3 Spring Home Maintenance Tips

This winter has been mild compared to years past. A mild winter still means that our houses take a beating.  So, before more rain comes, here are three steps to prevent damage to your home this spring:

Air conditioner maintenance

Make sure to have your air conditioner unit inspected by a licensed HVAC technician. This will keep your air conditioner running well over the hot summer. If you have a swamp cooler, make sure to clean out the drain pan to clear sediment. Check pads, pumps, filters and drain pan every month to make sure that the swamp cooler is well maintained. 

Walk around your home

Take a walk around your home to look for damage that may have happened over the winter. Look at the roof to make sure there are no missing shingles or other damage. Check the gutters to see that they are visibly attached to the roof and that down spouts are still connected. Prune trees and shrubs away from the home. Avoid standing water in your yard or by the foundation of the home. Standing water from rain can cause damage in the home.

 Lawn Tools

Take the time now to inspect your lawn mower, edger and weed eater. They will be in use all summer, so show them some love before the hard work starts. Get hoses ready and make sure to close all master valves on secondary water lines. This will prevent water damage in your home when the secondary water turns on. 

We hope these few steps will help prevent damage to your home this spring. If you do forget and have some damage don't hesitate to call Advanced Restoration. We are here to "Build You Up!". 

Preventing CO poisoning this holiday season

The cold weather is upon us and the dangers of Carbon Monoxide(CO) poisoning are here. Carbon Monoxide is an odorless toxic gas that is produced from the incomplete combustion of organic fuels (gasoline, charcoal, wood, propane, kerosene). The dangers of CO come in the winter when houses are sealed up to keep warm air inside. In large concentrations CO can be deadly. Here are a few tips that will help you and your family stay safe this winter.

1. Install CO detector on each floor and by sleeping areas. 

2. Replace batteries in CO detectors each year(a good time could be around daylight savings). 

3. Have your your furnace inspected and maintained by a qualified technician each year. This will help your furnace run at optimal performance. 

4. Do not run vehicles inside the garage for long periods of time. 

5. If you have a fire place, keep the flues cleaned and properly adjusted.

6. Generators, gas or oil heaters, charcoal grills, and camp stoves should never be used indoors.   

These tips will help to keep you and your family safe from accidental CO poisoning this holiday season. 

10 Home Maintenance Tips before Winter.

10 Home Maintenance Tips before Winter.

 Here are some home maintenance tips that will keep your home in great shape this winter.

 Gutter Cleaning 

Cleaning the gutters on any home will help to prevent water damage. The buildup of leaves, branches, shingles and other debris can cause ice damns during the winter months and block water flow during the summer months. Both can result in possible water damage. Clearing your gutters will help prevent future water damage to your home and also give you a chance to inspect areas of your roof that may need to be repaired.

Replace Furnace Filters 

Replace your furnace filter before winter. A new filter will help with the flow of air and your furnace will run more efficiently. Don’t let the filter in your home look like this one:

Furnace Tune up 

Have your furnace tuned up by a professional each year.  Proper maintenance of your furnace will allow you to avoid costly repairs down the road.

Let your Furnace Breathe

Clear any debris, flammable material, and all other items away from the furnace, to prevent fires. This will also allow air to flow freely in and out of your furnace. Sometimes space is an issue, but it is important to let your furnace breathe.

Turn off Faucet's  

Turn off outside faucets to avoid frozen and/or broken pipes later in the winter.

Remove Hoses 

Remove hoses from faucets and store them for winter. This will avoid frozen or broken faucets later in the winter. 

Change Batteries 

Change the batteries in your fire alarms and CO detectors. It is recommended to change the batteries every six months.

Check Downspouts 

Make sure that your downspouts are connected to your gutters. Also, add extensions to downspouts so that they lead water four to five feet away from the foundation.

Hire a Chimney Sweep 

If you use a fireplace, make sure to have the chimney inspected and cleaned by a trained chimney sweep. This will help to prevent carbon monoxide from getting into your home. It will also help you avoid chimney fires.

Prepare snow removal equipment 

Last but not least, make sure that all necessary snow-removal tools are ready to be used. Fire up the snow blower to make sure it is running. The last thing you need is to have a broken snow blower when a big storm hits! Make sure you have enough snow shovels, deicers, and any other tools needed to combat winter weather.    

April Fools !!

Every year that time comes around again.  Jokes, pranks and laughter all accompany April 1st, or as we all know it April Fools.  Every year I  try and remember April Fools so that I can play some great pranks on my friends, but every year it seems to slip my mind.  Some people take this as the best possible day and play as many pranks as possible, other like me are usually the ones on the receiving end of the pranks.  Whatever end of the joke you may be on, this tradition has been around and is definitely here to stay.  Some pranks are better than others, but they always get a reaction out of everyone, good or bad.  We hope you didn't have a horrible experience this year, and remember to keep the fun going.

Check out these lists to see some of the best pranks we've seen.

http://blogs.suntimes.com/news/2013/04/top_april_fools_pranks_of_2013.html

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/best-april-fools-day-pranks/story?id=18842771

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/april-fools-day-top-10-1788823

http://www.impactbnd.com/the-top-8-april-fools-pranks-of-2013/

City Creek 1st

Happy Birthday!!

This month the City Creek shopping center turns one year old.  On March 22,2012 City Creek opened its doors to the public.  One year later millions of people have passed through its doors and have made it one of Utah's premier shopping centers.  In its first year City creek has garnered many awards including  "Best Retail Development, USA" and placing top three in "Worlds Best Retail Development" at an international property awards competition.  With this new centerpice, Salt Lake city has once again brought locals and tourists alike to the downtown scene.  With hundreds of stores and beautiful architecture City Creek has attracted people from all over Utah to go and spend time within its grounds.

In its first year, City Creek has become a hot spot for locals and has become a center piece in the Salt Lake social life.  Good luck on your Birthday, with many more to come.

http://shopcitycreekcenter.com/

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=23733940

Spring Storage

Spring is just around the corner, with that comes the yearly storage of our cold weather necessities.  We all know what we have to do; put the heavy blankets away, store our winter coats and our snow clothes, and then there are those portable heaters.  Most of us have one, many of us have many of them, whether they are in our office in our bedroom or anywhere in our home, space heaters can make us a bit warmer.  Recently in London  there was a big problem that came from these small items.  When we store our space heaters or whatever it my be we always need to be careful we are following the manufacturers instructions for packing and storage.  Homes and businesses can incur large losses because we didn't take the time to properly store our items.  Check out this article to see what could happen in just a few minutes. 

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=24134307&nid=148&title=space-heaters-blamed-for-3-million-fire-in-lindon

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=23980480&fm=related_story&s_cid=article-related-1

Spring Friends

The winter thaw is coming all to quickly for some of us, with this comes a few unexpected dangers to our homes.  Winter weather water brings with it freezing and expanding and thawing and loosening, but what can this do to our homes?

 A problem that can occur in areas close to the mountains (Utah), is new neighbors moving in, what type of neighbors? most commonly bees, spiders, insects, mice, bats, birds, and in some areas raccoon.   When the summer thaw comes around we need to be aware of new neighbors in our home and how to spot and stop them.  

Here are a few tips we can use to check around out homes and make sure we are safe:

•  Look for missing shingles on the roof, ripped window screens and clogged gutters.
•  Seal visible cracks and holes, including entry points for utilities and pipes.
• Replace weather-stripping, and repair loose mortar around basement foundation and windows.
• Ensure that basements, attics and crawl spaces are well ventilated and dry.
• Vacuum doors and windows. Windows and doors are key entry points for eager pests, so keep them vacuumed to catch invaders like spiders, silverfish, earwigs and beetles.
•  Inspect garage and outbuildings. If rodents have moved in, it's time for eviction. Organize cluttered debris, boxes and random items along the walls where mice may hide or nest. Does spring cleaning call for a new shelving unit?

Even though we may have these problems with our friends from nature, we should always look for safe, effective and humane ways for removing these pests. 

http://www.krdo.com/Winter-thaw-leaves-homes-vulnerable-to-pests/-/417342/18399440/-/fcoybqz/-/index.html

Finding the right balance of cost and coverage can be tough when shopping for home insurance.  We all know, the less you pay, the less coverage you get, but can sacrificing coverage be the smart thing to do?  Often time’s claims are filed for minimal damage, the result is the home is fixed, but then premiums go up, affecting long term cost.   One opinion states that claims shouldn't be made for damages costing up three times the deductible.  This increases out of pocket expenses but keeps premiums low.  Insurance isn't meant to cover the small stuff, it is meant to cover the large events.

                The next time you meet with your insurance agent, make sure to find out what coverage you have and what is still needed.  Often we have coverage for something that isn't necessarily needed and are lacking coverage that is more important to us.  A good insurance agent will help you decide what coverage you need and what you can take out.  Insurance policies can be changed and tweaked so that you get the right amount of coverage for the right price.

http://publications.usa.gov/epublications/12ways/12ways.htm

http://insurancenewsnet.com/article.aspx?id=360685&type=mergersacquisitions#.UPCS22_BGPM

Fires can be devastating, leave it to Advanced Restoration LLC.  to get your home or business back to 100%.  From small to large fires, our services will help you and yours get back to normal. Check out these pictures of a large building fire in Salt Lake area that we worked on.  Check out our Facebook page to see more before and after pictures.

Christmas Kindness

Christmas is the time of year we all look forward to. Family, friends, presents, tradition, and random acts of kindness.  Many of us have been the recipient of these acts, and other times we have been the ones giving them.  Christmas spirit brings us together and helps us show our true giving nature to others.  Random acts of kindness are always remembered and reciprocated.  Hopefully you have had the opportunity to witness or participate in this Christmas tradition.

http://pinterest.com/sjserbinski/random-acts-of-kindness-ideas/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/27/random-acts-of-kindness-believe-in-the-human-race_n_1680813.html#slide=1230856

http://www.randomactsofkindness.org/kindness-stories

Customer Feedback

 Every year we work with hundreds of people and companies.  We keep customer service and satisfaction a priority at Advanced Restoration.  Here are a few comments we've received from clients this year.

“I appreciated the professionalism of everyone involved. Thanks!”

“Your company’s services far exceeded my expectations. Your estimator was so kind and explained the process and answered all my questions. The work was done very promptly and beautifully. I was impressed even further when your estimator came and checked out the finished work to make sure it was right. I would definitely recommend this company and use them again. Thank you.”

“Outstanding service, info, and follow up. I would use you again (But hope I don’t have to!) The estimator does a great job.”

“I used your services on a previous water problem… That speaks for itself.”

“Job Well done, keep up the good work. Friendly, hard-working staff. Many thanks!”


We appreciate our clients and always want to keep Building you Up !!

Deals of the Year?

We all love getting together for thanksgiving; the family, the turkey, the tradition, but slowly one tradition is taking the lead: Black Friday. Retail stores plan on Black Friday as being one of the biggest sales days of the year. How can this one day bring out the bargain hunter in all of us? How can seemingly innocent people turn into crazed shoppers at the sight of a markdown?

According to polls over 80 % of people believe that Black Friday is the best day to buy things for themselves, 75% say they can get their holiday shopping done this one day, and 60% say Black Friday is tradition. Wherever you may fall in these statistics be careful, and have a Happy Black Friday.

Black Friday Frenzy

http://www.debt.org/blog/2012-11-15-black-friday-christmas-tradition/

http://www.technicianonline.com/viewpoint/a-guide-to-black-friday-1.2795651

http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/18/opinion/greene-black-friday/index.html?iref=allsearch

It's Election Time !

Make sure your voice is heard so remember to vote this 6th of November.

Still wondering what might happen ? Check out this Electoral Map and see what the results could be.

http://www.cnn.com/election/2012/ecalculator#?battleground

Are you Ready ?

The eastern coast of the United States in bracing itself for the landfall of Hurricane Sandy. Calculated to be one of the most devastating storms in recent years, Sandy has people worried. With over 2 billion dollars worth of damage projected, homeowners are doing all they can to keep their homes safe from wind and water damage.

 

Flood Cleanup Tips

Do not drink or prepare food with tap water; it may be contaminated.

Open windows and doors if possible to air and dry out your home.

Do not stand or come in contact with standing floodwater; it may be contaminated with oil or sewage.

Keep children and pets out of flooded area.

Block off non-contaminated areas and try not to track waste from one area to another.

Do not use heat in an effort to dry closed building interiors; mildew and expanded-moisture damage may result.

Ventilate wet areas. Turn on air-conditioning for accelerated drying in summer; in winter, alternate cycles of opened windows and heating

Remove standing water from flat surfaces by sponging and blotting.

Remove saturated rugs and carpets when hardwood floors are at risk

Do not operate appiances while standing on wet floors, especially on concrete.  Serious injry may result

Place aluminum-foil spares, china saucers, or wood blocks nder furniture legs to avoid carpet staining.

During the winter months, alternate cylces of heating the home and opening the windows.

During summer months, turn air conditioning on for accelerated drying.

If you would like more information on how to clean-up, prepare for, or asses the damage after flooding feel free to contact

 Advanced Restoration.



{Ethics Count CE Class}

Advanced Restoration hosted a free CE class for insurance agents last week. The topic:

Ethics Count

This class had an interesting "twist" with a legos game. The object of the game was to put the legos together to form the vehicle with the directions provided. However, the twist was that one person was reading the directions and explaining what to do without touching the pieces, while the other was blind folded and had to listen to the directions from their partner.

 Frustrations were high with some, while others finished with ease.

 The temptation to "help" was constant, but all participants remained honest.

Deon Hahn taught the class that although "helping" wouldn't be the end of the world (it would surely make the job get done quicker and easier) it was still wrong. Ethics in today's society are growing more and more scarse. It's important to keep making honest decisions in our industry.