November 21, 2016

Gutter Vacuum Vehicle – Very Cool

We are excited to add the gutter vacuum truck to our “tool box” of gutter cleaning methods. Our crews have found it makes the the whole process, cleaner, safer, quicker and way cooler. Lets talk about each of these areas a little:

Cleaner – when cleaning gutters sometimes debris can dirty the outside of the gutter or drop to the ground
Safer – You can run the hose down long stretches or clean with a pole from the ground – reducing ladders setups and movements
Quicker– reducing setup time and a common collection tank also means jobs can be accomplished much faster than before.
Way Cooler – Its takes out the reaching into a gutter with your hand or a gutter spoon.

Some Techical items:
The unit is mounted in a Sprinter van, and can run up to four 200 foot hoses. The debris is vacuumed back into our tanks, where solids and water are separated in a tank filtering system.

Does this mean all the sites we service will be cleaned with the gutter vacuum truck? The gutter vacuum system is big part of our gutter cleaning methods, however it doesn’t replace our high ladder crew and rope access crews. Its real value is demonstrated in town house complexes where you can get access to most units via roadways.

The other area where the vacuum van will be helpful is parkade pressure washing projects where we can vacuum the water up as we pressure wash. This will leave a cleaner surface and also can be used for high capacity water extraction in large loss floods.

The gutter vacuum system and our gutter maintenance programs help us lead the way in modern gutter cleaning.

November 27, 2015

Technical Gutter Cleaning – The Spoon

Gutter SpoonsWhat do we use? Gutter Spoons. Now this might look like its one step away from a salad spoon from the kitchen drawer, but it really is the most effective solution.  To use the spoon, you need to be above the gutter, so you have an unobstructed view of what is going on. Its much easier to ensure that the system is working. Second, it allows our technicians to quickly remove a large amount of material from a gutter, but with the added advantage of being able to reach deep into its corners and crevices. Finally, its light: we can use spoons while walking on the roof, or on top of a ladder. .

James & Gutter Spoon
Rocks in Roof Channel
September 22, 2015

We Know Your Pain! Success With Gutter Maintenance & The Service Call

As a property manager, I’m sure you’ve seen an urgent phone or email like this before:
“My building’s gutters are overflowing!”
You want to be a hero for your building, but you need the tools to provide the quick, painless solutions. You have questions: Who will take care of it? Can they come before the next storm? Can they investigate and report back with the result? What will it cost?
Some of you may know (or be on) ServiceMaster’s gutter maintenance program: it is the answer for all those questions. A crew will be dispatched to the problem before escalates further, where we will investigate situation and report back with a solution. You can have the confidence that it will be sorted out quickly, and the best part: the cost is included in the package. Thus you have cost certainty for the next 12 months.
We have revamped our gutter care program for 2015 & 2016 to now include a Standard Gutter Cleaning PLUS six Service Calls included for 12 months after the initial cleaning (A Potential Value $ 900.00). 
WHAT IS A SERVICE CALL? 
WE SEND OUT A CREW TO ATTEND & INVESTIGATE TO PROBLEMATIC AREAS THAT YOU REPORT TO US. GENERALLY LIMITED TO SPECIFIC AREAS, COVERS UP TO 1 HOUR ON SITE.

So what should you look out for when considering a gutter maintenance program? First use a contractor that has the ability & capacity to perform over 12 months, not a seasonal exterior cleaning business. Second, look for a contractor that uses technology in the field to provide real time information: this will help to ensure you get the fastest service possible. Finally you should look for a company who cares about the gutter health of your building and has a vested interest. We do all of those things, and that’s the ServiceMaster difference.

September 22, 2015

How will this year’s weather affect Gutter Cleaning at your buildings?

The weather this year has been unusual to say the least, with a summer drought leading to Stage 3 Water restrictions.  Because of this we are the proud owners of a 3000-gallon water tank that we used to assist with the cleaning we undertook over the summer.
So what does the unusual summer weather mean for gutter cleaning? Simple; we have a lot of very dry trees around the lower mainland, which have been further weakened by the recent storms. It is evident that more leaves and branches will fall this year than in previous years.
Many of our customers have thought that they should wait to clean our gutters until all the leaves have fallen to get the most value for money from their service. In some cases this is true and in most not. It is not because nobody can predict when heavy rains will come and when all the leaves will fall. This is especially true given we are in an El Nino year, which may lead to an warmer, wetter fall and winter. When the gutter system is not ready for the heavy rains, major problems occur: blockages, breakages, interior floods, and foundation problems. However, every building has different needs, which may not be easy to identify. Some gutters can be cleaned once a year and some need to be twice. It all depends on a host of factors, such as the system’s design, its integrity and the amount of foliage in the area.
So what should you do? Ask us. Our team has been cleaning gutters in the lower mainland for over 20 years and possesses deep experience in identifying a building’s requirement. We’ll put together a plan and give you an estimate, which will provide real value for you and the strata members that you represent.