Water Restrictions – Stage 2 – Commercial Cleaning Services = NO Impact
COR Certification – How Does It Help Our Customers ?
Virtual Supervision – Janitorial Mgmt. – How Does It Work?
Summer Discount Schedule
Services such as gutter cleaning, dryer-vent cleaning and window washing often require workers to perform some kind of work-at-height. Working at heights over 10 feet is considered high-risk by Canadian health and safety authorities and with good reason. Approximately one-third of workplace lost-time injuries and deaths are related to falls from height.
When it comes to our workers, Servus Group believes the only acceptable solution is the safest and best solution. In many cases, companies would rather cut corners by requiring their staff to work off of ladders and rooftops when there are safer and better alternatives. This is not only socially irresponsible, but in many cases may actually incur additional liabilities on both the service company and the property owner.
The biggest misconception behind dryer vent cleaning is actually the reason why most people think its necessary. Its not because of the fire risk: they are exceedingly rare occurrences, and usually occur due to the lint trap in the dryer itself not being properly cleaned. Rather, the real risk emerges from blocked vents that condense moisture from the dryer. This, over time, pools, and can cause thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars in damage. The trick, if it can be called that, is early diagnosis of the problem. The first signs of a blockage may seem relatively benign: excessive humidity and steaming in the residence as the air “blows back” from the vent. Clothes may take longer to dry.
Once condensation occurs and the water starts to pool, the next step is to observe direct signs of damage. Frequently the water find a seam in the vent, which allows it to spill out into the surrounding area. Within the affected region, this will quickly look like any other water leak, including discolouration of the affected material.
If any of these signs seem familiar to you, let us know… we’ll look at the situation together and determine the best course of action.
Over the course of the past 25 years, we’ve seen a lot of changes to buildings, 
their construction and designs. Dryer vents are no exception. The image most people have of dryer vents are round three to four inches in diameter circular metal pipe with a flap on the end. While this is a common (if not the most common) design, especially for low-rise buildings, there are a number of different configurations that are employed.
In a previous E-tips we highlighted that the greatest source of potential damage from uncleaned dryer vents is not fire, but moisture. As the air from the dryer becomes trapped, it condenses the moisture, which collects into pools and starts to wreak untold damage. They permeate into the surrounding concrete, and damage the overall structure. Such leaks tend to spread down to ceiling areas, leaving unsightly watermarks.
This is somewhat more common issue than people realize, particularly in high-rise buildings. Many use a rectangular shaped vent, which is sunk into cement prior to curing. While there is nothing particularly wrong with this design, the issue is with implementation. Often the duct runs are constructed with too many corners, quickly diminish the airflow’s strength. More alarmingly, many are only an inch in depth, which is insufficient to ensure proper air passage. Finally, many are damaged during construction, causing an obstruction that prevents air from passing altogether. We’ve seen all of these issues, and they can be extremely problematic.
Remedial work is often an expensive, and messy proposition. Repairing the concrete ductwork
, if it is even an option, can run into the tens of thousands of dollars. The alternative is to build a new duct run with a drop down ceiling. While less costly than concrete reconstruction, it can be aesthetically ugly and diminish a unit’s value.
While in some cases such work is unavoidable, there are alternatives to deal with these issues. Booster fans can be installed to provide extra airflow to overcome any existing issue. A proper exterior housing that provides no impedance to exiting air can help. In addition, preventative work can do quite a bit to ensure proper airflow. This includes regular cleanings of the system, with particular care for problem units. While this may require a few additional minutes of attention, it can avoid a far more costly repair job.
If you have a problem unit like this, give us a call. We can inspect the system and determine whether alternative approaches can ensure proper function, or major remedial work is required.
What do we use? Gutter Spoons. Now this might look like its one step away from a salad spoon from the kitchen drawer, but it really is the most effective solution. To use the spoon, you need to be above the gutter, so you have an unobstructed view of what is going on. Its much easier to ensure that the system is working. Second, it allows our technicians to quickly remove a large amount of material from a gutter, but with the added advantage of being able to reach deep into its corners and crevices. Finally, its light: we can use spoons while walking on the roof, or on top of a ladder. .
(Strata buildings are notorious for not cleaning their central air supply ducts, take an inventory of your buildings and ask yourself when was the last time they were cleaned? In most cases they have never been cleaned.)
Today, having access to a home with adequate heating/cooling is not just seen as a modern convenience, but as a basic human right, on par with food, water, sanitation, etc. Many residents, before the onset of winter, tend to invest in companies (such as Romeo’s Fuel, for example) and get oil deliveries stocked up for their boiler, furnaces, or water heaters. However, what they fail to understand is, that if proper care and attention to the appliances are not provided, it can quickly become a source of illness for the residents living inside.
The first heated air type of central air heaters emerged in early 19th century Great Britain, which ironically was used to heat up hospitals. The inventors discovered that patients healed quicker when they remained warm and comfortable (surprising, I know). Soon they have installed mills, and then personal residences.
These systems were supplanted by the ubiquitous hot water/radiator system, but they shared a key limitation of only providing heat during the winter months. Residents had little recourse during the hot summer months. By the 1950s however true climate control systems started to appear. Forced air systems were paired with air conditioners and heaters to provide year-round assistance.
However, the central air systems are not trouble-free or without risk. This was made apparent in the 1970s with the oil shocks. In order to save energy, many apartment and office buildings 
with central air systems were sealed off on the outside, and heating and ventilation was recycled within the building. This created the rise of “sick building syndrome, where poor air quality contributed to a number of illnesses.
While central system design improved dramatically in the 1980s and 90s, risks still remain. Over time central air venting will accumulate dust, organic materials, and other harmful items, that are then released into the system. living creatures, like bacteria, mold, and dust mites can actually grow inside the system, which is then distributed around a building. For this reason, many companies might want to search for companies similar to DUCTZ of DFW North, or ones in their local area, who can come and clean the air ducts, which might help reduce issues. These particulates can irritate people with allergies or asthma. It is also not a health issue. The Ducting’s efficiency drops as more and more dust and debris fill its interiors. This increases energy costs and decreases the system’s lifespan, as more energy is needed for longer in order to provide the desired temperature.
False: If Ladder Stand Offs Are Not Used, Gutters Will Be Damaged.
(applies to cleaning gutters, windows,
and dryer vents)
If you are willing to take a moment to read the information below and peruse the photos provided, you will see my explanation regarding the common misconception that in order to avoid damage to buildings, a ladder must have standoffs at the head of it.
This is completely false. Here is why.
Damage is done to building facades or gutters through improper ladder use occurs in 1 of 2 ways.
1. Impact. This typically occurs when an in experienced technician is moving a ladder and either loses control, letting it fall against the building or gutters. A ladder should also never be bounced up and sideways to move it along the building. The weight combined with movement and speed cause dents and damage. This is avoided by having experienced professionals on staff who know how to handle the weight of a ladder properly. Note – this can happen with stand offs on the end of the ladder or not.
2. Angle. Too much pressure against a flimsy gutter can cause damage as well, but that pressure applied depends upon the ladder the angle is placed at. More on angle below.
When a ladder is put up against a building, a worker is leaning a large metal leaver against the building façade. Upon this lever he is placing a large amount of weight – his or her body weight. The amount of pressure against the building façade has to do with the angle of the lever. Whether the ladder has stand offs on the end of it or not is completely besides the point; a ladder with standoffs in the hands of an untrained or inexperienced worker can do just as much damage to the building façade if it is not used correctly. This is because all you have done is put a fancy end on the end of your lever. Rather than have two points of contact being the head of the ladder, you have two points of contact further spread out in the arms of the ladder stand offs. If this is improperly placed against the wall, gutter, or roof, then weight on the ladder or stand offs will cause damage.
When used correctly, a ladder takes most of the weight of the worker and this weight travels down through the length of the ladder and into the ground. A minimal amount of weight presses forward. The further one goes up the ladder, the further the weight on the ladder shifts, eventually putting more stress forward, but not enough to do damage. An experienced worker cleaning gutters or performing any other similar service, will increase the angle of the ladder if they know they are working right at the top of the ladder, thereby increasing the amount of weight going downward to the ground rather than forward against the building.
If used incorrectly, a ladder placed at too steep an angle pushes the ladder forward into the building. This can indeed cause damage, but it is also very likely to cause the feet of the ladder to slip out from under the worker, causing a fall.
Why Use Ladder Stand Offs?
When a ladder is placed against a building and work is being done at the top of the ladder, a worker finds him or herself right up against the building. This creates a very awkward working situation, in which the worker often has to lean backward in order to perform whatever duties they are trying to do. The ladder stand offs allow the head of the ladder to stay about a foot away from the building façade, allowing them to do the work without having their cheek pressed into the building, or having them twist or turn awkwardly trying to do their job. For an example, see the picture below: if the fellow cleaning his windows had that ladder against the brick, he would be right up against the window, making his job quite awkward.
Here’s another great use for ladder stand offs – they can allow you to work around windows you ordinarily couldn’t.
Here is a scenario where stand offs can actually be a hazard. In the pic below, we can see an example of how it can be difficult to tell if the weight of the ladder is resting on the gutter, or on the stand offs on the roof.
If you give an inexperienced worker stand offs and tell them this will protect the gutters, and they then put the angle of the ladder too steep, the point where the ladder crosses over the gutter can and will take the weight of the worker as they climb up the ladder. Damage can be done, once again based on ladder angle. Thinking that the stand offs will take all the weight can lead to scenarios where a steeper angle is used, but the ladder is actually resting on the gutter not the stand offs.
My preference: have an experienced worker perform the service who knows how to use ladders correctly with or without stand offs, and knows how to ensure no damage is done either way. If a homeowner wants to use stand offs to protect their gutters, that makes more sense to me – they don’t climb ladders full time for a living, and may not know or be comfortable with placing ladder on the correct angles, moving a ladder without potentially dropping it, etc.
Q?: But there’s all these great pictures and opinions on the internet about how stand offs protect gutters! Moe, you must be wrong. How do you know?
I performed gutter cleaning, siding cleaning, and window cleaning for years in the field before taking a position as an account manager for Servus Group. I know from firsthand experience what I’m talking about. Am I arguing against ladder stand offs? No, not necessarily. Like any tool, they must be used properly to do the job that they are designed for, and they are not a 1 step solution to a challenge. If used incorrectly, they can actually cause damage to the roof, building siding, or gutter system.
Having ladder stand offs doesn’t mean damage can’t or won’t be done to a building or its gutter system – and inversely, not having them on doesn’t mean damage must have been done. The difference is in the skill and experience of the worker.
At Servus Groupl, we have very experienced technicians in the field, with our two lead ladder workers having 18+ and 12+ years respectively. All of our workers are trained, experienced, and care; that’s how we make sure no damage is done during the performance of our services.
Text or call us (24hrs) at 604-435-1135