Surface Source Flooring

Building Revenue thru Cleaning & Maintenance-04-11

In search of new and diversified revenue streams, residential and commercial floorcovering dealers are turning (or returning) to floor cleaning and maintenance. With a reasonable investment of capital, dealers can be fully outfitted in a side venture that not only offers good potential for profit but also serves as a way to maintain contact with customers in between flooring purchases, a hard to quantify but valuable advantage. Though the commercial and residential markets differ greatly in most areas, the business of cleaning and maintenance is one area where they operate similarly. In both sectors, many of the dealers starting cleaning and maintenance businesses today are getting help as they forge into this new market. Commercial co-op Starnet offers members cleaning and maintenance programs that are, essentially, plug-and-play models, providing businesses with the structure and know-how to commence with a cleaning business in a matter of weeks. And Alliance, a buying group for residential dealers, has a similar offering for its membership.  “Shame on us as an industry if we don’t do what the automotive and appliance industries have done—making maintenance a part of the equation, ” says Brian Warren, president of Floor Care for Life, which coordinates cleaning and maintenance programs for both the residential and commercial markets. Warren notes that in vehicles, a light comes on to remind the consumer when it’s time for scheduled maintenance. With flooring, there is no light, though maintenance is just as necessary if consumers are to get the most from their flooring investment. Warren’s business, which has been in operation for nearly 12 years, offers retailers a host of options for how to turn on the maintenance light for flooring customers. And if retailers can get their programs running smoothly, cleaning and maintenance will provide a nice cushion to their bottom line.  Experts say that the cleaning business, in both the residential and commercial markets, nets 20% to 25% profit. And Ron Dunn, co-CEO of Alliance Flooring, estimates that one residential cleaning van should pull in between $150,000 and $200,000 annually. “For anyone with a customer base, it’s almost a foolproof profit center,” he says.

Renovating Your Basement — Moisture Problems | ReMax Real Estate ...

Remodelling your basement is one of the easiest and most cost-efficient ways of adding new living space to your house. Besides the traditional recreation room, more and more people are using basements for self-contained “granny flats”, rental suites or home offices. No matter what the renovation purpose, ensuring that the space is clean, dry and healthy is a critical part of the project — and something that must be done before anything else.

Figure 1: Moisture problems to solve

Common Situations

Moisture is the most common problem in basements — either entering from outside sources or being produced inside by the occupants’ activities.

The soil around the walls can contain a large amount of moisture from surface water that is seeping down or from a high water table. Water can find its way inside by gravity or through a crack or flaw in the water protection layer of the foundation. Water can also be pulled up by a “wicking action” or “pushed up” by hydrostatic pressure from the soil under the walls or floor. In the summer, warm moist air from outside can enter the house and lead to condensation on the cool basement walls or floor.

Daily activities also produce moisture that can be trapped inside the home.

Basement moisture problems often include:

Foundation cracks that leak. Standing water. Efflorescence (white, chalky stains). Wet decaying wood in contact with concrete. Damp or moldy walls or floor. Condensation on windows, pipes and other fixtures. Wet insulation. Moisture damaged finishes. Musty or damp carpets. High humidity. Stuffy, damp smells. Healthy Housing™

Renovating is an ideal time to make your house healthier for you, the community and the environment. When assessing your renovation project, be sure to consider the five essentials of  .

House as a System

A house is much more than just four walls and a roof—it’s an interactive system made up of many components including the basic structure, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment, the external environment and the occupants. Each component influences the performance of the entire system. A renovation provides an opportunity to improve how your house performs.

Basement moisture problems can have a huge effect on the durability of the entire house structure and on the indoor air quality (IAQ) throughout the house.

Avoid Surprises

Moisture problems are caused by a buildup of a variety of water sources. Whether it comes from surface or ground water that leaks in, water that wicks up or water vapour that condenses, it must be controlled.

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