CPR Nashville Blog

Whose air are you breathing?

When moving into a new home, people usually opt to clean it from top to bottom. They have the carpets cleaned, the appliances and fixtures are returned to like-new condition, hardwood and tile floors are scrubbed, and surfaces are dusted to their hearts’ content. We all know that the dust always comes back, and for those of you who are unaware, dust is mainly made up of skin cells, dust mites, pet dander, pollen and mold spores. Wait a minute…did he just say skin cells?

Sure did! Since you just moved in, whose air are you breathing? With all the moving families do over the summer, the first few months of a move in are the perfect time to have the air ducts cleaned. Your air ducts are your home’s lungs; you’re going to breathe whatever’s in them. Wouldn’t you rather breathe clean air that’s not filled with the leftover dust particles (remember what’s in that dust) from the family who lived there before you?

Allergy Sufferers

According to recent studies, indoor air quality is actually worse than what you’ll find outdoors. If you’re an allergy sufferer, choosing to keep your air ducts and filters clean can make a big difference in the management of your allergy symptoms, as your HVAC system can harbor and spread mold and other allergens if not properly maintained. HVAC filters are rated according to their efficiency of filtering different sizes of airborne particles. This system rates filters from MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) 1 to MERV 12; the higher the rating, the better the filter is at removing even the tiniest of particles. When dust particles and/or mold spores become airborne, you can breathe them in and experience an allergic reaction. To combat this, it’s important to change filters regularly and follow a regular maintenance schedule.

Electricity Savings and System Longevity

Your home’s HVAC system, much like any piece of machinery, needs regular maintenance to perform at its best. Changing your system’s filters is probably the most important habit homeowner’s can develop. Clogged or dirty air filters can block airflow and cause your system to work harder to pump air throughout your house. Changing or cleaning the filters regularly will help you increase your system’s efficiency and longevity while helping you cut energy costs. An American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) study concluded that maintaining your HVAC system’s cleanliness could reduce average operating costs by 10-25%. According to the EPA, a build-up of 0.042 inches of dirt on a heating or cooling coil can result in a decrease in your system’s efficiency of 21%.

Keeping as many particles out of your HVAC system as possible will go a long way to improving your overall indoor air quality while protecting and extending the life of your system. With the right filter and following a regular maintenance routine, you’ll be able to keep your HVAC running better for longer, while also making the air in your home healthier for everyone. If you’re ready to have your system looked at by a professional technician, call Choice Property Restoration – our experienced, trained technicians would love to help!

Boost Your Curb Appeal: Concrete Cleaning

Whether you’re looking to sell your home or business or not, its curb appeal tells those who are driving by a lot about you as an individual. In order to boost curb appeal, you must first identify your trouble areas. This means taking a careful inventory of everything, and being very objective while doing so.

Concrete stains are a real pain!

Don’t let concrete stains ruin your property’s curb appeal. Your concrete driveways and sidewalks are not immune to mold and mildew and seem to attract stains like a magnet; rust stains can be especially difficult to remove! Over time, your concrete surfaces can begin to lose their light gray appearance and begin to look black or green when mold and/or mildew are present and myriad colors where stains are concerned.

Concrete is very easy to clean (as long as you have the right detergents and the know-how) and is a cost effective way to increase your home’s value and curb appeal. Cleaning concrete periodically will extend its service life and enhance its beauty.

Is saving a few dollars really worth it?

Unprofessional cleaners can quickly damage the surface, thereby compromising what lies beneath. The lowest bid is not always the one that will protect your property best or give you the most satisfactory cleaning results; some homeowners may even find themselves paying someone else to come in and do the job right after paying the other guy who came in and did it wrong.

It can be difficult to tell when concrete is in need of cleaning in some instances because the dirt and grim build up slowly over the course of many years. However, once the process is completed, the results are very noticeable. The key to the entire cleaning process is using the proper detergent (this can vary widely depending on what caused the stain in the first place) and maintaining the correct pressure.

Pressure, pressure, pressure

If the water pressure used to clean the surface is too high, sand can be blown out of your concrete, which will expose the rocks just below the surface; this will expedite the weathering process and could leave you with a hefty concrete repair bill sooner than you’d like. A professional cleaner will be able to tell you what pressure is applied by each accessory used and, upon request, should be able to connect a pressure gauge to show you that pressure.

Although water alone can remove dirt from concrete, cleaning chemicals are often needed to remove specific stains. The cleaning procedure can be accomplished efficiently by using the appropriate cleaning solutions in conjunction with the appropriate pressure carried out by professional quality equipment. Removing any one part from the equation will lead to a finished product that is less that acceptable for our viewpoint.

The dry summer months are the perfect time to refresh the outdoor look of your home or business in simple ways such as cleaning concrete walks, patios and driveways. Years of weathering, fading oils, dirt, gasoline and general traffic can make a first impression of an outdoor space less than exciting. Refresh your curb appeal and lighten up your outdoor entertainment spaces with specialty concrete cleaning and driveway sealing to clean, protect and brighten it by calling CPR.