Archives for Uncategorized

A chimney is one component of your house that may require frequent maintenance. If you are a Eugene or Springfield resident, you may find that weather damage is often the culprit. However, structural problems, cosmetic issues and internal wear and tear, can all be cause for chimney repair. Most chimney work requires a specific set of skills and tools. It may require the use of chimney scaffolding, roof jacks, ridge hooks and a chicken ladder. Most of these items can be purchased in a hardware store, but some may be more difficult to find than others. Before you get that far, however, your chimney should be inspected, so that the problem can be properly diagnosed. You may need work on any of the following areas: The Chimney cap – chimney caps have the important role of keeping out animals and debris. The flue – whether it’s the structure of the flue or the flue liner that needs to be repaired, both of these components are critical to the function of your chimney. The flue connector – this connects the flue to the fire place. The smoke chamber – this is the area above the damper. The smoke enters this space before heading up the flue. In addition, your chimney may require exterior work that could be cosmetic or structural. Needless to say, chimney repair is labor intensive and risky, if you don’t know what you are doing. A chimney needs to be assessed for structural integrity before, during and after a job, and it’s
Read More

What gets checked during a chimney inspection? Homeowners often neglect their chimneys. If there is no visible damage on the exterior, many people assume that everything is in good shape. Meanwhile, there could be hidden structural damage, possible obstructions in the chimney cap, and significant buildup of highly flammable creosote in the chimney flue. The only way to really know if your chimney is in need of maintenance is by hiring a professional to conduct a chimney inspection.What gets checked during a chimney inspection? There are three different kinds of chimney inspections as established by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Level one – A level one inspection is a general examination of the interior and exterior of the chimney. The inspector will look at the flue liner, the interior walls, the crown, chimney cap, and the joints, in addition to making a general assessment of the chimney structure. In most cases, a level one inspection is all you need. Level 2 – A level 2 inspection includes all of the level one assessments, but it goes a few steps further. The inspector will examine hidden areas, possibly with cameras or other special tools, to see if there are any possible hazards. A level 2 inspection is often required during the sale or transfer of property. Level 3 – A level 3 inspection is highly invasive. It involves dismantling parts of the chimney in order to reveal possibly hidden structural damage. In general, a level 3 inspection is only needed
Read More

Homeowners rarely examine their chimneys apart from a quick glance at the exterior. While a chimney may seem like one home feature that doesn’t require regular maintenance, a closer inspection often reveals otherwise. Soot and other particulate matter can build up on the interior of your chimney and any blockage can lead to smoke entering your house, or worse. Whether you use your fireplace three times a year or fifty, chimney cleaning needs to be a regular component of your home maintenance efforts. Soot buildup is normal for any chimney. The natural result of burning wood, soot can accumulate on the inner walls of the chimney and on the chimney cap. Over time, this can lead to reduced airflow. A clean chimney has a reduced presence of soot, which means better performance and less risk for smoke intake. However, it’s not just soot you need to worry about. Creosote is another substance that is often found on the inner walls of chimneys. Another byproduct of smoke, creosote is even more problematic than soot. This is because it is flammable and excessive creosote buildup will not merely reduce the airflow; it can actually start a fire. If you don’t have a chimney cap, soot and creosote may be the least of your problems. Chimneys without a protective cap often have a problem with debris intake and in some cases, animals can get into the chimney as well. Bird nests have been known to start fires in chimneys. Dry leaves and other
Read More

It is very important to ensure the air that we breathe while we are indoors at work, home or in any other enclosed space is of good quality. Without good indoor air quality, the health of your family can be compromised, especially those with allergies or those sensitive to dust. There is a way to keep your indoor air quality good, have your air ducts cleaned professionally. Dirty Air Ducts There are a lot of factors that can cause dirty air ducts. Besides dust and debris that can clog air ducts and effect indoor air quality, vermin such as rats, insects and squirrels can also exist. The animal feces can also cause major health problems and effect the quality of the air you breathe. Mold can also form on the metal surfaces as well as other components of air ducts. Not only will cleaning your ducts improve the health of those who live in the home or work in the business, but it will also improve the efficiency of your HVAC system. Professional Air Duct Cleaning The best way to clean your air ducts is to hire a company to clean them professionally. Our company has equipment that is specialized to handle air duct cleaning with upmost efficiency and quality. Our air duct cleaning truck is equipped with a powerful vacuum, which is capable of cleaning air ducts easily and completely. We will also disassemble and clean the blower fan, which will ensure that your HVAC system is running tip
Read More

The air ducts in your home serve a pretty important function. Just think of them as awesome hollow tunnels that carry the hot and cold air through every room in your home. Over time they can collect dust, mold, bacteria and other microorganisms and debris so they need to be cleaned periodically. A clean air duct will ensure that all of that dust isn’t floating around your home and contributing to the overall cleanliness. Not to mention that if you have a member of your family that suffers from any allergies they might be paying a hefty price for all of that dust as well. Most recommendations agree that it is a good idea to have the ducts in your home cleaned about every three to five years. There are a couple of other times where a duct cleaning is a good idea. You should also have the job done when you move into a new home. If you’ve recently finished a home remodel project you should have your ducts cleaned as well to ensure that sawdust and other particles have not entered the ducts and are traveling around your home through your duct system. If you have made the decision that it’s time to have your ducts cleaned you’ll want to make sure you contact a certified duct cleaner that knows how to do a good, thorough job. Our staff of professionals is experts at making sure your airways are as clean as possible. We have all of the
Read More

How To Get a Quote for Safe and Affordable Furnace Cleaning Services It is advisable to insist on getting professional furnace cleaning services regularly. Aside from cleaning the furnaces, we an also get your system inspected so that any potential faults can be figured out early enough and repaired before they develop into bigger problems.Routine maintenance tasks such as furnace oiling and tuning can be done at affordable costs to ensure that you save even more money on energy because efficient systems usually consume less energy. Today, at a low furnace cleaning cost, you can o the extra mile and get your ducts cleaned out alongside so that there is an improvement in air quality. There are some indoor and outdoor areas that will need to be checked even as the furnace is inspected and that is why paying up a professional service to do it all under one charge will ensure that you have the utmost convenience delivered to you all in a budget. Advantage air duct cleaning can keep up with all your demands for fresh air circulating in your home by taking high-tech cleaning and maintenance tasks as and when you need them. This will allow you to carry on with the other household and commercial tasks that you need to be done without being interrupted with the need to do cleaning or repairs.There is a competitive furnace cleaning cost range for commercial, residential and industrial property. A reliable way that we do the furnace cleaning is
Read More

As a concerned parent and homeowner you regularly check and replace your air conditioning filter to make sure the make sure the air coming out of the vents is as clean and healthy as can be. You also know that a clogged filter puts a strain on your system which can lead to a breakdown. But did you know that most filters only catch about 10% of airborne pollutants? Over time air ducts in your house will become the resting place for all kinds of debris. Dust in the air will find its way into the ventilation system and settle into areas of the duct work that are accessible. Pet hair from inside or outside of your house also finds its way in and camps out with the dust. On a windy day any manner of articles can be floating in the air which easily ends up in your system without your knowledge. All of this debris will continue to build over the days and years until you start to notice your family seems to be suffering more and more from allergies. You may also notice less air flow from your air conditioner and an associated increase in the utility bill. It goes without saying if you have a collection of unwanted items in your air duct it is just a matter of time before it affects those in the house. Your health is not the only thing at risk when the ventilation system is filled with this debris. The
Read More

5 Reasons Why you Should Hire Professionals to Clean your Air Ducts and not Rent Air Duct Equipment Air ducts can house dust, bacteria, mold and in some cases, vermin and other pests. In addition, dirty air ducts can contribute to a higher energy bill. It’s therefore easy to understand why regular cleaning of your air ducts is a good idea. There are two ways that you can clean your air ducts. One way is to rent air duct  equipment and do it yourself, and the other is to hire professionals to do it for you. Here are five reasons why you should go with the latter option. 1. Renting air duct equipment may be just as expensive as hiring someone to do the job Most people choose to rent air duct cleaning equipment and do the job themselves because they think doing so will save them money. This may not be the case. In fact, in some instances renting equipment can be just as expensive as hiring a professional company. 2. Rental equipment is often outdated and poorly maintained Rental companies strive to keep their equipment operational, but they rarely invest the time and money required for proper maintenance. On the other hand, professional companies are held to certain standards and will clean your air ducts with well maintained industry-standard equipment. 3. A professional crew will offer a comprehensive cleaning Cleaning your air ducts is about more than removing dust and debris. A professional team will provide a thorough cleaning
Read More

I get so many customers who say, “I had no idea how much was involved in this process!”  There are so many services in the marketplace where a company comes out to your home and they’re gone within an hour.  This is not the case with duct cleaning.  So, what exactly happens during a duct cleaning?  A normal duct cleaning takes anywhere from 3 to 8 hours depending on the size of the job, access to the furnace and ductwork and the layout of the home. What a lot of customers don’t realize is that every return and supply duct must be accessed in order to do a proper cleaning.  We also need full access to the furnace as well as this is where most of the equipment is set up and where we gain access into the ducts for the vacuum. When we come to your home, it is best that any vehicles that  be moved out of the driveway or the garage.  This is due to that we have large equipment such as pipe and hose that we hook up from our truck to your furnace.  We ask the customer to give us a quick overview of the home so we can locate all of the return and supply ducts.  We need about 3 feet around each vent to where a person can get in with tools to clean.  Before we begin work we shut the power of to your furnace and heat pump (if equipped).  The blower
Read More

  Did you know that the lint trap on your dryer doesn’t stop lint build up in your dryer vent?  Dryer vent fires are the number one cause of home fires! Almost all of our customers tell us that they always clean the lint trap before every load of laundry.  The truth is, the lint trap stops about 25 percent of the lint that goes down your dryer vent and sticks to the walls.  The key to a safe and efficient dryer vent is a short distance from the dryer to the exterior of the house.  Unfortunately in newer homes, many of the laundry areas are placed in the center of the home.  In this case this usually causes the dryer vent to be at least 20 feet long.  In Oregon, the legal length of dryer vents is 25 feet.  There’s a catch to that 25 feet though, for every bend you have to reduce the length by five feet.  Usually at the wall where you hook up your hose from the dryer there are two 90 degree elbows where the dryer vent makes the transition from vertical to horizontal.  So, right there you’re supposed to reduce the total length of the dryer vent down to 15 feet. Another extremely important aspect of dryer vent safety is the hookup of the hose from the dryer exhaust outlet on the wall to the hookup on the wall or the floor.  First, the type of hose that is used should be a rigid
Read More