Water damage in the home is an upsetting, if not costly and hazardous, occurrence.  However, not all water damage is alike. Some are less stressful and harrowing as others, depending on the type of water damage. At the same time, it is important to know the type of water damage before water damage restoration can be done. Water damage is categorized by the characteristic color of the water that wrecks the home, which could either be white, gray and black water damage.

White water damage is the cleanest and least hazardous of the three.  This is the water that we normally use inside the homes for drinking and cooking, taking a bath, doing the laundry, among others. There is no direct health hazard to white water damage. However, it should still be managed as soon as possible to minimize damage to household items and interiors such as furniture, carpeting, floors and wiring. White water damage can be from water pipes that have burst or broken water filters.

Second category of water damage is gray water damage. Gray water can be defined as used water or water left from washing dishes and taking a bath, and it is usually used to water the plants and would never be used for drinking or cooking. Most of the time, gray water will have bits of food in the water, some amount of soap in it, or even a bit of dirt and debris. Water brought on by rain storm or from a leaky roof would also be called gray water. Gray water damage would usually be from leaky roofs, shower drains and sinks that have been broken, or discharge pipes from a laundry or washers.

The last category is black water damage. Black water is hazardous to health. Any type of water that could not be categorized under white or gray water, and could not be identified is classified as black water. Black water can be from the sewer system, water leftover from a flood, and even water overflowing from gutters are all considered black water. Black water is hazardous to consume, and even hazardous to health when touched. It can be the cause of diseases such as malaria, hepatitis, cholera, diarrhea, among others. Among the three categories, black water requires clean up by professionals.

In all cases of water damage, be it white, gray or black water damage, it is important to manage and take care of it as soon as possible to minimize hazards and risks and even minimize the damage wrought by these different categories of water damage. Once the type of water damage has been categorized it is important to contact a water damage restoration company to handle the clean-up.

Taf Baig asked:




The Water Damage Restoration Technician test by the IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification). Water Damage Restoration Technician is a designation that a professional restorer needs to prove that he or she is compiling with the most prevalent standards in the restoration industry. It has become increasingly important for a professional who is performing water damage restoration services to have “WRT” designation. Most companies that hire you require it and insurance companies that hire the companies that provide the service require that their technicians be certified.

Since I first took my class ninteen years ago, the material and the test have evolved greatly. There is a lot more information. The class used to be a two day class, but now it is a three day class. There are also five day classes offered that let you take the WRT/ASD (Applied Structural Drying) together. The newest WRT update was published in April of 2006. It is approved by ANSI (Approved National American Standards).

Important items you should know about the test:

Get the book from your teacher prior to attending the class (if possible). Read a few pages everyday. Usually the highlighted parts in the manual are extremely important to know and will defnitely be seen on your test.

Make sure you understand psychrometry completely.

Test has a total of one hundred and sixty multiple choice questions.

The correct answer is not always the only right answer, but rather the best answer.

Currently the answers need to be filled in on a Scantron sheet with a # 2 pencil.

There is no time limit for you to complete the test.

You need to get 75 percent to pass.

It may take up to six weeks to get your results and they are mailed directly to you.

It is also available in Spanish if you request to take it Spanish when registering.

The certification you get is a personal certification and stays with you regardless of who you work for.

Currently the test costs $50.

Cash, personal check, business check and credit cards are accepted. Checks need to be made to the IICRC.

Although I can’t tell you the questions on the test, I can give you a good example of what you will see on the test. Answering the questions below will also help you in figuring out how well you’ll perform on the test.

IICRC WDR Test Examples:

(1) The study of the relationship between air volume and the amount of moisture it holds at a specific temperature expressed as a percentage of that air’s total moisture holding capacity is called:

A) Drying

B) Humidity

C) Psychrometry

D) Ambiance

(2) Harmful microorganisms present in blood or other potentially infectious materials, that could cause disease or death in humans are know as:

A) Bacteria

B) Bloodborne pathogen

(C) Malaise

D) Humectant

(3) Any material that absorbs and retains moisture retains moisture or water vapor from air is know to be:

A) Hepatotoxin

B) Mesophilic

C) Mycotoxin

D) Hygroscopic

(4) Delamination means:

A) Seperation of primary and secondary damage

B) Seperation of primary and secondary backing

C) None of the above

D) A and B both

(5) The person at an insurance company that interprets a policy and works with contractors involved in restoration is known as?

A) Inspector

B) Agent

C) Adjuster

D) Risk manager

(6) The following are potential routes of exposure for workers?

A) Inhalation, contact with mucous membranes, ingestion and dermal

B) Physical, mental, combined and thermal

C) All of the above

D) None of the above

(7) What does H.A.T.T an acronym for?

A) Hot, Alveolar, Temperature, Test

B) Hydrostatic, Absorption, Toxicity, Threshold Limit Value

C) Haitian Cotton, Absorption, Textile, Temperature

D) Humidity, Airflow, Temperature, Time

It isn’t as easy as you think. If you have taken the carpet cleaning technician test before or the upholstery cleaning technician test before, you should know that unless you have a background in Biology, you will have to study hard to pass this one.

Since I received a deluge of requests from people wanting to know the answers to test for CCT. I thought I would just add a link on the my website with the answers. Visit the Magic Wand Company website below and select the Article tab then WRT Test Answers.

The purpose of the test is to make sure that a technician learns as much as possible to do his/her job well. I would be happy to help you in your endeavor to learn. Whether you need carpet cleaning supplies or restoration supplies or not, you are welcome to contact me.

Chris Robertson asked:




No one enjoys contemplating natural and manmade disasters. But, as the saying goes, you should always prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Time and again, research has shown that those who have prepared for an emergency fare better in the face of disaster than those who have not. This is true for air travel, where people who mentally map out an evacuation route are more likely to survive an air emergency than other passengers, and it is true for people facing catastrophic events on the ground, such as an earthquake or hurricane.

While disaster preparedness, in the form of supplies and training, is an important consideration for every family, it takes on a whole new meaning for businesses and schools. When you’re responsible for other people – or other people’s children – you must prepare an appropriate response in case of a natural disaster or terrorist event. This means having adequate disaster preparedness supplies and kits on hand, but it also means ensuring that employees and teachers are appropriately trained.

While there are many sources of emergency supplies and kits, it’s common sense that those designed by first responders and emergency services personnel are superior to those compiled by other suppliers. After all, these are the people who are out in the field and who have firsthand experience in dealing with the unimaginable.

If you own or manage a business or school, you can rely on companies created by professional firefighters to deliver both the first aid supplies and the classes you need. For example, a 10-person corporate disaster kit might contain food, water, medical supplies, sanitation materials, and tools to shut off utilities. Similarly, a classroom evacuation pack may contain light sticks, water pouches, survival blankets, and first aid supplies, while a student pack could contain a food bar, water pouches, a light stick, and basic first aid.

If you’re a school administrator, your disaster plan may be outdated. It’s critical that your disaster preparedness coordinator learn new best practices and strategies for evacuation and triage, as well as techniques that professionals use for first aid. You’ll definitely want to obtain copies of a leading edge disaster response guide for schools, which should cover team organizing, search and rescue, triage, disaster first aid, and lockdown procedures.

If you’re a business owner or manager, it’s important that your management and disaster teams take classes in survival skills. Often, they will be in a better position to conduct light rescues than first responders, who may not have immediate access to the building. Similarly, they will likely need to know CPR, how to differentiate between serious and minor injuries, and how to treat those conditions that are treatable.

Within the corporate world, “risk management” is a hot topic of discussion. All too often, risk management discussions are limited to financial risk, information security risk, or reputational risk. Any comprehensive risk management assessment should include risks to people and property caused by disasters. In the face of an emergency, you can greatly mitigate the risk of death and further property damage by undergoing the proper training and procuring the proper preparedness supplies.

Chang Seward asked:




After the advent of the disaster Hurricane Katrina in the year 2005, Federal Government has enacted a number of new laws for ensuring the protection and safety our canine friends with four legs. Animal welfare organizations have prepared a contingency plan for emergent situations and they have provided extra shelters for housing these animals in case such a situation occurs again.

In October 2006 US President Bush signed the federal law known as the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act. This law stipulates that FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) should include the individuals’ requirements as well as the needs of their service animals and companion pets. This act also specifies that the funding required for evacuation rescues during emergency or disaster must be budgeted for by the Federal Government budget as well as in local disaster plans. This act permits FEMA to help in rescuing service animals and dogs prior to, during and after the occurrence of the disaster.

In order to ensure the safety of animals whenever disaster occurs the states also participate in this effort and this is apart from the Federal PETS Act. To facilitate this, these states have passed their own new pet evacuation laws or modified the existing ones to incorporate such a clause.

In June 2006, Louisiana enacted a bill which allows the state to help in evacuating, sheltering or giving any other assistance required for the pets whenever such a disaster occurs. All the service animals and dogs will be provided with a barcode tag; the owners of the pets also will be provided a copy of these tags so that they can find them after everything becomes normal.

In order to ensure that the animals in their areas are not abandoned or left behind states such as California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York and Vermont have made a good plan of action for countering any disaster situations.

The policy on animals has also been changed by American Red Cross. They have been establishing shelters across the country to house them in individual rooms or alternately in another area in that same location by joining hands with various area animal welfare departments.

The various departments of animal control post in the Internet photos as well as details of these dogs; this facilitates the owners to identify their dogs and get reunited. If you require more information on this you should talk to the local animal department of your city or county.

Wes B Wayne asked:




Rescue data recovery is a valuable service that will help you to recover files and folders from damaged or corrupted hard drives. Although it is true that there are standalone applications that are designed to recover computer data, you will still get the best results from a recovery facility.

Here is a quick overview of the processes involved in recovering data so you can understand how this kind of service works.

The Basics of Data Recovery

When you bring a broken hard drive to a facility, the recovery process is split into two stages. The first involves drive evaluation. Technicians of the service provider will evaluate your hard drive to determine the extent of the damage and to identify strategies to recover your data.

After the evaluation stage, the service will contact you and will tell you about the diagnosis of the technicians. If your computer suffered from very serious damage, the recovery facility will tell you that any data recovery effort will be futile. If the problem can be solved, then the service provider will seek your confirmation for further recovery.

The next stage is actual rescue data recovery. This involves retrieval of lost files and data from your PC or Mac. The service will attempt to restore your files to their original state. If this is not possible, the majority of recoverable data will be restored.

How Long Does It Take

Rescuing your data will depend on the extent of the damage and the number of problematic files in the hard drive. For simple recovery efforts, the process could take at least 1 hour to 5 hours. For more complicated problems, recovery of your data could take days.

If you are going to ship your hard drive to the data recovery facility, the minimum turnaround time is two days. On the other hand, it could take a week of workup if there are big problems detected on your hard drive and file system allocations.

Data recovery is a big life saver especially if you will lose years of hard work due to a computer crash or malfunction. Getting professional service is a good option to ensure optimum recovery of data.

Derek Cooper asked:




Running a business that is not a limited company means you are classed as self employed. This is true whether you employ a number of staff or are a sole trader on your own. You may be using a trading name or running the business under your own name.

As you and your business are the same legal entity, you are personally responsible for any debts that you incur in its running, even if you take an overdraft or loan under the business’ trading name.Therefore if the business gets into financial trouble you could be personally responsible for the outstanding debt and your home may be at risk. However, all is not lost, by taking the correct actions personal financial disaster can be avoided.

Personal debt solutions can be used to turn the business around

If you believe that your business could trade profitably without the burden of debts you currently have, then a personal debt solution could give the business a new lease of life. There are three main options available:

- Debt Management Plan (DMP)

- Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA)

- Bankruptcy (As self employed you can continue to run your business even if you are bankrupt)

The right solution for you depends on your personal circumstances, particularly if you are a home owner or not, and how profitable the business is likely to be longer term

Each of the personal debt solutions will reduce the amount you pay to your creditors each month which will make ongoing trading easier. The options of IVA and bankruptcy will also lead to debt being written off which is of course a major advantage.

Business Banking is the major hurdle

One of the bigger issues to tackle is the issue of banking facilities for your business. If you have business and personal accounts with the same bank it is likely you will have to change bank – definitely so if you owe money to the bank from either.

It is not necessarily a big issue opening a new bank account. However, you will not be offered credit facilities such as an overdraft or credit card. If you want to maintain a particular line of credit such as a credit card, this may be possible using a debt management plan. However this would need careful planning and is not necessarily advisable.

If you are self employed and your business gets into financial trouble, you are personally responsible for the business debt. However, you can often save the business and turn things around using a debt solution such as DMP, IVA or bankruptcy.

The key to saving your business is to take prompt action. If you feel that your business has financial problems, you should take expert advice as soon as possible. Such advice will very often lead to a solution which will allow you to continue trading successfully in the future.

Lance Winslow asked:




Many counties subsidize Search and Rescue teams. They help offset costs to protect communities against major disasters. Sometimes off-duty county sheriffs and fire fighters are given funds to take additional classes such as: Rock Climbing, Repelling, Amateur Radio Classes and other equipment. Many off duty first responders volunteer for such groups. These cities and agencies also subsidize equipment used in such exercises including scuba gear and other expensive equipment. You’ll find these public safety people to be excellent word of mouth networking friends for your small business.

Because mobile car wash trucks have their own water and electric, we can become superior resources in emergency situations. The gallons and gallons of fresh water we carry could be vital to the public in the event of a major disaster and the high-pressure hoses can be used in fighting fires. The massive wattage from the flood lamps can be used to light up neighborhoods or other emergency sites in the event of a blackout.

Mobile Car Washers and Mobile Detailers are the only ones with such elaborate mobile utilities aside from the disaster relief squads and they may ask for our help when disaster strikes. If their backs are to the wall and they know they can call on your company; you become a golden child of the community. It will be the right thing to do when your community needs you.

From a business point of view it’s incredibly good PR if the car wash units are caught on TV helping victims, fighting fires or delivering power to a small group after a Hurricane. You will be helping people and community in their time of need and you can’t buy PR like that! This is a major win/win situation. Besides, after a disaster it takes at least a week before anyone even realizes that their car is dirty. Meaning there will not be any business during that time, so you may as well take your energies to the street to do the right thing. Think about it.

JoAnn Hines asked:




During times of disaster it’s important to recognize that there
are just as many heroes behind the scenes as there are in the
media spotlight. Consider how all the relief efforts would be
progressing without a simple common element: packaging. Whether
it’s bottled water or MRE’s (meals ready to eat), it is the
packaging that make rescue/relief efforts this achievable.

Consider that we live in a country so blessed with manufacturing capabilities that they are able to switch manufacturing operations from processing beer to bottling water in a quick turnaround.

This is not the first time industry has risen to the occasion.
Food and water are essentials in any disaster relief effort. But what conveys a product from origination to disaster relief? What makes bottled water what it is? The packaging of course.

We take packaging for granted in every aspect of our lives every day. It’s only when catastrophes such as Hurricane Katrina bring packaging to the forefront. Packaging is an integral part of any product that gets to any customer or consumer and ordinarily it gets a “bad rap.”

Think about where we would be without containers to ship
products. There would be no relief efforts providing the
essentials. There would be no way to transport relief supplies
from point A to point B. In fact, there wouldn’t be supplies at
all.

So the next time you open that bottle, can, jar, or box consider what goes on behind the scenes that makes it possible. If you know anyone in the packaging industry (the third largest
industry) offer them thanks for a job well done. Even if they
haven’t contributed directly to the relief efforts just working
in the packaging industry makes it possible for someone else to
provide relief.

Its plain and simple: without a package you can’t have a product.