Mold Removal, Air Duct Cleaning, Water & Fire Damage in Santa Clara, CA

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How to Have Mold Remediation in Pasadena, CA

Some of the common household problems found everywhere in the world include water damages, fungi and mold. Even the industrial and commercial structures have to go through these issues every now and then. Pasadena is no exception. A home to one of the leading research and cultural institutes, the city has a large number houses and other buildings affected by mold growth. To take care of mold remediation in Pasadena, CA there are a number of large and small mold remediation companies operating in the region. They offer mold remediation as well as water damage restoration services.

Dwellings can be affected by water damage in Pasadena in a number of ways. Building structures can also be damaged, valuable materials destroyed and most importantly, health of the individuals exposed can be marred. This is why it is not a problem that can be taken lightly or ignored. If there is a delay in remediation measures, further damages to the health and property become inevitable.

To cure water damage in Pasadena, a number of methods are used. There are some old traditional techniques and then there are some new innovative measures. These are applied accordingly depending on the extent and volume of the damage caused. If mold growth is found on a cellulose material, for example drywall or insulation, the material needs to be removed and replaced with another material that is mold resistant. Wooden or cemented surfaces need scrapping off with the use of a technique called hyper-sanding. In this technique, sand is applied to the hard surface and left for some time. Later, it is removed with the help of chemicals. If there are spores left, a hyper-vacuum can be used for a complete cleanup. There are a few other machines such as negative air machine and air scrubber used to replace the contaminated air with dry and warm air. Recently some innovative techniques of mold removal have been introduced by the remediation companies. These include dry fog and dry ice blasting. The airborne mold spores are removed with the application of dry fog. In dry ice blasting, dry ice pellets are sprayed over the material and left for some time. Later, it is removed easily and quickly. This technique has been gaining popularity owing to the fact that it is relatively much less tedious and requires less labor.

To take care of water damage in Pasadena, the appropriate method should be chosen and protective measure must be taken during the remediation process. Mold toxins can be quite harmful to the health and longer exposures can result in allergies. The use of gloves, face masks, goggles and overalls is recommended while carrying out remediation activities. Post-remediation evaluation and analysis is also important and must be done periodically to identify any hidden mold that might be present. This is also a facility provided by the mold remediation companies. Some preventive measures can also be helpful. Fixing of plumbing jobs and servicing of heating, ventilating and air conditioning equipment are some of the examples of preventing mold growth. Some very good and expert remediation companies have emerged to provide services of mold remediation in Pasadena, CA.

Mold Solutions

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How to Clean Grout in Floors

Restroom cleanliness is one of the most common complaints cleaning companies receive. When cleaning restrooms, keep in mind that they should not only look clean, but that they should feel and smell clean. An important part in maintaining a high level of cleanliness is making sure the floor grout is clean. Grout is porous, so over time, moisture, contaminants, and even dirty mop water can discolor it. These circumstances can lead to staining, odors, and aid in the growth of bacteria, mold, and mildew.

There are several reasons is it so difficult to clean floor grout:

* Using a cleaner that doesn't float contaminates to the surface.

* Using a cleaner that contains detergents that settle into the grout with dirt and oils.

* Sealers may have been improperly used in the past. Instead of keeping out dirt and oils, these may now be trapped in the grout.

* Acidic or high pH cleaners make grout more porous and fragile with the result being the grout re-soils faster.

* Cleaners used in the past may have left residues that become dirt magnets.

Before starting to clean tile and grout it is important to analyze what dirt and contaminants you're dealing with. Then based on that information, select a cleaner designed for cleaning that type of soil and is suitable for the flooring being cleaned.

Using the right cleaner and using it correctly are important steps to keeping grout clean. To avoid soap scum, daily cleaners must be salt free. When deep cleaning, the cleaner needs to be free of high levels of potassium and sodium salts. The cleaner you use must be able to float contamination up as well as transfer it to the mop so the grout comes clean. Carefully consider the pH of the product you are using. Acidic based cleaners (low pH) bleach rather than clean and basic cleaners (high pH) tend to be high in salts. Be cautious about the use of citrus products. Many of these products leave unwanted residues that make floors feel sticky. It is important to use the right chemical as bacteria can get trapped into grout and tile. It may be necessary to use a germicide cleaner, especially around toilets and urinals, to kill bacteria and remove any urine that has dried into the grout or tile.

Cleaning grout is often labor-intensive at times even requiring scrubbing by hand, which may not be practical in a large restroom. There are procedures you can follow to help keep grout clean. First, use a chemical proportioning system to dilute chemicals accurately. When you use too much chemical, sealants break down faster. Second, have adequate ventilation to help prevent the build up of odors and speed up drying. Frequent changing of mop water and mop heads helps to make sure that contaminants are picked up and not pushed back into the grout. Consider switching to microfiber mops as they have proven to be the most effective at removing contaminants from floor surfaces.

When cleaning, liberally apply chemicals and don't allow the floor to dry before scrubbing. Always allow proper dwell time, which is typically between 5 and 10 minutes. The next step is to use the right tool to scrub the floor surface. To effectively clean the surfaces use floor brushes. After thoroughly scrubbing the floor, remove the excess liquid. A wet vacuum works well as it will pick up the excess water, dirt, residue and cleaning chemical used on the floor.

New and innovative equipment can also make cleaning grout faster. High-pressure water systems (up to 1200 psi) can effectively deep clean, loosen, and remove soil. Some systems also heat the water, which aids in the cleaning process. Grout cleaning systems also have auto-feed/auto-dump capabilities so you can use them continuously without stopping. The machines pick up loosened soil and leave no residue. Another option is using cylindrical brush technology. These machines do not use pads like rotary buffers, but instead use rotating brushes. These brushes penetrate and loosen the dirt in grout and tile.

To keep grout and tile looking their best it is important to train your staff and make sure they continue to follow the proper procedures when cleaning grout. Having written procedures and checklists can help to assure the proper cleaning techniques are always followed.

Lack of attention, carelessness, and the wrong types of cleaners used will lead to dirty grout and the entire floor looking dull and dingy. Paying attention and spending a little extra time when cleaning grout will keep not only the floor, but the entire restroom, looking and smelling clean.

Copyright (c) 2006 The Janitorial Store

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Water Damage Elk Grove, Mold Removal, Air Duct Cleaning, Fire Damage Restoration

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Doing Your Own Stone Settings

Stone setting in general is much more difficult than many might suspect. There are short courses in various sorts of jewelry work but those provide only a basic starting place and years of experience needed to become truly proficient in many areas. Fortunately, if a person devotes time to stone setting and does enough of one style of setting to become comfortable with it, moving on to similar styles is not nearly as difficult as those "first trials".

As you likely know, stone setting is done in many different styles. Within those styles, one jeweler may use slightly different methods than would another jeweler doing the exact same job. There is room to experiment with methods but only after you have set a few stones and are pleased with the results. Once you have a feel for the metal and the gems, then you know enough not to totally mess-up by trying a slightly different method.

Stone Setting Styles. I will mention a few styles and recommend what I believe is the best place to begin.The prong settings using faceted stones. This is the best place to begin. Start with a round stone, perhaps 4mm to 7mm in diameter. Smaller stones are more difficult until you learn the "give and take" of the metal, while larger stones present other problems. Start with normal prongs, generally four or six to the setting.

There are lots of prong settings with fancy formed and decorated prongs but those are not the best with which to begin learning. I don't care if the prong settings are part of a pendant, ring or earrings. The idea is fairly plain and basic prong settings regardless of the jewelry type.

The Bezel Settings, is use a narrow area of metal around the girdle or waist of the stone to secure the stone in the setting. The most basic form is seen in typical southwestern turquoise jewelry, essentially a band of silver wrapped around the stone and pressed down toward the stone from the top.

The more dramatic and much more difficult bezel is "flush set", where a gemstone is set directly into the surface of metal such as on a ring band and the metal is burnished or hammered to the stone then finished for smoothness. This last technique is quite difficult for a beginner and is best left until you feel ready for it and have the equipment to do the job.

Channel Settings. You have seen these settings in which rows of stones are set into a "groove" or channel of metal. This is also a difficult job and should not be attempted to start. To try a channel setting without lots of previous metal and seat cutting experience will lead to frustration and disappointment. Look at channel set stones at a jewelry store.

Inexpensive jewelry is a "fake job" and the stones are in a channel but held in place with little burs of metal pushed over opposite sides of the stone. Stones fall out of these settings! A real channel set has the metal along the channel pushed down onto the stones, all along the channel. You need to learn to bezel set before doing channel settings since some similar techniques are used.

Bead Set or Pave Setting. This setting is done with hand tools in the final stages, forming metal over one stone at a time and sometimes two at a time using "graver" tools. This is advanced technique. A setting style with a similar look uses "needle point" prongs formed to start with in the metal. We can talk about that sometime down the road.

Fancy Shaped Stones. Even when using prong settings, fancy shaped stones need added techniques. Essentially the same methods are used to cut seats and tighten prongs for emerald cuts as for round and oval stones. Marquise and pear shapes have a pointed end requiring a different seat cutting method to hold the pointed end securely without breaking the stone! The problem with emerald cuts is getting the stone level and straight and secure enough that the stone will not "turn" in the prongs.

The problem with stones with pointed ends or corners is cutting the seat and tightening without damage to the stone. Such fancy shape are not to be feared but understood to be more difficult, requiring practiced hand control before attempting.

Settings. I recommend starting with simple prong settings, generally found in four and six prong versions. Note, jewelers often use the words settings, heads, crowns and mountings to mean the same thing.

Stone Shapes. I recommend round faceted stones in sizes from perhaps 4mm to 7mm. You may try ovals stone, too, but do a few rounds first. With ovals, over tightening any prong can make the stone go sideways a bit in the prongs.

Stone Kinds. CZ's are good to start as are man-made birthstones. Most of the birthstones are synthetic sapphire (corundum) and are quite hard. The value of these stones is, they are pretty when set and are not expensive. The cuts are fairly uniform, too, compared to less expensive natural stones. Still, you need to practice on some stones which are not tough as the birthstones. For this, choose perhaps some inexpensive, meaning almost colorless, amethysts and inexpensive garnets.

These will not be the most beautiful gems but are wonderful for practice and can look pretty in earrings and pendants. You will likely discover the girdle or waist of inexpensive natural gems may be varied in thickness and the angles of the facets on the pavilion or bottom of the stone may vary. The idea is to get the stone level in the mounting so it looks level to the eye.

For the work to be done just like it should, stone seats need to be cut into the prongs to match the gemstone on hand. I suggest trying something in sterling silver. The metal is easy to bend and work. In fact, sterling is soft enough to "over bend" without due care. Gold is somewhat more springy and takes more effort to properly set than silver. However, gold is more forgiving than silver and certainly takes a better finish in the final steps. I suggest a sterling pendant, facet set stone in prongs. That is a good starting place.

Please, keep in mind the main idea is to have a finished piece that does look good to the eye! The stone should be safe and secure in the setting but that is not "seen". What is seen is the finished jewelry. That is the impression both to you and to anyone who happens to see it. Set the stone at a pleasing depth in the prongs, stone set level, finish off the prongs so all is uniform and neatly done. It will take some time to get use to this kind of think, but when you do get use to this kind of thing you will have no problem fixing your jewelery, your families, maybe even some of your friends jewelery.

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Fire Damage Mill Valley CA, Mold Removal, Air Duct Cleaning, Water Damage Restoration

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