Holiday Safety List Keeping the Flame
Candles and fireplaces bring light and warmth to the dark days of December. Respect the power of fire and take appropriate precautions, now and year-round.

Candles:

• Do not leave unattended

• Supervise children and pets around burning candles and put away matches or lighters

• Burn them in containers made especially for candles, and set those containers on heat-resistant surfaces

• Do not set near trees, curtains, or other combustible items

• Place candles 3" or more apart from each other

• Keep them away from drafts

• Trim wicks to ¼"

• Buy candles labeled lead-free or from U.S. manufacturers

Fireplaces:

• Have your fireplace inspected by a professional

• Clean it

• Use a screen when in use

• Don’t burn wreaths which can cause flare-ups

• Don’t burn present wrapping paper — metallic papers are toxic and some papers could float out of the chimney

Tending the Tree
Know what kind of tree to choose, and then make sure you decorate it with care. How to select and maintain a tree:

• Pick a green tree: fresh spruce and pine trees have needles that don’t break easily

• Cut off 2" from the end of the trunk

• Set the tree in a water-filled stand

• No blocking doorways or foot paths

• Place away from heat sources

• Anchor the tree so children or pets don’t knock it down

• Refill water as needed

• Use artificial trees that are labeled as fire-resistant

Tips for decorating your tree:

• Use indoor lights inside your house and outdoor lights outside

• Check that lights are in safe, working order

• Use no more than three strings of lights on a single extension cord

• Keep cords out of the way, but not under rugs where they could cause a fire or tripping hazard

• Unplug lights when you leave or go to bed

• No edible or breakable decorations on lower branches in homes with small children and pets

• Keep bells on the bottom branches to let you know if someone is in the tree

Making Merry
The celebrations with family and friends are part of what makes the season "merry." Take care so these celebrations are also safe. Cooking:

• Cook large quantities of meat for the right amount of time and at the right temperature (for advice, contact the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854).

• Avoid raw meat contamination of utensils and kitchen surfaces

• Don’t wear loose-fitting clothing around flames

• Don’t overload your outlets with appliances

Alcohol and Adults:

• Offer non-alcoholic choices

• Monitor guests’ conditions and provide a designated driver or a room at your house, if necessary

Supervision and Childproofing:

• Hire someone or designate a person to watch small children during get-togethers

• Keep visitors’ purses and coats away from children

• Clean-up so that children can’t get into food, alcohol, or tobacco products

Please contact Kevin Hussey for more information.

There are two major methods of dehumidification - desiccant and refrigeration. In either case, a number of air movers are stationed inside the building to circulate the dry air from the dehumidifier into all areas and to speed the drying process. As much of the water saturated debris as possible (fallen ceiling tiles, boxes, ruined sheet rock, etc.) should be removed to minimize the water load on the dehumidification process.

Contrary to popular belief, a building cannot be dried too quickly. The least damage is caused when the building contents are dried as quickly as possible. The drying process is monitored by measuring the humidity ratio daily and by plotting the results on a chart. Individual items’ moisture content should be measured with appropriate instruments to evaluate the effectiveness of the process.

Desiccant - Desiccant units pull moist air through a rotary honeycombed desiccant wheel made of a substance such as silica gel or lithium chloride which absorbs the moisture. The resulting dry air is then blown into the building space. As the moisture is removed from the air, the desiccant material in the wheel becomes saturated. The wheel surface area is divided into two parts by a divider wall. One half of the area is used for absorption of moisture and the other half passes through the reactivation chamber where heated air is blown through the wheel material to dry (reactivate) it. Once dry it then rotates back into the air dryer chamber to once again absorb moisture.

Desiccant dehumidifiers generate much drier air than refrigeration units and operate in a much wider temperature I humidity range. This method is more effective in unheated facilities, such as large warehouses or open office space, where dehumidification is more economical than air conditioning or heating the facility.

The major drawback to desiccant drying is that the reactivation air stream (warm moist air) must be exhausted outside the building being dried. The butane fired reactivation may also be a problem if the unit is to be used inside the building. Therefore, the usual application of this unit is external to the building. The warm dry air is introduced through light plastic ductwork, which is custom designed for each application, or may be introduced into the HVAC system through a mixer box. These desiccant units are indispensable for large open areas such as gymnasiums and warehouses.

Refrigeration - A refrigeration unit contains a closed cycle of refrigerant that is allowed to evaporate inside copper coils. The evaporation process cools these coils. The gaseous refrigerant is then compressed to a liquid and passed through the condenser coils where the heat removed from the evaporator coils is exhausted. Refrigeration dehumidifiers operate efficiently in warm moist conditions. The warm moisture laden air is passed over the cold refrigerant coils (the evaporator) which are below the dew point temperature of the building air. As the air passes, moisture condenses on the coils so the air exhausted contains less water than the incident air. Before leaving the unit the dried air is blown across the condenser coils where it is heated and exits the unit with a net heat gain. The condensed water is collected in a pan and pumped to a drain as required. The advantage of the refrigerated unit is that it is self-contained and can be operated inside small office spaces. It does not require an external exhaust.

The damage may be imperceptibly slow and minor such as water spots that could eventually mar a surface, or it may be instantaneous and catastrophic such as flooding. However fast it occurs, water damage is a very major contributor to loss of property.

United Fire & Water has the resources and education to address any of these mitigating circumstances, whether it be a slow leak in a water line or hurricane damage.

Water damage is typically classified into one of the following three categories: Category 1 Water or Fresh water refers to a source of water that does not pose substantial threat to humans and classified as "Clean Water". Examples are broken water supply lines, tub or sink overflows or appliance malfunctions that involves water supply lines.

Category 2 Water or Gray water refers to a source of water that contains a significant degree of chemical, biological or physical contaminantsand causes discomfort or sickness when exposed or even consumed. Known as "Grey Water".  This type carries micro organismsand nutrientsof micro organisms. Examples are toilet bowls with urine(no feces), sump pumpfailures, seepage due to hydrostaticfailure and water discharge from dishwashers or washing machines.

Category 3 Water- Known as "Black Water" is grossly unsanitary. This water contains unsanitary agents, harmful bacteriaand fungi, causing severe discomfort or sickness. Type 3 category are contaminated water sources that affects the indoor environment. This category includes water sources from sewage, seawater, rising water from rivers or streams, ground surface water or standing water. Category 2 Water or Grey Water that is not promptly removed from the structure and or have remained stagnant for 48-72 hours may be re classified as Category 3 Water. Toilet back flows that originates from beyond the toilet trap is considered black water contamination regardless of visible content or color.

Our dedicated project managers, working with qualified reconstruction specialists, evaluate structural damage to determine your reconstruction needs. Leveraging a comprehensive network of quality contractors, carpentry, drywall, flooring, and painting needs are coordinated and the property is returned to its pre-loss condition.

In the case of fire damage, highly qualified cleaning technicians employ the latest technologies and equipment to eliminate contaminants and odors, soot, residual smoke particles, and other traces of fire and smoke from structural surfaces. We clean and treat HVAC systems to eradicate irritants, pollutants, and potential health threats. Through direct cleaning and the use of specialized equipment, we remove sources of odor and other dangerous toxins. Thermal fog and ozone treatments are applied when necessary.

At United Fire & Water, we believe that extraordinary events require extraordinary efforts. Once the disaster restoration is complete, our project manager walks you through a completely restored structure, thoroughly explaining the recovery process.

Fire damage processes include

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  Upon arrival, complete investigation of loss, containment and loss mitigation procedures

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  Structural drying

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  Smoke and soot removal

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  Odor mitigation and deodorization

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  Content pack out, inventory and on site / off site restoration

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  Air scrubbing (HEPA or high efficiency particulate air)

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  O Zone machines

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  Complete commercial and residential reconstruction services available

Because common building materials are capable of sustaining mold growth, and mold spores are ubiquitous, mold growth in an indoor environment is typically related to an indoor water or moisture problem. Mold growth may also be caused by incomplete drying of flooring materials such as concrete.[2] Leaky roofs, building maintenance problems, or indoor plumbing problems can lead to mold growth inside homes, schools, or office buildings. Another common source of mold growth is flooding.

For significant mold growth to occur, there must be a source of water (which could be invisible humidity), a source of food, and a substrate capable of sustaining growth. Common building materials, such as plywood, drywall, furring strips, carpets, and carpet padding are food for molds. In carpet, invisible dust and cellulose are the food sources (see also dust mites). After a single incident of water damage occurs in a building, molds grow inside walls and then become dormant until a subsequent incident of high humidity; this illustrates how mold can appear to be a sudden problem, long after a previous flood or water incident that did not produce a mold-related problem. The right conditions re-activate mold. Studies also show that mycotoxin levels are perceptibly higher in buildings that have once had a water incident (source CMHC).

United Fire & Water Damage Restoration Inc is proud to have served both Advanced Office Systems & Pittsburgh Paints to restore their facilities after Hurricane Gustav. We were employed to remove water damaged content and structure from both sites, and to return atmospheric conditions to normal levels. The process also involved making the property water tight until permanent repairs can be made as well as drying the interior of structure. Humidity in both structures exceeded 90% and as of Sunday September 7th we now have levels in the 30% - 40% ranges. These locations will have a great chance of being open for business in the coming days.

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Please note that cellular service after Katrina was limited. If you are having problems getting through to any of our numbers, and I have listed all of them below, please either send a text message to the cell numbers listed below or send an email and copy all of the addresses below.

We will be available just as soon as the storm has blown through for any restoration needs you may have.

Thank you, and be safe.

Kevin Hussey CMR/WRT

President, United Fire & Water

Gustav’s track and expected intensity at landfall are similar to those of Hurricane Betsy of 1965. Betsy was a strong Category 4 hurricane as it crossed the Gulf of Mexico, which then weakened to a Category 3 at landfall, right where Gustav is predicted to make landfall (Figure 3). Betsy brought a storm surge of up to 15 feet to Louisiana (Figure 4). According to wikipedia, levees for the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet along Florida Avenue in the Lower Ninth Ward and on both sides of the Industrial Canal failed. The flood waters reached the eaves of houses in some places and over some one story roofs in the Lower Ninth Ward. These levee breaches flooded parts of Gentilly, the Upper Ninth Ward, and the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans as well as Arabi and Chalmette in neighboring St. Bernard Parish. Seventy-six people died in Louisiana, and ‘Billion-Dollar Betsy’ became the first billion-dollar hurricane ($10 billion in 2008 dollars). As a result of the hurricane, the Army Corps of Engineers was tasked with the job of upgrading the New Orleans levee system to withstand a future hurricane of Besty’s strength–but no stronger.

Figure 3. Track of Hurricane Betsy of 1965.

Figure 4. Simulated maximum storm surge from Hurricane Betsy of 1965, as modeled using the ADCIRC”