Thursday, May 17, 2012

Water Damage on an Oriental Rug

Water Damage on an Oriental Rug


The beauty of an Oriental rug can be destroyed forever if proper care is not taken to protect the rug from long term exposure to water.  Most varieties of Oriental rugs have a  wool pile and these rugs can be cleaned and dried thoroughly by an oriental rug cleaner and never have any problems.  Sometimes you may have some unstable colors to deal with but if the rug is being cleaned by a knowledgeable rug cleaner they should be able to control that in their wash process.  So the normal cleaning and washing process does not harm a rug, however here are some instances in which water could harm your rugs.
Many rugs have cotton warp and wefts.  The warps run from end to end on the rug and are what make up the fringe of a hand knotted rug.  The warps are also what the knots are tied to creating the pile. The weft runs over and under the warps and between rows of knots.   This gives the rug strength from side to side. This cotton foundation can be weakened, and sometimes actually rotted, if the rug stays wet for an extended period of time without being properly dried.
In our oriental rug cleaning plant, we commonly see such damage from potted plants being placed directly on a rug. When the plant is watered either the pot leaks or the plant is over watered and some drains out the bottom of the pot and the rug under the pot stays permanently damp. Within a couple of weeks the foundation of the rug can become so weak that chunks of the rugs pile can be torn from the area by hand.  If you put a potted plant on or near a rug, put it on a stool, or something that is up off the rug.  This will let you see under the pot and make sure the rug stays dry as well as allowing for ventilation.
Another form of water damage would be caused by using a rug directly over a damp concrete floor. Even though the concrete floor is not noticeably wet to the touch, there can be enough moisture to allow the warp and wefts to degrade.  A concrete slab sitting on the ground will naturally have water vapor coming up through it.  If a rug is laid directly on the concrete, then the rug can absorb the water vapor coming out of the concrete.  Over time this will affect strength of the rug's foundation. A rug that has this kind of damage will often feel peculiarly stiff when moving it around. The rug could be so stiff it would make it difficult to roll.  A rug with this kind of damage will also have cracking and popping noises when the rug is creased or folded.  This noise is actually the warp and weft fibers breaking.  As a note, rugs placed on top of tile, wood, or even carpet do not generally have these problems.
The good news with any of these damaged rugs is that an experienced rug repair person can reweave the dry rotted or damaged areas of your rug, thus allowing you to be able to continue to enjoy your rug for years. 

Sunday, May 13, 2012

IICRC develops new standard and reference guide

In a May 8 press release the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) announced the ‘formation of consensus bodies for the development of a new BSR-IICRC S210 Standard and Reference Guide on Dimensional Stone Maintenance and Restoration and the revision of IICRC S300 Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Upholstery Cleaning.’
“As new materials and processes are introduced into our industry, we remain committed to ensuring the IICRC’s standards provide credible, up-to-date information,” said Mili Washington, IICRC standards director. “Through the development of the S210 standard, we are upholding our promise to the industry to establish an international standard of care and provide our registrants with a knowledgeable industry voice and resource.”
‘The consensus bodies will meet approximately two times per year, with most of the work being completed online and via conference calls. The new BSR-IICRC S210 standard will encompass the initial, routine, periodic and restorative maintenance methodologies for dimensional stone flooring and fabrication and is set to be completed in approximately 36 months.’
And ‘the updated IICRC S300 standard for professional upholstery cleaning is set to be completed in approximately 24 months.’
Those interested in submitting an application to participate on the BSR-IICRC S210 or IICRC S300 consensus bodies, please contact Mili Washington at mili@iicrc.org
www.iicrc.org

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Insurance companies could save millions with one change

For years I have been talking about how insurance companies could save a lot of money.  Usually they try to do this at the cost of contractors out there trying to make a living but there are other fundamental shifts in thinking that could save them a lot of money.  Today I want to talk about one of them, mitigation company vs. reconstruction company.

In the restoration industry there are a lot of people in the industry that own companies that do water restoration and reconstruction.  In my opinion, this is a huge problem and the cause of many needless cost overruns.  Here's two scenarios to illustrate my point.

#1 fresh water leak occurs and the insured calls a general contractor they know who also does water restoration. The contractor comes in and convinces the insured that everything that is wet needs to be removed.  So they proceed to remove drywall 2 feet high, baseboards, carpet and pad, cabinets, door jambs, etc.  So when they start to dry all they have left to dry is studs.

#2 fresh water leak occurs and the insured calls a company that specializes in mitigation only.  They come in and see solid wood baseboards, plywood cabinets, carpet and pad that has only been wet a few hours and they tell the insured that while they may have to remove some toe kicks under the kitchen cabinets that they will be able to dry the rest of the structure in tact. This can be done through the use of quality water extraction tools, axial air movers, and highly advanced low-grain refrigerant dehumidifiers.

Which scenario is going to cost less to get back to pre-loss condition?  Of course #2 is, however there are so many construction companies that can not make a decent living without getting water restoration jobs to fuel their construction company that drying is becoming a dying art.  There is no incentive to dry an item in a home if you make money off of pulling it out and replacing it.  Most of these companies have crews they need to keep busy and drying a whole house intact doesn't help keep the crews busy.

What I think needs to happen is the industry needs to have only mitigation companies and only reconstruction companies.  Both are needed, the problem comes in when one company does both.  It's a conflict of interest and should not be allowed to occur.  Implementing this would be difficult and hard to police and enforce but if it did occur it would save insurance companies millions which would lower all our premiums.  I also understand that this is America and you shouldn't be able to tell companies that you can or can not do stuff like that so it will probably never happen.

However, with today's advancements in drying equipment, training, and industry standards drying structures completely intact has been possible for over 10 years now and we still have a large portion of the restoration industry that refuses to do it.  Change will continue to be slow until more insurance companies start looking for companies that can dry an entire structure intact rather than reconstruct it.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Differences in Refrigerant dehumidifiers



When talking about refrigerant dehumidifiers, there are two types.  There are standard dehumidifiers and there are Low Grain Refrigerant (LGR) dehumidifiers.  LGR’s are different from standard grade refrigerant dehumidifiers because they are much more energy efficient and the way they are built means they can pull more water also. LGR dehumidifiers use a double cooling system to lower the moisture laden air temperature once inside the dehumidifier so more condensation can form on the internal cooling coils. As condensation builds up on the coils, the water will drip in to a collector pan and then drain down into a discharge pump, or a hose can be run directly down into a floor drain.  LGR dehumidifiers provide the best moisture removal for refrigerant dehumidifiers. These dehumidifiers  produce air that is generally about twenty degrees hotter than when it entered the dehumidifier.  The air will also be dryer and with less moisture than standard refrigerant units.



Thursday, April 12, 2012

Dehumidifiers For All Occasions



Whether you have a basement, a museum, a library, a manufacturing business, an indoor pool, or just need to paint your race car in a dehumidified environment there is a dehumidifier designed to fit your needs.  Since not all environments or the same you can't expect all dehumidifiers to be the same.  Also, in the world of dehumidifiers the size of the unit doesn't always mean that it is better or worse than another unit.   By this I mean you may have two different dehumidifiers with one being smaller than the other and the smaller one may be more energy efficient and pull more water.

When figuring what kind of dehumidifier needed and how many there are many factors that can go into this calculation.  First is how many cubic feet of air do you need dehumidified, what is the average temperature of the area, is the area already heated and/or cooled, how many people live or work in the area, how many doors are in the area, how often are those doors left open, what other activities happen in this space, and more.  These are all things to take into account when trying to figure out your dehumidifier needs.  This could also determine whether or not you need a desiccant dehumidifier or a low grain refrigerant dehumidifier.

When you are unsure about which way to go, it is always best to call a professional who can help walk you through the process.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Sizing Indoor Swimming Pool Dehumidifiers

Sizing a dehumidifier to a particular space to be dried is crucial to how well that dehumidifier(s) will work.  An undersized dehumidifier will not be able to keep up with the moisture load of the air you want dried and thus you will still have problems and you will be dissatisfied with your purchase. Since not all dehumidifiers are made the same nor operate the same it is important to have one that will do the job you intend it to do.  Whether it is a small residential indoor spa area or a large indoor Olympic sized swimming pool we can help you get the correct drying equipment the first time.

For indoor pools and spas a dehumidifier is crucial to reduce the humidity and increase the comfort and relaxation that comes with a pool or spa.  However, this dehumidifier needs to be able to stand up to the corrosive effects of chlorine and high humidity for years.  This is where we can help.  Since we own and operate a water restoration company as well we understand how to size dehumidifiers correctly to different structures.  We have a swimming pool calculator that will help work you through the process of figuring out which dehumidifier and how many you will need.  In an indoor swimming pool you will also need a small amount of exhaust air out of the structure.  This will help with water vapor removal as well as putting a slight negative pressure on the space to help eliminate chlorine odors.

You can start filling out as much of the information as possible on the swimming pool calculator and when you get stuck (and you will unless you are an engineer) you can call us and we will get you in touch with our engineer, at no cost to you.  Once you have worked through that with the engineer then we can get you the equipment you will need to have the best indoor pool environment for years to come.   We are here to make the process simple and to get you the right equipment the first time.

Professional Drying Equipment is owned and operated by Pearson Carpet Care, LLC in Humble, TX. They have been in the drying industry since 1992 and have been a distributor of drying equipment since 2001.  They can be reached at 281-548-7200.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Drying carpet and pad in place

Since 2002, my water restoration company has been able to dry carpet and pad in place without pulling it up. However, I am still constantly amazed at how many companies still choose not to invest in quality equipment and training of their employees to be able to do this. Even though all the classes in our industry teach that it can be done and the industry standards support it, there are still only a handful of companies in major cities across the U.S. that insist on drying carpet and pad in place.

Personally, I think there are a few reasons. First is of course financial. It cost way more up front to buy low-grain dehumidifiers, axial fans, and a hydro-x with the vac-pac than it does to buy standard refrigerant dehumidifiers, centrifigual fans, and a carpet cleaning wand. Even though you can make more money on the drying with the more expensive equipment.

Secondly, is that there are tons of so called water restoration companies that are really construction companies that use water restoration as a way to get more reconstruction jobs. It does not benefit these types of companies to dry anything. It only benefits them to replace things in a structure so that they can stay in business.

Third, insurance companies can change this trend if they wanted to by the way they pay, but they haven't done it. Here's what I mean, if insurance companies stopped paying for the use of standard dehumidifiers on jobs, then companies would be forced to buy good equipment. While this alone will not weed out these companies that do not dry anything it will be a start.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Floating Carpet When It Is Wet

When do you float carpet and why do you need to float carpet?

· If leaving the carpet in a structure, how do you dry it?

Floating carpet can cause it to delaminate or to fray at the edges. If carpet is allowed to bounce up and down on the tack strip, the edges will fray and you just bought carpet. What if your restoration company could dry carpet and pad in place and reduce the cost of your claims. Reducing the cost of your claims is our goal. Since carpet and pad is the majority of the cost on many claims, by drying the carpet and pad in place along with the rest of the structure, we can drastically reduce the cost of your claims.

Floating the carpet is a thing of the past and should never be done. It will actually slow down the drying time by floating the carpet.

Most of the time, delaminated carpet is the result of the way it is handled while wet. Carpet is 70 - 80% weaker when it is wet and thus it can delaminate very quickly in a water damage situation. If the carpet and pad are left down to dry and not disturbed, the chances of delamination are almost none. There have been tests done by the carpet mills that show after a carpet has been wet and dried, in a reasonable amount of time, the carpet is actually stronger than before it ever got wet.

www.pearsoncarpetcare.com

www.prodrying.com


Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Be a Restorer, Not a Reconstructor



In the water restoration industry there are many companies with many different ideas about how things should be done. I would like to propose to you that being a restorer rather than a reconstructor has many benefits that most companies overlook.

First being a restorer is often harder work and requires that someone have skills in drying and knowledge of drying a home or office. For example in the photo on the right, the column was completely saturated from the top of it down to the floor. We were able to completely dry it in 3 days by wrapping it in plastic and forcing dry air in the plastic. Where this differs from someone that is mainly a reconstructor is they would have tore into the column and then it would have been a costly rebuild. The paint on the column and in the two rooms it was located in was a faux finish. So you would have had to re-faux paint two rooms plus sheetrock and trim work on the column. Since we restored it without tearing into it these reconstruction cost were eliminated. This said the insurance company money and saved the insured the hassle of going through the reconstruction process.

Second if you can dry and restore a home or office with little or no damage then insurance companies will love you. This helps keep the cost of claims down and when you can do that adjusters, insurance companies, and most of all your customers will refer you and want to use you. Another benefit would be to the water restoration company owner. If you are drying and restoring rather than reconstructing you don't need as many employees. This helps keep your overhead down as well as your liability down.

With all this said the reason a lot of restoration companies still remove things that can be dried is because they do not take the time to go to water restoration schools and learn the latest techniques. Then when and if they do go to a water restoration school they don't implement what they are taught. It cost a lot of money to buy the necessary equipment to be able to dry and restore things in a home or office without having to replace them. One of the most popular dehumidifiers still manufactured today is a standard dehumidifier, not a low grain dehumidifier. When insurance companies stop paying for the use of standard dehumidifiers on water restoration jobs then companies will be forced to buy low grain refrigerant dehumidifiers and almost by default will become better at drying. This will push the industry to learn how to dry and restore when possible.

www.prodrying.com
www.pearsoncarpetcare.com

Thursday, February 2, 2012

February Newsletter - How to choose a Vacuum Cleaner

The Newsletter below is about how to choose a vacuum cleaner. It also includes a few tips on how to keep the one you got in good working condition. Vacuum cleaners can affect the indoor air quality when not functioning properly.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Newsletter-from-Pearson-Carpet-Care.html?soid=1108504812581&aid=qeJRUvO6IeM

www.pearsoncarpetcare.com
www.prodrying.com

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Drying a house after another company

So I got a call from an adjuster to meet him at a house that had a water loss 6 days ago. The loss started in the second floor bathroom. The toilet tank cracked in a 9 year old 3400 sf house and affected 3/4 of the house. The insured called someone they knew to dry it. The company brought out two dehumidifiers (only one was an LGR) and two fans. They cut out some plywood decking on the second floor, drilled holes in the plywood other places and had no moisture meters, even though it says water restoration on their van. They also had a yellow fan that had nails in the handle and one poked me pretty good is the only reason I noticed it. I am now drying the house with my equipment (4 dehus. and 19 fans) and so the other company came to pick up their equipment today. I asked the guy about why there were nails in the fans, he said so they could tack down the carpet when they put the fan under it. I still can't believe people dry (or attempt to dry) this way. Also he had a standard refrigerant on the job and the grains in the house were 42 so it wasn't working but he didn't know that. It was so low grains inside today because outside it is 15 grains today in Houston but to cold to dry with the windows open. Here is a slide show of the job. The red phoenix fans and phoenix dehus. are mine. The other equipment belonged to the other company.



http://www.pearsoncarpetcare.com
http://www.prodrying.com

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Pearson Carpet Care has a new welcome page on facebook

The facebook page for Pearson Carpet Care just got a face lift. Check out our new Welcome Page

http://www.prodrying.com
http://www.pearsoncarpetcare.com


Professional Drying Equipment
525-A N. Houston Ave.
Humble, TX. 77338
281-548-7202

Located inside the World Headquarters of Pearson Carpet Care