Two weeks of the thermometer flirting with 0 degrees centigrade has left many managers thinking about their Cold Weather services for Snow Removal and De-icing this winter. The most critical issue of discussion with your provider is what triggers a service, when you select Automatic versus On Call.
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.
In our office, property managers often request quotes for multiple buildings simultaneously. While this allows us to demonstrate our capabilities, it can lead to inefficient management.
Strata Corporations may believe they can save money by seeking bids from several providers, but potential savings often diminish with the time required to manage the bidding process and the risks of onboarding new vendors. We propose a consistent, long-term partnership that meets your service needs at or below your budget. How can we achieve this?
It can be a tough process for a Strata to undertake a large cleaning project. Their requirements often involve significant complexity, much of which may not be apparent to the residents when they first set out.
When the strata receives quotes back, they are confused when contractor submit prices and scopes that are wildly different. Moreover selecting the lowest cost often leads to an unsatisfactory outcome, as key facets of the job are unaddressed. This can lead to essential work being uncompleted or a second vendor being called in to complete the job.
How to avoid this situation? First is to grapple with number of essential questions.
When sourcing a contractor for a large cleaning project best results are achieved when you consider above and not simply engage the lowest bidder.
The past week have seen snow and ice disappear from the cold snap that gripped the Lower 
Mainland following Christmas. But not everything has disappeared; salt residue remains on a number of hard surface floors and common hallway carpet. Although, it is somewhat ironic given the lengths residents went to obtain the stuff several weeks ago, now the residue can be extremely difficult to remove by normal cleaning solutions. Mopping with soap or other sanitizers are basically useless on hard surface floors, and may only serve to spread the discolouration around. Carpets face a different issue. There the salt, as well as mud and sand get into the carpet matrix, which requires significantly more work to remove.
The essential problem is that the residue has a very high Ph. that needs to be neutralized before it can be removed. Basic chemistry suggest you can use an acidic solution, but this presents a number of potential challenges that make it a less than desirable approach. We have several products that can neutralize the residue that can then be mopped up. For carpets this requires more subtle changes to the carpet cleaning approach. Our staff are trained to recognize the proper solution and approach to dealing residue, and can make quick work of the problem. So if you want to remove the last reminder of the cold winter weather, give us a call.
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.
in the summer months. The drier weather allow us to both power sweeping and pressure washing to get underground areas looking as best as we can. A difficult issue we commonly face are oil stains. While we always want leave a parkade looking as clean as the day it was built, oil stains are a nearly insurmountable challenge for our crews. The key problem is that concrete’s porous nature, which the oil molecules are able to penetrate the surface and get locked in.
Text or call us (24hrs) at 604-435-1135