Reducing Your Flood Insurance Premium

How much of your property is covered by your insurance policy? Have you limited the cover of some contents of your house to cut the cost of your insurance premium? Only when emergencies arise like flooding and you find all your precious possessions float away or get damaged right before your eyes, and you get an amount that is not enough to cover all your losses or have your house rebuilt , you will realize that cutting costs is not a good idea after all.

However, there are hundreds of ways to reduce your insurance premium. The rule is not to tie yourself to the very first insurance provider that comes your way. There are so many insurance companies in the United Kingdom that you can choose from. Take the time out to get as many quotes as possible so you can compare their features and get a cheaper premium.

The next thing you can do is to come up with necessary measures to secure your home. Floods can not be prevented but you can do something to reduce the risk of damage to your home and the contents. You can not relax and leave everything to your flood insurance provider, most especially if your house is located in a flood zone area.

When you have made measures to secure your home and property, your insurance company will see that you have made preventive measures and see you as a better risk. Then they may lower the premium quotes. Look out for special offers and bonuses some insurance providers will be offering to their clients from time to time. Some insurance providers may even offer discounts on certain policies and this is something you also have to keep an eye on.

If the house and the contents you acquired are under mortgage, chances are your mortgage lender may provide the flood insurance for your property for them to feel safe that their investment is protected but you still have a choice to shop around for an insurance company which can give you the best deal.

If you make your own choice, the mortgage lender may also have to check and approve the flood insurance policy you chose. They may check the policy details to see that your property is in good cover when emergencies arise.

Again, take time to browse and shop around for several quotations before you make your decision. You can navigate through the web for all the insurance providers in your area. If you have sifted through your search, make a call and get additional information.

If you have several quotations already and you still have not decided on one who offers the most reasonable flood insurance premium and can satisfy your needs, you may also consider paying a higher excess. This can be a cheap way to get an excellent policy, but at a reduced price. Paying a larger excess, in the event of an emergency is a small price to pay when you consider the sums involved in recovering the total value of your property and possessions.

If you are looking for information or advice on flood insurance or flood plain insurance or reducing your flood insurance premium, visit us now. FloodInsuranceAdvice.com is a goldmine for information on all aspects of flood insurance.

Wood Window Damage

Maids in Orlando Show the Easiest Ways to Clean a Bathtub

Everyone will agree that nothing makes our backache more than cleaning the bathtub! Even just to think about it causes anyone to grimace. However, here are some practical tips from Maids in Orlando that could make it a little easier to accomplish this task.

Mixing a 'sprayable' solution of a degreasing liquid detergent and water in a spray bottle makes it a good one, earth friendly, apart from having nice scents. Spray the solution all over the tub and let it sit for about 10 minutes, which should be enough time for it to work its way into the soap scum and dirt. Use a large household sponge and go over the surface completely, rinse it thoroughly and check for stubborn areas, Maids in Orlando recommends to break out a good abrasive type cleaner and to start scrubbing!

Thereafter, adding a little of the degreasing detergent to the bath water when you are done and agitating the water as it drains helps keep the "ring around the tub" from forming. Be sure to rinse your tub with clean water to remove soap and avoid streaking.

Shower stalls are easy to maintain, once you have thoroughly cleaned. All you need to do is to wipe down the wet surfaces after a shower. Maids in Orlando suggests using a squeegee on flat surfaces and a towel on the rest. If water is wiped from the surface, there will be no water stains, no soap scum and no oily grime buildup. You should, however, give your shower a good cleaning and treat with sanitizer (to avoid mildew in hidden places) at least one a month to six weeks.

Using polishing and finishing products for vinyl or acrylic showers and tubs and with a little rubbing, will remove most stains discoloration. This will leave a smooth, sealed surface that resists water spotting and stains by causing water to bead up and run off. Remember, if hard water stains are not present, dirt and mildew will not build up, and your tub stays clean.

Here are some additional tips from Maids in Orlando on how to clean the bathtub.

First, assemble the right tools - liquid detergent, spray bottle, protective gloves, mild abrasive, cleansing products, and a scrubber (brush or sponge).

Pick up and put away all your bottles of shampoo and conditioner, soap, etc. Your work will be easier and faster if these things are out of the way - its looks better, too.

Before you start your heavy scrubbing, wet the bathtub down and, using the detergent, begin lightly scrubbing al the heavily grimed areas of the tub. Allow to "work" for about 10 minutes, so the detergent can begin breaking down the grime.

When the time limit is up, go back to scrubbing, and the dirt should come off fairly easily. After cleaning a section, spray or splash with clean water to mark your progress and do the same thing with the rest of the section.

When it's all done, practice regular maintenance for a few weeks, then give another going over.

Brett Burks has been in the residential cleaning services since childhood. If you are in need of learning more about ways to keep your house or office clean then you should head on over to the website at Orlando maids.

Mold Growing Under Paint

Black Homeowners Guide to Fighting Termites - 6 Signs You Have Them

The termites are coming! With the combination of unseasonable weather, a slow real estate market, and lack of termite inspections and control, termites continue increase at alarming rates - especially in African American neighborhoods. Other than water, termites are your homes greatest enemy. They love to slowly eat away at your homes foundation. In fact, all they do is eat and make love, not a bad life if you ask me. But I digress.

The three groups of termites that love to snack on your home are dampwood termites, drywood termites and subterranean termites.

The most lethal to your homes structure and foundation comes from drywood termites and subterranean termites. Drywood termites live above ground and love mostly warm coastal locations. For example, California, Texas, Florida, Louisiana.

Subterranean termites have the largest population and are in the most locations, thus pose the biggest threat to the largest number of homes.

Here's Five Signs You Have Termites:

1. Hallow wood.

Poke wood near foundation of your home with a pointed metal object. Severely damaged wood eaten from the inside is usually a sign of termites.

2. Dirt in wood.

Termite love moisture, so many people often confuse termite damage with water damage and vice-versa. The best way to recognize termite damage is that termite bring dirt up into the wood.

3. Large numbers of winged termites swarming from wood or the soil often are the first noticeable sign of termites. Termites normally swarm in early spring. You may also notice winged termites swarming around wind sills.

4. Other signs of termites include mud tubes and mud coming from cracks between boards and beams around or under your home.

5. Light attracts winged termites and they shed their wings in window sills, cobwebs, and other on other surfaces . When you notice winged termites or the wings they shed inside your home, this is often a sign of termite infestation. Consult a qualified termite company.

6. Follow the moisture trail.

Moisture is the number 1 source that attracts termites. Check areas around your house that constantly moist. For example under leaky faucets, sprinklers, pipes, puddles, etc.

Follow the water. "Moisture is probably the No. 1 draw for termites," says Potter. So look in areas beside the house where moisture holds - under leaky faucets or around air-conditioning units - "anything that lets water puddle close to the foundation."

What To Do If You See Termite Signs or Clues.

First don't panic. Fortunately termites like to savor what they eat, so they are slow eaters. According to termite experts it normally takes a colony five years to eat through a pound of wood. But if you notice an infestation you should call in a professional, you most likely have multiple colonies happening.

How to Prevent Termites

The best protection from termites is prevention.

Here's five tips to prevent inviting termites to dinner at your home.

1. Avoid stacking of allowing wood or wood products against your home, like lumber, tree branches or limbs. This is like putting a juicy piece of meat out for your termites, a very inviting dinner bell.

2. Avoid allowing moisture to stand close to your homes foundation. This is also very attractive to termites, they adore moisture, it's very refreshing to them, they like having a drink with their dinner too.

3. Homeowner with decks love storing wood and wood products underneath. This is also like placing a let's do lunch invitation to hungry termites.

4. Make sure you keep dirt around your home from touching the wood siding of your house. This allows subterranean termites to easily enter your home. It's like providing elevator service. Make sure you keep the wood around your home at least 12 inches off the ground, according to University of California's Integrated Pest Management Program.

5. Make sure you correct anything that allows standing water, moisture or doesn't allow water to naturally flow away from your homes precious foundation. A dry foundation is boring to termites.

Termites damage is responsible for billions of dollars in damage to homes and commercial building every year, according to a recent University of California study. Now you have simple, effective tips to recognize and prevent these pesky creatures from literally eating you out of house and home.

If you suspect you may have termites consult your local pest control company for a free inspection.

Roy Primm, publisher of Black Homeowner News has written dozens of articles helping homeowners manage their homes through this housing recession. To read informative articles, watch free homeowner videos and more go to http://www.BlackHomeOwnerNews.com

Crack In Fiberglas Bathtub

All You Need to Know Water Cleanups

Before you zero in on just about any water cleanup service for your instantaneous water damage requirements, be very sure that you are going in for a professional water damage company that has adequate experience.

A good company should be aware of quick and timely restoration, as the first requirement is to remove the water before it causes any serious damage to the material. It goes without saying that foul odor, bacteria, contamination and fungi will result in case the area retains moisture for long. Moreover, mold formation also occurs if water damage is not treated well within time!

The technicians of a reliable company should be thorough professionals - working hard towards getting your property back to its original condition as early as possible. They should make the entire process fairly convenient and less hurting. Though some 'hurt' on the part of customers is a part of the process, resulting from damage to the property, the technicians should go beyond the call of duty to do their best!

Professional technicians should be so quick as to expedite the restoration process - removing everything related to the water damage, thereby helping you save any additional costs.

Reputed companies involved in water cleanup services often deal with issues like water and properties damaged by flood. All possible efforts are made to restore the damaged places to their original form again, as fast as it is possible. Trained technicians not only spot moisture that invades such properties, but also remove it. Molding is also checked as the work to stop microbial growth is undertaken simultaneously.

Identifying the elements that have either already caused damage or are likely to be the causes is the first step. With that being accomplished, the repairs are undertaken and water tests are conducted, the property is best restored as it originally was. To ensure proper execution of work, good companies appoint managers to supervise the process. It is made certain that the technicians finish the work properly, so that the customer is happy with the results and keen to return to their property.

In order to deal with a contaminated drywall, the technicians work towards building a 'containment' area. This way the dust is also kept away from the unaffected areas. Moreover, such an area checks the spread of contamination and mold to other areas. Alongside this process, the technicians also check for leaks if any.

The moist areas of your property are properly dried using dehumidifiers. This too is done as quickly as possible, as the technicians are aware of the fact that the moisture can travel through the air and change into liquid. A sink drain line or a tub drain allows the water in the humidifier to go through.

Removal of the contaminated areas and drying of the other areas are two main aspects that water cleanup companies work at. The process of drying generally takes a couple of days, sometimes even more, depending on the condition. Once the technicians have successfully run tests to locate the source of the water, the restoration work begins almost immediately!

Leo Nov is an editorial staff member of RestorationSOS.com, a leading service provider for water damage cleanups. To learn more about Water Damage Cleanup New York and Water Damage Restoration New York, visit RestorationSOS.com.

Bow In Basement Wall

Insurance Claims - Mitigate Your Damages When You Have a Claim!

Mitigate damages in insurance claims.

Remember, the word "mitigate" is an insurance term that means protecting the property from further damage. This can involve placing tarps over damaged roofing, removing damaged contents, pumping water out of your home or other temporary repairs. The costs for temporary repairs to protect your property are covered in your policy.

You have a responsibility in your policy to mitigate your damages. Depending on your individual situation, that may mean doing something as soon as possible after a loss. If you don't protect your property from further damage, the insurance company will likely deny the additional damage that will occur.

For example, if you have a windstorm that tears off your shingles. You do nothing to protect the roof and four days later, a big thunderstorm dumps a couple inches of rain on the roof, which causes water damage to ceilings throughout the house. The insurance company would pay to fix the roof, but not the water damage inside.

You may need a restoration contractor to mitigate the damages for you. I wrote about restoration contractors in Chapter Four. Here is a little extra comment about restoration contractors.

You might see many restoration contractors drop by to see if they can help you with temporary repairs, like tarps on roofs, board-up, pumping out water and demolition, and contents removal. Get written estimates from them BEFORE you sign ANYTHING. They will sometimes tell you that they were sent by the insurance company (maybe true, maybe not), and that it is your responsibility to protect your property from further damage (which is true). They may tell you that they will "direct bill" the insurance company (which they may do).

Be very careful on contents removal, sometimes known as "pack out." The more contents they clean, the more money they make. The cost to clean something is a fraction of the cost to replace it. So, when the restoration contractors are involved, the claim value is reduced, which benefits the insurance company. That is why many adjusters may bring a restoration contractor with them to the loss location. Remember that many policies pay REPLACEMENT COST, and following major fires, large windstorm and water losses, most of your damaged possessions can be replaced instead of being cleaned. Every penny that goes for cleaning your contents comes from the contents limit of liability shown on your policy declarations page. So, theoretically, a substantial amount of your insurance money to replace your items could go to the restoration company to only clean the items!! If the restoration contractor cleans a bunch of your property, and you reject it as unusable, there will be less money for replacement of your property.

The contract for cleaning and restoration of your property will be between you and the contractor...not the contractor and the insurance company.

MAKE SURE YOU ARE IN CONTROL by mitigating your damages!

Now, I'd like to offer you two special reports at no cost. One is "5 Things To Do When Shopping For Car Insurance," and the other is "5 Things To Avoid When Shopping For Car Insurance." Each one is a $9.95 value, but free to you when you sign up for my newsletter at the website address below.

P.S. WARNING!! Do Not Buy Insurance, or Submit an Insurance Claim Without Visiting This Website!

check out: http://www.insurance-claim-secrets.com

My Book is NUMBER ONE at Amazon.com in its category! Buy it Today!

Nominated for Georgia Author of the Year Award 2008

Finalist, USA Book News "Best Book Awards 2008"

My blog is at: http://insurance-claim-secrets.blogspot.com

Concrete Stained Sheathing

Mortar Repair - The Art of Tuckpointing

If you have an older home or have had recent settlement in your homes foundation, you are probably a candidate for tuckpointing. What is tuckpointing you ask? Good question.

Tuckpointing is the process of filling in missing, cracked or deteriorated mortar joints in masonry walls. In this process the installer removes the damaged mortar if necessary, then installs fresh pointing mortar into the open mortar joint by 'tucking' or pushing it into the damaged joint with a 'tuckpointer' or a 'pointing tool'. He will also color blend the new pointing mortar to match the existing mortar color as close as possible. Once the mortar has been 'tucked' into place, the installer will use several different tools to 'tool' or finish the fresh pointing mortar so that the joint finish matches the existing mortar joint finish.

Sound tedious doesn't it?

Well it is and though the average homeowner can get mortar from a DYI center and push it into a joint, it can and usually results in a sloppy or smeared finish. Though this will close the mortar joint from the elements which is good, the unsightly finish may or may not be acceptable to a homeowner depending on the location and situation.

If you want the joint to 'disappear' with the repair, then you may wish to contact and experienced masonry repair professional. You will want to look for someone who is not only an expert but is artistic and able to match and blend colors so that the final mortar color matches the existing. He must also have the knowledge to understand the proper time to 'tool' the fresh pointing mortar as well as the proper tooling sequence that makes for a seamless final appearance.

Who would be in need of this service?

If you see cracks in your brick, block or stone you are in need of tuckpointing. Whether you choose to do this repair yourself or hire a professional will be determined by the final results you are looking for.

For a seamless repair that 'disappears' we recommend that you contact your masonry repair professional for further evaluation.

Michael Olding is tradesman and consultant in the field of restorations and repairs and currently operates a restoration and repair business in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is also a Master in the field of masonry construction, restorations and repairs.

In addition he is a writer and speaker as well as a marketing, training and business consultant for the contracting industry. If you interested in his services he may be contacted by visiting http://www.cincihomepro.com

Attic Framing Water Stains

Easy Way to Repair a Large Hole in Your Wall

Great video on how to fix a hole in your wall .

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a Home Buyers Guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If your looking for some more home inspection or home building ideas.

Bhagavad Gita
Magic Of Believing Book