Steamatic of Sacramento Healthy Home Blog

Real Estate Issues

A recent call from a prospective client reveals the extent of potential issues in purchasing a renovated, foreclosed property.  The home inspector was unable to complete his inspection due to standing water in the crawl space.  The remodeling contractor indicated the problem was caused by the gutters and informed the buyer that the problem was fixed.  The caller noted that the home was on a hillside, built in 1969 and they were interested in a third party inspection to insure that there were no structural or environmental problems before culminating the sale. 

I have advised others, prior to completing the sale of a previously owned home to consider issues - expensive issues - before completing the purchase.  Some listen, some ignore the advice.  This caller obviously did their homework and was prepared to move foward with my recommendations before the purchase was finalized.

Here is what I told him:

1.  Gutter issues will not solve water in the crawl space; sloped grading away from the home, elimination of planters and irrigation against the home and exterior drainage systems that prevent water from entering the crawl space (most are below grade) is required.  These are expensive measures but cost a fraction of what it cost to repair structural deterioration and interior enviornmental issues related to moisture intrusion in the crawl space. Building science fact: as much as 30% of the make-up air in a structure comes from the crawl space.  Moisture laden air (a gas) will rot wood, encourage fungal and biological growth and penetrate into the home's interior environment.  The World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that excessive moisture (65%+) is the single largest health issue in building envelopes.

2.  Since the home was built in 1969, the presence of asbestos materials and lead based paint is more probable than not.  Want to immediately kill a real estate deal?  Ask for the results of asbestos and lead testig on the property - it appears that no one is paying attention to the federal, state or local mandates for testing, abatement and quality control testing of these verified health issuues.  Most home inspectors will advise the home buyer of these issues but surveys and testing is expensive so caveat emptor (let the buyer beware) is mandated.

3.  If the buyer approached the seller with these issues, it would most likely kill the sale.

The result of my telephone consultation was that this well-informed buyer spoke with the seller about fixing the water in the crawl space and the seller refused any responsibility for this issue; the buyer wisely walked away from the deal.

So how much would my recommendaitons cost a potential buyer?

• Crawl space inspection with photo documentation $125.00
• Formal report of findings $175.00
• Asbestos and lead survey and testing $400 - $600.00 or more
• Interior Environmental Testing - moisture related problems, mold - $400 - $600.00 or more

Approximately $1500 or more is substantial but not unreasonable for a $225,000.00 investment.  On the flip side, fixes for the above matters $2500 - $25,000.00.

Seems like cheap insurance to me but given our current economy, most would fore-go the data, information and expense.

Feel free to contact me if you would like more informaiton regarding the listed services and costs.

Charles E. Cassani, CR

Steamatic of Sacramento dba: SOS Consulting Services

P.O. Box 293660

Sacramento, CA 95829

916.386.8191 Main

916.689.5532 Fax

916.997.3755 Cellular

Email: ccassani@soshhs.com

Web: https://sites.google.com/site/sosconsultservice/

 

 

Doing "Right" With Health Insurance When Everyting Else is "Wrong" . . . .

I believe that every employer should offer health insurance to employees but it is costly.  Without our Kaiser coverage, we would add an additional $3000.00 - $4000.00 (3-4% on $100,000.00 monthly revenue), depending on the number of employees on active coverage.  Add to that, the recently enacted Cobra extension of benefits for laid off or individuals who quit and one can easily add another $700-2000.00 to the monthly bill for an every growing number of additional months.  This is a true commitment on the part of the employer to do the right thing but in today's economy it is difficult to do "right" when everything else seems to be going "wrong."

We all have our economic worries today but those of a small business owner are onerous: risk everything or lose everything - bad choices.  I've learned not to worry excessively over this reality after 40 years of practice but sometimes that first waking thought gets me out of bed quickly - getting up helps but the daily routine normally deadens the worry and the cycle continues, day-to-day with hope and blind anticipation.

I have mixed emotions about the health care debate that currently grips this country.  Anyone can see the need but when I look at my bi-weekly pay stub, as a single person with no dependents who actually declares such, I receive 59% of my modest salary (below 75K per year) with 8% dedicated to health insurance premiums.  If it weren’t for the write-offs afforded me for my risk taking, I would be crazy to continue such madness for my efforts.  The real rub is that the government, at all levels, does not manage my dollars as well as I can and yet they want more for the sake of a more equitable distribution of wealth – to provide the less privileged with more of what most of us earn to have. 

Ultimately, a free society needs a division of labor based on education, skill sets and ambition.  What to do with those who choose to skate is the issue.  There are many history lessons on this subject, none of them too enticing beyond what we have created in this country.  To the victor go the spoils and everyone should be afforded the opportunity to be a victor.  If they choose not, then they live the life they earned as well.  In the final analysis, a flat-tax seems to be the best choice for all citizens of a free country to embrace today's issues.

Safeguard Your Family and Business in Severe Weather

With El Nino-driven rains slamming into Sacramento, please consider two easy ways to protect your family and business. Buy a SAFELY OUT™ kit for your loved ones and put Steamatic of Sacramento on your speed dial.

Born out the heartbreak of Hurricane Katrina, the SAFELY OUT™ project was designed to help the vulnerable evacuate in a natural or man made disaster. Suppose a levee breaks in Sacramento - the metropolitan area most at risk from flooding in the nation. What happens to your elderly mother, to your wheelchair-bound uncle or to your fifth grader home alone after school when you can't get through to help? If you have purchased this simple kit and have followed the instructions, your loved ones will have easy access to critical information. Pre-designed helpers will move your family members to safety leaving behind information on how to find them on a door hanger. Or, if they can't leave, they will post a bright red door hanger that says"Need Help" to alert rescuers. If you haven't heard about SAFELY OUT™,  click here to see a Channel 3 news story  the project and the kit. Buy the kit here.

Evacuation of the vulnerable is critical in a disaster

Gary and Elyse Dietrich, the co-founders of the non-profit group Citizens Voice, developed the SAFELY OUT™  project in partnership with the Red Cross Sacramento Sierra Chapter. Gary went to Louisiana after Katrina and during Rita as a Clear Channel broadcaster and as a Red Cross volunteer. In those grueling two weeks, Gary saw how rescuers checking thousands of homes had no way of telling whether residents had been safely evacuated. Precious time was lost when some flooded houses were checked more than once leaving those who were in need of help to wait. Finding a way to solve this problem was the inspiration for the SAFELY OUT™ kit. This neighbor-helping-neighbor approach has been embraced by rescuers across the country. They say that every family needs a solid evacuation plan. The kit, they say, is a simple, affordable way to easily put the critical evacuation pieces in place.  Here's a link showing how to use the kit.

Steamatic of Sacramento supports SAFELY OUT™

Four years ago, Steamatic of Sacramento became the first business from the private sector to become a project supporter with donations of money and time. Company President Charles Cassani currently serves on the advisory board. Sponsoring SAFELY OUT™   has been a perfect fit for his 38-year-old cleaning and restoration business. "Although we provide emergency response to individual fire and water damage losses, our ability to respond in an area-wide disaster is almost nil. The best way is to aid follow citizens is to help them prepare ahead of time," Cassani said. Steamatic of Sacramento has geared up for the El Nino weather pattern, according to Cassani. If severe weather has damaged you individual home or business, call 916-386-8191 or 800-564-1846 for an immediate response.

  Guest blog posting by Gail Bullen

Entitlements Hurting Economic Recovery

First, why is an old rug sucker discussing entitlements and the "recovery?"  I started my professional career as a social worker for Sacramento County and I learned about entitlements firsthand: the entitlement of the receiver and, to a lesser extent, the entitlement of the provider - we were both dependent on the public dole for our sustenance.

I awake these days angry on a semi-regular basis. I will try to relate this quickly and easily: we cannot maintain a steady workforce with the downturn in business and the loss of our staff to payment for not working versus payment in exchange for labor. 

My business and personal life cycle is posted on the sidebar left - open it up and take a look (click on it once open for a closer and clearer look).  I have been around other rug suckers for the better part of my professional life and this is my take on the normal business and personal life cycle for me and most of my colleagues.  Since 2006, we have been regressing backwards from Cycle #8, currently moving through Cycle #5 and settling on Cycle #4 for the time being.  Thankfully, we have established a healthy equity in our business and that has allowed us to sustain massive financial losses and not end up in bankruptcy (yet) like many of our newer competitors.

Here's the problem: The majority of our hourly work force cannot afford to work less than 30 hours per week and when there is no business coming in, they must turn to Unemployment Insurance Benefits (UIB) funded by Federal, State and Employer contributions.  There is a great synopsis of the UIB concept at http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=1466.  A primary qualification for UIB is "the person must be ready, willing and able to take a 'suitable' new job."  The hourly worker's plight is heartfelt and I agree with the basic intentions of the program for the sake of the workers, their families and our economic stability.  However, like the entitlements I worked with early in my professional career, human nature dictates that most will take the easier path of collecting money for not working versus money for working.

We are in such an extended economic funk that many of our good employees request layoffs for the sake of unemployment insurance benefits versus working with our limited and unknown work schedule, furthering our inability to respond to our normal 24/7/365 emergency services demands.  The salaried employees in the administrative, sales, marketing and ownership positions must revert to providing the basic production services limiting the company's ability to expand or even meet the overhead of years past, even when reduced by understanding landlords and other providers.  We end up with a vicious downward spiral that is very difficult to stop - like a stalled aircraft dropping to earth instead of flying to a safe landing.

Soon, unemployment benefits must be reduced or curtailed or paid in concert with working wages if we are to stop the downward spiral.  Only then will the economy begin to expand incrementally.  I believe wholeheartedly in the free enterprise system and I sometimes grow very suspicious of our current emphasis on federal, state and local entitlements that force employers to reduce staff and benefits concurrently with the effort to enact a national health care program and other programs that emphasize dependence on government entities.  Simply, the government will never be as efficient and creative as the private sector in providing meaningful, gainful employment and economic progress and stability.

Hot off the Presses: Mold Standard for New Construction

Best practices for preventing moisture and mold damage in new construction have been rolled out in a new national standard. 

 

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has approved the GREENGUARD Mold and Moisture Management Standard for New Construction, according to a recent press release from the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI). An electronic or hard copy version of the standard is now available for purchase at this link.

 

ANSI approved a similar standard for the restoration industry in 2008. Adhering to the ANSI/IICRC S520 Standard and Reference Guild for Professional Mold Remediationis a must when performing mold remediation work in existing buildings, according to Charles Cassani, the owner of Steamatic of Sacramento. “It’s all about risk management.” 

Cassani believes the new best practices guidelines will be a godsend to restoration reconstruction companies, remodeling contractors, architects and builders.
 

Moisture, and in turn mold, can ruin indoor environmental quality, compromise building materials  and building systems and cost thousands of dollars to fix. The new construction standard details design, construction and maintenance practices for preventing the harmful growth of mold, according to GEI.

 

ANSI doesn’t develop national standards itself. Rather, it facilitates development by establishing consensus among qualified groups.

 

Founded in 2001, GEI is a third-party organization that oversees the GREENGUARD Certification program. The institute’s mission is to protect human health and the quality of life through programs that improve indoor air.

 

Cleaning up sh**! What property managers need to know

Having a sewer backup or a toilet overflow at one of your properties stinks ─ literally or figuratively.  But with some basic knowledge about cleanup you will come up smelling like roses. Clichés aside, the best way to clean up contaminated water is following the standard of care outlined in the S500 water damage standard.

 

Here are the four steps.

 

1. Unsanitary water is a health hazard. Make sure your restoration contractor or custodian wears protective gear and keeps people away during the cleanup. Depending on the size affected, containment with negative pressurization may be warranted.

 

2. Know that using air movers for the initial drying will spew unseen contaminants into the air. Use dehumidifiers instead!

 

3. Realize that porous materials like drywall and carpet that have been affected by the black water should be cut out, not cleaned. Non porous surfaces like tile floors should be cleaned with hot water before anti microbials are applied.  

 

4. Once the dry down is finished, have the job site sampled for the presence of E Coli and fecal coliform. This is an inexpensive test for quality assurance. The last phase is the build back if replacement of drywall or carpet is required.

 

As with any water damage repair, doing the job right is good risk management. And, given the potential of bacteria contamination on top of mold growth, it will save money in the long run.

 

As a preferred vendor for the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District for more than 10 years, Steamatic of Sacramento has more experience cleaning up sewage than any restoration company in Sacramento.

 

Company owner Charles Cassani also teaches water damage restoration classes to insurance adjusters and property managers. With 38 years in the business, there isn’t much he hasn’t seen. Feel free to email him or to phone him for advice.

 

Steamatic of Sacramento’s 24-hour number is 916-386-8191. The website is here:

Roof Rats - How to Handle the Problem

Sacramento once had more trees per capita than any other US city.  We also have an endemic issue with roof rats and field mice.  What do the two issues have in common?  Trees give access to the rats and other critters that enter your attic via the roof.  These uninvited house guest can cost you thousdands of dollars to abate and clean-up their biologically unsafe mess.

We know this due to the number of calls we receive asking "what to do?".  Recently, we had such an uninvited guest(s) ourselves and I learned some things that the reader may find helpful.

1.  It would be difficult not to know that the guest has arrived: First the scratching on the kitchen ceiling; then the gnawing of our plastic dust pan in the closet.  I set one Victor Rat Trap (a scary strong spring-loaded large trap - enough to make one leery of the critter you are seeking!) and over-night caught the 8" long rat who was actually pretty cute, less the blood and surprise look on his/her face.

2.  In searching for other options for how to handle the situation, I discovered a web site in my search of wildlife control, which led me to Professional Wildlife Removal.  The map of the US and California produced several northern California wildlife control contractors who can rid or relocate critters for you.

3.  Further searching led me to a nifty idea for rat or mouse abatement: the Rat Zapper Ultra.  Best price on the internet was found at the National Marine Products.  This product uses four (4) D-size batteries and produces an electrical shock that kills the critter(s), time, after time, after time.  One set of batteries will produce over 200 uses.  This is especially good since mice and rats seek shelter for their mates and families as well as themselves.

CONCLUSION: You can have someone else deal with this problem for you (I did not seek quotes for their services) humanely or fatally - your choice.  Or, you can trap them yourself as soon as you become aware of their presence in an attempt to minimize the damage to your attic or other structures.

THE BIOLOGICAL ISSUE: Field mice and rats have the potential of infecting humans with hantavirus that is uniquely transmitted by aerosolized rodent excreta or rodent bites. Makeup air in most homes is primarily supplied by both the crawl area and or the attic of a home or the attic alone if the home is build on-grade (concrete slab).

Please feel free to call me if you have any other questions about attics or crawl spaces.  You now know everything I know about rats and field mice!

Charles E. Cassani, CR

Steamatic of Sacramento, Inc.

(916) 386-8191

Small Business v. Insurance Giants

After Assemblyman and small business owner Roger Niello's editorial in the Sacramento Bee on October 3, 2009 about government regulations affect on small business, I felt compelled to weigh in on the matter.  Most of us small business owners feel there is nothing we can do about our day-to-day regulation issues.  Today there was another article in the Sacramento Bee about a business issue with a bigger giant - insurance companies.  A group of 40 Northern California body shop owners gathered with the intent of filing a class action suit against State Farm Insurance: One individual, with the fortitude to take a stand, rightly or wrongly, is pleading his case to yet a higher authority, the justice system, and he seeks numbers to enhance his case.  He claims the insurance company representatives guide their claimants to "preferred" vendors and thereby deny an equal playing field for all qualified vendors.  Of course, the management of the carrier denies this and paints a rather negative picture of the accuser.  Here are the facts as I see them.

First, the claims handling model of this insurance carrier is simple and effective: Hire bright, college graduates, provide a moderate income, extol the well-established virtues of a large, financially sound American Institution, isolate them from the local claims communities (adjuster-vendor educational associations, educational events offered by associated organizations) and let them experience the day-to-day questionable claims with insureds who justify their behavior with "I've paid premiums for 20 years and this is my first claim."  It does not take long for claims personnel to sour on the job and their desire to persuade the claimant to use someone of their choosing and whom they control.  Of course, management stays blind to this reality and can empower their mid-west, Protestant Ethics, along with a good dose of naivete to plead their very well financed and legally represented case.  

Second, giants like State Farm Insurance, can squash a small operator or 40 small operators if they so desire.  They are exempt from antitrust laws that are designed to encourage competition in the marketplace; their accuser(s) are not.  If 40 independent body shop owners organize to discuss prices lower than what the Farm pays, discuss that they would guarantee the work in all 40 locations and claim that their behavior was unsanctioned and not intended to harm State Farm, they would likely be charged for violating the Sherman Act, the federal antitrust law, also known as the "competition law."

Lastly, it may be possible to win a battle but you could likely lose the war.  One of our brightest and most honorable national association members fronted the move to pass legislation known as the Colorado Insurance Consumer Freedom Of Choice Bill in 2007 that prevents insurance companies from dictating which restoration company must be used in covered property repair insurance losses. House and Senate concurred that passage of bill would safeguard public against monopolies, trusts and market barriers, as well as foster and encourage competition. This gentleman's business nearly went broke since then in spite of his national reputation for superior, ethical service to his customers.

(Download Colorado Governor Signs Consumer Freedom of Choice Bill)

Consequences of over-regulating samll businesses - my thoughts

Assemblyman Niello aptly points out that small businesses take the brunt of over-regulation intended for the "greedy" corporations and aimed at protecting consumers, workers and the environment.  He also indicates that the large corporations have the resources and ability to stay "a step" ahead of the regulators.  Once again, government misses the target of its intended legislation and it falls literally on the backs of 99.2% of the "employer" or small businesses.

My perspective of this tragedy is based on 40 years as a small business owner and one who is attempting to survive the worst economic conditions in those 40 years.

Principled and Character-Based Businesses Owners Suffer The Most

Historically, here's what happens to owners with integrity and principles - they loose out to unscrupulous business entities that undercut prices and disregard regulations, labor laws, and every other civility desired in a business organization, especially in difficult economic times.

I live on a dead end street where people routinely drop off their garbage, unwanted pets (most get adopted - we have two) and other unmentionables.  I see it on a regular basis.  We have posted signage from the county about the fines for illegal dumping but it continues since no one monitors the street from 12:00 a.m. until 3:00 a.m. when most of it occurs.   Homeowners all pay a utility fee for garbage and other disposal services - dumpers do not.  We collective pay for them since the County provides the clean-up and includes the price in our fees.

Same goes for shell businesses with contract or illegal labor who disregard the regulations, do not have insurance and bid a job for half the price as a legitimate business.  Shopping the lowest price without due diligence is no different than dumping your garbage and having someone else clean it up at your neighbor's expense.  Due diligence? Check the status of business or contractor licenses, Better Business Bureau; asking for and checking references, ask for proof of insurance, especially Worker's Compensation so it does not end up a claim on your Homeowner's Policy.  If your cheapest bid contractor doesn't have Worker's Comp - his staff is your responsibility by law in California.  If we take this a step further, when anyone is hurt on a job, the medical staff initiate a barrage of questions (and sometimes innuendos) that it is a work relate injury (happens to me frequently) so they can collect from the employers or the homeowners insurance company and not tap into the patient's fees (do they ever offer a rebate on fees if someone else pays?).  One step further, once a claim is filed, the California Applicants' Attorneys Association (CAAA) often contacts the injured worker to assist them with maximizing their claim and often sues the employer on behalf of the claimant.  Some workers need this type of help but this organization is a bit over-zealous in it pursuit of justice, often for the sake of fees.  All of the processes mentioned, insurance, medical coverage, worker's compensation insurance and Applicant's Attorneys are all regulated by California Law so what started out as a half-price bid ends up costing everyone considerably more money than the full-cost bid by an ethical and established contractor.

The Consumer assumes the brunt of the responsibility for controlling the cost of business in California by demanding and receiving information confirming the legitimacy of businesses they chose to employ.  There are an abundance of organizations (government and private) and services to assist the consumer in this endeavor.

Charles E. Cassani, Steamatic of Sacramento

Re: Quit hammering state's small businesses by Roger Niello

Niello, a small businessman, past customer and a Republican assemblyman, presents a telling editorial in the Sacramento Bee today, Saturday, October 3, 2009.  He writes about the conclusions of a Sacramento State study, headed by Sanjay Varshney, dean of the College of Business Administration, regarding the over-regulation of California businesses.  The conclusion of the study $492.99 billion in lost economic output due to over regulation in California.  That's five times the general fund budget and a third of the state's gross product.  The impetus driving the over-regulation: "Crack down on corporate greed".

Some other pertinent facts in the article:

1. 99.2 % of employer businesses are small businesses.  Small business is defines as independently owned and operated, not dominant in its field of operation and has annual receipts not in excess of $500,000.00 and has fewer than 500 employees.
2. It is small business that is bearing the regulatory brunt of the "Big Business" crusade.
3. Even more regulations are headed small businesses way, like the recently enacted AB 32 carbon tax regulations.
4. The intent of the regulations center on protecting consumers, workers and the environment: In efforts to protect labor, California is loosing 3.8 million jobs a year; Labor laws severely restrict the flexibility of the work week for all classifications of workers, not just the field workers and other labor groups they seek to protect.
5. The Americans with Disability Act laws, well intended but too often used as the basis of law suits to cripple or terminate small businesses.
6. Big business have the resources to adapt and stay one step ahead of the regulators.  Small business do not and limit expansion, limit salaries, limit benefits to cope with the regulations.

Niello's recommendations for change:

• Support proposed legislation like Senate bill 356 that "would simply ask small business how proposed regulations would affect them".
• Provide a "sunset clause" in any new regulations that would allow the consideration of a cost-benefit balance of a particular protection.
• Set up a commission to oversee regulatory authorities.
• Remove the "bounty hunting" aspect from regulatory authorities by redirecting fines to the general fund and not to the agency in charge of levying the fines.

Niello's conclusion: "What's good for Small Business is good for California" so the legislative and regulatory authorities should start acting with this in mind.

My hat's off to Roger Niello but for the sake of brevity, I will provide my own views about this subject in another post.

Charles E. Cassani

Wow - what a family. What an experience!

A new and very experienced customer contacted me recently from our website via Google.  In fact, Google and our website produce more leads for our company than any other advertising or marketing activity within our organization.

This is an amazing family who previously purchased an "unhealthy" home.  Through trial and error they learned the hard and expensive lessons of removing very small and harmful contaminants from their home: Mold spores that range in size from 2 to 10 microns.  The head of a straight pin is approximately 2 millimeters in diameter.  Five hundred 2 micron spores will fit on the head of a pin.  We're talking small. 

The trials and tribulations that the family experienced would cause a divorce between most married couples.  In fact, we see this often with our clients.  Yet, on the phone shopping for a better price, was this positive woman who only relayed a small portion of her story during our conversation.  Then I found her web site, met her husband at the job site and worked well into the evening preparing a competitive bid that was several thousand dollars above her current bid! 

It is imperative that whoever gets this job coordinate with a demanding schedule that includes the complete removal of stucco off a two-story new home; removal and replacement of all windows; removing inside water and mold damage under several windows and providing selected cleaning of the balance of this 3200 square foot dwelling.  I want to work for this family - they are unique and I am very good at the services they need.  Besides, they are in for some more learning on this new project (can you say fenestration?).

I am going to relieve one of my competitors, an abatement contractor, of this opportunity hopefully.  Abatement (hazardous materials) contractors understand a limited amount of the total procedures required for cleaning and remediation.  Cleaning, restoration and remediation contractors (fire, water and environmental services) are best equipped to manage the total building envelope since they practice these services on a daily basis. 

If you want more control in this type of project, after you have received a bid for any environmental work that requires third party evaluation, let it be known that you will manage your own quality control testing (e.g. post remediation testing to determine the efficacy of the work process).  This testing takes someone trained and or certified by a government agency that can provide air quality testing and provide the results based on airborne material per square meter or volume of air tested.  With mold, bacteria, virus or gases, different testing is required. Your contractor will know they have to provide a thorough cleaning if you control the post project testing.  Need help finding a quality, competent environmental testing professional - call us, we have a list that we can provide to anyone that asks.

If I have more to report on this matter, I will keep you posted.

Charles E. Cassani, CR

Steamatic of Sacramento

8200 Berry Ave, Ste 160

Sacramento, CA 95828

www.steamaticofsacramento.com

916.386.8191 Voice

916.386.0501 Fax

800.564.1846 Toll Free

37 Years of Excellence in Sacramento 1972 – 2009