Paul Davis Tri-state Blog

Many homeowners assume that when dark stains begin to appear on their ceilings and walls, mold is to blame—but that’s not always the case. Sometimes, when the stain follows the pattern of the framework behind the drywall or on the ceilings, more than likely that what you have is something called ghosting.

Unlike mold, ghosting is caused by dust, smoke, soot, or other similar deposits. Think about the daily habits of your home. If you have a fireplace, smoke inside, or frequently light candles, these can all lead to stained images on your walls and ceiling over time. Ghosting occurs because those small particles attract to one another in areas where the room temperature may vary slightly. Usually the room temperature varies around the wall framing, lights, and outlets.

Mold patterns, on the other hand, are most commonly black, green, or brown in color and grow close to windows and showers where moisture is present. Although there are many different types of mold, none of them will grow without the help of moisture or wet areas.

If you think mold might be growing in your home, contact Paul Davis Tri-State. We can come to your home and help you determine the exact problem. If it is in fact mold, and not ghosting, our team can safely get rid of it and give you tips for preventing its growth in the future.

Last week we talked about the Esporta Wash System that we use to clean and restore soft contents like clothing, purses, luggage, and other textiles.

Another one of our innovative cleaning technologies is the Fireline Contents Cleaning system. Paul Davis Restoration of the Tri-State Area uses this state of the art contents cleaning system which is unique in the Greater Cincinnati area.

The system consists of a Cyclonic Action Pre-Washer, Ultrasonic Cleaner, Vortex In-Line Basket Dryer, and Ozone Chamber, taking the science of cleaning to a whole new level.

Our thorough restoration and deodorization process ensures that your belongings will be returned to their pre-damaged condition and put in their rightful place. We are able to clean contents and remove odor in a way that often results in contents being returned cleaner than they were before they were damaged.

You can read more about this unique system and watch a testimonial video on our website.

Contact us if you have questions about our contents restoration services, or if you have contents that are in need of service or repair.

Whether you’re an experienced traveler or just take the occasional family vacation, staying in a hotel for an extended period of time can make some people anxious. If you remember just last year, bedbugs made headlines when they made their way from hotels back home with tourists and travelers, causing large-spread infestations.

Short of checking the mattress before you go to sleep, how can you protect yourself and make sure that you won’t be bringing these unwanted guests back home with you? The answer to that question…there’s not much you can do except hope it won’t happen to you.

The cost of exterminating bedbugs is not typically covered by insurance. However, a few insurance companies have created and are offering special insurance to protect against this type of infestation—but only for commercial policyholders.

This is good news for landlords, student housing, hotels, and other commercial establishments. When you factor in the cost of treating bedbugs—including pest control, lost revenue, and claims from medical expenses—it’s estimated that the average expense incurred from a bedbug infestation is around $5,000.

The bad news is that this type of insurance isn’t provided for personal homeowners and renters. But because bedbugs are again making headlines talk to your landlord to see if he or she has thought about purchasing a separate policy to protect the property from a wide-spread infestation.

If a tragedy such as a fire or flood were to strike your home, your priceless possessions would more than likely suffer serious damage. One area of our business that we focus on is contents restoration.

This means that if your possessions are in need of repair or professional cleaning after a flood, fire, or other disaster, we can help.

Tracy Bachtell, Senior VP of Business Development, recently wrote an article in Claims Magazine about soft contents restoration and how through the years, technology has dramatically improved this area of restoration services.

Specifically, the Esporta wash system is one advancement that has changed the way—and set new, higher standards—when it comes to soft contents restoration. The Esporta precisely controls time, temperature, cleaning agents, and hydraulic action by incorporating computer-controlled, pre-programmed wash recipes and environmentally friendly cleaning agents.

According to Bachtell: “The results suggested that the technology removes as much as 99 percent of organic contaminants and is capable of cleaning previously thought impossible in the restoration of soft contents. Restoration professionals must now provide evidence of the capability to clean and disinfect at the microscopic level. Third-party independent lab testing can be used to explore the capabilities of limitations of cleaning technology. In addition, Esporta operators use the ATP field testing device to examine individual articles within soft contents claims before and after treatment to verify microscopic decontamination. Restored soft goods need to stand up to the three tests of clean: if it looks clean; if it smells clean; and if it is clean at the microscopic level.”

The system has more than 20 pre-programmed cleaning protocols that can be specified on a touch screen. This lets the operator design a specific combination capable of cleaning smoke, soot, sewage, and other harmful substances. Some of the different items that can be cleaned include leather shoes and purses, luggage, seat cushions, toys, sports equipment, and more.

The good news for you is that Paul Davis Tri-State uses the Esporta system for its soft contents restoration services. If you’re in the Northern Kentucky or Cincinnati area and have contents that need professional cleaning, please contact our office.

The Super Bowl is this Sunday which normally means a party! Whether you’re attending a party or hosting one at your house, I think we can all agree that one of the biggest downsides to having a gathering is cleaning up after it.

When you pack 25 or more people into a space, spills are inevitable. The foot traffic alone brings in dirt from outside, so even if you get lucky and avoid a spill, you probably won’t be lucky enough to avoid a mess altogether!

This is where Paul Davis Restoration comes in. Our Home Care division offers expert cleaning services for carpets, rugs, drapery, and furniture. We offer a unique, restorative cleaning service that will get your carpet back to its old self—no matter how crazy your Super Bowl party gets!

Contact us online to pre-schedule a carpet cleaning after the big game. Or call Paul at (513) 777-7285 for more information about having your carpets or furniture professionally cleaned.