Even though mold can grow anywhere in your house, there are some rooms that are at risk for developing it more than others and these are generally the places in the home that have a sizeable quantity of water passing through them every day, like the kitchen and the bathroom. These are the two rooms in your home that require the most maintenance and attention in order to keep them in good shape while you are living in your home. However, it really only takes a casual inspection every once in a while to make sure that no problems with mold or water damage are developing.
In the bathroom, the most important surface is the floor. This holds up everything else in the room and if this goes, so does everything else, so preventing water and mold damage to this surface is extremely important. You can do this by making sure that the floor is completely water tight and there is no way for spilled water to get underneath the flooring installed in the room. If it does, it can cause mold to grow and the subfloor to begin rotting. Installing Schluter-Ditra, a waterproofing membrane, will give you an extra bit of protection against this, so if you are remodeling your bathroom, you really want to consider adding this to the room. Any other room that could have a major spill of water like a laundry room or kitchen could also benefit from this.
The ceiling can be just as important, since allowing it to become soaked with water can lead to sagging, cracking, and eventual collapse of the drywall. This happens when the steam and heat in the room goes up to the ceiling and has nowhere else to go. Most building codes have regulations requiring that a bathroom have at least a window or an exhaust vent, but it is best to have both of these, since leaving the window open might not be practical in all cases. Spending a couple hundred dollars and a few hours installing exhaust vents in the humid rooms of the house can help with the maintenance of them and save you money over time.
Something else that you need to do is make sure that water on the floor stays cleaned up as much as possible and that wet items of clothing get washed and dried as soon as possible instead of being left out or thrown in with dry dirty items.
Showing posts with label water. Show all posts
Showing posts with label water. Show all posts
Friday, January 25, 2008
Cell Phones and Water Trouble
Dropping a cell phone or other electronic device into a body of water is the worst nightmare of those people who must constantly be connected, like people who work in changing markets like real estate or finance, but it does happen. There are a number of things that you can do to both prevent this and have the appropriate response once it does eventually happen.
The first thing you should to is purchase a holster for your phone that you can attach to your pants or your purse, so you do not accidentally drop it. This along with purchasing a headset for it will give you a hands-free option when you are doing the dishes or are by the pool. It means that you will no longer have to rely on your hands to hold onto the phone, since the holster is probably going to be much more reliable.
If you do happen to drop your phone into water, the first thing you need to do is unplug it from the wall, if it is connected to its A/C adapter. This will prevent you from being electrocuted. If you can get the phone out of the water in under 20 seconds, this is best, since most phones are waterproofed just enough to keep water from getting inside it for that length of time. As soon as you get it out, dry off the exterior quickly and remove the battery pack and SIM card (if you have one). The SIM card contains all the contacts and other information on the phone and some people would consider this card more valuable than the actual phone itself.
After you have all the components of the phone dried off, place the phone itself into a bowl of uncooked rice. Leave this overnight at least or longer, if you can do without your phone. Just make sure that you have no doubt whether there is moisture still in the phone, since trying to turn it on while it is still wet inside can do the damage that you were trying to prevent all along.
Most cell phones these days are also equipped with stickers that change color when they are exposed to water or even just high humidity. This works for the manufacturer, since there are a number of people making false warranty claims and stating that something is wrong with the phone, when actually, the phone was water damaged. Most warranties do not cover water damage, so this sticker gives a technician a heads up that there might be water involved with the problem.
The first thing you should to is purchase a holster for your phone that you can attach to your pants or your purse, so you do not accidentally drop it. This along with purchasing a headset for it will give you a hands-free option when you are doing the dishes or are by the pool. It means that you will no longer have to rely on your hands to hold onto the phone, since the holster is probably going to be much more reliable.
If you do happen to drop your phone into water, the first thing you need to do is unplug it from the wall, if it is connected to its A/C adapter. This will prevent you from being electrocuted. If you can get the phone out of the water in under 20 seconds, this is best, since most phones are waterproofed just enough to keep water from getting inside it for that length of time. As soon as you get it out, dry off the exterior quickly and remove the battery pack and SIM card (if you have one). The SIM card contains all the contacts and other information on the phone and some people would consider this card more valuable than the actual phone itself.
After you have all the components of the phone dried off, place the phone itself into a bowl of uncooked rice. Leave this overnight at least or longer, if you can do without your phone. Just make sure that you have no doubt whether there is moisture still in the phone, since trying to turn it on while it is still wet inside can do the damage that you were trying to prevent all along.
Most cell phones these days are also equipped with stickers that change color when they are exposed to water or even just high humidity. This works for the manufacturer, since there are a number of people making false warranty claims and stating that something is wrong with the phone, when actually, the phone was water damaged. Most warranties do not cover water damage, so this sticker gives a technician a heads up that there might be water involved with the problem.
Cell Phone Water Trouble
We all know that water and electronics do not mix, but the fact is that many people end up letting these sensitive items come into contact with water no matter how careful they are. Most people have dropped something into the sink or the bath tub that did not belong there, but dropping a cell phone into one of these is a nightmare, especially for those of us who have our social lives strapped to them. If you kill our phone, you do away with all those contacts, since most of us do not have rolodexes anymore.
Having one of the new cell phones that are on the market today brings a lot of perks to the table, such as being able to save pictures, music, numerous ring tones, the ability to watch videos, surf the internet, check e-mail, and a number of other things, but all this can be completely done away with if the phone becomes soaked with water. Fortunately, there are a few things that you can do to save your phone should this happen.
If the phone is connected to its A/C adapter and plugged into the wall, unplug it before reaching into the water to fish it out. Do not reach into the water while the phone is still plugged in, but try to get it out of the water before 30 seconds, but 20, if possible. After retrieving it from the water, remove the battery, SIM card (if your phone has one), and set them aside. Dry off the exterior of the phone and its components with whatever is handy.
Put the phone in a bowl of uncooked rice and leave it there overnight to dry. The rice will pull the moisture out of the phone. If you can stand to, leave it there a day or two until you are sure that no moisture remains in it. Trying to turn the phone on prematurely will do exactly what you are trying to prevent.
You should also be aware that there is a water damage indication sticker on the inside of the phone located around the battery pack and deeper into the phone on the circuit board. These are in most cell phones these days to stop consumers from making false warranty claims and stating that their phone is defective, when actually, it was water damaged. Water damage is not covered under most cell phone warranties.
Having one of the new cell phones that are on the market today brings a lot of perks to the table, such as being able to save pictures, music, numerous ring tones, the ability to watch videos, surf the internet, check e-mail, and a number of other things, but all this can be completely done away with if the phone becomes soaked with water. Fortunately, there are a few things that you can do to save your phone should this happen.
If the phone is connected to its A/C adapter and plugged into the wall, unplug it before reaching into the water to fish it out. Do not reach into the water while the phone is still plugged in, but try to get it out of the water before 30 seconds, but 20, if possible. After retrieving it from the water, remove the battery, SIM card (if your phone has one), and set them aside. Dry off the exterior of the phone and its components with whatever is handy.
Put the phone in a bowl of uncooked rice and leave it there overnight to dry. The rice will pull the moisture out of the phone. If you can stand to, leave it there a day or two until you are sure that no moisture remains in it. Trying to turn the phone on prematurely will do exactly what you are trying to prevent.
You should also be aware that there is a water damage indication sticker on the inside of the phone located around the battery pack and deeper into the phone on the circuit board. These are in most cell phones these days to stop consumers from making false warranty claims and stating that their phone is defective, when actually, it was water damaged. Water damage is not covered under most cell phone warranties.
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