Repairing the damage Sandy did to your home

Home repair in the wake of catastrophic flooding is enough to boggle the brain. Ruined food is the common denominator of damage, but past that, other things seem to come in layers.Manufactures flexible plastic and synthetic rubber hose tubing, Wet wood that sat in 2 feet of rainwater for two days is usually salvageable,A stone mosaic stands at the spot of assasination of the late Indian prime minister. but wood that soaked in 6 feet of toxic water for three weeks may not be. What can be saved and what must be bulldozed, and conditions will vary widely from neighborhood to neighborhood.

Air-conditioning can be an important tool in drying things out, but experts advise against turning it on until it can be checked for electrical damage and the ducts cleaned of mold spores and other potential health irritants. After spending a couple of weeks unchallenged, mold is likely not only to coat your walls but to threaten your health as well.

You may have been away for a while and might be eager to get back inside your house. But experts warn that patience is important: Enter your home only after examining the exterior for structural damage and evidence of gas leaks. If there is evidence of the latter,One of the most durable and attractive styles of flooring that you can purchase is ceramic or porcelain tiles. retreat to a safe distance and call your natural gas provider, who will give you further instructions. If there is obvious structural damage, you won't want to go inside until a building inspector can assure you that it's safe.

When you're ready to go inside, treat the entry like TV characters working a crime scene: Use a face mask (to protect your lungs from mold and other allergens); gloves (to protect your skin from infectious residue); and a camera (to document damage to your home and belongings for your insurance company). Take pictures before you move anything, and include close-ups.

The extent of the damage will depend on the depth,This document provides a guide to using the ventilation system in your house to provide adequate fresh air to residents. duration and velocity of the floodwaters, says Bill Coulbourne, a structural engineer in charge of risk management services for Citigate Sard and Verbinnen. Velocity likely will be a problem only where fast-moving water may have scored the homes' foundations, undermining them and causing potential settling. Depth will be a more widespread problem, affecting everything from floors and framing to power and plumbing.

"You don't have to have water very far off the floor to do electrical damage," Coulbourne says. "The same is true of air-conditioning and heating systems."

Chris Paul of Paul Davis Restoration in Alexandria, Va., who is certified in mitigation and remediation for mold, fire and water damage, says floodwater is divided into three grades: clean water; and black water (floodwater containing bacteria and pathogens). Rain that entered homes through roof gashes qualifies as clean water, which is easier to mitigate. However, if that water was left standing for weeks, Paul still recommends using gloves and face masks when cleaning up residue.

"A house that was fully impacted by floodwater is probably going to be cheaper to tear down and rebuild than remodel," says Martin King, technical adviser to the Association of Specialists in Cleaning and Restoration. "If you have to strip the interior completely, it's often not economically feasible to salvage the house. Wood framing should survive flooding, but on a square-foot basis, it's more expensive to repair and remodel than to build new construction."

If structural damage is less severe, he says, a germicide should be used to clean exposed framing, studs and the like. Paul suggests putting furniture up on blocks or moving it to a dry room. It is possible to extract water from carpet.

"If it's been sitting four or five days, you want to just get it out of there," King says. "It's a hundred times easier to physically remove water than to dry it out. Take (wet) carpet out or the substructure will start buckling."

As for your refrigerator: If it has been sitting in floodwater for days or weeks, it can't be salvaged. If it simply sat without power for a few weeks, it may be. In either case, whatever you do: Don't open it. The fridge likely leaked, and the fate of the floor beneath it depends on the material it's made from. Ceramic tile is nonporous, so it can be cleaned as usual, although the grout, which is porous,Installers and distributors of solar panel, may require special effort.