <br />~ Stone, slate, cast stone with W1Iterproof mortar <br /> <br />>- Mastic, silicone, polyurethane formed-in place flooring <br /> <br />~ Polystyrene plastic foam insulation <br /> <br />>- Water-resistanl glue <br /> <br />If you install the wall board horizontally (four feet high), you'll <br />only have to replace half the wall if the next flood is less than 4 feet <br />deep. <br /> <br />Leave the wall open 1 inch above the sill. The baseboards will <br />hide the gap, but all you bave to do next floodtime is remove the <br />baseboard and the wall cavitywill drain freely and air will circulate <br />bener. (~ot applicable if local code requires a fire wall.) <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Greenboard or other moisture-resistant wallboard may be more <br />sturdy than regular wallboard, but replacement is required as it <br />presents the same health hazards when soaked with floodwaters. <br /> <br />PrOjecting hmr Homefrom Flood Damage, ReYised 1996. 2nd Ediuon. <br />Federal Emer~ency Man~ement Agenq.. <br /> <br />5 <br />