LDR Construction Services, Inc.

Preventing Frozen Pipes

Tuesday, February 8th, 2011

Why is there ice built up on my roof?

Tuesday, January 18th, 2011

Ice Dams

An ice dam is an accumulation of ice at the lower edge of a sloped roof, usually at the gutter.  When interior heat melts the snow on the roof, the water will run down and refreeze at the roof’s edge, where temperatures are much cooler.  Eventually, the ice builds up and blocks water from draining off the roof.  This forces water under the roof shingles and into your attic or down the inside walls of your home.

Take these steps to avoid ice dams:

• Keep the attic well ventilated.  the colder the attic, the less melting and refreezing on the roof.
• Keep the attic floor well insulated to minimize the amount of heat rising through the attic from within the home.
• As an extra precaution against roof leaks, have a contractor install and water repellent membrane under your roof covering.

Frozen Pipes can be disastrous! Here’s how to prevent them…

Monday, January 10th, 2011

Frozen pipes ruin and disrupt hundreds of thousands of homes every winter.  Since it’s not easy to recover a pipe once it’s frozen, it’s best to know how to prevent what will inevitably be a disastrous situation.

Copper and plastic pipes are most susceptible to bursting and a cracked pipe can spill up to 250 gallons of water in one day!  Just imagine how much damage that much water can do to your home or business!

Frozen Pipe Safety Precautions:

• Before the cold hits insulate all pipes throughout the crawl and attic spaces in your home. Exposed pipes are the most susceptible and need special care in winter time.
• Heat tape can be used to secure pipes and keep them warm all winter.
• Seal up any leaks that allow cold air to enter in the space.
• Disconnect all garden hoses
• A drip of hot and cold water can keep your pipes from freezing over night.
• Open cabinet doors to allow heat to circulate especially under your kitchen and bathroom sinks.
• If traveling always set your thermostat no lower than 55 degrees Fahrenheit
• When traveling for a long amount of time, shut off and drain your water system

When a Pipe Freezes:

Don’t take any chances.  Call us immediately so that we can fix the problem before the ice melts and too much damage is done.  Never try to thaw a pipe with an open flame.

Holiday Fire Safety

Tuesday, November 30th, 2010

While it is easy to think that a fire in your home would never happen to you, there are more potential risks around your home than you may think, especially during the winter months.  Fires get out of hand so quickly that it can take just seconds for a spark to fill a room with smoke.  A recent study shows that within three seconds of ignition, a dry scotch pine Christmas tree is completely ablaze; within 40 seconds the entire room in engulfed in flames that release dense and deadly toxic smoke.  The good news is it can take less than one minute to help prevent such a tragedy.  What can you do to help keep your family safe this holiday season?  Prepare, Plan, and Prevent.

1.  PREPARE-  First, be prepared.  Smoke alarms should be installed on every level of the home and near all sleeping areas.  You should test your smoke alarms every week and make sure that you can hear them from behind closed doors.  Involve children in the testing so that they know what the alarm sounds like and what they should do if it goes off.  You should also change the batteries at least twice per year.  An easy way to remember this is to get in the habit of changing batteries when you change clocks for daylight savings time.

2.  PLAN-  Be sure your family has a fire escape plan in place.  Make a quick drawing of the floorplan of your home and identify at least two exits from every room.  Go over the plan with your kids and identify a meeting place outside the house, such as mailbox or neighbor’s driveway.  Be sure to hold a fire drill and practice getting out of the house with your children at least twice per year.  Families with infants or very young children should plan how to get those children out.  Older children can be taught to stay low in case of fire, feel doors before opening them, and never return to the house once they have gotten out.

3.  PREVENT-  In addition to being prepared, there are also some simple ways to help prevent some of the most common causes of home fires during the holidays.  Many of these steps only take a minute and can prevent what could be a lifetime of regret.

Tips for a safe Thanksgiving holiday

Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010

On Thanksgiving Day, there are 3 times more kitchen fires than on any other day during the year.  Here are some things you can do this holiday season to keep your home and family safe.

• Never leave hot food or appliances unattended while cooking.
• Always be alert when cooking.  Do not cook under the influence of medication or alcohol.
• Keep anything that can catch on fire at least three feet from the stove, toaster over, or other heat source.
• Keep the stove top, burners, and over clean.
• Do not wear loose fitting clothes that can catch fire if they come too close to a burner.
• For recipes that require frying, grilling, or broiling food, stay in the kitchen.  When baking or simmering foods, check frequently.

Here are some things you can do to keep small children safe during the holiday cooking.

• Create a three-foot “kid free zone” around the stove.
• Never hold a child while cooking, drinking, or carrying hot foods or liquids.
• Hot items should be kept from the edge of counters and tables.
• Do not use a tablecloth or place-mat if young children are in the home.
• When children are old enough, teach them to cook safely and always with help from an adult.

Have a very safe and happy Thanksgiving!

Do Your Air Ducts Need Cleaned?

Monday, November 1st, 2010

If you have one or more of the following conditions, it is recommended that you have your ducts cleaned at a minimum of once per year, if not twice.

• Your home contains smokers.
• You have pets in your household.
• The area you live in is known for having high pollen count.
• The area you live in has high levels of moisture or humidity.
• You have recently completed a home renovation project or you have just purchased a newly constructed home.
• Frequently use chemical cleaning products.
• Your home has suffered flood damage.
• You live near industries that emit a lot of smoke and other pollutants.
• There are rodents such as mice and rats running through the ducts.

Contaminants in your ducts can affect your health.  As the particles blow through the home, occupants are at a high risk of inhaling them.  This can lead to such health problems as asthma and other respiratory illnesses, sinus problems, constant coughing and sneezing, severe allergies, headaches, and sleep problems.

Some benefits of having your ducts cleaned include:

• Good for your heating/cooling system:  Most duct system failures occur because of an accumulation of dust and dirt.  By cleaning your ducts, your system will be more efficient and could lower your energy costs.  The EPA states that a buildup of just .042 inches of dirt on heating or cooling coil can result in a 21% decrease in efficiency.
• Healthier children:  If you have children, you know that they need to eat healthy and get regular exercise to grow into healthy adults.  Because children’s immune systems are still developing, they are at a higher risk of illness.
• High risk individuals:  People who already have a health condition such as asthmatics and the elderly will benefit a great deal.  They will breath better and the risk of developing respiratory illness will be reduced.

Once your air ducts have undergone a thorough cleaning by trained professionals, there will no longer be any containments being blown throughout your home.

Is your furnace ready?

Friday, October 1st, 2010

With our first freeze of the year in the weekend forecast, it would be a great idea to start up and run your furnace today.  Open windows and remove the burnt dust smell that emanates from furnaces that have been setting idle for months.

Here are some other helpful furnace tips:

• Have LDR clean your ducts.  Call today to schedule.
• Have an HVAC professional inspect your furnace.
• Stock up on furnace filters and change them at least monthly.
• Consider changing to 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.

Fall Safety Tips

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010

Most people love this time of year, transitioning from warm summer days to cool fall nights – football season, pumpkin picking and cozying up to a warm fire.  September is also National Preparedness Month and it is the time when several safety issues should be addressed in order to prevent fire or water damage to your home or business in the upcoming months.

Now is the time to think ahead about burning wood in your fireplace or wood stove safely:

• Have your chimney and flue cleaned by a professional
• Clean your woodstove and remove any clutter that has accumulated on or near the stove or fireplace
• Be sure that your chimney, flue, bricks and mortar are all in good condition and that you don’t have more than one heating device in a single flue.

The chimney isn’t just a place to enjoy a warm fire, but almost all heating appliances, whether they burn gas, wood or coal, rely on the chimney to safely carry toxic carbon monoxide out of the house.  Proper cleaning of the chimney can also help to prevent carbon monoxide gases from entering the home in the first place.

Going along with chimney safety, you should also test all smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms as well as replace any worn out batteries.  Make sure that you have a fire safely plan in place with all family members, especially children, in case of emergency.

Fall is also a good time to check for build up in your dryer vent, while you still have access to the outside vent:

People tend to clean out the lint traps on their dryers after every use or so, but don’t give much thought to the lint that can build up in your dryer vent or hose attached to your dryer.

• Loosen the vent clamp on the back of your dryer
• Slide the vent off and reach in as far as you can in order to remove any lint and buildup.  You can also use a vacuum cleaner to help reach inside to remove additional buildup
• Make sure to clean out the vent tubing as well
• If you have a larger buildup, you may need to use a plumbing snake or wire brush to help remove the lint farther up the hose
• Remove the vent on the outside of the house and repeat the above steps

This is an easy maintenance task, but one that often goes overlooked, and can be dangerous if left to build up for too long.

Some additional steps in preparing your home or business for the fall months:

• Clean out gutters from leaves or debris
• Check your roof shingles to be sure they are in good condition for wind, ice and upcoming snow
• Check windows for deteriorated sills and fill with putty to prevent water damage due to leaks
• Take a look at the trees on your property and remove any limbs that would be in danger of falling on property or people during a large storm

Does Your Business Have a Disaster Preparedness Plan?

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

The First Two Hours…

NOW WHAT?

Call the LDR Cleaning & Restoration 24-Hour Emergency Response Line

1.888.874.7066

Are you prepared?

Let LDR Cleaning & Restoration help put a disaster preparedness plan in place to help protect your home or place of business:

• Protect People and Property
• Resume Critical Business Functions
• Minimize Downtime to retain Clients/Customers
• Identify and collect important details and information
• Securing property and minimizing damage

The day after disaster strikes, when under incredible stress, is not the time to search for a restoration company.  Be prepared and plan ahead, you shouldn’t question the possibility of a disaster, but rather, what to do when disaster strikes.

Insurance Agents- Market Yourself Using Social Media

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

Everyone is talking about social media these days – Facebook, YouTube, Linkedin, Twitter, Blogs, and the list goes on.  Social media has become a part of many organizations’ integrated marketing plans.  Integrated marketing combines traditional promotion elements along with the opportunity to build social and business connections, share information and receive direct feedback and communications in real time with your targeted customer base.

This lunch and learn workshop will explore how the insurance industry can use social media to promote your agency and enhance the customer service that you already provide your customers.  Building agency Facebook pages, learning to “Tweet” and other topics will be presented by Ralph De Stefano from Direct Response Web Solutions.

Join us for lunch and learn more about Social Media at the same time!

When: Thursday, August 26th

Time: 11:30 – 1:30

Where: LDR Cleaning & Restoration

Investment: $10, includes lunch from Heavenly Ham

Please RSVP to Matt Ludens by Friday, August 20th at mludens@ldr4service.com or 815.874.7066.