Window Cleaning FAQs
How do you clean windows?
We use the squeegee method; this is the preferred method of professionals. After scrubbing and squeegeeing the window we also wipe the immediate sill and detail all the edges of the glass with a cotton surgical towel. If there is noticeable paint, lacquer or deck sealant overspray on the glass we will remove it from the glass as well; there may be an additional charge for this service depending upon the amount of paint or other material on the glass. We also wash and towel-dry all screens that are associated with the window surface being cleaned. Many contractors don't remove paint, detail the edges of the glass, wipe the sills or clean the screens without an up-charge. We will perform all of these services at no additional charge unless there is an excessive amount of dirt on the screens or debris on the windows. "It's Detail that Makes Us Different."
Do you wipe the surrounding wood or metal frame of the windows as part of the cleaning and if I have crank-out style windows do you open them up and cleaned the revealed sill?
We do not perform these items as a part of our customary service, but we are happy to perform them at your request for an additional charge.
Can you give me an estimate over the phone?
Yes, we prefer to give you an estimate over the phone especially during our busy seasons of spring and fall. If you can tell us what type or style of windows you have such as: crank-outs, double-hungs, sliders or large picture windows, we can then give you a price per pane cost.
Do I need to be present when you come to bid my home?
Generally, you do not need to be present when we come to bid your home. We can usually get an accurate idea of the job by walking around the outside perimeter of the home. We will then write up the bid and place it in your front door. We may want to check windows on older homes from the inside to see if they function properly.
Do I need to be present while the work is being done?
No, as long as we have access to the windows you do not need to be present while the work is being done. If no one is home during the day, we can arrive to your home early in the morning before you leave for work or we can meet you there during the lunch hour; we'll do whatever suits you best.
What precautions do you take while working in my home?
We endeavor to take the utmost care while working in your home. We will remove our shoes or wear shoe covers where needed, we'll place moving blankets under ladders that may be dirty and towels under our buckets and we will take care not to drip water on your carpet or window coverings. Our goal is to leave your house as it was when we arrived, with the exception of the dirty windows which we'll leave sparkling clean!
Do I need to move anything before you clean the windows?
No, we can do the moving for you on most items. If an item is particularly fragile or delicate we would prefer that you move them.
Are you fully insured?
Yes, we are fully insured for your protection. All workers are employee's of the company. We do not use subcontractors.
Is any job too small?
No job is too small, but we do have a minimum service fee.
Do you clean both commercial and residential windows?
We specialize in residential, but we do commercial window cleaning as well.
Do you clean windows outside of the Metro areas?
Yes, we are happy to travel to surrounding communities to clean windows. If it is a bid you require, a phone call is the preferred way to handle it. Depending upon your location, there may be a fuel and travel charge added to the cleaning service.
Would you be able to do a few other things for me while you're cleaning my windows?
Yes, We are willing to do a multiplicity of things for you. We can change batteries in hard to reach smoke detectors, change light bulbs in hard to reach areas and remove cobwebs for you, too.
Powerwashing FAQs
What is Powerwashing?
Powerwashing is the application of high pressure water spray to a surface. The spray, generated by portable pumps and mixed with a special combination of water and washing detergents, can be as powerful as 4 to 6 GPM (gallons per minute flow rate), 1,500 to 3,500 PSI (pounds per sq inch pressure) and up to 200º F. By comparison, an average powerwasher can produce a spray that is over one hundred times more powerful than your typical garden hose.
What's the difference between powerwashing, pressure washing, and high-power pressure cleaning?
Nothing. These are all terms used to describe the same process of cleaning surfaces with high- pressure water spray.
Can I purchase or use my own powerwasher and do just as good a job as you can?
Most powerwashers that are purchased from home improvement stores such as Menard's and Home Depot cost anywhere between $100 and $1000. These machines are called hobby powerwashers because they do not have adequate pressure or water flow to effectively clean most surfaces, nor do they produce hot water, which is a key factor in effectively cleaning most surfaces. Many homeowners that use these hobby powerwashers actually damage the surface cleaned because they must get very close to the surface to get cleaning results. Our powerwasher produces very high volumes of water flow with hot water if desired and allows us to operate at lower pressures to get great cleaning results without damaging the surface cleaned.
What can be pressure cleaned?
Generally, almost anything can be powerwashed. Typical residential jobs include cleaning house exteriors (siding and brick face), decks, patios, awnings, walkways and fences.
Is powerwashing safe for painted surfaces?
Yes. The basic concept of high pressure washing with detergent on painted surfaces has been tested and proven. With the correct combination of pressure, flow, chemicals and temperature a wide variety of jobs can be accomplished without scrubbing or brushing. Experts agree that powerwashing is safer than steam cleaning and sandblasting. If paint is peeling from the surface to be powerwashed, we advise not powerwashing those areas because the process will remove any loose paint.
How often should I get my deck powerwashed and sealed?
Under normal conditions, you should pressure-clean and seal your wood deck once every three years. However, it can be powerwashed sooner if mold and mildew are a persistent problem, and you want to avoid premature wood rot and decay.
Why is my deck turning a grayish color?
Deck discoloration can usually be traced back to its exposure to the sun. The sun naturally gives off ultraviolet rays that can be quite harmful to the cellular composition of a wood deck. Using a good wood sealant, one with a high solids concentration, can protect your deck and help maintain the wood in its original state. That includes protecting it from turning that unattractive gray color.
Air Duct Cleaning FAQs
Why should air ducts be cleaned?
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems have been shown to act as a collection source for a variety of contaminants that have the potential to affect health, such as fine particles of dust, pollen, mold spores, fibers, hair and pet dander. The removal of such contaminants from the HVAC system and home should be considered as a key component in an overall plan to improve indoor air quality. Cleaning of the HVAC system can also increase the efficiency of the system due to increased air flow through the furnace and ducts; this will result in lower heating and cooling costs. A clean system will generally have less break downs and an extended life because clean components function better and more efficiently.
When should they be cleaned?
When anyone in the home or building has breathing problems like allergies, asthma or emphysema; before moving into a new home or pre-owned home; after a remodeling project or when installing a new furnace or making changes in the air duct system.
How often should this be done?
The air duct system should be cleaned every three to seven years. The frequency of cleaning is going to vary depending on a number of variables some of which are: the number of occupants in the home, the presence of and number of pets in the home, smoking in the home, the use of fireplaces or wood burning stoves and whether or not any remodeling work has been done on the home. Allergy sufferers will generally need duct cleaning more frequently.
How are they cleaned?
We use a method called source removal. This method is recommended by the National Air Duct Cleaners Association. A powerful vacuum is attached to the furnace or the main truck lines of the ductwork. A number of agitation tools are then utilized to scrub the ducts. We use a power rotating brush that scrubs the ducts clean wherever possible, as this gives the finest cleaning. While the rotating brush is fed down the ductwork, compressed air blows the dust and debris toward the vacuum. The ducts are under a constant vacuum so that no dust is introduced into the home. The vacuum then evacuates hepa-filtrated hospital quality air back into the home. In areas of the ductwork that are not accessible to the power-brush system, we utilize air whips and air sweeps which agitate and push or pull all dust and debris to the vacuum. Many contractors use air sweeps alone due to the cost and time in utilizing the power-brush system, but without the use of proper agitation, air sweeps alone do not thoroughly clean the ductwork. The power-brush system is the most time consuming, but provides the most thorough cleaning. We also clean or vacuum all vent registers, accessible blower fans and evaporator coils.
Is a Truck-mounted vacuum better than a Portable one?
While contractors with truck-mounted vacuums will usually boast about the power of their units, there are numerous disadvantages to using them. Truck-mounted or exterior vacuum systems create what could be called an 'Open System'. In an open system, warm air in the winter time and cool air in the summer is drawn out of the house and due to the negative air pressure placed on the home this air must be displaced by the dust and pollen laden air from outside. This unfiltered air is then drawn back into the ductwork. Not only can this method drastically change the temperature in the home, it is also counter-productive when you are trying to increase indoor air quality.
Truck-mounted or exterior vacuum systems use 8 to 12 inch vacuum hoses that run through a doorway or window and through the house to connect up to the furnace. Not only are they an obstruction in your home, these dirty hoses can scratch up furniture and woodwork. They also create the gap to the outdoors that allows the bugs, dust and pollen laden air to be drawn unfiltered into the home and back through the ductwork. Our system is a 'Closed System' utilizing a powerful, portable hepa-filtrated vacuum which is connected directly up to the HVAC system and continually filtrates the air in the home while the system is being cleaned.
Gutters FAQs
How do you clean the gutters?
We use a couple of different methods to clean gutters. If the leaves and debris in the gutters are not too saturated with water, we will blow all debris out of the gutters and downspouts with a leaf blower; this is a very effective method as it removes even the smallest debris from the guttering. If downspouts are plugged and we cannot clear them with the leaf blower, we will use a plumbers snake or garden hose to clear them of any debris. If the debris in the gutters is too saturated with water to use a blower, we will clean them out by hand and run water through the downspouts to make sure that they are clear of any debris.
How do I get an estimate? - How much does gutter cleaning cost?
If you give our office a call we can generally give you a price-range estimate over the phone. It's impossible to give an exact estimate for gutter cleaning, because cost will vary depending upon the size of the home, the amount of debris in the gutters, whether or not the debris is wet and decomposed, whether or not downspouts are plugged, and whether or not there are any gutter guard/leaf protectors that need to be removed during cleaning. We generally do not do onsite estimates for gutter cleaning because our incurred cost to do the estimate is relatively high compared to the cost of cleaning the gutters.
Do you clean up my yard after cleaning the gutters?
We will blow off the patio, driveway or other hard surfaces from the debris that falls out of the gutters and we will bag any decomposed material that is removed from the gutters. We can bag all material at your request, but there is generally an additional charge for that service. If we hand clean the gutters because the debris is too saturated with water to use a blower, we will bag the debris; but hand cleaning generally costs more because it is more time consuming.
Do I have to be home at the time of service?
No, you don't have to be home when we come to your house. In the event that you are not home, we will leave an invoice, and self-addressed envelope for you to send payment.
How long until you can get the service completed?
This depends on our workload at the time. On average, from the time you schedule with us it is completed within 3 days. Generally the longest period of time it would take us to get to your home would be about a week. If you request express, emergency service we can generally get it done on the same day that you call, but there is an additional charge for this service if we are not servicing your area on that day, due to the increased travel and fuel costs that we incur.
What should I ask when hiring a gutter cleaning company?
1. How long until you can get the service completed?
Many gutter cleaning companies come and go. We have been servicing homes in the Metro areas for over 20 years. We service thousands of homes each year – there's a reason that many people choose us.
2. Do you have insurance, and what kind of insurance do you have?
We carry Worker's Compensation and General Liability Insurance and our insurance agent can fax or mail you a certificate of proof of insurance. Many companies will put "fully insured" in advertisements, however, this doesn't really ensure that they are. Make sure to get them to send you an insurance certificate and verify that they carry Worker's Compensation and General Liability insurance; otherwise you could be liable if an accident occurs on your property.
Blinds FAQs
How do you clean blinds?
We use four methods to clean blinds: Ultrasonic, injection/extraction, compressed-air and hand-cleaning. The manufacturers' recommendations and the type of blind material are going to determine the method used for cleaning.
Can you clean wood blinds?
Yes, but they usually need to be hand-cleaned due to their sensitivity to moisture. We generally clean wood or faux wood blinds on location due to the excessive time required to take down and reinstall them.
How much does it cost to have blinds cleaned?
The price will vary depending on the size of the blind and the type of material being cleaned. If you call us we can generally give you a price over the phone, but we'll need to know the dimensions, type of blind and manufacturer if known; this information is usually imprinted inside the head rail or on the base or lower part of the blind. There is an additional cost for pickup and delivery service.
Do you have a minimum charge?
Yes, we have a minimum charge to come out to your home. If you bring the blinds to our location this minimum charge doesn't apply; but if you only have a few blinds to be cleaned, the price per blind will be higher due to set-up time for the cleaning equipment.
Do you offer same day service?
Depending on our work load we may be able to get them cleaned the same day that they are dropped off. Otherwise, we can usually get them cleaned within a few days.
Do you offer repair service?
We can do some minor repairs, but we will generally refer you to a company that specializes in repair.
Chandelier Cleaning FAQs
How do you clean chandeliers and light fixtures?
We hand wash all components with a mild detergent solution and then dry or polish with a dry surgical towel. We do not spray cleaners directly onto the fixture as this can affect the electrical components of the fixture and can leave spotting.
Do you clean ceiling fans?
Yes, we clean any type of fan or light fixture.
Can you clean fixtures that are mounted high up?
Yes, we regularly clean fixtures that are mounted in 2 story entryways or other high areas.
Can you replace bulbs in the fixture or in other fixtures that I can't reach?
Yes, we can replace any bulbs for you if you have the replacement bulbs on hand for a nominal fee.
What is the cost of having a chandelier, light fixture or ceiling fan cleaned?
Glass chandeliers usually range from $25 to $150 depending upon the size of the fixture, how high they are mounted, and whether or not they need to be disassembled to be cleaned. Crystal chandeliers usually cost more and can vary greatly depending upon the number of crystals on them. Simple interior or exterior light fixtures or sconces usually cost between $5 and $25. Ceiling fans generally cost any where between $5 to $35 depending upon high they are mounted and whether or not they have light kits.
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