Protecting Your Home from Water Damage
- , by Trudy Chuoke Trudy Chuoke
There is no lesson so well learned than the one learned from experience. Have you had someone tell you what to do about a certain project and you just ignore it. Sometimes I think, oh…. that’s not going to happen to me and so I just “file 13” the info and smile. And you would have thought since it happened to my parents, I would have paid special attention to the information. My dad had this little quip, “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” Well, that little lesson applied to me, unfortunately.
I had just sold my home. I was two weeks from closing. My mind was moving forward to a different time of my life, and I was looking forward to that time. I had a two-story home, four beds up and two bathrooms. I had cleaned those other bedrooms and bath one last time and I had closed my mind to them. Until one morning when I was at work and my neighbor called me and said that there was water coming out of my second story eves. That’s never a good scenario. But my neighbor was a wonderful man and shut off the water to my house. I rushed home.
Long story short, the water connection to my toilet failed, and flooded half of the second story of my home. A home that was two weeks from closing. I sat on the stairs with real regret, and you know why, because the same thing happened to my dad and he had told me about Zircon Leak Alert, and I thought…. that won’t happen to me, until it did.
You know that leaks don’t start out as Niagara Falls, they start as a trickle, something easy to take care of …. if you know about it. And that’s what a Zircon Leak Alert will do. The minute it senses water on the floor or inside a cabinet it will sound with an 85-decibel alarm. That’s loud, you’re going to hear it! And then you can find the reason for the water and take care of it right away. In my case, I could have just turned off the water to the toilet and the next day, replaced the connection. That little leak cost me over $2500 and the stress of trying get it fixed before the new homeowner took ownership. Plus, I had to call and tell the real estate agent.
So where do you want to place a Zircon Leak Alert? Only areas that you don’t frequent that have water, like the extra bathroom that no one uses any more. If your air conditioner is in the attic, place one by the drip pan. Zircon Leak Alerts are not expensive. They are under $20. They require no wiring and when the battery is low, it will let you know. Undetected water leaks cause thousands of dollars and don’t let it happen to you.
If you are going on a vacation, turn off the water to the toilets and flush. Toilets are where most damage occurs because they have plastic connectors.
Now to the email….
Question: I have a cabinet false front drawer right under my kitchen sink. Now I always wipe it down but not everyone else. It has white streaks down the front and water marks and nothing I have used has cleaned it up. What can I use?
Answer: Ok you are smart to fixed this right away. Water has gotten between the layer of varnish and the wood stain. As long as the stain is white, just use White Ring Remover. Wipe across the drawer front in the direction of the wood. It has a solvent smell, but it will dissipate. You might have to apply it a couple of times, but as long as the stain is still white, it will remove the stain.
Take care of any water stain early, if the stain turns dark, you will have to completely refinish the project.
Question: I have hairspray over-spray on my wood floors in the bathroom. I don't know what to use that would be safe on wood - what do you suggest?
Answer: Quick Shine Deep Cleaner is perfect for wood floors. Use it 50/50 diluted with water and clean with a Scotch Brite non-scratch sponge. Rinse with clear water and towel dry. Put a couple of protective coats of Quick Shine Floor Finish on the floor to give it some extra protection.