Georgia Lightning Awareness Week June 20-26, 2010

Lightning kills more people in the United States every year than tornadoes, floods, or hurricanes. In Georgia, lightning kills or injures several people every year. Lightning occurs mostly during the warmer months of June through September.

Lightning can also cause significant damage to personal and commercial property. In addition to direct strikes, lightning generates electrical surges that can damage electronic equipment some distance from the actual strike. Below are some lightning safety tips for inside the home or business. We hope they help everyone stay safe during this year's storm season.

- Avoid contact with corded phones.

- Avoid contact with electrical equipment or cords. If you plan to unplug any electronic equipment, do so well before the storm arrives.

- Avoid contact with plumbing. Do not wash your hands, do not take a shower, do not wash dishes, and do not do laundry.

- Stay away from windows and doors, and stay off porches.

As always, the Champion team is committed to doing everything in our power to continue to provide outstanding service during this year's storm season. If you have any questions please feel free to call our office at 770-253-6070.

LEARN ABOUT FREE EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANNING FOR YOUR BUSINESS!

HAILSTORMS: What to Do Before, During & After

Hail might seem like a minor concern but it can shatter windows, leave pockmarks in siding and most importantly destroy or damage roof coverings. Here are some helpful hints to protect your home.

Before 

- If you need to re-roof select an impact-resistant roof covering. These products have passed the UL2218 impact test with a rating of Class 1 through 4. Class 4 (most resistant) has proven to be highly effective in hailstorms.

 

- Make sure your roof covering is impact-resistant. Do not rely on building codes or regulations to protect you. Look for the UL2218 label on the package and literature confirming the product has passed this test.

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Growing Your Own Herbs in Newnan

Whether it's fresh mint for your iced tea or basil for your salad, there is nothing like having fresh herbs on hand during the summertime. Actually, it is nice to have them year round. But I have learned that it is hard to keep herbs alive during the winter. During the summer though, it is pretty simple.

Most herbs will do fine in pots or planters. Just make sure they get plenty of sunlight and water them reguarly. They can grow even bigger in the ground though. If you are really ambitious, tomatos grow well in pots too. Here is a link to a few tips I found helpful.....

I have limited gardening experience and most certainly do not have a green thumb. So if I can do it, trust me you can too!

Icela Reets - Marketing Coordinator

Should I Be Concerned About Lead Poisoning During a Renovation Job?

Should I Be Concerned About Lead Poisoning During a Renovation Job?

If your home was built before 1978 there is a good chance that the paint on the walls has lead in it. Lead is a toxic metal that was commonly used in paints manufactured before that date. In fact, the older a home is, the chances that lead is in the paint are even greater. The EPA has a saying, "Lead paint comes with a lifetime guarantee. It'll do damage for generations.""What's on your walls?" That's the EPA slogan. If you have a newer home, you have no worries. But if your home was built prior to 1978, and you have remodeling to be done, your paint should be tested for lead. This is especially important if there are children living in the home. Children under 6 years of age are highly susceptible to lead-based poisoning. In fact, some pediatricians routinely test the children under their care for lead in their system. It is a serious matter since lead-poisoning can cause brain damage.

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What Water Damage Is Covered By Insurance?

Many people often ask "What kind of water damages are covered by insurance?" and I came across the helpful article. It also includes information on how to clean up after a flood to prevent mold...

Many people have no clue as to what types of water damage is covered under their home or business insurance policy. Homeowners and business owners are becoming confused, hearing about mold insurance claims getting denied, and lots of questions arise about water damage to their homes. This article will go on to explain what types of damage is covered by your home insurance or your business policy and what you should do if your house has damage.

What Water Damage will your Home Insurance Policy cover?

Homeowners policies don't cover damages from a flood, you would need to purchase flood insurance if you want to be specifically covered for water damage caused by a flood. Your home insurance policy would pay for damage from rain coming through a hole or a window if the hole had been caused by strong storm winds. But if you have a pipe leaking inside your house that created water damage over time, that wouldn't be covered. It simply comes down to if your water damage was caused by a covered event such as a storm or if the water damage happened because you failed to keep your house repaired which would not be covered. If you are unsure as to what kind of water damage is covered, carefully read through your home insurance policy or call your the company.

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Tornado Survival Skills

Tornado Survival Skills

Familiarize yourself with the terms that are used to identify a tornado hazard.

A tornado watch means a tornado is possible in your area. You should monitor NOAA Weather Radio (www.weather.gov/nwr), local radio and television news outlets for the latest developments.

A tornado warning comes when a tornado is actually occurring. Take shelter immediately.
Determine in advance where you will take shelter in case of a tornado warning.
Storm cellars or basements provide the best protection.

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STORM TRIVIA

1. The Fujita scale measures the strength of what?

A. Hurricanes
B. Tornadoes
C. Wind

The answer is B. Tornadoes.

2. TRUE OR FALSE: A severe thunderstorm is the same as any other storm.

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A Jewish Proverb: The Fox and the Vineyard

An old Jewish proverb tells this interesting story:

A sly fox passed a lovely vineyard. A tall fence surrounded the vineyard on all sides. As the fox circled the fence, he found a small hole in the fence, barely large enough for him to push his head through. The fox could see the luscious grapes in the vineyard and his mouth began to water. But the hole in the wall was to small for him. So what did the sly fox do? He fasted for three days until he became so thin that he managed to slip through the hole.

Inside the vineyard the fox began to eat to his heart's content. He grew bigger and fatter gorging on the sweet grapes. Then he became very thirsty. Going back to the hole to make his exit, he discovered he was now to fat to get out! What to do now? He fasted for three more days just to become small enough to squeeze out, nearly dying of thirst.

Turning back to the vineyard as he headed to find water he said "What value are you to me? Just as I entered so I leave.

Solomon said something similar, just as a man comes into the world, so he leaves it. It's what we do in between that counts.

Keith Barnhart - Estimator

Spring Cleaning

Spring is in the air! Trees are starting to bloom.....the sun is shining...and oh my! I need to do a spring cleaning! Right now is a good time to think about cleaning your area rugs, they need to be freshened up just like the rest of the house. Did you know that Champion has a special Area Rug Bath that is designed to professionally clean Area rugs?

We have recently added a new series of videos explaining the special process of cleaning area rugs. Please visit our site at www.championcleaningsystems.com
You can watch how the experts will take special care of your area rugs.

Linda Minardi - Cleaning Department Manager

Insurance Restoration: Green Remodeling

Most of us with existing homes are probably not working on plans to sell our homes and build an award-winning Green home. I'm just saying! However, many of us will experience some type of loss at our home that will require remodeling repairs. Others may be planning a remodel of an existing room. In either case you can still THINK GREEN!

What many people fail to understand about Green building is that it is an environmental effort, both within the home and outside. The effort is to lessen the impact on energy & the environment while increasing the quality of life inside the home. Some efforts include better insulation, use of products with recycled content, use of items which do not give off volatile organic compounds, energy efficient appliances & lighting, etc. I encourage you to research the many options available to you to improve the quality of life within your home, one room at a time.

And, lest I forget, you may want to check with your insurance agent in the near future. Some (i.e. Chubb, Travelers, Fireman's Fund, etc.) are now offering Green Upgrade policies which will allow you to upgrade to Green products if you experience a insurance loss to your home.

Jerry Quarles - Estimator