20.8 Emergency repairs at home

Broken window

1. Protect yourself: thick gloves, closed shoes, glasses. Keep pets away: glass cuts their paws.
2. Remove loose glass from the frame from top to bottom, without forcing any that is firmly in place. Put it in a cardboard box marked “GLASS.”
3. Tape over the cracked glass left in the frame (in an X and around the edge) so it doesn't fall.
4. Cover the opening with heavy plastic folded at the edges so it doesn't tear, taped with duct tape on the outside and inside. Better still: a sheet of plywood or thick cardboard behind the plastic.
5. If there is rain or wind, fasten wooden battens over the plastic with screws into the frame (if the lease allows it) or plenty of tape.
6. Sweep and vacuum the area carefully; wipe with a damp paper towel for small fragments.
7. Report it to management and take photos for insurance.

To seal windows and doors in a chemical or radiological emergency, see chapters 15, 16, and 18.

Water leak

1. Shut off the water (the appliance valve or the apartment's main shutoff).
2. If there is water near outlets, cut the power to the circuit before stepping in the water.
3. Contain it: buckets, towels, containers. Move furniture and electronics out of the water.
4. Pipe with a small leak: dry the pipe, wrap it with silicone repair tape (self-fusing), stretching it under tension, or with a piece of rubber hose split open and clamps. Duct tape only holds for a short time.
5. Leak from the ceiling (apartment above): set out buckets, don't stand under a bulging or dripping area (wet plaster can fall), cut the power to the light fixtures in that area, and tell management immediately.
6. Dry it within 24–48 hours with fans to prevent mold, and document with photos.

Other quick repairs

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