Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Prepare your Home for the Freeze!!

What’s worse than a major home maintenance disaster? How about several major home maintenance disasters at once? For the quarter-million families who have their homes ruined and their lives disrupted each winter because of frozen water pipes, frigid nights can very quickly turn to ongoing, inconvenient, extremely expensive ordeals.

In cold and warmer climates alike, pipes freeze for a combination of three central reasons: quick drops in temperature, poor insulation, and thermostats set too low. Both plastic and copper pipes can burst when they freeze, and recovering from frozen pipes is not as simple as calling a plumber. A 1/8-inch crack in a pipe can spew up to 250 gallons of water a day, causing flooding, serious structural damage, and the immediate potential for mold.

In the United States, frozen pipes cause a huge amount of damage each year; unlike natural disasters, this disaster is largely preventable. By taking a few simple precautions, you can help save yourself the mess, money, and aggravation frozen pipes cause.

Your Best Bet: Don’t Let It Happen
There are a number of preventative steps you can take to keep your pipes from freezing. Here are a few simple tips provided by State Farm:

Before The Cold
Remember the three central causes of frozen pipes? Quick drops in temperature, poor insulation, and thermostats set too low. You can prepare by protecting your home during the warmer months. Here’s how:

•Insulate pipes in your home's crawl spaces and attic, even if you live in a climate where freezing is uncommon. Exposed pipes are most susceptible to freezing. Remember: The more insulation you use, the better protected your pipes will be.
•Heat tape or thermostatically controlled heat cables can be used to wrap pipes. Be sure to use products approved by an independent testing organization, such as Underwriters Laboratories Inc., and only for the use intended (exterior or interior). Closely follow all manufacturers' installation and operation instructions.
•Seal leaks that allow cold air inside near where pipes are located. Look for air leaks around electrical wiring, dryer vents, and pipes, and use caulk or insulation to keep the cold out. With severe cold, even a tiny opening can let in enough cold air to cause a pipe to freeze.
•Before winter hits, disconnect garden hoses and, if possible, use an indoor valve to shut off and drain water from pipes leading to outside faucets. This reduces the chance of freezing in the short span of pipe just inside the house.
When The Mercury Drops
Even if you’ve taken the right preventative steps, extreme weather conditions can still harm your pipes. Here are a few more steps you can take:

•A trickle of hot and cold water might be all it takes to keep your pipes from freezing. Let warm water drip overnight, preferably from a faucet on an outside wall.
•Keep your thermostat set at the same temperature during both day and night. You might be in the habit of turning down the heat when you’re asleep, but further drops in the temperature – more common overnight – could catch you off guard and freeze your pipes.
•Open cabinet doors to allow heat to get to un-insulated pipes under sinks and appliances near exterior walls.
Before You Leave
Travelling in the winter months might be good for the soul, but don’t forget to think about your pipes before you leave. What can you do?

•Set the thermostat in your house no lower than 55°F (12°C).
•Ask a friend or neighbor to check your house daily to make sure it's warm enough to prevent freezing.
•Shut off and drain the water system. Be aware that if you have a fire protection sprinkler system in your house, it may be deactivated when you shut off the water.
If Your Pipes Do Freeze
What do you do if your pipes still freeze, despite your best preventative measures? First step: Don’t panic. Just because they’re frozen doesn’t mean they’ve already burst. Here’s what you can do:

•If you turn on your faucets and nothing comes out, leave the faucets turned on and call a plumber.
•Do not use electrical appliances in areas of standing water: You could be electrocuted.
•Never try to thaw a pipe with a torch or other open flame because it could cause a fire hazard. Water damage is preferable to burning down your house!
•You may be able to thaw a frozen pipe with the warm air from a hair dryer. Start by warming the pipe as close to the faucet as possible, working toward the coldest section of pipe.
•If your water pipes have already burst, turn off the water at the main shutoff valve in the house; leave the water faucets turned on. Make sure everyone in your family knows where the water shutoff valve is and how to open and close it.
Source: State Farm Insurance
Provided by: Carpet Technologies Carpet Cleaning & Restoration of Nashville, TN & Franklin, TN 

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Why You Should Have Your Carpets Cleaned for the Holidays

With all of the shopping, baking, cleaning and planning you’re doing for the holidays, having your carpet floors cleaned may seem like just one more thing you’d rather not have to worry about. However, getting your carpets cleaned now in preparation for the holidays can do more than simply make your home look more presentable to guests.
Here are three reasons to have your carpets cleaned for the holidays:
1. Stain prevention. With more traffic — and more food being consumed — in your home this season, the chance of spills increases dramatically. The dirtier your carpeted floors are, the harder it will be clean up spills when they occur — especially as sticky substances can adhere to the dirt embedded in your Portland carpets. Getting your carpets washed now gives you a clean slate for cleaning up any party fouls during the holidays.
2. Odor removal. It’s easy to become accustomed to the odors that linger within your carpet floors. For your guests, it’s a different story. After going through all the trouble of preparing a big meal, the last thing you need is for the aroma of your food to have to compete with the musty smells or pet odors wafting from your carpets. Consulting with a Carpet Technologies cleaning services about odor removal can prevent your home’s smells from sneaking up on you at an inopportune time.
3. Sanitation. If you’re like most families with kids, opening gifts on Christmas probably involves some amount of floor sitting — and possibly crawling on hands and knees under the tree. Plus, if you’ll be entertaining guests with small children, those little ones will probably be crawling around on your carpet floors, as well. Do we need to say more?
Regular cleaning is an important step in extending the life of your carpets, and it makes sense to schedule it before the holidays. If you’re planning on entertaining this season, it’s a good idea to hire a Professional carpet cleaning service company like Carpet Technologies.
Carpet Technologies has been in business since 2006. The owners, Randy Wills & Tommy Morrow, have been in the carpet cleaning and restoration business since 1996.
We specialize in carpet cleaning, stain removal, carpet repair & re-stretching, color restoration, pet stain & odor restoration, area rug cleaning, upholstery cleaning, tile & grout cleaning and water damage restoration.
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If a spot returns within 30 days so do we at no charge. If you’re not satisfied with the results we will return at no additional charge. If you’re still not satisfied we will give you a full refund on your service.
Contact info: 615-972-1441 check us out at:  www.carpettechnologies.net
We are an IICRC certified firm. Spring Hill Chamber of Commerce
We provide carpet cleaning services in Nashville TN, Brentwood TN, Antioch TN, Franklin TN, Spring Hill TN, Columbia TN and surrounding areas.