15. October 2009 by Dean of Clean.

The cold weather is coming again, so here are some tips to keep your home dry this winter!

1 - Disconnect outside hoses (even “freezeless” faucets will freeze and burst if water is left in the hose…and they’ll drain into your wall, not outside!)

2 - Check washer and icemaker hoses for cracks and wear. If they look questionable, replace them ($5-10 at Kroeger’s and much cheaper and easier than a flood!)

3 - Inspect your water heater, paying special attention to the inlet/outlet lines and the drain valve.  If in doubt, consult a professional plumber for advice on replacement or repair.

4 - Turn off your water if you’re going out of town…that way, if something breaks, you don’t come back to a wet house!

And, if you do need water extraction, drying and flood restoration, call 385-8444 for prompt, courteous service by the area’s most experienced Water Damage Restoration team…we have over 50 years combined experience. We’ll get your house cleaned up and dried out as rapidly as possible to return your life to normal FAST!

Click the link for more information about Water Damage Restoration in Durango.

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21. December 2008 by Dean of Clean.

If, despite your best efforts (see post before last) you do have a flood at your house, here are the first steps you must take to keep damage to a minimum:

1 - Shut off the water if possible.

2 - Call a plumber to fix the leak, or the city if the sewer is an issue.

3 - Move furniture off the wet area, if possible, or put foil under the legs to keep the wood stain from transferring to the carpet.

4 - If your oriental rugs are wet, roll them up and set them outside in the freezing cold. (Yes, you read right! This stops any dye bleeding.) Then call RugMasters of Durango at 385-5777 and they will pick the rugs up and take them to their shop for drying and cleaning, as well as dye restoration, if necessary.

5 - Call UltraSteam at 385-8444 for prompt, courteous service, and we’ll extract the water and dry your house. Time is of the essence; water starts causing damage immediately to structural components, so don’t wait days in order to get the insurance company’s OK - we’ll come out as soon as you call so we can remove the water and get drying equipment installed to return your home to normal FAST!

Thank you for your time and kind attention - if you have any questions about water damage, please call us at 385-8444. Mark and I are IICRC Certified Water Damage Restoration specialists serving the Durango area since 1994.

Learn more about carpet, stone, tile and grout cleaning at www.UltraSteamCleaning.com

Learn more about fine area rug cleaning at www.RugMastersOfDurango.com

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3. December 2008 by Dean of Clean.

Hi! Richard Carpenter here again, and this is the time of year that we start to see water damage jobs from frozen pipes. So before it gets icy cold outside, here are some quick tips to stay warm, cozy and DRY this winter!

1 - Check all your outside water faucets, and disconnect the hoses. Even so-called “Freezeless” faucets WILL freeze and break if the hose is left connected with water in it…and they’ll break inside the wall, draining into the house instead of outside!

2 - Check your washing machine hoses. Broken washer hoses are the most common water damage we see. The hoses are good for maybe five years, whereas the washer lasts 10-20. But it’s easy to forget about the hoses…until you wake up one night to water around the bed! Check the hoses every year, and if they show signs of wear, replace them at once - they only cost about $5-$10 at Kroeger’s or your local hardware store.

3 - Water heaters are the second most common break we see, so check the drain valves on them from time to time, as well as pipes going into them, and make sure that the surrounding area doesn’t freeze. Seems like most of the bad ones we see are at about 12-15 years old.

Finally, there are devices you can install on your waterline to sense a sudden surge in flow, and shut off the water until you determine the cause of the leak. Check with your local hardware store; if they don’t stock it they should be able to order it.

And, if (god forbid) you DO wake up in a puddle one morning, call UltraSteam at 385-8444 for quick response, structural drying and cleanup by IICRC Certified Water Damage experts with over 40 years of experience!

Get free spot removal tips and current specials at www.ultrasteamcleaning.com

Learn more about fine area rug cleaning at www.rugmastersofdurango.com

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