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Fall Is Finally Here And So Is The Ragweed
The lazy days of summer are gone, bright fall colors and cooler temperatures are here and hopefully to stay a while. It has been brutally hot for many this summer.

For many allergy and asthma sufferers these changes may trigger their seasonal allergies. Ragweed, the plant most responsible for the onslaught of fall allergy symptoms, is often found along road sides, vacant lots, fields and almost any other sunny spot. It’s most prevalent throughout the Northeast, South and Midwest, although forms of ragweed allergens are prevalent in all areas of the United States.

Besides ragweed, other common fall allergens include:

This year outdoor molds found in the soil, vegetation and rotting wood are going to bad in the Northeast due to the high amount of rainfall they received this summer. Some molds peak in late summer or early autumn, while leaf molds peak after the leaves have fallen. Good reason to rake up those leaves.

Trees, flowers and weeds that pollinate in the fall, including sagebrush, pigweed, tumbleweed, and Russian thistles are troublesome in the Southern regions.

If you suffer from fall allergies, you need to be extra cautious on windy days and in the morning. Wind-pollinated plants such as ragweed produce huge amounts of light pollen that is easily released when the wind blows. Ragweed pollen is most often released in the mornings.

Other measures that you may need to take include: seeing an allergist to identify the plants that trigger symptoms; using a nasal wash system to rinse the pollen from your sinus; taking proper medications; considering immunotherapy allergy shots to lessen the reactions to the triggers; and avoiding the plants that most often provoke allergies.

The good news is if you follow the Farmers' Almanac they are predicting overall a gentler winter this year compared to last year. Let's hope so!

As always we here to help with keeping your home clean and healthy. Removing dust and mold on regular basis gives you a spotless house and a breath of fresh air.
Visit our web site at :www.cleaningwelldone.com for more information, and also don't forget to LIKE us on Face Book to participate in  our once a month FREE cleaning drawing.

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Children see your dirty carpeting from a different perspective then you do. You look at it from 4 or 5 feet above the carpet, kids are crawling on the carpet, they smell the dirty carpet, true they are most of the problem when it comes to the dirty carpet, followed closely by the dog, cat, and your husband. Dirty carpet can harbor germs, dust mites and a number of other undesirable things that we don't want the kids to come into contact with on a daily basis.
Clean carpeting on the other hand helps keep airborne allergens to a minimum by doing its job by collecting them in the top of the carpet where you vacuum them away. This is how the carpeting should work in all homes.
My mission is to create a new level of customer service in an industry that has very little understanding of the customer experience.
There will not be a need for a "FREE" estimate, you can estimate the cleaning costs for your home from the prices listed here. All the pricing is for Full Service Cleaning, including pretreatment to break loose the soil and stains from the carpet fibers, sanitizer to kill dust mites and any germs that are in the carpeting, and steam cleaning, the only deep cleaning method.
Weather you live in Bartlett, IL or Marengo, Il you have found your new carpet cleaner. I look forward to cleaning your carpet , upholstery, and air ducts.

Filters play a big part when it comes to heating and air conditioning equipment. They not only filter the air that's in your home or business, but they protect the systems major components such as the blower motor and the evaporator coil. The filters are always located on the equipments "return" side. The return is the ductwork that is pulling or bringing the air back to the equipment.

 The Blower motor needs to move air. If the filter gets plugged then the blower cannot move the air it's designed to, causing excessive heat build up during the heating cycle. This heat build up will cause the furnace to cut off on "high limit". High limit switches have a design temperature setting that's specified for that particular system. When the temperature reaches that high limit, then the furnace burners will shut down allowing the system to cool down then restart the heating cycle. Many people don't realize this is happening because the heating systems blower motor continues to run making it seem as if everything is working fine, when in reality it's not.
 
If the heating system continues to run on high limit then it's doing what we call "short cycling". Short cycling can cause premature equipment break downs. Because the system continues to short cycle, all its electrical components are constantly energizing and de-energizing, putting a lot of unnecessary wear and tear on these components such as the ignitor, gas valve, induced draft motor, and all their relays which are located on the equipment circuit board. These can turn into more expensive heating repairs.

Stay tuned for Part 2, we will talk about what role these important filters play protecting the evaporator coil. 

www.advancedheatingcoolingrepair.com 

ORDER YOUR HOLIDAY CARDS TODAY AND RECIEVE FREE SHIPPING AND BLANK ENVELOPES!!!

Fall Maintenance
 
Fall is officially here. Winter is just around the corner. If you haven't already prepped for winter, it's time to get started on the fall maintenance list for your home.  It's much easier working on these projects while it's still pleasant outside; don't put these projects off until the first snow.


Water - Plumbing pipes can crack or burst if they freeze. Winterizing your plumbing prevents potential disasters and gives you peace of mind.
•    Disconnect any garden hoses.
•    Turn off the water supply to the exterior sill cocks and drain the water out. Not all faucets have a separate shut-off valve. Consult a plumber if you're unsure.  Cover outside faucets or hose bibs if you don't have a separate shut-off valve for your outside faucets. Molded foam insulating covers are available at plumbing and hardware stores.
•    Have the lawn sprinkler system drained and blown out with compressed air.
•    Drain any exterior fountains.
 
 Furnace Inspection
•    Call an HVAC professional to inspect your furnace and clean ducts.
•    Stock up on furnace filters and change them monthly.
•    Consider switching out your thermostat for a programmable thermostat.
•    If your home is heated by a hot-water radiator, bleed the valves by opening them slightly and when water appears, close them.
•    Remove all flammable material from the area surrounding your furnace.

Check the Exterior, Doors and Windows
•    Inspect exterior for crevice cracks and exposed entry points around pipes; seal them.
•    Use weather-stripping around doors to prevent cold air from entering the home and caulk windows.
•    Replace cracked glass in windows and, if you end up replacing the entire window, prime and paint exposed wood.
•    If your home has a basement, consider protecting its window wells by covering them with plastic shields.
•    Switch out summer screens with glass replacements from storage. If you have storm windows, install them.
4) Inspect Roof, Gutters&Downspouts;
•    If your weather temperature will fall below 32 degrees in the winter, adding extra insulation to the attic will prevent warm air from creeping to your roof and causing ice dams.
•    Check flashing to ensure water cannot enter the home.
•    Replace worn roof shingles or tiles.
•    Clean out the gutters and use a hose to spray water down the downspouts to clear away debris.
•    Consider installing leaf guards on the gutters or extensions on the downspouts to direct water away from the home.
Fireplaces
•    Have the flues professionally cleaned on any wood burning fireplaces.
•    Make sure spark arrestors are installed on all flues.
•    Avoid burning any woods that are not hard and dry.
•    Clean the dust out of the bottoms of any gas fireplace inserts.
If you have a gas log installed in a wood burning fireplace with an adjustable damper, make sure there is a damper stop installed to prevent the damper from getting closed all the way.

Install Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
•    Some cities require a smoke detector in every room. We at Inspect-It, always recommend installing smoke detectors at all locations currently called for by your local building municipality. Also all smoke detectors five years of age or more should be replaced.
•    Buy extra smoke detector batteries and change them when daylight savings ends.
•    Install a carbon monoxide detector near your furnace and / or water heater.
•    Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they work.
•    Buy a fire extinguisher or replace an extinguisher older than 10 years.
•    
•    Under Illinois carbon monoxide detector law, signed by Gov. Blagojevich, beginning Jan. 1, 2007, all buildings that use fossil fuel and have sleeping rooms or have an attached garage must have an approved, operating carbon monoxide detector installed within 15 feet of any sleeping area.  Homes that have all electric appliances and do not have a fireplace or an attached garage will be exempt from the requirements.  We at Inspect-It, Inc. always recommend installing carbon Monoxide Detectors, at all locations currently called for by your local building municipality.

I got water in my basement, now i`m worried I have mold. What do I do?
As an home and building inspector this is a phone call I receive often. The answer- you need an invasive inspection. This is when an area of the damaged wall is removed  and the interior structure is reviewed to determine the extent of the damage.

Hello everyone!
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