Your Safety Guide: Returning Home After a Disaster

by admin | Sep 18, 2018 | Uncategorized

Disaster can strike anywhere – and whether it’s a hurricane or tornado, an earthquake or a wildfire, it’s important that you know what precautions to take before returning home after you’ve evacuated.

You should never enter your home without getting the green light from local officials first. Sometimes it’s not safe yet, even when it appears to be, so wait for an “all clear” before you try venturing back into your neighborhood.

What to Check When You Return Home

Once officials say it’s safe to return to your home, you still have to be careful. When you arrive, make sure there are no immediate threats to your safety, such as:
• Cracks in your home’s foundation or roof that could cause the house to collapse
• Electrical issues, like downed power lines or shorts within your home
• Gas leaks that could signal a break in the gas line
• Water and sewage issues that can cause serious illness or death
• Air quality problems, like mold or carbon monoxide

Expert advice: Don’t bring your kids or pets when you return to inspect your home. Make sure it’s safe, and if possible, cleaned up and repaired before you bring your family with you.

Cracks in the Foundation or Roof

The first thing you should look at when returning home is your roof. Check for signs of damage from the front and back of the house before entering. If you notice any sagging or holes in the roof, be extremely cautious as it may not be stable.

Look for cracks in what you can see of the foundation, and peek inside the windows to see if there’s standing water or if ceilings are sagging – these are signs that the home’s structure is unstable and it could be dangerous for you to go inside.

If you believe it looks safe from the outside, you can head inside. (Check out this checklist to uncover storm damage before it’s too late for safety tips on inspecting your home.)

Who to Call: Contact a professional repairman, roofing specialist, contractor, or inspector to take a closer look at the damage.

Electrical Issues

Officials will warn you if there are downed power lines in your neighborhood, but in the absence of a warning, you still need to check things around your home.

You should never touch fallen electrical wires, and if there’s any standing water in your home, turn off the electrical power immediately as long as you don’t have to stand in water to do it.

Who to Call: In case of electrical issues, immediately call your local electrician for assistance. 

Gas Leaks

If you smell natural gas or propane, don’t go in – even if you think it’s just that the pilot light in your stove is out or that it’s coming from elsewhere. Even a small spark, like one from your hot water heater or an electrical short, can cause an explosion.

Even if you don’t notice a smell, but you notice a hissing sound of gas escaping or see other signs of a leak: IMMEDIATELY EVACUATE the area and seek assistance.

Who to Call: Immediately contact your designated energy company, 24-hour emergency number at 1-800-400-4271, or call your local emergency response number.

Water and Sewage Problems

Check for leaks around your home immediately. Watch for soggy floors, walls and ceilings – if you see any, the home’s integrity could be compromised, and you’ll need to leave right away. (It’s common for floors, walls and ceilings to get wet after a disaster, so moisture isn’t necessarily a sign that the home is about to collapse.)

If you discover puddles or floodwater, never let it touch your skin – even if you’re outdoors and you believe the water is coming from a nearby river or stream. There are three main types of wastewater, which includes water from flooding, but you can’t always tell what you’re dealing with by looking at it:

• Clean water – Clean water isn’t necessarily clean, but it comes from a clean source like a leaky faucet or broken pipe that carries city water to your home.
• Gray water – Gray water is definitely contaminated. It comes from sources like overflowing rivers and streams, washing machine and dishwasher overflows, and other sources that contain bacteria.
• Black water – Black water can contain deadly bacteria, as well as grease, sewage and dangerous pathogens. It can come from backed up sewage drains and other sources that carry wastewater, and it can pollute rivers and streams. You should never attempt to handle black water yourself.

If water is flowing inside your home, shut it off at its source immediately – right after you turn off the electricity.

Who to Call: In case of water and sewage problems, contact your city utilities, waste management company, or your local plumber.

Air Quality Problems

Open the doors and windows as soon as you can – your home needs to air out before you can stay there for any length of time. The biggest concerns with air quality in a disaster-claimed home are:

• Mold – Assume your home has mold issues if it was flooded. Mold can be extremely dangerous to your health.
• Carbon monoxide – Carbon monoxide can kill you, so bring along a battery-powered carbon monoxide detector when you inspect your home.

If you are concerned about air quality, immediately evacuate your home and call for assistance.

Who to Call: For potential carbon monoxide, call your local HVAC specialist or fire department as soon as possible. Mold inspectors and specialists are available for any potential mold from leftover water damage.

Damage caused by damp on a wall in modern house

Pests and Animals

After a disaster, snakes, spiders and other wild animals can seek shelter in quiet, undisturbed places. Be particularly careful if your home sustained broken windows or pipes during the disaster, if walls are cracked, or if your roof sustained significant damage.

Who to Call: If you notice any wild animals, quickly contact your local animal control company. For smaller animals such as rodents and insects, exterminators are available.

Safety Tips When Inspecting Your Home

When you inspect your home, follow these safety tips:

• Pay attention to strong odors or fumes that can signal dangerous chemical mixtures.
• Don’t connect a portable generator to your home’s electrical system.
• Remove wet items from your home as soon as possible to help prevent mold growth inside.
• Follow water advisories; if officials say you must boil water before using it, make sure it stays at a rolling boil for at least one minute. If possible, use bottled water for drinking and brushing your teeth.

How to Rebuild

When it’s time to rebuild or repair your home, file an insurance claim if you can. Some types of insurance (like flood insurance) aren’t mandatory everywhere – it’s a special policy that you must purchase in addition to your regular homeowners insurance policy. However, particular types of insurance may be suggested or required for particular areas. Flood insurance is recommended in areas like Miami where flooding and hurricanes occur more frequently.

You’ll have to read through your entire policy to see what’s covered and what you’re responsible for doing before you file a claim.

How to File a Home Insurance Claim

Follow these steps to file a home insurance claim with your provider:

1. Call your insurance company as soon as possible after a disaster.
2. Fill out claim forms immediately to avoid delays.
3. Ask your insurer to send out an adjuster to inspect the damage.
4. Prepare for the adjuster’s visit by listing everything that’s damaged in your home. Don’t throw away damaged items until after the adjuster sees them.
5. Keep your receipts for emergency repairs. The same is true if you’re displaced – hold on to hotel receipts so you can prove how much the disaster has cost you.

Cleanup Tips

When you’re cleaning up after a disaster, you may find it necessary to hire professional help – especially if you’re dealing with mold, soot and smoke damage, or sewage. If you don’t need professional help, follow these tips:

• Wear safety gear, like rubber gloves, goggles or breathing masks to protect yourself.
• Work in teams when you’re moving heavy items like sofas and beds.
• Throw away food that’s been exposed to floodwater or mud, even if it was sealed in a can or container.
• Rest when you need to – post-disaster cleanup can be a big, stressful job.
• Air out your home by opening doors and windows, and use fans to blow air out of your home.
• Throw away things you can’t clean or dry easily, like cosmetics, mattresses, paper products and heavy rugs.
• Clean all surfaces with hot water and dish detergent or bleach.
• Get rid of standing water as soon as you can to reduce the risk of illness or disease (and to minimize places for mosquitoes to thrive).
• Don’t handle hazardous materials. Call the fire department to inspect and remove them.

Like this article? You can find this article along with other high quality content on https://www.redfin.com/ a leading publisher for all things related to home buying and selling.

Green Growth Market: Starting and Growing an Eco-Friendly Business

by admin | Aug 12, 2018 | Uncategorized

As far as new small business strategy is concerned, the future appears to lie firmly within the eco-friendly sphere. According to German-based Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, the global market volume for environmental technologies will exceed 20 billion euro by 2025.

The term “environmental technologies” covers a lot of territory, but it also represents a lot of opportunity. Whether you consider such a strategy sustainable in the long-term, there can be little doubt that this is one diverse and growth-oriented niche for entrepreneurs who have vision and a desire to couple business innovation and environmental responsibility.

Getting started

The great advantage of launching a green business is the global nature of environmentalism, a phenomenon that’s growing by leaps and bounds, which means that entrepreneurs in this niche are entering a burgeoning market. And there’s always the personal satisfaction angle, making money doing something that contributes to preserving our environment. Yet many such ventures constitute something completely new and represent a certain financial risk.

Growing a green business may require significant financial resources, which means owners are well-advised to investigate different options, including a small business loan, small business startup loan, or a business line of credit. Each option comes with its own unique advantages.

A small business loan is government-guaranteed, which allows lenders to offer loans at low interest rates. With a line of credit, you pay interest only on the amount you borrow from your credit line. There’s also a supportive system of green business organizations that can provide support, direction and advice where financing is concerned. The Clean Economy Network, Eco Tuesday, Green Chamber of Commerce and Green Drinks are just a few examples of an environmentally focused business networking community that can help new entrepreneurs in myriad ways.

Innovative ideas

Some of the most innovative and appealing new business ideas within the eco-friendly market niche are those that impact the way people live and help them find ways to live healthier and more sustainable. Food sourcing is a major area of concern in many parts of the world and it’s been a hot issue in the U.S. for many years. People, even those who live in small apartments with no space to grow food but on the roof, stand to benefit from a business that supports the set-up and maintenance of rooftop gardens from both a physical framework and garden and seed supply standpoint.

Green power

Concerns over non-renewable energy sources have been with us for decades and helped spawn the development of alternatives such as wind and solar power. Statistics show that solar power can supply as much as 70 percent of a family’s heated water needs over the course of a year. Combined with rapid growth in the solar panel business and the likely increase in conventional energy costs, solar power would seem to represent a very attractive business model for an aggressive and forward-thinking entrepreneur.

Eco-friendly transportation

There’s been steady growth in the gas and electric scooter business in recent years. Oppressive traffic patterns, the cost of gas and car maintenance and heightened awareness of global warming has led many to opt for a cheaper, more sustainable way of getting around. That’s been good news for scooter dealerships, which would seem to offer a promising business model for years to come.

Growing a green business takes vision and a strong sense of innovation, as well as a belief in the urgency of investing in the long-term health of the environment. It’s a great way to think globally and act locally, as the saying goes.

Ways to Go Green

by admin | May 9, 2018 | Uncategorized

Just a few years ago, the term “green living” would have brought up visions of treehouse hippies gardening in the nude. But not anymore. Society seems to have finally accepted that we are responsible for the state of our planet and that it’s the only one we will ever have.

If you’re looking for ways to give back to Mother Nature, keep reading for environmentally friendly changes you can make to your home and lifestyle without sacrificing your quality of life.

Buying green

If you’ve yet to make your home purchase, you’ll have more options than ever when it comes to buying a green home. The Huffington Post explains that your first priority is to determine the efficiency of your home’s heating and cooling system, which is what accounts for the vast majority of your energy consumption. If you’re looking for a home with solar power, discuss with the builder what types of materials have been used in each panel’s construction.

Many utilize heavy metals, which are soldered with a lead-based solution. These can’t be recycled, and if damaged or at the end of their life cycle, may do more harm to the environment than good. Alternate forms of renewable energy include wind power and hydroelectricity. Unfortunately, these technologies remain expensive for the standard consumer. A geothermal heat pump, according to Money Talks News at CBS, utilizes geothermal heat and can help keep your home cool and comfortable without severely impacting your local environment.

One of the most important features of an environmentally sustainable home is its location in proximity to community amenities and services you’ll use. If you are truly interested in lowering your carbon footprint, consider buying a home in a walkable location. By walking or biking to and from the grocery store, park, school and work, you will not only save money, but you’ll have zero negative effect on the atmosphere. As an added bonus, these activities are great for your cardiovascular health and may help you maintain a healthy weight.

Daily changes

When you already own your home, there are still numerous upgrades you can make, including installing energy-efficient appliances and windows that keep the outside elements where they belong. These, however, may be cost prohibitive for the environmentally aware homeowner on a budget. Redfin asserts that there are many other home improvements that that won’t break the bank – many, in fact, are free – that you can implement yourself without bringing in an expensive contractor. These include sprucing up your landscape with native plants and performing preventative maintenance on your hot water heater each year. Even simple things such as enrolling in paperless billing, switching your halogen light bulbs to LED or CFL lights, fixing leaky faucets and using a rain barrel to collect water for irrigation can have a big impact.

Your home’s insulation can also lower your utility bills and therefore your environmental footprint. Even if you upgrade to an energy-efficient HVAC system and keep it set to 68 degrees in the winter and 72 degrees in the summer, it will still work double time if your home can’t maintain its temperature. EnergyStar.gov explains that home improvements made to a typical home might include sealing air leaks and insulating to meet 2012 International Energy Conservation Code installation requirements.

The chemicals you use to clean your home every day can also burden the environment. LiveScience explains that certain chemicals, such as VOCs, are used to enhance these products, but can actually cause impaired neurological functions. When inhaled, these and other chemicals can affect the respiratory system.

While green cleaners, which are commonly touted as top-shelf products at your local grocery store, are an environmentally friendly option, they are not without their downfalls. They can be expensive and may require more work in the form of additional scrubbing to remove heavy stains. Many also don’t kill germs. A viable alternative for most household surfaces is to use a mixture of vinegar and citric acid, which will clean, disinfect and help reduce mold spore growth.

You can avoid tracking many potentially harmful germs and bacteria into your home, which will eliminate the need for harsh cleaners, by leaving your shoes at the door and washing your hands as soon as you arrive home.

Garden glee

There are numerous environmental impacts of growing your own food, and they are all good, assuming you avoid harmful pesticides and insecticides. While you have access to a vast array of fruits and vegetables at the grocery store, these items have likely traveled hundreds to thousands of miles via train, plane and truck to get to your local store shelf. Local produce, either sourced from the farmers market or grown in your own backyard, eliminates much of the emissions associated with food growth. As an added benefits, adding plants to your property where there previously were none will further help offset your carbon footprint by absorbing CO2 in the air.

More ways to go green

• Create a homemade compost bin
• Shop with reusable grocery bags or make your own out of repurposed T-shirts
• Avoid bottled water
• Use cold water for doing laundry
• Turn off the lights and water when you leave a room
• Better yet, avoid flipping the light switch up and utilize natural light
• If you must drive, go the speed limit and reduce your trips to as few as possible
• Shutdown electronics when not in use – sleep mode is still uses energy
• Contact your local energy company see if you qualify for green power incentives
• Opt out of unnecessary mailings, such as credit card offers
• Reuse office papers by allowing your children to draw on the back before recycling
• Switch to digital subscriptions for your magazines and periodicals
• Organize a community swapping event
• When you dine out, eat at local restaurants that source their food locally
• Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120 degrees or less
• Unplug phone and computer chargers when not in use
• Craft using recycled materials
• If you have a baby, switch to cloth diapers, which can prevent thousands of pounds of added landfill mass over the course of three years

As you can see, there are a myriad of ways to go green whether you’re buying, renovating or simply trying to be more aware of the environment. Even implementing a few of these changes will have a positive impact today and for future generations.

Sustainable, Smart, and Cost Efficient? Here’s Your Guide to Smart Home Technology

by admin | Apr 19, 2018 | Uncategorized

Sustainable, Smart, and Cost Efficient? Here’s Your Guide to Smart Home Technology

Utilities can be taxing on both the environment and your wallet. Sometimes we even waste utilities when we don’t need to, which usually comes as quite a shock when the bill comes in. We scratch our heads and think, “wow, there’s no way I used 897 kilowatt-hours of electricity this month.” (The average U.S. household uses that much each month and 10,766 kWh per year.)

Fortunately, there are several in-home tech products that will save you money on your utility bills and help the environment at the same time.

How Much Electricity Do You Use Around the House?

Each month, your utility bill is calculated based on how many kilowatt-hours are consumed.

So just how far does one kilowatt-hour go?

A kilowatt-hour, which is a measure of electrical energy equivalent to a power consumption of 1,000 watts for one hour, could power ten incandescent 100-watt lightbulbs for an hour. One kwh costs about $0.12 (so leaving the lights on, despite what your mother said about turning them off to save money, isn’t as expensive as it seems). Check out this table, which lists common household appliances and how much energy they use in an average month:

Appliance average kWh used each month and average cost

So does that mean you have to put on a sweater or take a cold shower? Not necessarily. If you know what you’re doing, you can save hundreds of kWh each month by utilizing the latest in-home technology.

Heating and Cooling

• Smart Thermostat: One of the most common smart home additions, smart thermostats are arguably the best way to save the most money. As most of your utility bills are heating and cooling, installing and using a smart thermostat can have a huge impact on your bills. Additionally, most are compatible with smart home assistants like the Amazon Echo, Google Home, or other automated assistants. Smart thermostats work by keeping temperature settings consistent. Some have sensors to keep tabs on hot and cold spots in your house, and you can program them to adjust temperatures in your home while you’re gone at work, on vacation, or sleeping, so you’re not wasting energy on climate control you don’t need.
• Motorized Shades: Another great way to money, motorized shades are often overlooked in the heating and cooling department. These shades allow you to set specific times when they should open or close. Almost all the settings can be done from an app and will work whether you’re home or not. Some of the even smarter ones can auto adjust to the temperature outside to maximize your savings. You will end up saving money by keeping the sun out when it’s hot in the day or choosing to let the light warm up your space. You can also opt for honeycomb shades, which are designed especially for insulation, but any shade or drape with the right spacing will help slash your heating costs.

Average Savings: Between $131 and $145 per year

Light Use

• Smart Lights: Smart lights, like Philips Hue and LIFX, can save you cash through programming, motion detection and remote access to your lights when you’re away from home (for security during vacation purposes), but that’s not all there is to it. Smart lights are LEDs, which cost significantly less to operate than traditional incandescent bulbs.

Average Savings: Between $80 and $120 per year

Games, TVs and Other Appliances

• Surge Protectors: Certain small appliances such as video game consoles are known as drain devices. This means that even when someone isn’t using it, the device is still using energy. This is where conservation based surge protectors like the Belkin Conserve Switch Surge Protector come in! These surge protectors allow you switch things off with a remote, which prevents drain devices from wasting energy. Other types, like ThinkEco, cut down consumption when your plugged-in devices are in standby mode.

Average Savings: Between $60 and $80 per year

Laundry

• Energy-efficient washers:Though there aren’t smart washers per se, energy-efficient washers are a smart way to save. Certified ENERGY STAR products can help you save on both electricity and water, so you get even more bang for your buck when you pay your utility bill water bill. Typically, an ENERGY STAR washing machine uses 25 percent less electricity than its non-eco-friendly counterparts do. Another tip to save money while washing clothes is to waste them with warm (not hot) or cold water.

Average Savings: Between $75 and $125 per year

How Much Water Does Your Household Use?

While estimates vary based on location, the average U.S. household uses about 90 gallons of water every day. Unfortunately, most of that water is wasted through toilet flushing and showers. Dishwashers, washing machines and outdoor watering also waste a large amount of water. We’ve created a chart that shows how much water common household items use and how much it costs.

Other than cutting down on water consumption by investing in ENERGY STAR appliances, doing fewer loads of laundry and taking shorter showers, there are a few devices you can add to your home to drastically reduce your water consumption.

Showers and Faucets

• High-efficiency faucet aerator: Aerators are a great way to save money on water. They work by adding air to your water. This means you can keep your water pressure while cutting your water usage in half!
• Smart home water meter: While they don’t give you direct savings, smart home water meters can be a great investment. By showing you how much water you use and where it goes, you can adjust your water usage in certain areas and save money.

Average Savings: About $100 per year

Toilets

• Smart toilets:Smart toilets are beneficial in two ways: they save water and they can help eliminate toilet paper waste. The EPA states that toilets labeled with WaterSense labels can reduce water usage by 20-60% and save around 13,000 gallons of water per year.

Average Savings: About $100 per year

Smart Home Security

• Smart Home Security System: A smart home security system is another way to save money, albeit indirectly. While the products themselves don’t save you money, having them can help decrease your insurance bill. Think of it like having airbags in the car – your insurer knows that you’re taking measures to mitigate risk, which means your rates are likely to go down. The latest-and-greatest security systems monitor your home’s electricity and wiring, and record activity that goes on inside and outside your house. Sometimes you can even get a claims-free credit, which offers you a discount if you haven’t made a claim in the past.

Average Savings: Up to 20% of your normal bill

Original article from Redfin