How To Polish Your Marble Floors

Stone Care Austin

Just like any other floors, marble floors require a certain level of upkeep throughout the years. With normal wear and tear, marble will lose its shiny luster and overall aesthetic when the proper upkeep is neglected. But, don’t worry just yet - we’re here to help you! So, let’s talk about polishing your marble floors.

When to Polish Marble Floors

You may be asking yourself; when is it time to polish your marble floors? We have a question for you in return - are you happy with the way they look? It may seem like an oversimplified question, but all damage aside, it really is the only question you need to ask yourself. If your floors are looking dull and have lost their original luster that you loved so much in the beginning, a good polishing can bring them right back to their beautiful, original condition.

How It’s Done by Professionals

Marble polishing isn’t only going to restore that gorgeous look - it’s going to remove any dirt, debris, and other grime while also protecting your floors against buildup from new particles around the house. Using a professional will ensure that it’s done correctly, without damaging your marble, and that the protective layer is completely restored to do it’s job - protect those floors!

Professionals know which products (if any) to use, they own the right equipment, and have the experience to back up their approach. While you may feel unsure of entrusting your marble floors with a professional, we can guarantee that you won’t regret the decision - especially when choosing The Steam Team.

With the proper care, marble floors can keep their original luster and aesthetic. There isn’t any shame in asking for help from a professional to keep your floors looking their best. If you have questions or simple need a consultation about your marble floors - don’t hesitate to give us a call. We’re always happy to help!

How to Clean Your Air Ducts

Air Duct Cleaning

We see it happen all the time, one of the most important parts of the home gets ignored. But, obviously, homeowners don’t know they’re one of the most important parts of the house or they wouldn’t be ignored. However, your air flow comes out of them - causing dirty particles to be blown all over your home when they’re not properly cleaned. Yes, you guessed it! We’re talking about your air ducts.

How do you clean them?

Know What’s Right and What’s Wrong

As with anything else, there is a right way and a wrong way to clean your air ducts. Unfortunately, if done the ‘wrong’ way, you may see all of that dust and pet dander come right back within minutes. But, if done the ‘right’ way, you and your house could benefit in a multitude of ways.

So, what’s right and what’s wrong?

Cleaning your air ducts doesn’t mean that you can simply wipe down the outside of the supply registers and all it a day. It’s actually much more involved than that. Cleaning the right way calls for a thorough inspection of the duct work, ensuring that there aren’t any other issues besides the allergens and dust circulating in your home. In some cases, you could be dealing with mold growth or even rodent droppings - so it’s important to have your ducts professionally inspected and cleaned the right way.

Understanding Why It’s Important to Clean Air Ducts

Not only does a thorough air duct cleaning help with dust, debris, and other allergens around the home, but it also tremendously helps to improve the efficiency of your HVAC system. The less difficult it is for your HVAC system to work, the longer it can last!

With your freshly cleaned air ducts, you can enjoy a reduced amount of allergens around the home. But, let’s not forget there can be a right and wrong way to clean them - so it’s definitely a job better left to the professionals.

The Best Way to Clean Leather

Leather Cleaning

Leather is - no doubt - a hefty investment, but it’s absolutely worthwhile. However, leather material is also one of the most difficult to care for. Between conditioning and cleaning, you may feel like you have your hands full - not to mention any damage that may occur in between the two. So, let’s go over the best way to clean your leather so you can do your best to minimize that damage.

Regular Maintenance

The best way to regularly maintain your leather furniture is to properly care for the material. Of course, how often you need to clean it really depends on the amount of traffic around the furniture itself. For example, if we’re talking about a couch that is positioned in a sitting room but is barely used, it could be collecting dust but you likely won’t have to worry about other particles or grime. However, on the other hand, for an ottoman that the dog may like to frequent, it’s a different story. The best way to care for leather material is to vacuum for dust and wipe with a dust-free cloth to ensure that you’ve gotten every particle off of the material.

Leather Conditioning

In addition to regularly maintaining and cleaning your leather furniture, it needs to be conditioned. Over time, when having your furniture deep cleaned, you can talk to the professional company doing the cleaning and ask about different conditioning treatments. Often times, after a deep clean, we’ll use leather conditioner to ensure the leather is properly cared for and isn’t susceptible to other damage.

Leather isn’t an easy material to care for - and it’s definitely not cheap - but it is always worth it. Don’t hesitate to contact a professional because you could end up spending more money in the long run if you don’t. We’re always happy to help and educate you the best way we know how.

Keeping Stains Away from Grout

Tile Cleaning

There are several factors that play into the amounts of stains and their permanency on the grout between your tiles. For example, the location is huge - do you have tiles in your kitchen, bathroom, entryway? These are often the most common areas to place tile - yet also where they are most susceptible to stains.

Color of Grout

In most cases, grout is lightly colored - often white. While it looks bright between your tiles and makes them look crisp and clean, it also shows stains much more easily. In fact, the contrast between the light color of the grout and the color of the liquid, it makes the stain even more visible to the naked eye.

Width of Grout

When you choose tile flooring, you also choose how far apart you want the tile - which will then determine the width of your grout. The wider the grout is, the more likely it is to be stained. However, you don’t want your tiles too close together, either. There is a happy medium in there somewhere, or rather, a better solution…

Grout Sealant

Grout sealant is a much better solution than worrying about the width or color of your grout. You shouldn’t have to compromise on the aesthetic appeal you want your flooring to have (and yes, your grout is included in that) to protect your flooring from absorbing stains. When you lay grout (or even afterwards), it’s important to seal the grout itself so it won’t absorb other materials that are accidentally spilled on top of it.

If you watch spaghetti sauce spill in your kitchen, or maybe see mud tracked through your entryway - don’t panic! There are many ways to effectively and efficiently clean up those stains. Enter: Steam Cleaning. The last thing you want to do is make the stain spread and become worse - so call in those professionals!

Is it Time to Restore Your Natural Stone?

Natural Stone Refinishing Polishing 

Over time, with normal wear and tear, natural stone floors can start to lose their luster - their shine and their beautiful appeal. They may begin to look dull, like someone - many people, many shoes - have been walking on them for years, right?

So, is it time to restore your natural stone floors?

Let’s investigate this a little further.

What to Look For

There are many different signs that can tell you whether or not it’s time for natural stone restoration - not all of them have to do with their shine or scuff marks that have been left over the years. In fact, sometimes the tiles can become uneven just from different wear and tear. In more extreme cases, you could be looking at cracked stone which allows dirt and grime buildup to damage the stone itself. If you’re dealing with either of these, deep stains, or even if you don’t like the appearance of your stone - it’s time for a restoration.

How Restoration Works

There are many cleaners that can actually damage natural stone, so it’s always recommended to hire a professional when looking to clean, refinish, or completely restore your stone flooring.

Restoration involves polishing and completely refinishing your floors to ensure that they get that beautiful luster and shine back just as they first had when they were first installed.

Making the decision to restore your natural flooring may not be an easy one, but we can promise you it will save you money in the long run - instead of having to replace your floors all together. Keep in mind; the sooner you decide to restore natural stone, the easier the process will be!

Don’t wait if you’re questioning the luster on your stone floors - call The Steam Team today!

How To: Removing Stains from Your Upholstery

Upholstery and Fine Furniture Cleaning Austin, Texas

When it comes to owning anything - whether it be furniture, flooring, or even clothes - stains can be your worst enemy. Fortunately, there are numerous solutions to avoiding the worst of them all - the permanent stains. First and foremost, timing is everything - and we mean everything - with stains. So before you start to worry about that spill on your couch, let us give you a few tips.

Timing

Remember how we said timing is everything? We’re specifically talking about the amount of time that passes between the spill itself and when you begin to clean it up. If left to sit, you could be looking at a permanent problem not even minutes from now. So, it’s incredibly important that you tend to the spill immediately and remove any excess liquid or grime. Then, you can blot with a dust-free towel to ensure that you don’t spread the stain further.

Why Hiring a Professional Will Guarantee Stain-Free Furniture

Every fabric should be treated differently as they absorb liquids and stains differently. In fact, using home products could end up being harmful to the fabric. This is often difficult to understand if you’re unfamiliar with cleaning upholstery. That’s why (among other reasons) hiring a professional will guarantee you stain-free furniture - their experience, equipment, and knowledge is hard to beat!

Before allowing the stains to set into your upholstered furniture - whether it’s a couch, chair, ottoman, etc. - give a professional cleaning company a call to at least get an estimate.

Often times, removing stubborn stains is not as easy as we’d all like it to be. With clothes, you can easily throw them in the wash, right? Not so with upholstery. Each fabric is different, requiring different techniques to really reach those tough spots. Don’t try to do-it-yourself, leave that to the professionals!

3 Benefits of Leather Conditioning

Leather Cleaning

Chances are - if you own leather furniture - you know that leather is a complex material. Whether we’re talking about cleaning, maintaining, spot-treating - it doesn’t matter, leather is certainly complex. You may already be aware of leather condition and it’s necessity, but there is more than one benefit to using conditioner with your leather furniture. In fact, here are 3 that we came up with!

1. Leather Elasticity

With proper conditioning, leather material is able to better maintain its elasticity. When leather dries out, it becomes more susceptible to wear and tear - or, in other words, damage. Leather elasticity is incredibly important to keeping your leather furniture in its optimal condition.

1. Proper Care Elongates the Life Span of Material

Since cleaning and conditioning are the biggest part of caring properly for leather material, it can really elongate its life span. Without proper conditioning, especially, leather furniture will dry out - there’s no doubt about it. Not only is dry leather much less aesthetically appealing, but it also becomes rough. Rough, dry leather material can unfortunately suffer from rips, tears, or other damage very easily.

1. Treatment is Cost Effective

Now, we know that conditioning can elongate the lifetime of leather material as it helps restore its elasticity - protecting the material itself from damage. However, that does mean you have to invest in leather conditioner. Although, the conditioner (and cleaner) itself is relatively inexpensive, you may want a professional to clean and apply conditioner for you to better take care of your leather furniture. If this is the case, we’re here to tell you that its treatment is still cost effective. In doing this, you’re further protecting your leather material, meaning, you won’t have to deal with any costly repairs in the future!

Does your leather furniture need some attention? We’d love to help! Give us a call, here at The Steam Team.

Should You Stain Your Concrete?

Concrete And Marble Polishing And Staining

Ah, summertime… Where the days are long and certainly hot (but beautiful, nonetheless). The late afternoons that finally start to cool off - calling your name to sit on the patio for a quiet evening. But, there’s something stopping you - the look of your dull, grey patio concrete. Oh! Slowly, your picture-perfect evening starts to go a little south. Environment really is everything, after all. So, what’s your solution?

It’s simple, really. Stain your concrete to drastically improve those aesthetics!

All About Concrete Staining

Staining your concrete has several benefits - the product you use is water-based and permanent (so you won’t have to worry about wear and tear). Furthermore, it’s entirely customizable to your taste. Whether you want a dark stain covering the grey concrete, or maybe something lighter (or even mixed areas) - it’s possible with concrete staining. Last, and of course the most important for most homeowners; you can completely makeover your patio without having to buy entirely new flooring, in turn, saving yourself some money.

How to Stain Concrete

There are certainly ways you can stain your concrete yourself, but if not done properly, there are many risks involved. If you’re wanting a guaranteed way to enjoy the new look of your concrete patio, give a professional a call.

Before applying any type of stain, the concrete itself will need to be properly cleaned, polished, and the area prepared. Then, you (or your professional) can get to work applying the stain over the area. After the stain is the desired shade or tint, the concrete can then be sealed to further protect the color.

Whether you’re going to be entertaining a group of people or simply enjoying the atmosphere by yourself, you can never go wrong with staining your concrete.

How to Prevent Further Damage from Flooding

Water Removal And Restoration

Once an appliance breaks, a pipe bursts, or a natural storm occurs and water begins flooding your home, damage is just around the corner. Unfortunately, sooner rather than later, too. But - don’t lose hope! You can help yourself to prevent your home from suffering further damage. How? Let’s take a quick look!

Educate Yourself

You’re doing the right thing by first educating yourself on dealing with water damage (and properly).

Knowing the different levels of water contamination is extremely important in instances of flooding. There are 3 different categories; category 1 water is sanitary water, but can become contaminated if left unattended. Category 2 is mildly contaminated water that can cause illness (also known as grey water). Lastly, category 3 is known as black water and is the most dangerous type of contamination - including sewage backups and could cause severe complications (even death).

Act Quickly - Like Immediately

The sooner you call in a professional, the more likely you are to prevent that further damage we keep talking about. Water damage only gets worse with time, unfortunately. The longer water is left to sit around a home (or anywhere) the more contaminated it becomes. When you deal with it immediately, you also protect yourself from any potential mold growth around the house - which can cause a number of health problems.

Deciding which professional restoration company you should go with isn’t always a cut and dry decision, either. Ask for references, insurance, and make sure they’re willing to answer your most pressing questions! But, since time is of the essence - don’t take too long and find a company that’s available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In fact, we may know about one - oh yeah! Us, here at The Steam Team.

Can You Avoid Basement Flooding?

Water Removal and Drying 

Water damage can occur for a number of different reasons - from natural disasters to broken appliances. Unfortunately, basements are the most endangered area in the house when it comes to flooding. Although basements aren’t extremely common here in Texas, for those of you who do have them - you’re in for a treat today!

So, you’re probably curious now; is there a way to avoid flooding the basement in the event of water damage? And, while it may not be entirely fool-proof, there are certainly ways you can prevent this kind of damage from affecting your basement.

It’s in your best interest to have a professional come out to your house and check the following:

1. Secure Windows

If you live in an older home with its original windows, there’s a likely chance that there could be areas around your windows that need to be secured. With storms, unsecured windows are an easy way for water to leak into the basement.

1. Check the Foundation

As with the windows, cracks in the foundation are among one of the top reasons basements suffer from flooding. There are easy ways to temporarily seal cracks in your foundation, but if you’re looking at a more serious foundation issue - it’s definitely time to call a professional.

1. Maintain Gutters

Last, but certainly not least, keeping any debris or other gunk out of your gutters is extremely important to maintain water flow away from your home.

Unfortunately, water damage can lead to other, more dangerous, damages if left unattended for any period of time. Further, the basement is often one of the most neglected areas in the home - leaving a lot of room for error, and - you guessed it - damage. If you haven’t had your basement inspected for current water damage, recently, now may be the perfect time to do so. And, don’t forget to look at your windows, foundation, and gutters while you’re at it!

Keeping Your Office Carpet Clean During Summer

Cleaning 

We’ve experience a lot of mixed weather lately - from rain for days on end, to dry, hot days that feel endless. Unfortunately, neither situation is good for your office carpet. With rain, there’s a good amount of mud and other debris that can be tracked in with the water. But, with the dry heat, there’s likely dirt and other dry debris that can be tracked in on your shoes or your client's shoes. The more debris tracked into and around your office carpet, not only will your carpet become dirtier - but, it can also shorten the lifespan of your carpet fibers (and overall carpeting).

So, how do you make sure your office carpet is kept clean during the summer?

Get the Professionals Involved

When it comes to high rise cleaning carpet - you don’t want someone who doesn’t have the experience, equipment, or knowledge to be cleaning your office. Carpet can hold onto a lot of dirt and grime - leaving your clients with a not-so-good first impression if not properly cleaned.

That’s why we recommend steam cleaning and using a professional company - like The Steam Team - to do so.

The Benefits of Steam Cleaning

Not only does steam cleaning get your carpet thoroughly clean, but it also has a multitude of other benefits. From being completely safe for children and pets, to minimizing any allergens in the carpet (or other fabrics that you may be steam cleaning), you really can’t go wrong. Of course, when you’re hiring a professional too, you don’t have to worry about making any large purchases for equipment because they’ve already got the top-grade stuff!

Often times, carpet becomes dirty before we can notice it with the naked eye. If your office experiences a high amount of foot traffic - do not hesitate to give us a call! We’re always happy to help, here at The Steam Team.

Quick Tips for Handling Water Damage

water damage emergency service

Water damage can occur at any size and severity - whether large or small. Being prepared prior to any occurrence of damage is essential in times like these - so don’t stop reading just yet! We’ve put together some quick tips for the initial acts of dealing with water damage, no matter the size.

Remove Excess Water (if you can)

Depending on where the damage occurs, you’ll want to remove any excess water you’re able to. Most importantly, from wood furniture and upholstery if possible. However, if you can remove water from your flooring as well, it’s definitely recommended.

Remove Colored Materials on Top of Carpets

Whether these materials are fabric - like rugs - cushions or even art, it’s important to remove them from carpeting immediately as with the addition of water damage, the colors could bleed and cause further damage to your carpets.

Move Furniture Off of Carpeting (if possible)

It’s difficult for carpeting to fully dry and restore to its previous condition if furniture is left on top of it when soaked. Unfortunately, for many homes that have carpeting throughout the entire home, it’s difficult to find a place to move this furniture (much less, move it by yourself). If you’re unable to - ask your professional restoration company what you should do. They may have a trick or two up their sleeve to help protect your flooring and furniture while you wait for them to get there.

Move Loose Objects to Dry Ground

This one may seem obvious, but in the midst of the commotion can also be overlooked. If you have loose objects laying around that are touching water, it’s easiest to move them to dry ground to best protect them from further water damage.

Stay Safe

Above all, do not touch anything electrical if water is near - no televisions, appliances, stereos, cell phones, cords, etc. None of it - the last thing you need is to risk your physical health and well being on top of worrying about the condition of your home.

If you’re unsure of how to handle any water damage - wait for help from a professional restoration company. You won’t regret it!

Can't Seem to Get Rid of Those Allergies?

Air Duct Cleaning Austin Texas Since 1983

Take a Look at Your Air Ducts!

You would be surprised to learn about the millions upon millions of people that suffer from allergies. Although Austin may be the allergy capitol of the world, people suffer from allergies all over the world - and not just outside, but inside the home too. Have you noticed your eyes watering more than normal lately? How about sneezing, coughing, itchy nose or eyes? Don’t let your allergies get the best of you - there are many ways you can get rid of those annoying allergens inside the home, starting with a good and thorough air duct cleaning.

Why Your Air Ducts Need to Be Cleaned

While they are certainly an incredibly important part of your home, air ducts are commonly neglected. This means they end up collecting tons of dirt, debris, dust, pet dander, and other grime that then gets further spread around the home. Over time, mold can even build up inside your air ducts - causing allergic reactions among your household members.

So, even if the rest of your house is kept extremely and thoroughly clean, if your air ducts aren’t properly tended to - allergens can continue to spread (far and wide) across the home.

The Best Way to Clean Air Ducts

Many times when homeowners hear that their air ducts need a good cleaning, their first reaction is to dust the vents and call it a day. Unfortunately, a poor cleaning for your air ducts just takes up your precious time and doesn’t do much for the allergens or grime that are busy collecting in your ducts themselves.

The answer is rather simple; hire a professional who has the experience and equipment to get the job done right the first time! They’ll take care of your ducts and the entire system too, now that’s a thorough cleaning.

When Should Hardwood Floors Be Refinished?

You may think refinishing your hardwood floors would be an obvious choice - maybe you start to notice wear, scratches, discoloration, or even large gauges among the wood planks. Unfortunately, the answer isn’t always so obvious. Refinishing your hardwoods is, in fact, a little more complicated.

At first, you may be concerned with the cost of refinishing your floors - but, before jumping to any conclusions, let’s go over a few things to look for before making that final decision.

Amount of Traffic

With any floor - whether refinishing or replacing - the first thing to take into consideration is the amount of traffic walking on them (between kids, pets, other guests, etc.). With a higher amount of traffic, hardwoods will lose their original luster faster - but this does depend on the type of shoes (or for pets, even how long their nails are) traveling back and forth across your home.

Hardwood Floor Cleaning

A New Look

Refinishing your floors is an exceptional alternative (and much less costly) to completely replacing them altogether. In fact, if you’re in the mood for a big change, you can choose a different stain color and save thousands and thousands of dollars without having to replace each plank.

How is it Done?

The best (and easiest) way to refinish your hardwoods is to hire a professional, for many reasons. First and foremost, a professional has the experience and knowledge behind them to get the job done in an efficient and effective manner. Taking on a job as big as this one by yourself is tiresome (to say the least), skip the stress and save yourself some time and go ahead and make that phone call to a professional company - like The Steam Team. We’re always happy to help!

Odor Removal After Fire Damage

Fire Damage Georgetown, TX

We hope you’ve never had to experience fire damage, but if you have - there’s one thing you can agree with us on; the odor that lingers is no joke! Of course there are several factors that play into the severity of the smoke odor, like the size of the fire, the length of time your home is exposed, the materials that were affected, etc. But regardless of the severity of the odor - one thing is for sure, we all want to know how to get rid of it.

First thing’s first; the best way to begin tackling your fire damage restoration is to hire a professional restoration company (but you probably already knew that). The professionals will know exactly how to handle each situation - no matter the factors. Odor removal is already a part of the entire ‘cleanup’ process, but depending on the materials that have burned, The Steam Team will take different approaches to properly and effectively tackle the worst of odors.

How Smoke and Soot Are Removed

Removing odor from fire damage begins with eliminating the source of the odor, which stems from the smoke and soot left around the home. A professional restoration company will use an industrial-grade vacuum that has high powered suction to pull any oily soot off of your flooring, other surfaces, and materials. This step is vital before beginning to rid of any odor around the home - because if soot is left, that odor will come back.

So, what is the easiest way to remove that lingering odor after a fire? Trying to do-it-yourself may feel overwhelming and seem tiresome. Don’t put that stress on yourself - hire the professionals to do it and  you can guarantee your home will be taken care of.

Dealing With Mold After Water Damage

Water Damage San Marcos, Texas

After water damage, the clean up isn’t finished when all the water is gone. There’s a lot more to water damage clean up than just letting the affected areas dry. Unfortunately, water - especially standing and contaminated water - can lead to mold growth. Mold poses many dangers, including health risks, especially for those who are allergic. For this reason (among others) it should always be handled by an experienced professional.

Where Does Mold Grow?

Mold can grow wherever moisture becomes trapped - whether that be in the walls, carpets, furniture, etc. It especially thrives in areas that are moist and humid, which is why homes become such a breeding ground for mold after floods.

Unfortunately, mold is often not visible to the naked eye, unless you go looking for it. But even then, sometimes, it can be hard to see with an untrained eye. So, it can be difficult to know if you have mold growth unless the professionals can examine the extent of water damage.

Removing Mold from the Home

Getting rid of mold in the home begins with removing the water and drying out the damaged area. Your best bet is to hire professionals to steam clean the entire affected area afterwards - carpets, furniture, any other flooring (or furniture) involved. These professionals will use the right (and best) equipment to properly remove any mold and dry it out enough to stop growth and spreading.

Trying to remove mold growth altogether by yourself is surely a daunting task, so don’t overwhelm yourself unnecessarily. Often times, do-it-yourself products or techniques aren’t as effective as the techniques that professionals use.

Dealing with mold can feel impossible, but it shouldn’t! Especially when you involve the professionals from the beginning. Together with their training, experience, and equipment, they’ll surely get the job done properly and thoroughly.

The Best Way to Treat Leather Furniture

Leather Cleaning

Leather is a special material - very different from others, especially more expensive. All good reasons to learn the best way to treat and care for your leather furniture. Unfortunately, leather can easily wrinkle, tear, scratch, among other damages if not properly cared for. On the flip side, fortunately, there are ways to prevent all of this from happening.

Regular Maintenance    

Just as flooring and other upholstered furniture, vacuuming regularly will rid of dust, debris, and other grime. In addition to vacuuming, however, it’s imperative to wipe the leather down with a damp (not wet) cloth.

There are several things you should always keep away from leather material, too. Cleaners that aren’t made for leather furniture, especially, as they could end up damaging the furniture even worse. Additionally, try not to use any soap or excess water on the furniture because it could end up ruining it.

Treating and Conditioning Leather

To keep leather in the best state, it’s best to condition and treat it at least annually - although you certainly don’t want to overdo it. If you’re unsure of how to treat leather, you can always hire leather technicians. When we say ‘condition’ we’re not talking about picking up any conditioner or oil around your home and rubbing in on your fine leather, either. Make sure you’re only using leather-specific products, because you don’t want to cause any further damage or unnecessary damage to your costly investment.

Preserving your leather furniture also preserves your investment. The better care you take of your furniture - leather especially - the longer it’ll last.

If you’re dealing with extensive damage to your leather, don’t hesitate to contact a professional. Here at The Steam Team, we have certified leather technicians who know how to restore your leather to its original condition.

What is Black Mold?

Water Damage in Austin, Texas

As if suffering from water damage isn’t enough already, there are other risks you have to worry about - like mold. There are different kinds of mold, or rather stages. All mold can spread rapidly, but the most toxic of all is black mold.

What is Black Mold?

Black mold is exactly what it sounds like - mold that is black in color. Unfortunately, because it’s the most toxic of all mold, it does have increased health risks. If you’re around black mold, you may experience allergic reactions and other health problems like chronic headaches, fever, eye irritation, coughing, etc. But that’s not the end of it - you could even experience more severe symptoms (nausea, vomiting, etc.). We’re not trying to scare you - but everyone should be aware of the health effects that black mold (or really, any mold) can have on you and your family.

How Do You Take Care of Black Mold?

Most importantly, you must take safety precautions. Mold is not something you want to mess around with. If you notice any signs of mold or if you suffer from water damage - your best solution is to call a professional cleaning and restoration company.

Trying to rid of mold by yourself can cause more than just a headache - it could begin to affect your health, especially if you’re not careful or don’t have experience doing so. Getting a professional company involved will guarantee that the mold is taken care of. With their experience, equipment, insurance, and safety precautions, they’ll be able to ensure that the mold will stop growing and spreading around your home.

Black mold can be toxic - it can be dangerous to your health and your home. There’s a reason it’s referred to as ‘toxic’ mold to begin with! Don’t put your health at risk, protect yourself and your family by hiring a professional to take care of the mes

The Best Way to Clean Carpets in Cedar Park, Texas

Carpet Cleaning Cedar Park, TX

Each different type of carpet should be treated differently. With shag carpet (or rugs), especially, it can be difficult to find the methods that are going to yield the best results.

Choosing A Vacuum

Most vacuums have small wheels, but these often pose a problem when it comes to high-piled carpeting because they have a hard time pushing through all of the fibers. So, there are a few things to look for when choosing a vacuum; larger wheels and a machine that weighs less work best to move through the thickness of a shag carpet or rug.

Just as you would any other carpet, don’t forget to regularly vacuum to keep it in the best shape and elongate its lifetime. Regularly cleaning your carpet will also keep it from looking dirty on a consistent basis, obviously, but it keeps you from having to deal with a damaged carpet once you begin to notice the dirt and grime.

Deep Cleaning

Since choosing a vacuum is so different for shag carpets or rugs, you may be thinking that deep cleaning is too - but it’s actually not much different! That’s the nice thing about steam cleaning - it’s extremely versatile. No matter the type of flooring, steam cleaning can be used to get that thorough, deep clean that your carpet needs.

Your best bet is to hire a professional once, twice, or three times a year, because they’ll know how to maneuver their equipment through the high-piled fibers. A steam cleaning professional will also give you better suction, more power, and of course - a deeper clean.

When cleaning yourself, keep in mind that many materials and fibers do require different treatment. But - you can always count on your professionals at The Steam Team for that thorough steam cleaning that your flooring needs.

How Inspection Works After Water Damage

24 Hour Emergency Service Austin, Texas 

After your home has suffered from water damage, the entire house and extent of damage needs to be inspected and evaluated. Not just for insurance purposes, although that is extremely important, but also to evaluate how much cleaning and restoration is needed. Typically, there are two inspections - a exterior and interior inspection - to thoroughly assess all of the damage.

What the Inspector is Looking For

On the outside, an inspector will be looking for signs of water damage - obviously. However, those signs look different on the outside than they do the inside. On the outside, there could be cracks or breaks in the foundation or exterior material on the house. If the roof was affected, look for missing shingles or collapsing areas in the roof. Depending on how the water damage occurred, they may look for places that would be leaking on the exterior.

On the inside, they’ll begin by looking at the ceiling for cracks or water spots to determine where the damage is coming from (if not already known). Otherwise, they’ll look around the home to see the areas that have been affected - the walls, doors, and other structural damages. They’ll also look at fixtures and appliances around the home to make sure those are safe and sound. Finally, they’ll inspect your bathrooms, flooring damage, and belongings.

How A Professional Restoration Company Can Help

When it comes to inspection and assessment of damage, a professional restoration company can help more than you think. With their experience, they already know what to look for, they know how to document everything from taking pictures to writing descriptions. Plus, they have all of the equipment you’ll need to begin cleaning and restoring your home to its previous condition.

It’s best to eliminate any additional stress, since the process can be hectic as it is. Hiring a professional company to help you throughout the entire process.