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Photo courtesy Jody Halsted, iatraveler, Flickr
Preservation & Natural Disasters
10 Tips for Bringing Historic Properties Back
From a Flood
Before starting your cleanup, it is important to
take careful notes about damage to your home.
This is essential not only for insurance
purposes, but also to record important historic
features. Photograph any items removed for
cleaning or repair purposes to help ensure that
they are reinstalled correctly.
1. Document the damage.
Photo courtesy Jeff Baxter, Jeffry B , Flickr
Flood waters can carry dislodged architectural features, decorative fragments, and furnishings a great distance. Items found on your property may be extremely valuable to a nearby restoration project.
2. Create an inventory of found items.
Photo courtesy bclinesmith ,Flickr
The least damaging drying process begins
by using only ventilation. The most
effective way to do this is to open windows
and doors and allow the moisture to
escape. Fans can be used to speed
evaporation by moving interior air and
exhausting humid air to the outdoors.
Tip: Beware of using industrial drying
equipment to remove moisture at a very
fast rate. You are likely to cause
permanent damage to wood and plaster.
3. Ventilate!
Photo courtesy JARM13, Flickr
Rinse mud, dirt, and flood debris with fresh water as soon as
possible -- it is safer and easier to remove the mud while it is still
wet. Avoid using high pressure water on historic materials and
exercise extreme care, so as not to cause further damage.
Tip: Silt and mud will accumulate not only on the floor and
furnishings, but in interior wall spaces as well. Be sure to open
electrical outlets and mechanical areas and rinse thoroughly, and
check heating and air conditioning ducts and clean out any mud or
dirt before turning on the units.
4. Clean the mud while it’s still wet.
Be careful when pumping water out your
basement. If the water level is high, and you are
reasonably sure your drains are working,
groundwater levels may also be high and
pumping water out could result in either more
water coming in or a foundation collapse. It is
generally advisable to wait for high water to
recede on its own.
5. Beware of a flooded
basement.
Photo courtesy Matthew Keefe, M. Keefe , Flickr
Movement, particularly widening of cracks, is a sign of structural
instability warranting careful examination by a qualified structural
engineer or architect.
6. Keep an eye on cracks in the
foundation.
Photo courtesy Boston Public Library,Flickr
There are two reasons for this:
1) Flooding renders most insulation
permanently ineffective.
2) Saturated insulation holds water
which, if left in place, can perpetuate
high moisture conditions destructive
to wood, masonry, and steel.
7. Remove saturated
insulation.
Photo courtesy Anne Hornyak, anneh632 , Flickr
The what? Efflorescence is the unsightly white
residue found on brick, stone, or concrete walls.
It comes from impurities in the materials, but the
residue is not usually harmful and frequently
disappears naturally when it rains.
Tip: Stubborn efflorescence maybe removed
with water, detergent, and bristle brushes -- or
with chemicals.
8. Let the efflorescence
take care of itself.
Photo courtesy Don Shall, origamidon , Flickr
Drywall should almost always be replaced. Once it has gotten wet, it
becomes unstable, and can be dangerous for residents. (FEMA
recommends replacement because contaminants may make drywall a
permanent health hazard.) Plaster, however, is more unpredictable and
may survive without damage, while other times it must be replaced.
9. Check on your interior materials.
Photo courtesy Charles Dawley, Odalaigh, Flickr
Most wood will expand and warp
when wet and then return more or
less to its original form as it
dries, though it depends on a variety
of factors. Waiting for woods to dry
can mean the difference between
just needing to sand down your
historic floors and replacing them.
10. Let wood floors, trim,
and doors dry thoroughly.
Photo courtesy Rebecca Landis, smith.rickard, Flickr
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