If you have just moved into your first home, you may not realize just how much work and effort it takes to keep up a house, even if it only has one bedroom in it. People who live in condominiums and have homeowner’s association fees do not generally have to deal with the maintenance of the building’s structure, but those who have houses are responsible for the entire thing from the ground up. Living in a condo can have its benefits and its downfalls, but if you do not want to have to take care of the structure of the building (if it is an apartment-style complex), then having one of these instead of a house may be for you.
If you are considering renovating a condominium inside a larger apartment-style complex, then you should realize that there are things that you can do and things that you cannot. For instance, replacing the tub and tile in the bathroom is acceptable, but moving the plumbing around to suit your new design is probably not. Structural changes to the inside of a condo are generally something that you need to have approved first. Changing the location of a light in the room also should be inquired about, since this will involve having electrical work done.
Mold growth and water damage in the condominium, though, will be your responsibility. Everything inside the walls of the condo belongs to you and you can do as you wish with most of it, but any mold growth and water damage that occurs inside it will also be your responsibility, especially if it is your fault that it is there. If you have allowed the bath tub to overflow or the dishwasher malfunctions, then that would make it your responsibility to have the problem fixed. If it is due to bad plumbing in the complex, though, you may have a claim.
The condo that you are purchasing should come with exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathroom and if it does not, look around for a window in both these areas. The kitchen and bathroom are areas that are prone to mold growth and water damage if the humidity stays too high. As with any home, you do not want to have appliances that use a lot of water and malfunction on a regular basis. You will be better off purchasing new ones in the long run.
The exception of mold growth being your responsibility is only if the mold spread into your condo from another part of the building. If the entire complex has a problem, then you are not liable. Have a clause on mold inserted into your purchase agreement to protect yourself from mold damage that already exists in the condo.
Showing posts with label water damage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label water damage. Show all posts
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Taking Care of Your Sewage Damaged Home
One of the nastiest things you may ever have to do to your home is clean up the sewage left behind by a flood. You can have a professional cleaning service do this for you, but you should really be able to do this on your own unless for some reason you are physically unable or you get sick very easily. The money that you will save by doing it yourself will be substantial and this is money that you can use to purchase new clothing, furniture, or anything else you may need in the days, weeks, and months following the flood. Having the right information to help you with this is crucial, though.
The worst thing about this is that flood waters are usually contaminated with bacteria, viruses, hazardous chemicals, and sometimes even decaying bodies. Wearing protective equipment while you are in this process is essential to keep yourself from getting sick, so purchase whatever you need to. Latex gloves, disposable coveralls, and disposable foot covers are necessary. You do not want to wear porous clothing while you are doing this, because it will soak right through to your skin. A roll of duct tape should also be bought to seal up the gaps around your ankles and wrists.
Depending on whether you have someone else helping you take care of the other sewage damaged areas of the house, you will need two or more buckets. You need to keep this at an even number, because one will be used as a rinse bucket and the other will have the cleaning solution in it.
Unfortunately, you will probably not be able to save most of the upholstered furniture in your home because the padding will soak up so much of the soil, sewage, and bacteria. You can save items with small amounts of padding that can be replaced, like dining room chairs, and even take this as an opportunity to put a new pattern of fabric on them. Carpets will also probably need to be thrown away and the padding underneath them certainly will be.
Once the padding and carpet has been taken up if it was necessary in the area you are in, you should have a mop or some other cleaning utensil to use. Dip it into the cleaning solution and begin scrubbing the floor with it. Rinse it in the other bucket thoroughly before putting it back into the cleaning bucket. Do not contaminate your bucket filled with cleaner. After you get done scrubbing the whole room, you should go back over it with a disinfectant for a little extra assurance.
The worst thing about this is that flood waters are usually contaminated with bacteria, viruses, hazardous chemicals, and sometimes even decaying bodies. Wearing protective equipment while you are in this process is essential to keep yourself from getting sick, so purchase whatever you need to. Latex gloves, disposable coveralls, and disposable foot covers are necessary. You do not want to wear porous clothing while you are doing this, because it will soak right through to your skin. A roll of duct tape should also be bought to seal up the gaps around your ankles and wrists.
Depending on whether you have someone else helping you take care of the other sewage damaged areas of the house, you will need two or more buckets. You need to keep this at an even number, because one will be used as a rinse bucket and the other will have the cleaning solution in it.
Unfortunately, you will probably not be able to save most of the upholstered furniture in your home because the padding will soak up so much of the soil, sewage, and bacteria. You can save items with small amounts of padding that can be replaced, like dining room chairs, and even take this as an opportunity to put a new pattern of fabric on them. Carpets will also probably need to be thrown away and the padding underneath them certainly will be.
Once the padding and carpet has been taken up if it was necessary in the area you are in, you should have a mop or some other cleaning utensil to use. Dip it into the cleaning solution and begin scrubbing the floor with it. Rinse it in the other bucket thoroughly before putting it back into the cleaning bucket. Do not contaminate your bucket filled with cleaner. After you get done scrubbing the whole room, you should go back over it with a disinfectant for a little extra assurance.
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