Clean USA

Clean USA prepares to launch new Trade Name

2010-03-30T11:22:00.000-07:00

Big changes are on the horizon here at Clean USA! We have been serving the lowcountry since 1996 and continually strive to offer the best in mold and moisture solutions for our customers.

In about a week, we will be launching our new trade name...

Don't worry, Clean USA isn't going anywhere. We are just putting all of our services under a new umbrella... so customers will know who to call when they have an issue with their basement, crawl space or foundation. We're excited about our new name and want you to know you can count on us to keep your crawl space dry...for good! We are The Crawl Space Specialists!

Home Resource Outlet Grand Opening

2010-03-25T10:54:00.000-07:00

Come join us for the Grand Opening Saturday, March 27, 2010 at 10:00 am.

Home Resource Outlet

http://www.homeresourceoutlet.com

5975 Ogeechee RdSaltgrass Plaza
Savannah, Georgia 31419

(Hwy 17 across from Walmart)

Clean Space Owner's Meeting

2010-03-10T09:33:00.000-08:00

Robert is off to Phoenix, Arizona for a 2-day CleanSpace Annual Owner's Meeting!

We strive to offer our customers the best products and services to help solve their crawl space moisture issues. This is an opportunity for us to learn from the best in the business and get new ideas for us to offer better customer service and fine tune our business operations.

How Your Dirt Crawl Space Affects Your Home

2010-02-18T09:43:00.000-08:00

Water can enter a crawl space under the footing, through the block walls, cracks and openings or from plumbing leaks. Once in your crawl space, it sits there in pools (or in some cases, we refer to it as a lake). The exposed earth also contributes a lot of water vapor into a dirt crawl space.

The earth is damp, and as the damp soil dries, the water vapor flows upward into the house by what is called the Stack Effect. A house’s natural tendency is to draw air in from the crawl space and lower levels, and then upward into the living spaces.

Building scientists say that 30% to 50% of the air you breathe on the first floor is air that came from the crawl space.

Therefore, whatever is in your crawl space air is in your house and affecting you. If there is mold in the crawl space, there are mold spores upstairs. If there are damp odors in your crawl space…you guessed it…there are damp odors upstairs.

Previously the tactic was to add vents to a crawl space with the idea that air will flow in through the vents on one side and out through the vents on the other side. These vented crawl spaces, instead of becoming less damp, end up being more wet. Rather than letting moist air out, a house sucks moist air in, and then up into home!

Air that flows in through the crawl space vents brings its moisture with it. When air is heated or cooled, its relative humidity changes. The relative humidity of air goes up by 2.2% for every degree we cool it. Crawl spaces are cool due to the earth averaging a temperature of 55 degrees year round. When warm humid air enters into a crawl space, the air is cooled, and the relative humidity goes up. This high relative humidity leads to sweating HVAC ducts, mold, rot, and energy loss.

To eliminate your vented dirt crawl space from having any negative effects on you home.

1. Fix the ground water leakage.
2. Isolate the house from the earth.
3. Seal the vents and other outside air leaks.
4. Condition or dehumidify your crawl space air.

The CleanSpace® System meets all the criteria for fixing your dirt crawl space.

10 Things to Look For When Shopping for a Crawl Space Waterproofer

2010-02-18T09:39:00.000-08:00

Do the specialize in crawl space waterproofing?
Will the solution address the 4 basic steps to completely fix your dirt crawl space?
Can the company provide references of satisfied crawl space waterproofing customer?
Will a fully transferable, written warranty be provided with the system?
How long is the warranty for the system– 5, 10, 25 years?
Do they offer an annual maintenance service after your system is installed?
How much more marketable and valuable will they make the home after it’s waterproofed?
Do they offer financing options for your project?
Do they have a variety of products to design a system specifically for your crawl space?
The Small Business Administration reports that 50% of contractors fail within the first year and 96% within the first five years. Will they still be in business when the customer needs them?

2010-02-08T09:04:00.000-08:00

Come visit us at the Home & Garden Show!

Anabec Certified Applicator

2010-02-02T07:08:00.000-08:00

Robert Videon completed the requirements to become an

Anabec Systems Certified Applicator.

Anabec has a great line of products for mold remediation services!

Anabec X-70 Plus -Moisture Barrier for unfinished sufaces offers a 20 year warranty.
NewBuild 30-Moisture Barrier for new construction offers a 30 year warranty.

http://www.anabec.om/

For more information, contact us at 912-927-7827.

Clean USA prepares for Home Show

2009-12-08T09:29:00.000-08:00

Do you have a dirt crawl space that has water or moisture issues?
Are you concerned about mold or possible structural damage due to moisture in your dirt crawl space?

Come visit us at the-

Low Country Living Home & Garden Show

Savannah Int'l Trade & Convention Center

January 15-17, 2010

and speak to one of our design specialists to schedule a free evaluation and get information on how a CleanSpace Encapsulation System can keep your crawl space dry...for good!

New PowerWatch

2009-09-08T11:34:00.000-07:00

Is there a way to find out if your sump pump circuit breaker (or breaker to another appliance) is out- as soon as it trips?

Let me introduce you to our latest product...

PowerWatch- Power Monitoring Alarm System.

The PowerWatch plubs into the outlet, and the pump (or other appliance) plugs into the PowerWatch. The PowerWatch sounds an alarm as soon as the circuit it is on trips!

This unit is designed for customers who do not want to take any chances they will get flooded. The PowerWatch will monitor vital circuits that provide power to important appliances, such as sump pumps, battery back-up systems, freezers full of meat, etc.

Call us today and ask about including a PowerWatch with your system.

Spray Foam Insulation Does Not Control Crawl Space Moisture

2009-09-08T10:51:00.000-07:00

Mold growing on crawl space floor joists.

Mold growing on crawl space HVAC ducting.

Sweating (or should I say raining) HVAC system in crawl space

So how old do you think this house is? 10 years, 5 years, maybe 2 years old.

Not even close- try 6 months! This customer was not so happy to find these conditions in the crawl space of their newly built home.

As discussed in my previous post, spray foam insulation on the subfloor does not address the main issue in a crawl space- moisture from the dirt beneath the home. The wood members in the crawl space are still exposed to ground moisture. There are only two primary ingredients needed for rot and mold to thrive: one is organic material, like the wood beneath a home, and the second is water.

Wood + Water = Mold & Rot

Also, because the crawl space is still vented, hot humid air is drawn into the crawl space causing the HVAC ducting to condensate. This creates more moisture, and more mold growth! Not only was the mold evident in this particular crawl space, but the air quality testing inside the home also revealed high levels of airborne contaminants.

So, the only avenue to preventing structural damage, condensation and poor indoor air quality is to eliminate the moisture by installing a CleanSpace Encapsulation System.

Savannah Morning News Home Show

2009-09-08T10:40:00.000-07:00

Come visit us at the

Savannah International Trade & Convention Center

Saturday, October 17, 2009- 10am to 6pm

Sunday, October 18, 2009- noon to 5pm

Come see for yourself how we can fix your dirt crawl space...

for good!

Avoid pump failure with a Battery Back Up System

2009-08-03T09:58:00.000-07:00

The coastal Georgia and South Carolina area is known for afternoon rain during the summer months. Along with rain.... comes frequent power outages! This is also when we receive service calls from customers stating that their sump pump alarm is going off. Without a source of power, the sump pump system in your crawl space will not work, unless you have established a battery back-up system. This is the time when you need your sump pump working the most!

The UltraSump Battery Back-up pumping system has

a second pump in case of a primary pump failure,
a second switch, in case of switch failure, and
a second power source, in case of power failure.

The UltraSump can pump over 11,000 gallons of water out of your crawl space from the energy stored in the long-term standby battery. It also has an alarm to tell you the secondary pump is operating.

If you aim to keep your crawl space dry...all the time, the UltraSump Battery Back-up System is highly recommended!

Robert Videon receives Advanced Training Certificate

2009-05-18T08:49:00.001-07:00

Robert successfully completed the testing requirements for the Basement Systems Advanced Training, including Sales Camp, Basemement waterproofing and Crawl Space System design.

WAY TO GO!

New Products Introduced

2009-05-12T13:51:00.000-07:00

Last month, Basement Systems added new products to the line.

CleanSpace Light: a 10 mil reinforced crawl space liner with UltraFresh anti-microbial protection. It's made with recycled materials and it's a green product!
TerraBlock: a unique 3/4" flexible insulation/crawl space liner in one! It can be used on floors or walls.
HeatBlock: a 10 mil cord reinforced crawl space liner with UltraFresh anti-microbial protection. It's shiny reflective surface will stop radiant heat transfer and reflect heat back into the crawl space.

We like to offer the most options to the homeowner so they can choose the solution that is right for them!

Off to CleanSpace Training

2009-05-12T13:44:00.000-07:00

Our lead CleanSpace installer is headed to Basement Systems in Connecticut for more installation and sales training!

Basements Systems continues to produce new innovative products to offer the best waterproofing solution to our customers suffering from damp, wet crawl spaces and basements.

Spray Foam vs Encapsulation

2009-04-21T13:38:00.000-07:00

Very often, we come in contact with customers who choose to use spray foam insulation on their crawl space sub-floor as a solution versus an encapsulation system. Most lean towards that option due to a difference in cost. But are they really saving??

First, let me ask...along with installing foam insulation, what are you going to do to solve the moisture issue in your crawl space?

Spray foam insulation on the sub-floor does not address the main issue in a crawl space- moisture from the dirt beneath the home. The wood members in the crawl space will still be exposed to ground moisture. There are only two primary ingredients needed for rot and mold to thrive: one is organic material, like the wood beneath a home, and the second is water. Replacing the wood in a house is practically impossible, and very costly. So, the only avenue to preventing structural damage and those musty smells is to eliminate the moisture by installing a CleanSpace Encapsulation System.

A local spray foam contractor recently told me that they had a previous job in which the foam insulation that was applied to the subfloor actually locked in the moisture in the crawl space and created a bigger moisture and mold problem in the crawl space. Not the outcome they expected!

_______________________________________

Second... foam insulation applied on the subfloor renders the wood members unaccessible or "no longer visible" for an inspection.

Some pest control companies will void your termite warranty if the sub-floor wood is no longer accessible or visible for an inspection. Check with your pest control company before choosing this option. (With the CleanSpace system, our liner is installed a minimum of 3" down from the top of the wall so that termites cannot get into the framing without being seen.)

I recently spoke with a customer that stated her friend had her house inspected for a pending sale. She was requested to cut out and remove some of the foam insulation so the home inspector could visually inspect the sub-floor wood members in the crawl space WOW! I bet that customer didn't plan on spending all that money to foam insulate their crawl space and to later cut it out. Ouch!

A more effective approach to spray foam insulation is to insulate the foundation walls, rather than the sub-floor, provided a proper encapsulation system has been installed.

As stated on the U.S. Department of Energy's website, to effectively insulate your crawl space for energy efficiency and to create a comfortable home, you need to properly control moisture in your crawl space.

Our goal at Clean USA is to fix your damp dirt crawl space...FOR GOOD!

2009-04-21T13:21:00.000-07:00

NEW CLEANSPACE LIGHT...A GREEN CHOICE!

CleanSpace Light is a 10 mil cord reinforced crawl space liner with UltraFresh anti-microbial protection. It's made with recycled materials, so we are reducing our carbon foot print.

Ask us how you can SAVE...and go GREEN... with new CleanSpace Light!

Basement Waterproofing

2009-04-21T12:57:00.000-07:00

We're off to Basement System's headquarters in Connecticut

for training in basement waterproofing!

Basement Systems Inc. has been awarded 24 Patents and 19 Innovation Prizes on waterproofing products they use every day. With over 142,000 happy, dry basement customers- they are the experts in basement waterproofing.

There are no basements in Georgia...you say?

Believe it or not, we have run across several customers with partial or full basements. So now, we'll be prepared not only to solve crawl space moisture issues with the CleanSpace system, but also help offer the best solution to fix your damp and leaky basement.

We aim to keep your crawl space and basement

DRY FOR GOOD!

Green Product Expo

2009-04-17T07:34:00.000-07:00

USGBC SAVANNAH BRANCH INVITES YOU TO THE

FIRST ANNUAL 2009 GREEN PRODUCT EXPO

Want to have a first-hand experience with the latest and greatest green products in the market? The USBGC Savannah Branch is hostint a Green Product Expo that will feature the latest green building products and services from local suppliers and building professionals.

WHEN:

TUESDAY, APRIL 28th4:00p.m. - 7:00p.m.

WHERE:

Charles Morris Center 10 East Broad St Savannah, GA 31401

Tickets are $10, but free with a student ID. Cash only at the door.

SPONSORED BY:
Title Sponsor - Savannah Morning News
Networking Garden Sponsor- J.T. Turner Construction Co., Inc.

Join Us in Fighting the Global Food Crisis

2009-04-16T17:22:00.001-07:00

Every 7 seconds a child dies from hunger-related causes. The cost of many food items, like rice, wheat and beans have doubled in the last year due to fluctuating fuel costs, rising food demands, natural disasters and the turbulent economy.

Compassion International exists as an advocate for children in poverty and works in some of the areas hardest hit by this crisis. They provide solutions through local churches with nutritional provision and long-term strategies, such as agricultural education, training and tools, so that those consumed by this crisis have the opportunity to grow and prepare their own food.

An average gift of $13 feeds a child for one month!

At Clean USA, we support the work of Compassion International. We ask you to join us to fight this global food crisis and help end hunger!

For each CleanSpace Encapsulation System that we install, we will feed one child for a year!