Selling your HOME, Don’t leave YOUR MONEY behind!

Spring is right around the corner and you are thinking of putting your home up for sale. Where do you start? It has been cold outside so you will probably start with the interior of your home. You know, the normal decluttering, painting and just a general thorough cleaning to spruce things up.

The key to selling any home is to get buyers through the front door and this can prove to be a difficult task. There are many factors that get people in the front door like the agent, price, size and the most obvious “curb appeal”. Other than changing the size of the home the only other thing that can have a dramatic affect on the look of the home is the curb appeal.

What are some things that you can do to upgrade your homes curb appeal? How much does this all cost? You would be surprised how little these services really are. Some of the services you will want to look into are pressure washing, house washing, lawn mowing, hedge trimming, weeding, window cleaning, gutter cleaning and roof cleaning. For most homes that have less than 3,000 square feet the cost will be less than $1,000 with multiple services combined within this price. Prices will vary across the country and based on the condition of the home. Curb appeal can be achieved with the least cost and have the most effect.

Now you have another decision, do it yourself or hire a professional. You have to ask yourself 3 basic questions, 1- Do I have the knowledge to do this? 2- Do I have the equipment to do this? 3- Do I have the time to do this? The key is to have all this done before you put the home on the market not after the first wave of potential buyers.

Three basic things affect the price of a home, 1- Condition of the home. 2- Location of the home. 3- The amount of time on the market. If you don’t finish these chores before the home goes on the market, the first wave of buyers look at the condition of the home. Now because of this they may decide not to put in an offer. This brings us to #2 and you can’t fix that the home is where it is. Because the initial wave of buyers did not make an offer we are now months later at step 3 which is time on the market. The longer a house sits on the market, the lower the next buyer is going to bid. You see, in the mind of the buyer, if there was nothing wrong with your home it would be sold already.

DIY or hire a pro is all you have to decide on now. If you have the time, knowledge and equipment then DIY can be an option. If you are missing any one of the three then hire the professional contract cleaning company. They can do the work in a timely fashion and it usually looks better than a DIY project. Just be sure to have it finished before the home gets listed and you start to get traffic.

Don’t Leave YOUR MONEY behind!

Roof Cleaning Agent Dangers

We have all done it at one point or another, right? We have mixed household cleaning chemicals together thinking it would clean better and faster? We have been overwhelmed by the fumes or gotten burned and some may have even ended up in the hospital.

Now for cleaning your roof the dangers are the same only on a much greater scale because of the amount of cleaning solution needed, such as this article about an explosion in Tampa

Tampa Roof Cleaning Explosion

or this one about a pressure cleaner that was injured

Pressure Cleaner Injured In Chemical Explosion

Both of these happened out of careless habits and/or no knowledge of the cleaning agents they were mixing.

Roof Cleaning is a serious business and the risks are real. Not just falling off a ladder but the handling of the cleaning agents can pose a danger if done improperly.

An Alert and concientious roof cleaner is what you need working on your home. An A-R-C-A Certified Roof Cleaner is taught the proper methods of handling and applying the ARMA(Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association) recommended cleaning agents. Rest assured, your A-R-C-A Certified roof Cleaner pays attention to what they are doing.

Copyright 2009 - The Cleaning Doctor - All Rights Reserved -

Increase The Value of Your Home With Exterior Cleaning

Given the number of television shows currently concentrating on buying and selling houses, it's little surprise that many home owners are well informed about how to get the best value for the property. The exterior of our homes is one area that we may have been neglecting.

We've all seen the shows, with their tips on how best to sell our homes. The advice on making improvements to our kitchens and bathrooms is all correct, but there are some parts of our properties that seem to be forgotten.

When a prospective buyer arrives to take a look at your home, the first part of the building that they will be seeing will be the exterior. In fact, even before they arrive at your home, they'll have been making judgments about the property based on what they think of the state of the outside of the house.

First impressions are always important in life and this holds particularly true when it comes to property viewing. A tired looking house exterior immediately creates a negative impression.

If you're home has a layer of dirt and grime, caused by years of pollution, then you really should think about getting it cleaned up before putting it up for sale.

Cleaning the outside of the house doesn't just look better - it can add value to your property.

Many buildings that are in the worst condition in the UK tend to be in urban areas, close to main roads. Some of the most beautiful homes in the country currently have the disadvantage of looking tired and old.

There are a number of companies in the UK who specialise in cleaning buildings, with particular emphasis on older homes, buildings and monuments. Speaking to one leading expert, I was struck by how much cleaning methods have moved on.

Where possible, many building cleaning service providers avoid using chemicals, ensuring that the entire procedure is environmentally friendly.

Now's the time to ask yourself: how clean is my property?

As Keith Barrett found out, the specialists from EcoLogic Systems are experts in building cleaning. This article may be published on any website but this resource box must be included in full. The author retains all copyright.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Keith_Barrett

Red Shingle Roof Cleaning and Stain Removal - Clarksville, TN

As you can see this home had a really bad infestation of algae. The home owner was thinking that he had to replace the roof in order to remove this algae.

This infestation required more than normal amounts of our cleaning solution to remove all the stain.

By the photos you can see that Clarksville, TN roof cleaning is possible no matter how bad the infestation is.

All the algae has been removed from this roof and it looks new again.

By looking at the before photo, most consumers and home owners would not believe that those stains could be removed. How would you like to save thousands of dollars? What about saving 90% over roof replacement? That is a savings you could realize by having your roof cleaned instead of replaced.

If you have any questions visit our web site at http://www.thecleaningdoc.com/

Sodium Hydroxide Based Roof Cleaners - Why we don't use them!

Sodium Hydroxide based cleaners are sold and marketed as being safer for the landscaping, but sodium hydroxide is caustic and very toxic. Sodium Hydroxide is used in stripping stains and sealers off of wood surfaces such as decks and fences. Sodium hydroxide is also a very effective degreaser and is used in the cleaning of commercial kitchen hoods. Asphalt shingles are a petroleum product (i.e. grease, oil). So high levels of sodium hydroxide in a cleaning product can cause permanent irreversible damage to an asphalt shingle roof. These products generally require much more rinsing and pressure than the sodium hypochlorite cleaning solutions used by ARCA Certified Roof Cleaners and the recommended cleaning method of the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association (ARMA). The rinsing process is not only time consuming, but it can also be potentially damaging to the roof if not done correctly. A sodium hydroxide based cleaning product requires more than normal garden hose pressure to effectively rinse an asphalt shingle roof and some granule loss should be expected.

Be sure to ask your roof cleaner what the main active ingredient is in their cleaning solution before you hire them.

For more information visit our web site at http://www.thecleaningdoc.com/

Wood Restoration or Preservation

I wanted to talk to you some about wood care. What is so special about wood care, you ask? Well without the proper procedures you can be wasting your hard earned money.

Have you ever purchased a product from the local box store, only to have it fail within a years time? It is not necessarily that these products are bad but the process of applying it is incorrect. Thus causing premature failure.

Without the proper protection from the elements your exterior wood will warp, bow, cup, split and just rot. This will result in hundreds if not thousands of dollars in wood replacement. Your deck is an extension of your home and a great place to enjoy and entertain.

Let's look at cleaning methods. You have wood that is greyed or black from mildew and now you want to restore your wood. Some so called professionals use a pressure washer alone to clean this off the wood surface. By itself the pressure washer is not a good choice. Even though you have cleaned the surface, mold and mildew spores remain in the wood fibers and when you apply a sealer over the top of these spores you will have mold or mildew growth under the finish and eventually causing the finish to fail.

Some professionals use bleach. Even some stain manufacturers tell you to use bleach or make a cleaner based on bleach as the main ingredient. This will work and it will kill the mold or mildew but at a price. The wood will end up being lighter than the original wood because it bleaches out the natural color of the wood. This will cause your stain to have a different look than you intended. Bleach is also used in the process of manufacturing paper to help break up the wood fibers. Why would you use this on a deck or fence?

Well what should my wood restoration professional use to clean my deck?

You can use various store bought cleaners but here are some guidelines. For stripping an old finish, the cleaner used should be a sodium hydroxide based cleaner. Fair warning this can cause chemical burns and kill vegetation. If you have wood with no previous sealer then you would use a sodium percarbonate based cleaner which is much easier on the wood. Both of the cleaners need to be followed up with an application of either citric acid or oxalic acid to neutralize the cleaners and restore the natural PH levels of the wood.

Using bleach leaves the PH levels extremely high and thus the wood surface will not accept the stain as readily as it would have normally.

One last thing, for best results let your wood weather for 6 months before applying any stain or sealer. It is not required but you will get better results and the finish will last longer thus saving you money.

Stay tuned for future posts where we discuss our stain choices and why we use them.

Shingle Roof Cleaning - Clarksville, TN

Does your Clarksville, TN roof look like this one? Are you thinking of having it replaced?

We can save you money on the replacement costs by cleaning the roof instead of replacing it.

Our cleaning methods are recommended by the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association (ARMA) and is completely safe for your home.

We can make your home beautiful once again for about 1/10th the replacement cost of a shingle roof replacement or less.

For more information visit our web site at www.thecleaningdoc.com/

How is your curb appeal? Does your home exterior need cleaning?

How is the curb appeal on your home? Are you thinking of putting your home on the market?

If your roof looks like the one to the right be prepared to receive lower bids. These shingles look like they are going to need replacing soon.

Roof stain removal is possible and inexpensive compared to other home improvement options.
You can lose a buyer before they even pull into the drive way. They may decide to keep on driving and pick another house. Let's say you have the best finished interior home in Clarksville, TN. This will not matter if you can not get buyers in the door. They will drive up and change their minds saying to themselves that the house sure looked better in the photos. Don't let this happen to you. Secondly a home with a clean exterior will bring a higher bid than an identical home next door or down the street.

There are several things that you can do to the exterior of your home to keep the buyers interest. First is well maintained landscaping, trim back or remove those overgrown bushes and for heaven's sake keep the lawn mowed and trimmed. Cheapest thing you can do.
Next you must clean the outside of your home. This includes the roof as that is the largest single expense to replace (unless you have an large expansive deck). It is also the most noticeable. When a husband and wife walk up to a house the wife generally looks at the landscaping first while the husband will look at the roof first.

Then the next item is the gutters, if you have trees growing in the gutters you have just told the potential buyer that I didn't take care of this house. I was so lazy I didn't take the time to clean my gutters or hire someone to clean them. Well maybe you don't have trees growing in your gutter but take a look at the outside. Notice the black streaks? You need to get those off of there but there is a problem, these streaks are the hardest of the items to clean and most times require scrubbing to remove them. From a distance they look ok but up close they are filthy. Want to sell your home faster and for more money? Clean gutters look like new gutters.

Now we get to the siding. On my house the color of the vinyl siding is a yellowish tan color and it does not look bad from a distance but up close it looked terrible. Dusty looking mildew all over it with darker spotting. Well out comes the house wash and now that siding looks like it should. Clean and no mildew.

Probably the most neglected part of a home is the deck and fence because it is in the rear of the home and it has to have constant attention. Depending on the wood and the weather in Clarksville, TN your deck may need attention every year or two. Fences can go longer because (hopefully no one is walking on it) vertical surfaces hold up better because the water drains easily. If you can't afford to have the entire deck finished then at least have that old gray wood brightened. Make the fence and deck look like it was just built.

Doing all the things or at least some of them will greatly increase your chances of selling your home faster. Unless they are bargain shoppers the buyers usually want a house they do not have to put work into right from the start. This is where Great White Technologies comes in, We specialize in the cleaning of the exterior of your home. From roof stain removal to wood restoration and siding/house wash to gutter cleaning.

Make your Clarksville, Tennessee home shine on the outside like a beacon calling the buyers to view the beautiful interior of your home.

Power Washing or Roof Cleaning Chemicals?

According to ARMA (Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association) and CASMA (Canadian Asphalt Shingle Manufacturers Association), pressure washing of shingle roofs are not recommended. Why is this you ask? Well pressure, even so called low pressure, can dislodge the little granules on the surface of the shingle exposing the underlying membrane to UV rays. This can cause premature failure of the shingle. It can also be cause for voiding your warranty.

These granules are vital to the health of your shingle. It not only provides the coloring of the shingle but prevents the underlying membrane from damage by the elements. Imaging what a flock of birds would do to your unprotected roof!

There are several roof cleaning chemicals being marketed today and most of them require medium pressure to be effective. What this means is that instead of a 3000 PSI pressure washer with one nozzle they want you to use a device with 3 nozzles that reduce the individual pressure at each nozzle down to some where in the range of 800 to 1300 psi. WOW that is still a lot of pressure. Think about it, at one point or another most of us have cleaned our own gutters and have noticed the little granules in the gutter from the shingles. Now these were removed by RAIN. Just think how many can be removed with a pressure washer even at 800 psi. Heck your garden has less than 100 psi and us usually around 60 or 70 psi and it can remove granules. Try it one day on a scrap piece of shingle and see if you remove granules. Do NOT try this on your roof.

The next time someone tries to sell you one of these products just say no thanks. The best and safest way to clean your roof is with a chemical solution recommended by ARMA that will kill the algae on your roof without the need for any pressure. Just spray on the mixture and then you have 2 options, leave it on for it's systemic value and wait for the rain to do the washing or you can completely rinse the roof with a garden hose. Stay tuned for the next post where I discuss the proper method of cleaning your roof.

Keep in mind that even though these chemicals can be dangerous irritants when handled incorrectly, when handled by a professional the risk are much much lower. Let a professional handle the cleaning as they have the proper knowledge, tanks, chemicals, pumps and insurance. This will be the cheapest option in the long run for the home owner.

Visit our Roof Cleaning Clarksville and Nashville web site for more information and videos.

How do I make my roof last longer?

The first thing you can do is - - DO NOT pressure wash the shingles at any time. This will remove the protective granules leaving the underlying membrane exposed to UV Rays which will damage them faster than the algae growing on them.

Now the way to make anything last longer is to implement proper preventive and corrective maintenance procedures. Changing the oil in your car is a preventive maintenance procedure. Getting a tune up could be a corrective maintenance procedure. So it is the same with your home and with the most expensive part of that home, the roof. Proper preventive and corrective measures can increase or at least maintain the lifespan of your roof.

Those black streaks on your roof are often mistaken for mold or fungus but are actually a very hardy algae called Gloeocapsa Magma. The process starts with spores carried by the wind currents being deposited on a roof surface. The algae then attaches itself to your roof and begins feeding. Even though you only have streaks on one side of the house, usually the North side, they are all over the roof surface. They just grow slower on southern facing surfaces. This is why when you have your roof cleaned you need to clean the entire surface.

Without interdiction on your part the algae will eventually start to degrade the integrity of your shingles. About 20 years ago manufacturers started using crushed limestone in the makeup of the shingles and this species of algae actually feed on the limestone. The limestone is a food source allowing the algae to grow unchecked causing the dark streaks that you see.

Take my advice and have your shingles cleaned by a professional. Don't risk your health or worse your life trying to do this on your own, not to mention possible damage to the shingles themselves. Too strong of a chemical mix can do as much damage as pressure washing and too weak is ineffective. With the cost of roof replacement being somewhere in the neighborhood of $5,000 to $15,000 it only make sense to keep it in tip top shape. And what about the danger of working on a roof? Wet roofs become slippery and an inexperienced roof cleaner, such as a typical home owner, are taking unnecessary risks. Before you decide to tackle this problem on your own talk to a roof cleaning professional. They will know exactly what it takes to get your roof clean and have the experience to get the job done.

Visit Roof Cleaning of Clarksville and Nashville for more information

The Dangers of Roof Cleaning

Roof cleaning can be one of the most dangerous undertakings by the average home owner. Lack of experience and improper equipment are just 2 of the dangers physically without even getting to the chemicals that need to be used. Things such as improperly securing a ladder, wet / loose shingles or improper footwear can cause a fall that could cause serious or even fatal injuries. Hint: Don't wear sandals or loose fitting footwear when on a roof.

Is a clean roof really worth taking that kind of risk? What happens to your family if you are injured or worse? Now with the physical equipment mentioned the biggest risk with cleaning your roof are the chemicals and their compatibility with other substances.

How would you like to have a 2 foot hole in your house and get a ride in a helicopter? This actually happened to a man in Tampa, Florida. Check out the story in the St. Petersburg Times and see for yourself. This was a very unfortunate accident but at least the home owner was intelligent enough to hire someone to do the work for him. His mistake was picking the wrong contractor for the job. He hired someone that specialized in pressure washing and not a company that specialized in the application of chemicals to clean roofs.

Your Tennessee home is most likely your largest investment and the roof is the most expensive part of that investment. I have said it before and I probably say it more than you want to hear but it is my opinion that you should leave the cleaning of your roof to a knowledgable, licensed and insured professional. They have the proper knowledge, chemicals, and equipment to keep you and your family safely on the ground. For the sake of your roof, find a contractor that specializes in non-pressure roof cleaning in Tennessee.

For further information about Roof Cleaning in Clarksville and Nashville, TN