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Friday, August 6^th, started out a perfect day; Sunny and not too hot with beautiful blue skies.  Matt, Travis and I were lucky enough to start out the day at Valley Hi Golf Course. It was the Thanks Troops Foundation's annual golf tournament.

We set up on the 9^th hole. Our equipment consisted of a grill, lots of marinated shrimp and a big pitcher of cold mojitos. Yes, there were a few more supplies unpacked, but nothing as important as the above. These golfers were active military, veterans, family and supporters, so we wanted to treat them right. We started grilling at 7:30 AM and discovered our golfing warriors thought grilled shrimp were as tasty for breakfast as we did. Thankfully, we anticipated the positive response and had brought about 400 shrimp to share. We were grillin' and chillin' all day with our new friends.

As is the Colorado way, thunderclouds started forming in the afternoon. The breeze picked-up and we could see the skies begin to darken. By that time we had fed many happy people. When the rain finally hit, most golfers had already finished their round and headed into the clubhouse for a game of poker and an excellent dinner from Texas Roadhouse. We packed up and headed back to the shop. This year was better than last, if that's possible. It's always a pleasure giving back to the men and women who put their life on the line. Until next year, brave troops, stay safe.

Damaged paper documents such as business and school files, magazines and books are sensitive to restoration efforts but often must be restored. Files are needed to keep businesses running. Books in a library or private collection may be one-of-a-kind editions that are irreplaceable. The only options are to discard or restore.

Water can enter books and documents by direct contact with liquid water, or be absorbed though airborne water vapor. Both present a challenge to the professional restorer.

The most difficult documents to restore are those with a glossy enamel coating. Items that usually have this type of paper are magazines such as Life and National Geographic and reference books like encyclopedias. The coating which makes color photos and pictures more vibrant is water soluble so when it is affected by liquid water of water vapor, it breaks down and literally glues the pages together. If allowed to remain stuck together and then dry without special procedures, this condition will become permanent. It is called paper blockout. Glossy type paper, however, may be saved if the affected document is frozen and then thawed slowly under controlled conditions.

Generally, documents can be saved so that they are at least serviceable. How flat the pager will lay after restoration is dependent upon the degree of water exposure, the age and type of paper and how long it has been since the original damage occurred.

Restorer drying procedures encompass:

• 1. Categorizing and segregating books and documents according to the urgency of the response required. This decision should be made in conjunction with the insured party.
• 2. Placing books flat or spine down when packing and processing to prevent the pages from pulling out of the cover.
• 3. Preventing further deterioration by taking books and documents and temporarily stabilizing them through storage in a frost-free freezer compartment. NOTE: Books and documents should have the pages pressed as flat as possible and bound together. Books may be held together with plastic banding strips and then put into collapsible plastic milk cartons. Large numbers of books and documents can be brought to a public frozen food warehouse until they are ready for processing. The longer that books and documents are frozen, the more moisture is removed. The moisture changes into ice crystals which are drawn out of the water damaged surface and vaporized. This is called sublimation.
• 4. Along with dehumidification, a light application of "hospital grade" Lysol may help somewhat to inhibit mold and mildew growth. Lysol is isopropyl alcohol-based so it is quick drying and adds little or no moisture.

A loss is a traumatic and often a once in a lifetime event. As the technology continues to develop to dry paper documents, more irreplaceable materials are saved and the stress of a difficult situation is minimized.

Duraclean Master Cleaners is now on You Tube. Check out our latest video! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npoH3nQElKo

Congratulations to Jim Miller and the entire Duraclean MC staff for 10 years in the Better Business Bureau with an A+ rating! It has been a pleasure serving our community with the highest technical standards and business ethics. We look forward to many more years of service to come.

Typical of Jim, he's not the one who spilled the beans about his birthday.

The crew found out a few days ahead of time that Jim was having a birthday, so we surprised him with lunch at his favorite eatery, Panerra Bread. Travis's mom, who was a professional baker, made a cake that tasted as good as it looked.  Matt asked Jim to join him at Panerra to discuss an upcoming job. We all trickled out one by one and met at Panerra waiting for Matt and Jim to show, and when they walked through the door, our crew, in the middle of a very crowded restaurant, broke into a ragged rendition of "Happy Birthday". Our plan worked.  Jim had no idea anything was being planned. We ate lunch, and after opening his card and thanking everyone for the Merlot (called "Herding Cats" -an occasional metaphor for work), we all headed back to the office to continue with the day.

Jim started Duraclean MC in 1985, he purchased the local franchise from Lou Carpenter who had owned it since 1972. Since then, he has built it into what it is today, the most highly regarded cleaning and restoration company in Southern Colorado.  "There's no mess we can't address" is the official tagline, but the attitude really is, "Exceeding your expectations is our only goal."

Being the newest member of the team, I was happy to be a part of the crew honoring Jim on his birthday.

We arrive at 9:00 AM and immediately start unloading. It will be a long day. Tables, tents, crock pots, 4 barbeques, 1 smoker and lots of small items are set-up to begin the job of feeding dinner to almost 500 people. Throughout the week, we already had smoked and cooked 200 pounds of pork. Our job this day is to thaw, heat and shred it all for the hungry crowd walking for the American Cancer Society in the Relay For Life, which includes survivor, their caretakers, family and friends.

Spirits run high and all day we receive lots of comments from happy people about how amazing the barbecued pork smells as it's heating. We aren't the only ones preparing for the walkers. I meet Sandy Powell, an interior designer, who's in charge of decorating the cafeteria in this year's theme of "Happy Birthday" at Fountain Middle School where the event is held. I meet the members of the Widefield String Quartet who provide excellent music during dinner. I meet members of the Fountain Fire Department who not only walk the relay, but  provide support for emergencies. There are so many individuals and organizations who have contributed toward this day, I've only scratched the surface.

As evening approaches, there is no sign of the party letting up. Quite a few walkers duck back into the cafeteria to grab another smoked pork sandwich before we break down. We happily keep dishing until the last of the food is gone. Loading-up our equipment happens long after dark. We are all tired but it has been a fun, memorable day. I don't think anyone notices as we pull out of the parking lot. The revelry and celebration is still going strong around us. I smile and silently wish all of the survivors a very happy birthday. And many more to come.

On April 22, 2010 the EPA Lead Safety for Renovation, Repair, and Painting program will be enforced in Colorado Springs, Colorado. After that date anytime a  person disturbing a painted surface in a residential building, for pay, where any part of it was constructed prior to 1978 will need to be Certified as a Renovator by the EPA RRP program. The Certified Renovator will take steps to contain the working area and minimize the dust created anytime more that 6 square feet of material is involved. In the case of a water damage, certain exemptions apply and any contaminated materials may be removed and rebuilt using the containment procedures even if it exceeds 6 square feet. 

All painters, drywallers, plumbers, etc. and their companies will need to comply with these regulations anytime more than 6 square feet of material is involved ,or face fines in excess of $30,000 per violation. The Colorado Springs Housing and Building Association as well as the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department are sponsoring the required training programs. The provision that would allow home owners to exempt their property from the regulation has been dropped from the regulations.

The residential use of lead based paint has been banned since 1978 in the United States and for almost 100 years in Europe. The reason for the ban is the toxic effects on children under the age of 6. Children ingesting paint chips can have severe brain damage. See www.EPA.gov/lead for more information.

At Duraclean Master Cleaners, of Colorado Springs, we take the health of our clients and employees seriously. Duraclean, sets containment and air cleaning equipment, uses specialized cutting tools to minimize dust anytime contaminated materials need to be removed, and thoroughly cleans up after any demolition. Duraclean's Restoration and Cleaning Specialists, and Managers have completed the EPA Lead Safety Program and are EPA Certified Renovators.  Duraclean is EPA Certified Firm # 19980-1.

"Smoke" Defined

Smoke/soot is the product of incomplete combustion.  It is made visible through the presence of small particles of carbon.

The fire that causes smoke and soot is non-discriminatory in that it will burn anything which can be burned.  Besides the residue that is created through a fire, when there is a structure that has a variety of different flammable materials such as particle board, wood, plastic laminate, vinyl, etc., the combination of these substances can produce very complex odors.

Three Categories of Smoke Residue and Odors

Smoke odors can normally be classified into three categories.  These categories also need customized deodorization to restore them:

1. Protein Odors - These are produced from burned meat, flesh and poultry.  The residue is identifiable by a brownish or yellowish color and has a greasy texture. Odor removal and deodorization usually entails a complete cleaning of the affected surfaces.
2. Natural Substance Odors - Natural burned substances include paper, wood, jute, cork, feathers, and wool, anything that has a plant or an animal hair source.  Identification is made through a gray/black residue that has a dry, powdery consistency.
3. Synthetic Substance Odors - Synthetic (man-made) burned substances encompass burned plastics and textiles.  Residues from these substances are black in color and smudge easily since they come from petroleum-based sources. Burned synthetic residue can create smoke webs visible where walls and corners meet the ceiling and in streamers handing from curtain rods.  These smoke webs are called soot tags. NOTE: Soot tags are often misidentified as "spider webs" which supposedly became visible because of the smoke/soot residue.

Five Factors That Influence Smoke

There are five factors that influence smoke and can affect the related surfaces:

1. Heat - Warmed or heated air rises and migrates to cold areas such as outside walls and closets.  Heat causes pores in surfaces to expand which then readily accepts the smoke residue and odor.
2. Pressure - The energy created by the fire produces heat which enables the smoke to penetrate into the most minute cracks and crevices.
3. Impingement - Burned objects can hit another surface with sufficient velocity so that it will impinge (or splatter) and remain on the surface.  (Think of candle wax.)
4. Magnetism - Smoke is attracted to metal surfaces such as plumbing pipes, nail heads and metal coat hangers.
5. Ionization - Opposites attract so smoke webs may form on structural surfaces.  Plastic bags on clothing from dry cleaners retain electrical charges which attract smoke.  More smoke residue can be found on clothing inside plastic bags in a closet as opposed to unprotected clothing!!!

Got A Question? Call Duraclean Master Cleaners, Inc. in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  (719) 473-2703

On August 7, 2009 Duraclean had the honor of supporting the Annual Thanks Troops Golf Tournament. This was the second year the tournament was held at Vally Hi Golf Course and the weather held out much better than it did last year.

With 2 Flights of 144 golfers, the course was filled with plenty of hungry and thirsty participants. Duraclean did its traditional "Shrimp and a Shot"- with straight off the grill shrimp and their choice of shots. This time we had blended margaritas, tequila and Crown Royal to choose from.

A very special thanks to Scott Grey of Cornerstone Realty for his work on this very worthwhile project and having us as a sponsor.