What To Do If You Have A Water Damage

The Do’s and Don’ts if you have a water damage at your home or business:

DO:

• Have a professional plumbing contractor eliminate the water source.



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Easy Corn Dip Appetizer

Ingredients:

• 2 cans mexican corn (drained)


• 3/4 cup mayo


• 1 two cup bag of 4 cheese blend cheese


• chopped onion to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.  Serve hot with tortilla chips or scoops.

SuAnne Evans - Marketing Rep

Georgia Winter Weather Awareness Week: December 6-10, 2010

Winter storms are considered “deceptive killers” because most deaths are indirectly related to the storm. Seventy percent of fatalities related to ice and snow occur in automobiles, and approximately twenty-five percent of all winter-related fatalities are people caught off-guard in the storm. Prolonged exposure to extreme cold can cause frostbite or hypothermia. Powerful winter storms can also have thunderstorms associated with them. These storms can dump as much as three inches of snow or one inch of ice in an hour.  So how can you prepare for winter weather? Here are a few tips.

• Monitor radio/TV or NOAA Weather Radio.


• Stay inside. Long exposure to cold increases the risk of frostbite or hypothermia.


• If you must go out, dress in layers.


• Avoid overexertion. The strain from the cold may cause a heart attack and sweating could lead to a chill and hypothermia.


• Keep your gas tank at least half full.


• Drive with caution and carry a disaster supplies kit in your trunk.


• Have an alternative emergency heating source, such as a fireplace or wood stove. Use appropriate safeguards and have proper ventilation.


• Make sure your home is properly insulated.


• To keep pipes from freezing, wrap pipes in insulation or layers of old newspapers, cover the newspapers with plastic to keep out moisture, let faucets drip a little to avoid freezing, and know how to shut off water valves.

Water Damage Prevention for Your Commercial Building

Every building is at risk of water damage. Over 7,000 fire, water and storm losses are reported each day - water is the most common. The causes can range from minor roof leaks to major storm damage. Protecting the roofs, walls and windows is essential to reducing the likelihood of water damage. The following checklist will help you to protect your business from a costly water damage.

Roofs
- Inspect all rooftop penetrations regularly inside and out.
- Inspect seals around HVAC systems to be sure they are intact.
- Inspect condition of flashings around skylights, vents and other rooftop elements.
- Inspect for water stains.
- If your roof is flat, inspect roof drains monthly.

Walls

 - Inspect wall penetrations for proper flashing and sealant integrity.
- Inspect wall joints at windows, doors, electrical and plumbing penetrations.

Windows

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How to Make a Basic Disaster Supplies Kit

In support of National Preparedness Month 2010, Champion is encouraging all employees to make a basic disaster supplies kit for their homes. We would like to encourage you to do the same.  It is very simple to do and could very well save your life.

Basic Disaster Supplies Kit

Three-day supply of non-perishable food

One gallon of water per person, per day

Portable, battery-powered radio and extra batteries

Flashlight and extra batteries

First aid kit and manual

Sanitation and hygiene items (moist towelettes and toilet paper)

Matches and waterproof container

Whistle

Extra clothing

Kitchen accessories and cooking utensils, including a can opener

Photocopies of credit and identification cards

Cash and coins

Special needs items, such as prescription medications, eye glasses, contact lens solutions, and hearing aid batteries

Items for infants, such as formula, diapers, bottles, and pacifiers

Other items to meet your unique family needs

National Preparedness Month September 2010

 

This September is the seventh annual National Preparedness Month.  NPM 2010 will focus on changing perceptions about emergency preparedness and will help Americans understand what it truly means to be ready and how preparedness goes beyond fire alarms, smoke detectors, and extra food in the pantry.

Learn more about making a disaster supply kit, making a family emergency plan, staying informed and how you can get involved!

How to Communicate With Your Insurance Company

The following is excellent advice from the organization United Policyholders. They are a consumer advocate group. This information is directly from their website www.unitedpolicyholders.com  I have highlighted some things that Champion has been telling customers for years.

Speak Up - How to communicate with your insurance company:

Effectively communicating with your insurance company is an incredibly important part of the claims process. Many insurance companies will try to handle your claim by telephone, with no records. You must make sure that everything in the claim gets documented in writing. How you communicate makes a world of difference in the amount of benefits you collect and how fast you collect them. We recommend that you:

1. Document every communication with your insurance company in a notebook or diary so you can keep track of the status of your claim.

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Know Your Water Damage Categories

Water damage is typically classified into one of the following three categories:

Category 1 Water - Refers to a source of water that does not pose substantial threat to humans and classified as "Clean Water". Examples are broken water supply lines, tub or sink overflows or appliance malfunctions that involves water supply lines.

Category 2 Water - Refers to a source of water that contains a significant degree of chemical, biological or physical contaminants and causes discomfort or sickness when exposed or even consumed. Known as "Grey Water".

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How Do You Start Your Day?

Did my alarm really go off already?  Man it's hard to get going in the morning sometimes (OK for some of you maybe all of the time).  I really like the following advice from a personal trainer on 3 things to do each day to start your day out successfully:
1) STRETCH - take a few moments to stretch your body, arms, legs - get your blood flowing and your muscles warmed up
2) BREAKFAST - take the time to eat a healthy breakfast - the most important meal of the day
3) PUNCTUALITY - be ON TIME to your first appointment of the day whatever that may be.

What do you think?  Are you willing to give the big 3 a try?  Let us know if they work for you?

Greg Ahlstrom - Accounting Manager

What's In a Name - Part III of III

Part III - Previously in 'what's in a name' we explored the most common customer last names that we have had the pleasure of working for, and we explored the similarities of the employee names we have at our company.

A few months before my son was born in March of this year, I was ready to reveal to my co-workers the NAME my wife and I had chosen for him.  I put the first letter of his name 'A' with 4 spaces following on our erase board in our conference room and asked everyone to write down their guesses on the board.  It was absolutely amazing to see how many legitimate guesses they were actually able to come up with (see attached picture - click on it to enlarge it).  And much to my surprise one of the guesses was actually correct.  ANSON came into the world safely on March 8th, 2010.  Thanks again for playing everyone.  Wow there are thousands and thousands of names out there.

Greg Ahlstrom - Accounting Manager