The GutterBrush Blog

No matter the size of your  business the costs involved in the preparation of estimates for prospective clients are significant. They can also take up a considerable amount of time and effort adding even more to your cost of doing business. While charging for an estimate as a means of getting back some of the initial outlay in resources is not a best practice, eliminating the inefficiencies and waste by utilizing available technology can result in less expenditures of finite resources.

This is where utilizing Google Street View may be very beneficial. How so? That is an excellent question.

First,  you can usually see what the street was like and if parking was available. This allows for proper planing to assure an on time arrival which is a great way to start off the relationship with the potential client. Second, it often allows visibility into the type of property where the estimate is going to be made. This also allows for some strategic planning prior to arrival on scene. Third, if you are in the roofing industry this technology often allows you to see exactly which type of roof is present on the property as well as other important roofing variables needed to make a sound estimate. This information can allow you to be prepared to offer a customized estimate to the potential client without having to take unnecessary time to do so due to already having knowledge of the roof type. Fourth,  you can often determine obvious structural defects from the photos available. Again, this type of due diligence saves you time on site but also helps you to project a very professional image. Fifth, using this technology allows you to be completely prepared in terms of what equipment you will need to make the best estimate possible. For example, Google Street View may allow you to determine what size ladder(s) may be needed to make an inspection/estmate. Finally, this technology allows you to capture an image of the property for any client files you may be keeping for the estimate and any subsequent work.

I suggest you give this technology a look to see if you can implement it to make a very positive impression on your prospective clients.

Airport body scanning raises radiation exposure while using gutterbrush simple gutter guards does not. Because safety is always a priority in our pursuits and because we travel a bit we wanted to share the risks associated with airport body screening.

An inter-agency report (Inter-Agency Committee on Radiation Safety report, which is restricted to the agencies concerned and not meant for public circulation) stated that  governments must explain any decision to expose the public to higher levels of cancer-causing radiation while also suggesting that pregnant women and children should not be subject to scanning, even though the radiation dose from body scanners is “extremely small”. The group putting this report forward includes the European Commission, International Atomic Energy Agency, Nuclear Energy Agency and the World Health Organization.

Please keep in mind that an accurate assessment about the health risks of the screening won’t be possible until governments decide whether all passengers will be systematically scanned or randomly selected, the report said. Governments must justify the additional risk posed to passengers, and should consider “other techniques to achieve the same end without the use of ionizing radiation.” However, President Obama has suggested using upwards of $734 million to implement airport scanners that use x-rays and other technology to detect explosives, guns and other contraband.

“There is little doubt that the doses from the backscatter x-ray systems being proposed for airport security purposes are very low,” Health Protection Agency doctor Michael Clark said by phone from Didcot, England. “The issue raised by the report is that even though doses from the systems are very low, they feel there is still a need for countries to justify exposures.” So what is the risk?

Most of the scanners deliver less radiation than a passenger is likely to receive from cosmic rays while airborne, the report said. Scanned passengers may absorb from 0.1 to 5 microsieverts of radiation compared with 5 microsieverts on a flight from Dublin to Paris and 30 microsieverts between Frankfurt and Bangkok, the report said. A sievert is a unit of measure for radiation.

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration has said that it ordered 150 scanners from OSI Systems Inc.’s Rapiscan unit and will buy an additional 300 imaging devices this year. The agency currently uses 40 machines, which cost $130,000 to $170,000 each, produced by L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc. at 19 airports including San Francisco, Atlanta and Washington D.C. Oddly enough the U.S. TSA has not ordered a single linear foot of gutter protection such as gutterbrush to protect their gutters at airports across the United States.

This will never happen with gutterbrush simple gutter guards

We want you to save 10% on ANY purchase of GutterBrush now through February 26th, 2010 at GutterBrush.com by using coupon code potus at checkout. Look at it this way: you can use your savings to help pay down the debt in the United States!

Figures on government spending and debt (last six digits are eliminated). The government’s fiscal year runs Oct. 1 through Sept. 30.

Total public debt subject to limit Jan. 22		12,245,872
Statutory debt limit					12,394,000
Total public debt outstanding Jan. 22			12,302,465
Operating balance Jan. 22				   142,454
Interest fiscal year 2009				   383,365
Interest fiscal year 2008				   451,154
Deficit fiscal year 2009				 1,417,121
Deficit fiscal year 2008				   454,798
Receipts fiscal year 2009				 2,104,613
Receipts fiscal year 2008				 2,523,642
Outlays fiscal year 2009				 3,521,734
Outlays fiscal year 2008				 2,978,440
Gold assets in September				    11,041

It has become clear that you don’t have to be the first to market to be a business success nor do you need to be particularly unique. You do not need to be revolutionary. But if you are not emergent in these seemingly very complicated times you may find yourself out of business or barely hanging on in a very crowded marketplace of products and ideas.  But there is one thing you do have to do and it comes in many varieties. You need to give potential customers and actual customers value. They need a reason to buy from you and contribute to the success of your endeavor and not go to another provider of a very similar service and/or product. So what are those things? First, you need to actually show up and provide the service you promote yourself as providing by answering your phone, responding to emails, solving whatever problems are within your purview while also trying to direct customers to solutions that fall outside of that aforementioned purview. Finally, market your brand and the services that strengthen it honestly and frequently in order to differentiate yourself from all of the other restaurants, shoe stores, graphic artists, grocery stores, farmers, and other multitudes of outlets. Service is the key to success and often is the most powerful explanation for why one firm or another emerges from a crowded and noisy brandscape while others simply fade away into obscurity.  Now, what are the roles of the people who help or hinder meeting these requirements?

Who are these GutterBrush Guys Anyway?

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/GutterBrush-Simple-Gutter-Guard/211318087199?ref=ts

and solve the mystery!

Ice dams, which form on eaves and overhangs and create rather large icicles, are a common sight this year because of all the snow that has fallen in the area. Ice dams form as warm air from a home’s attic escapes through the roof and melts the bottom layer of snow. As the water runs down the roof and reaches the overhang, it refreezes because there is no heat. Ice then collects and backs up underneath the shingles and, in some cases, into the siding. Some homeowners are already dealing with the effects of ice dams, from water leaking through their roofs, to large, dangerous icicles hanging down from eaves. Ice dams do not have much at all to do with gutters or gutter protection systems. But as soon as the  ice dams start, that creates a big problem and homeowners should not try knocking them off or chipping at them. Such attempts can lead to roof damage or damage to eaves, gutters and edging, not to mention personal injury if someone were to fall from a roof or ladder.

Homeowners can help prevent ice dams by quickly removing snow from the lower section of the roof after each snowfall to keep the ice from building up. This allows for any snow melt to flow down the shingles and into the gutters. One strategy is to use a snow rake when the snow is dry and light. Simply rake back the snow five to six feet up your roof, that’s all you have to do and most of the time, this is enough to solve the problem. Heavier snow requires more sophisticated options and as always the GutterBrush Guys, LLC  never want you to do anything that will put you at risk and potentially result in a very costly accident.

In order to address ice dam issues long term a homeowner should photograph the ice dams that have formed on their house and use those as a guide next spring or summer for a contractor to seal areas of the attic where warm air may be escaping. As counter intuitive as it may seem Summer is the best time to deal with ice dams and the roof malfunctions that cause them.

Even Scott Brown and Martha Coakley can agree on the importance of stopping ice dams from occurring on any roof!

Roof with ice dam schematic for your consideration

Snow relocation technique.

In some parts of the USA the average amount of snowfall approaches 120 inches! That translates into 120 opportunities for suffering a snow removal malady including muscle fatigue, lower back injury, spinal damage, and even spinal fractures during the seemingly never ending winter season. Many of these snow removal aches, pains, and injuries are the result of excessive stress to spinal, muscular structures, and  from slips and falls. According to research completed at Cornell University’s ergonomic department The L5/S1 disc has been identified as the weakest link in the body segment chain. The most severe injuries and pain are likely to occur in the back region.” Just as we advocate for ladder safety when cleaning the gutters or working on the roof, what can be done to prevent injuries when relocating snow after a storm?
Keep in mind at the outset that snow relocation programs can be compared to resistance training , and in some cases, the aerobic aspect of this activity is similar to a workout involving running or skipping rope. So, in the interest of safety and a successful battle with the fallen snow please take a moment to consider the following tips:

1. If you experience pain or discomfort of any kind, stop at once and seek assistance.

2. Drink plenty of water during the event(s) and take frequent breaks. Remember, snow relocation is a very rigorous physical activity that can place you in harms way.

3. Beware of icy surfaces under the snow and avoid them if you are unable to get solid footing to remove the snow. Failure to do this often results in a slip and fall situation resulting in injury.

4. Make sure you are dressed properly and be sure to understand that much of the heat in your body exits through the head.

5. Shovel selection is very important. Choose one with a curved handle to help you to keep your back straighter reducing spinal stress. A smaller blade can help with this as well because a smaller load of snow usually weighs less and thus puts less strain on the spine. Finally, there are shovels made expressly for pushing snow so you can avoid lifting a single flake of snow. Once you have your shovel, spray a bit of silicon lubricant on the blade in order to help keep the snow from sticking to the shovel.

6. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, “If you must lift the snow, lift it properly. Squat with your legs apart, knees bent and back straight. Lift with your legs. Do not bend at the waist. Scoop small amounts of snow into the shovel and walk to where you want to dump it. Holding a shovelful of snow with your arms outstretched puts too much weight on your spine. Never remove deep snow all at once; do it piecemeal. Shovel and inch or two; then take another inch off. Rest and repeat if necessary.” Put simply, go forward with your snow. It may take longer but it will save you from some potential aches and pains.

Finally, a snow blower, if you have access to one can render most of these risks moot but it still needs to be used properly. If used properly it will do all of the work for you.

A snowblower is a terrific piece of machinery, but if it’s not used correctly, you can strain or injure your back. Snowblowers are designed to remove snow at a particular rate of speed. Pushing or forcing the equipment to go faster is defeating its purpose —to do the work for you!

Winter is far from over and the snow is sure to keep falling in many places. Keep your snow relocation efforts safe and you will have a much more enjoyable winter experience.

It may be hard to believe but it will take a team of 36 window cleaners carrying electrolyte packs and wearing specialized clothing resembling moon suits three months to wash the new 2,717-foot Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The building, which was initially to be named the Burj Dubai, stands at 206 stories tall, reaching half a mile into the sky. While most visitors will look out from the skyscraper to admire the view of the Arabian desert below, the window cleaning crews will be looking back in. A team of 36 cleaners, mostly made up of migrant workers, have been employed to man 12 state-of-the-art machines that travel along tracks fixed to the exterior of the building while its windows are washed. It is a daunting task, but someone has to do it. I wonder if it had gutters (not much need for gutters in the desert and more than 2000 feet above the ground) who would clean them and install gutter protection?