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January 26, 2017

Slab Ducts – Dark Side Of Dryer Vent Cleaning

Over the course of the past 25 years, we’ve seen a lot of changes to buildings, IMG_8958their 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 ductworkvents, 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.

August 8, 2016

Oil stains in parkades: a difficult subject. 

Parkade cleanings are a common type of work we doIMG_9601 (1) 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.
Our two primary cleaning methods have difficulty removing oil stains. Power sweeping really only cleans the surface layer, so it can’t get at the oil. Pressure washing can have substantially more effect, but its still unable to penetrate deeply enough to remove oil. Usually it leaves a stain looking much much better, but we frequently find that a feint outline of the stain remains. That’s partly because oil is insoluble in water, and the pressure washer only removes the discolourations on the uppermost layers. The deeper layers remain, which are almost impossible to remove. It is possible to improve this situation, but it requires several hours per stain applying different chemical treatment methods. Its uneconomical for the building to pay for such a service, and we usually recommend that it is the responsibility of a resident (it usually is for most buildings).
June 8, 2016

Building Notices – Are They Important ? – YES VERY

Building notices are one of the most critical points of communication between us, (the service provider), the property manager and residents at a location. We usually send them out when we schedule service, so that they are posted in advance before the work commences. We see them as an essential part of our service, for a number of reasons.

First, building notices allow residents of a building to prepare their units for a service, which greatly facilitates our ability to complete the agreed-to work. For example window cleaning on low-rise buildings require screens be removed from windows. If notices are not posted, the parts of the work can’t go ahead requiring return visit(s) that are difficult to deal with. The same issue applies for dryer vents in large buildings. These commonly  require suite access to do a complete an interior and exterior service. Without visibly posted building notices, large number of residences are usually missed, which requires us to come back another day

Finally building notices are critical for giving residents information if they think there is a problem. We often post useful trouble shooting information, as well as contact addresses. This helps to avoid burdening you with complaints and other calls about a service, which we can deal with them quickly and directly. For example when our floor care team is maintaining the common hallways are notices provided specify whether the service is an extraction cleaning or maintenance cleaning service.

All in all building notices keep everybody happy and working productively. By posting them we reduce potential issues with a job, and ensure the service is done in a quick and effective manner…. that’s a win for everyone.

We are always looking at our notices and working to improve the message, have a look at our latest version of our low-rise window cleaning notice.

November 27, 2015

Technical Gutter Cleaning – The Spoon

Gutter SpoonsWhat 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. .

James & Gutter Spoon
April 23, 2015

Carpet Maintenance Programs – We Didn’t Design Them, The Manufacturers Did

Warrantees are often the determining factor behind purchasing something. Some car manufacturers make it a key selling point; like a certain company’s 10-year powertrain warranty. However, all of them come with conditions and requirements, otherwise people would be driving their cars with reckless abandon, or, in the case of carpets, quickly letting them fall in disrepair until they need to be replaced.

Our carpet cleaning programs are designed based on manufacturers’ warranty requirements, which are necessary to maintain them in optimal condition. This is not based on a single personal opinion or experience, but on the research, testing and results of numerous companies over decades of carpet manufacturing and use.

WHAT DO THE MANUFACTURERS SAY?

The main focus of carpet warrantees are high traffic areas. This is key – we’re not talking about the carpet on the bottom of your living room closet, or the spare room where Auntie Frieda and Uncle George go once per year but is otherwise unused, we’re talking about the carpet that gets walked on every day by multiple pairs of dirty feet. This is the lobby areas of buildings, the stairwells, the hallways. They take a beating, and need to be cared for in order to ensure the best lifespan of the product.

Most warranty requirements have 5 mandatory elements:

1) Entrance Mats: must be placed in order to reduce the amount of dirt tracked in. They are very effective at reducing the amount of debris brought into carpets.

2) Regular Vacuuming: to remove abrasive debris before it cuts and scrapes the carpet fibers under the grinding action of footsteps.

3) Spot Cleaning is essential to get marks out before they set permanently! That requires the right product, applied at the right time with the right method.

4) Interim Maintenance: this can take several forms, but is a required step for high traffic areas in carpet – lighter than a hot water extraction clean, but heavier than vacuuming.

5) Hot Water Extraction: this is the most recognized form of carpet cleaning, also known as steam cleaning or restorative cleaning. It is a necessary step, but not the only step – look at all the other steps that come before it.

Keep your warranty valid. Maintain your investment. Keep your strata clean. That’s the goal and we’re on your side to achieve that result. Don’t let the situation get extremely bad, then try to tidy it up a year later with a hot water extraction clean, expecting that it can and will every time be able to correct a cumulative year’s worth of neglect. That approach doesn’t work. It’s proven not to work. If it did, that’s what would be outlined in your warranty. But it’s not.

 

January 29, 2015

Central Air Duct Cleaning “History Of Sick Building Syndrome”

(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 iStock_000019880307Largewith 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.

September 17, 2014

The Evolution of Gutter Cleaning Services – Gutter Cleaning Program Care

Overflowing GutterIn order to maintain a healthy business relationship, both sides must feel good about a service agreement; the purchaser and the service provider.  This can be especially challenging with gutter cleaning based on expectations for results of the service.  Can one visit in the fall to clean the gutters at a strata ensure that they are functioning properly until the same time next year?  Sometimes.  But often, this is not the case.  This is due to the differences between cleaning gutters and other services.   This has led to us to:

The Evolution of Gutter Cleaning Services

Most service providers offer a 1 X Gutter cleaning service.  In fact, in the GVRD, this is what most property  managers expect  is the only option that they are able to find for gutter cleaning.  However, in 2009, Servus Group introduced a higher level of service in order to meet the actual demands of gutter maintenance around the GVRD.  We believe this is the next step in the evolution of gutter cleaning service.  It has been met with great success over the years.

We realized that the same issues arose each year during gutter cleaning season and determined it was time to do something to address that.  So we took a look at what we routinely faced.  We found this necessary in order to ensure both we as the service provider and our customers felt good about the service arrangement.

We found the most common issues are:

-Small areas around a strata needing extra attention, or getting clogged up weeks or months after the initial service was performed.
– Minor issues that due to repair work needed rather than cleaning
-Strata’s not knowing what was done or not, as gutters can be difficult to see inside.
-Understanding what a ‘clean gutter’ is.

We found that the approach most people had to addressing any issue with their gutters, was to phone our office and demand that we come back as we had ‘not done the job right.’

While everyone makes mistakes  and sometimes things might get overlooked during a service, we found that in the majority of these instances were related to one or more of the four issues outlined above.  So in many cases we would do a spot clean for the customer for free, or, clean the area but take photos proving it had been cleaned previously and then charging for the time, or, insist we needed to meet someone on site in order to show them that other problems existed that required repair and could not be fixed with cleaning.   No matter what both sides were not left feeling good about the way things unfolded.  And that’s not the way we want to do business.  We want our customers to feel great about using our company for services.  So what we needed was a way to address the reality of the situation so that everyone felt respected, valued, and treated fairly.  We did this by adding additional levels of service for low cost in our ‘Gutter Cleaning Maintenance Program’ offering.

Includes all Standard Gutter Cleaning PLUS

  • 6 SERVICE CALLS INCLUDED FOR 12 MONTHS AFTER INITIAL CLEANING (Potential Value $ 900.00)
  • INVESTIGATE and REPORT ON ANY ISSUES DISCOVERED
  1. SERVICE CALLS – By including 6 free spots cleans, our customers know we are dedicated to taking care of their ongoing needs, and that we understand a 1x visit to clean gutters does not always provide enough attention to keep gutters functioning properly throughout the year.  We anticipate that new clogs can and do happen, and are prepared to fix them as they come up over time.  We also look at the bigger picture to  determine how best to ensure that the customers gutter systems are maintained.Do new problems arise because a section of the strata has gutters in heavily treed areas?  Did the first service get done early in the season, and a lot of leaves fell after that service was complete?  Did a gutter get plugged up because some kids playing with tennis balls sent one up into the gutter that plugged the top of the downspout?  It doesn’t matter what the reason – we’ll take care of it, quickly, and at no additional charge when a strata has chosen a Gutter Maintenance Program.Does this mean we have less incentive to ‘do it right the first time’?  Absolutely not!  Every trip to a strata costs us in fuel and labour charges.  We don’t want to have to go back.  But we also want our customers resting assured that we will if necessary to take care of them.  That builds a stronger business relationship, and leads to approaching problem situations with a spirit of cooperation and understanding.
  2. Report Any Issues Discovered

This focuses primarily on providing information regarding the gutter system beyond our ability to address.  If there are areas that are off-slope and need to be adjusted, we can inform the strata.  We’re also looking for areas of heavy damage, areas which were not installed properly, or areas that are not functioning well due to overtaxing their capacity (may need another downspout installed, etc.)

This information can then be used if strata chooses to adjust their system so that its function is improved

So how can we afford to include all this extra work and service visits?

We charge a small amount more than for a regular gutter cleaning service, yet one additional service call could be $250-$475 at regular price.   We can afford to offer this to our customers because with such a large pool of customers each paying a bit more for the full maintenance plan, those who need it can benefit.  It’s like insurance; not everyone needs to use all of their service calls, and we can draw upon the pool to ensure our workers are paid for their time.  We also grow our business because our customers know we put them first, even if it may cost us a little.   That’s something very important to us; great customer relationships.

So if your strata’s haven’t considered a gutter cleaning maintenance program, they should take a look at the option.  It’s a solution to the real world issues faced during gutter cleaning to ensure that everyone wins.

September 17, 2014

What Is A Clean Gutter?

Gutters exist for function, not beauty. So when a service company is hired to clean the gutters on your building, it is to ensure that they are able to perform their function properly, not to ensure that they look good.

The challenge then for a strata when they hire a service provider like this Residential Roofing company in Denver to clean their gutters is: how do they know that they got good value for their money? What is a ‘clean gutter’?

Let’s consider all aspects of that as it relates to gutter cleaning and see if you agree.

Function

Gutters exist around the edge of building rooflines to direct the rainfall in a safe manner away from the home. If water fell all around the edge of the roof around the building, then landscaping would be ruined, and the foundation potentially damaged. You may then have to contact a home repair firm similar to the ones that provide foundation repair in Central Missouri or in your vicinity to repair the damaged foundation. So, in order to avoid this, the gutters help direct the flow of rainwater away from the building in a safe manner.

Cleaning a gutter allows for this function to continue.

Therefore, a dirty gutter or a gutter that requires service is a gutter that has its function impeded. Gutter cleaning is to remove those impediments to function.

When leaves and other debris fall into a gutter trough, they can restrict the flow of water through the gutter channel or possibly choke it off completely. This causes the gutter to fill with water and overflow, leading to the type of scenario the gutter was installed to eliminate in the first place. It can also clog downspouts with the same result. So the leaves, debris, and other items must be removed by the cleaning service such as Clean Pro Gutter Cleaning BIrmingham or a similar company in the required location, to allow the water to flow through the channel, down the downspout, and away.

If the debris has been removed and water can flow freely, then looking down into the gutter channel should reveal a gutter trough free of impediments; not necessarily a gutter trough that looks clean.

“Looking Dirty”

This is where a lot of confusion arises. Usually, when we clean something, it is to keep the area or item sanitary, and improve appearance. The challenge is that this is not the way we need to judge a gutter cleaning service. If all of the impediments to function have been removed from a gutter trough, it may still ‘look dirty’ (see pic above). There may be algae scum adhered to the sides of the trough, or a thin layer of silt or dirt still clinging to the inside. However, if the proper function of the gutter has been restored, the the gutter is ‘clean’, or ‘fixed’, or returned to its proper state. The aesthetic appearance doesn’t matter because it doesn’t affect the function of the gutter at all. Anything remaining in the trough may look dirty, but a gutter doesn’t need to be disinfected or look good to function well. And, if it were cleaned to the point where it does look good, then the extra labor time and cost to get it to that state is essentially wasted money on the part of the purchaser of the service. Why pay extra to over perform in an unnecessary manner? After all, rainwater will strike the roof surface and carry surface dirt and sediment down and into the gutter the next time it rains. In very short order, the gutter won’t look good again. But really, what does it matter? We don’t want to look out into our gutters, we just want them to work.

Value/Quality of Service vs. Function

Some stratas want the inside or outside of the gutters to ‘look good’. On the outside, this can make sense if it improves the overall appearance of the building. But this type of aesthetic clean should not be confused with what is commonly referred to in the industry as a gutter cleaning service (for function). Combining this type of cleaning with an inside clean or cleaning of siding may make sense, but don’t expect a regular gutter cleaning service to include an aesthetic clean. As discussed, it isn’t necessary, and so should be considered an additional option for which the purchaser is paying extra.

Here’s a suggested breakdown to look at gutter cleaning.

1x Cleaning Service For Function.

This is a ‘standard’gutter cleaning. It includes cleaning the inside of all of the gutter trough on the building for function. All impediments to rainwater collection and flow should be removed.

Additional Levels of Service

Additional cost should be considered for adding any of the following:

-Aesthetic clean of the inside of the gutter trough
-Aesthetic clean of the outside of the gutter trough
-More than one visit
-Repair work to gutters (refastening downspouts, recalling seams, realigning gutters that are no longer sloped properly to drain, etc.)

If a purchaser considers a standard 1x gutter cleaning should include any of the above, then the price would go up. If after accepting a quote for service, a purchaser insists that any of those items be included, then the provider will feel that they have underpriced the work, and not want to perform the additional work above the definition of a 1x gutter clean. Setting expectations before work begins is therefore paramount.

New Issues Arising After A Gutter Cleaning Service Is Complete

What about a clog or problem arising after a 1 x gutter cleaning service has been performed? If water is seen to be overflowing over the side of a gutter, does that mean that the service wasn’t performed right and the service provider should come back at their own cost to fix the problem? Does it mean the job wasn’t done right?

Perhaps. The answer is not yes in all situations however.

Factors to consider:

-time since the initial service was complete
-condition of the gutters (a repair may be necessary)
-slope of the gutters (trough may be sitting on an angle which doesn’t allow for proper drainage.

Time

If within days a gutter is overflowing again in heavy rainfall, then yes, a service provider should inspect the gutter system to ensure that nothing was missed. At the same time, the cause of the overflow should be discovered and reported so that the situation can be rectified.

If several weeks or months have passed however, and a gutter overflows, then it cannot be immediately assumed to have been a flaw with the original service. The gutter should be checked to see if a section was missed during the initial service. In some cases, the house owner may even require Gutters replacement services. However, in most situations, the cause will be that new debris has fallen into the gutter causing a clog. This happens because:

-trees shed their leaves at different times during the autumn
-most gutter cleaning services in our region cannot be timed perfectly between when all leaves have fallen and prior to water in gutters freezing, so there are always new leaves which may cause potential clogs in future.
-pine trees shed their leaves throughout the year, and can cause new gutter clogs at any time
-heavy wind, rain, and other inclement weather can blow debris onto roofs which then gets washed down by rain into the gutter system, causing clogs.

In order to address the issue of new problems arising around a strata after an initial service, Servus Group introduced our “Gutter Cleaning Program” service, which benefits our customers by including 3 free service calls for a year after the initial cleaning service, to address these issues when they arise. (See next article below for more details). Problem areas do present themselves periodically, and this has proven itself to be an effective method of addressing those issues.

So, a clean gutter is a gutter that is performing its function properly, based no being in good repair and free of impediments.