Mildew & Mold Removal: When to Do it Yourself and When to Call a Professional

Mildew and mold removal is usually a topic reserved for those with some BIG basement problems... right? Wrong! Mold can grow anywhere in your house where there is moisture; bathrooms, window frames, walls – anywhere there is an excess of humidity and wetness. The most typical places to have a mold problem are basements and bathrooms but no room is really safe when faced with water damage and restoration. When homeowners are faced with mold problems, they need to know how to remediate mold, and whether or not to call in the professionals.

When to Call the Mold Remediation Crew
Calling in a mold remediation crew can be an expensive prospect but a necessary one. Mold and black mold are dangerous organic fungi that can pose serious health threats to people and animals. Generally they cause respiratory illnesses that are hard to treat; if your household needs a mold remediation expert then you will have to come up with the cash. (The damage caused may be covered by your home insurance.)

If you have small to moderate mold formation in your home, on drywall, insulation carpet padding, etc., you can probably handle the removal yourself. If the area is less than 10 square feet, you can easily and fairly cheaply turn your mold problem around. IF the affected area is bigger OR if the damage is caused by something that’s covered by insurance, it’s necessary to call a water damage and restoration crew.

The professionals may use any one of several methods:

• Vacuuming: Using a HEPA vacuum, the crew may wet-vac the area.
• Dry Ice Freeze Blasting: Using dry ice to instantly freeze mold and then carefully disposing of it.
• Damp Wipe (for non porous surfaces): Crews will use a chemical solution to wipe down surfaces to eliminate any trace of the mold.
• Enzyme Fog: A relatively new treatment, it is safer and usually less expensive, safe for humans and pets and doesn’t cause any damage to the home.
• The treatment your home receives will depend on the severity of the damage and the methods that the mold remediation company is currently using.

DIY Mold Removal
When faced with a smaller water damage or mold removal problem, it isn’t hard to defeat the culprit yourself, with the proper tools. 

First, be sure to wear the proper clothing and protection; rubber gloves and a facemask are necessary.  Be warned that the clothing you wear may have to be discarded depending on the severity of your problem. Try not to disturb the area at all as the mold spores will float around in the air when they are dry. Seal off any vents in the area or room to prevent spores from traveling. 

Next, mist down the area lightly to make sure the mold is damp and then clean the area with a mixture of bleach and water. The ratio of the bleach to water depends on damage and how long the area has been wet. If the area was dried out quickly, a mixture of ¼ C bleach per gallon of water should work, but you could use anywhere up to 1 ½ C of bleach per gallon if the problem is severe. Wipe down any surfaces that have been affected by the mold and let the mixture sit for 15 minutes. You will have to remove certain materials if they have been touched: drywall, insulation, and carpet underlay are all things that should be discarded if too wet or covered in mold.

Before you replace anything that has been damaged, cover the area loosely with plastic sheets and let it dry for at least 48 hours or until nothing is damp anymore.

Whether you hire a crew or do-it-yourself, the final step to mildew and mold removal is to fix the cause of the water damage to make sure it never happens again! The biggest thing to remember is just how dangerous black mold can be – the quicker you resolve it, the quicker you can breathe easy again.

Lilly Gordon is a freelance writer and web publisher. She is currently researching mildew and mold removal and carpet cleaning in Edmonton.

Your Child’s Preschool: Getting the Kids’ Backpacks is the Easy Part!

The first laugh, first step, first tooth… If you’re like most parents, your child’s newborn and toddler years flew by faster than you could have imagined. At the age of about three, your child is considered a “preschooler” and can be encouraged to start learning in a classroom setting. Choosing a preschool can be a complicated task; it may be the first time your child will be away from you for longer periods of time, or you may not know what you want in a preschool.  Preschool may be the first time your child will get a chance to learn in an educational setting and may be the first time that your little one is in someone else’s hands for longer periods of time. It is important to try and choose the right environment for your child – not only from an educational standpoint, but also a social one as well. Here are 10 Steps to choosing the right environment for your preschooler. 

Step 1: Start your research early! Most preschools start registration in January or February before the school year starts. You should start doing your research a couple of months before that deadline so you have a chance to find the appropriate school.

Step 2: Make a list of the attributes you would like your child’s preschool to have. Mainly, think about what kind of learning environment is most important to your family. Many preschools focus on learning through play, while others focus on a more traditional educational approach. Some schools incorporate a bit of both, while others are more extreme in their values systems, like the Montessori schools. None of them are better than the other, it is simply a matter of what suits your child’s personality the best. (It’s always good to include a couple of schools that do not teach based on the method you think you prefer, just to compare.)

Step 3: Make sure the price is right! It is pre-school, not college so make sure the monthly fees for the preschools on your preliminary list are within your family’s budget. Some preschools are more expensice due to the cost and use of learning materials, while others are less expensive but run as a “co-op” (parents are expected to volunteer their time to help clean, make snacks and organize events.) The price should never be the determining factor but you definitely have to factor the costs in as it will be a consistent charge for two years.

Step 4: After you have made a list of preschools that “fit the bill”, schedule visits with them. Ask if you can bring your child and sit in for a partial or even a whole class. Use this time to observe the way the teacher interacts with the class and how the class responds. Your child may be a bit shy at first, but ask yourself if you can actually se your child forming a good relationship with the teacher. Also take not of the class sizes – smaller class sizes can be beneficial but can also take away from the socialization aspect of the school.

Step 5: Talk to the Director or teacher about their disciplinary tactics. Many parents forget to ask about this and then later find that they disapprove of the teacher’s methods.

 Step 6: Review a list of the preschool’s policies:

• Are children allowed to use the bathroom whenever they need to go, or are there set times?
• Are children required to wash hands, use hand sanitizer before and after snacking?
• What is the sick-child rule?
• Are snacks built in to the fees?
• Is there an emergency evacuation plan?
• Is there any mention of religion at the school? If so, how heavily focused is the program on this topic?
• What are the end goals the teacher hopes to achieve in two years?
• What is the school’s policy on reporting problems or achievements to parents?

Step 7: While on your tour, take a look at the organization of the class. Even play-based programs should be well structured and have a fairly strict schedule. Children so well when given routine activities on a consistent basis.

Step 8: After visiting the facility, think about the big picture and whether or not your child (and future preschoolers) will thrive in the environment. Don’t forget your involvement either; will Mom and Dad thrive? Parents are often expected to have at least a bit of involvement with the school as well so make sure it is a good fit for everyone. Weigh all of the benefits and flaws out together and see what cancels what out.

Step 9: Call references that the school has given you and ask around to friends, family and neighbours to see if they have comments that are positive, negative or anything at all to say about the schools.

Step 10: As always, parents should trust their instincts. If a school looks like the right fit on paper but you’re still getting that “not-quite-right” feeling then don’t enroll your child there!

Preschool is a time for learning, exploration, social development and fun. Choosing your preschool should be about the same experience. Finding an environment where your little one can grow stronger every day will help them gain the independence and knowledge that they need to flourish in the coming years.

Lilly Gordon is a freelance writer and web publisher. She is a Mom of two and is an expert on preschool, kids backpacks and all things children!

From Web Design to PPC: Online Marketing Tools Every Business Needs

Marketing strategies will play a huge part in every company’s success. That’s why it’s recommended that businesses large and small create a marketing plan. But what tools are the most successful? Which strategies get you noticed? For every product, service and organization, it varies. Tools and strategies should be chosen based on the goal of the plan; but there are 5 online marketing tools that are guaranteed help make every company’s plan pop and ultimately help reach those end marketing goals. A good web design, newsletters and more will reach your target audience and get your message across.

1.       Website: A necessary marketing tool in the new millennium, websites are crucial to the success of most businesses now. As a good portion of shoppers make their decisions based on online research, if your web site doesn’t have the information to help those visitors make their decisions, your company might not get a second glance. Having a URL isn’t enough – a good web design is the best route to take. Clean, streamlined information-packed sites will give you a leg up on the competition. Make sure your site is easily navigable and has a call to action; whatever your goal is for visitors should be easy to see.

2.       Social Media: This encompasses Facebook, Twitter, YELP, LinkedIN, Hunch and more. Companies should create their free accounts and use these tools to manage their online images, as well as promoting products, spreading company news and gathering informal market research. Day by day these companies grow and become more important to online visibility… 400 million Facebook users are registered – a global audience for companies and products galore.

3.       Blog: These tools can be touch and go but offer genuine sounding boards for company news and ideas – not only for business owners, but also for employees, customers, industry affiliates, potential customers and more. A company blog offers value for website visitors and can be incorporated by website designers quite easily to most sites. There are also free blog sites that offer the chance for smaller companies to promote company’s mission and valuable information month after month, providing followers with industry information in a more casual way.

4.       Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Ads: These ads generally work better than tradition print ads for three reasons:

·         Companies pay only when the ads are clicked on.

·         The ads link directly to the company’s website.

·         The ads are extremely targeted.

Using platforms such as Google and Facebook, you can direct your ads at people in the demographic that you choose and ensure that they see it every time they do a web search. The demographical information is based on the shopper’s surfing trends that these companies collect. Having fine-tuned these algorithmic tools, you can bet on a good return rate.

5.       Email Newsletter: Newsletters are still great tools for information dissemination. Although the paper versions are out of fashion, the email version is right on track with most companies’ marketing goals. A monthly newsletter will keep your patrons, website visitors and potential prospects informed, engaged and entertained. A good web design will include email newsletters directly on the company site as well as downloadable versions for site visitors.  Be sure to have an easy-to-use (and see) sign-up form as well.

Making use of these 5 online marketing tools is a company’s best bet for success. Using them in tandem and to the best of your abilities will enable you to provide not only value to your visitors, clients and audience, but also for your company as well.

Lilly Gordon is a freelance writer and web publisher. She is well-versed in online marketing and is currently researching Edmonton website design and Edmonton web designers.

5 Tips for a Great Web Design

Let’s face it – if you don’t have a website, you may as well be yelling out “Yabba-Dabba-Do!” Actually scratch that – even Fred Flintstone has his own site these days. But having a website doesn’t guarantee a great conversion rate. To try and flip those website visits to sales or potential sales, you need a great web design. And to have a great web design, you need to practice some basic tips so your website can go from Bedrock to “punk rock” in no time.

Tip 1 – Layout: Make sure your layout is consistent and uses well-defined white space. Every page should have the same feel and be streamlined – no clutter allowed. The header and footer of the page can remain the same on all pages to provide visitors with a reminder that they are still on your site no matter which link they click. Also, try to use fonts that are normally installed on most computers. Make sure your site is viewable from any browser, at any resolution. Your business’ branding and logos should always be an integral part of the planning.

Tip 2 - Usability: Your website design should be easy to use and navigate. The sitemap should be simple and clearly named. Also, using breadcrumbs (leaving a navigational trail) for your users is key – that way they can get back to a previous page without getting confused. Make sure to put the most popular links front and center. Also, design a custom 404 page for those who get a little off-track on your site. A custom 404 page has the ability to keep people on your site and direct them back to another starting point. Your social media accounts should be linked to your site as well with icons that are prominent on at least the home page; this makes it easier for visitors to connect with your company on different platforms.  One thing that many companies seem to forget are the header and footer of the site: put the company’s main contact info in there so people don’t have to search for it. If you have Flash components, make sure they can load properly and quickly.

Tip 3 – Optimization: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is often put on the backburner for a web design when in fact it should be done in tandem. You could have the greatest site in the world but if no one can find it then it’s not going to be effective in any way. Optimization can be done during website design or after – it’s never too late! Your company will need to have search terms pinpointed for its target audience and then incorporate these terms into the copy and the metatags and page title tags so Google will take notice (fingers crossed).

Tip 4 – Copy: If your website doesn’t send a message, it’s not worth it’s domain fee. The copy on your website should be streamlined, targeted and able to get your company’s message across. It should also give visitors a clear direction of what you want them to accomplish while visiting your site; this is the “call to action”. Whether you want people to read the blog, contact the company or buy your product, you need to have it clearly stated on your landing pages. Beyond simply selling, your copy should reflect the company’s style and branding as well.

Tip 5 – Testing: Testing a website and the elements of the site (like those tricky Flash animations) are one of the most crucial stages of web design. Unfortunately most companies skip this step and launch their sites with broken links, animations that won’t load and checkout forms that won’t process. If you don’t take the time to test, it will cost you visitors in the long run. Even if you’re behind schedule a bit, push your launch date back until everything is near perfect.

Web design isn’t rocket science, but it’s come a long way in the past few years.  The number of websites on the internet guarantees that your company’s site has to be well designed, well structured and well tested. After all, if Fred and Barney can learn to propel a car with their feet, then your company can achieve a kick-butt web design that doesn’t crash every time it loads… Right?

Lilly Gordon is a freelance writer and web publisher. She is well-versed in online marketing and is currently researching Edmonton website design and Edmonton web designers.

Insurance Broker vs. Insurance Companies: Are There Advantages?

Insurance is a necessary purchase – not one that you can take weeks to consider or simply decide not to make. It is a kind of protection against unseen forces –those that can bring a homeowner or company to their knees in an instant. Many people rush out to find the most publicized, well advertised insurance agencies – searching for the lowest rate possible. While this can save some stress on your wallet, it may not give your family or your business the best coverage, or the best service. Insurance Brokers on the other hand may be a better option; especially for those who are first time insurance buyers or for smaller companies. 

When most people purchase insurance through a company, they are promised lower rates, better service and consistent payment reductions due to “good behavior”. This is especially true for car insurance and motorcycle insurance. But unfortunately, the reality is, unless a change comes down the pipes that will affect all insurance holders, this will probably not happen. Customers have to be ever-vigilant over their policies and hound agents and companies to lower their rates. Brokers on the other hand, have a more personal relationship with their clients, and because of this their customers often benefit from better service and much better knowledge about the insurance industry in general. 

Also stemming from this more intimate relationship is the ability to have a policy that’s tailored especially for you. Insurance brokers are committed to finding the best options for their customers – it’s their purpose. (That’s not to say that brokers aren’t out to make cash –they need to eat too.) In fact, independent brokers usually charge an admin fee on top of the rates. Larger insurance companies can often promise rates so low potential clients get so impressed they sign on the dotted line without a second though… but at what cost? Some of the policies are so basic your home, vehicle or company wouldn’t stand a chance recouping any losses.

Larger companies’ lower rates can also lead people to believe that they have an advocate in their agent. Unfortunately, agents tend to be more experienced with the administrative side of policies and the insurance industry; rather than looking for the best options for their clients, while brokers are required to have a license which generally comes with more education and experience. Brokers will ensure that your home insurance, auto or commercial insurance policies are thorough and correct. 

If ever you have to put in a claim through your agency (which most of us have to do at some point) you may find that speaking to the people at the “National Office” or the call centre employees just doesn’t cut it. An insurance broker, on the other hand, lives right in your city, maybe even your community, and has the time to sit down and make sure you are taken care of with compassion and speed.

Yes, there are advantages to a large insurance company or an agent who works for one: you’ll be promised a dirt cheap rate, and you just may be lucky enough to qualify for one. But you’ll never speak to the same person twice, and probably never figure out what your policy covers exactly. An insurance broker is there to be an advocate and to make sure that you’re back is covered, no matter what.

Lilly Gordon is a freelance writer and web publisher. She is currently researching Commercial Insurance and insurance brokers in Alberta.