Category Archives: Property Maintenance

A dehumidifier is a machine which reduces and maintains the level of humidity in the air. You may need to use a dehumidifier for a variety of different reasons, it could be needed for health reasons, comfort reasons, humidity control, water damage restoration, eliminate musty odours and prevention of mould and bacteria. It is a sophisticated electrical appliance that comes with a significant price tag. A common question asked is should I buy or rent a dehumidifier? Before you go and spend a bunch of your money getting one, here are 2 reasons to hire a dehumidifier instead of buying one.

1: Frequency Of Use

The frequency of use is a big thing to consider when deciding to rent or buy a dehumidifier. If you are cleaning up due to a sudden flood or leak, you may only require the one-off services of a dehumidifier. In this case, it is best to rent, however, if you happen to deal with regular leaks and water infiltration, having your own dehumidifier helps you manage your problems before health and structural damage occur. Owning a dehumidifier is not cost effective unless you suffer from frequent water damage. Renting is much more cost effective and then you should focus your efforts on preventing future water damage.

2: Maintenance Cost & Efforts

It is important to understand that all dehumidifiers require regular maintenance in order to function effectively. Just like any other electrical appliance, your dehumidifier needs electricity to work. Dehumidifiers require power from a source which will affect the cost of your electricity bills. They come equipped with an air filter to remove harmful particles and allergens in the air. Filters ensure the efficient operation and create healthier, cleaner air in the building. These filters need to be replaced regularly to maintain optimal performance. On top of all that you’ll also need to remove the water from the collection bin, replace your hose, and clean the machine regularly.

The costs involved and the frequency of use are two important factors to why you should rent instead of buying one. Owning a dehumidifier will set you back a significant sum of money and if you are not going to use it regularly then there’s no point of purchasing one. Contact us today by visiting us online or call us on 021-4866133 with any questions relating to dehumidifier hire. 

Most people look for a plumber when a plumbing emergency strikes in their home. The last thing you want to be doing at the time of an emergency is spending time researching and finding a good plumber. If you know what to look for, the whole experience will be much quicker and easier for you. There are a variety of things you should look out for when choosing a plumber to ensure you’re getting the right professional for the job. Here are 2 things to look out for when picking the right plumber.

1: Online Presence

Looking online is a great way of discovering a wide selection of plumbers. A quick search will bring up plenty of results, however, with so much choice, it can be tough to choose the best option for you. Having a website or different social media channels gives people the chance to see how they work, what they offer, their knowledge and makes contacting them a lot easier when you have a problem. Having a blog with useful information and tips is often a great indication that they are professional, knowledgeable and willing to help customers. A blog with useful information and advice shows they are willing to share what they know with their audience as well as that it shows they are open to attracting further business and growth. If they have no website or one that doesn’t include adequate information about their services then you should do a deeper research into them to find out how reliable they are. While a lack of online presence doesn’t necessarily mean they are a bad plumber, it does make it a lot more difficult to build a picture in your head of what they are like to deal and work with.

2: Qualifications/Experience

One of the most important things to look out for when choosing a good plumber is their qualifications and experience. Professional plumbers have to do different academic and industry training and pass various industry tests to carry out their work. Their accreditations and certifications will determine the work they are able to carry out. They should be licensed meaning they are registered by a governing body, however, many of them work without a license. Most homeowners assume every plumber needs to have one, so this question is always worth asking, you shouldn’t just take the plumbers word for it. Experience is also very important on top of qualifications. You should always find out how long their plumbing business has been in operation. Check and see what experience they have and how long they’ve been working in the trade. Also, you should see how many years experience the person who will be carrying out the work has. It takes several years for most great plumbers to acquire their knowledge and skills. The existence of the plumbing service is a great measure of how reputable they are. You want an experienced plumber capable of handling your needs. The more experience a plumber has, the more likely they are to get the job done right the first time.

If you ever experience a plumbing emergency, hiring a professional to fix the problem is the best option. Knowing what to look for in a plumber before hiring one can make dealing with a home disaster so much easier. Call us now on 021-4866133 or visit us online today.

Winter is well and truly underway and the rain and ice have substantially increased the risk of staff getting hurt or injured due slipping and falling. But there are some property maintenance steps that you can take to make your work environment as safe as possible. Here are 2 tips to keep your staff safe this winter.

1: Clear Footpaths

Keeping your footpaths clear of ice and snow throughout the day is the best way to reduce the chance of one of your staff members slipping and falling on their way to or from work which could result in a nasty injury. Use a combination of salt, sand and other materials to help melt snow and ice as well as provide some much-needed traction in slippery conditions.

2: Ensure Floors Are Dry

Winters in Ireland are filled with rain, and as your staff are coming into your building they bring a lot of water in from the outdoors. This is especially dangerous on smoothly finished floors and can cause a lot of falls if the problem isn’t solved. Putting down mats at entrances is a fantastic way to stop the spread of rainwater throughout the building. The mats should be non-slip, good at absorbing water and as long as possible so that your employee’s feet will be dry by the time they have walked over them in around 3-6 steps. Another step you should take is to provide umbrella bins next to every entrance so staff can put their umbrellas straight in there and they don’t drip all over the floor. You should also mop and dry the floors as frequently as is necessary to keep them clean and dry, the frequency will change depending on how bad the rain is outside and how many people are coming and going from your building. Finally, make sure you put out caution signs in affected areas to let people know about the wet floors so that they can take a bit more care while walking.

Keep your staff and office safe this winter by making sure all footpaths are clear from ice and gritted for extra traction and also by making sure any smooth finished floors by entrances are maintained properly. Contact us today to schedule an appointment to discuss our full property maintenance services. Call now on 021-486-1633!

Small plumbing problems often lead to much larger and more expensive problems down the line. Sometimes it’s hard to know whether or not you even have a problem to being with, so in this article I will be telling you the 3 signs you have a plumbing problem.

1: Spluttering Faucet

A warning sign to look out for is if the faucet of your tap starts spluttering. Often this can be harmless as it is just air trapped in the pipes. However if it is happening to several faucets around the house, or if it is a common occurrence it may be a sign of a bigger problem. Usually when taps splutter on a consistent basis it means there is a crack somewhere in the pipes. If you are worried that this is happening to you, it’s time to call a plumber before the issue before it gets out of hand.

2: Slow Draining Water

Another sign that you have a plumbing problem is if water is draining more slowly than usual in sinks, showers or baths. Before a drain blocks completely, it usually slows down. Sometimes even taking minutes to drain a shower. If you are experiencing slow draining water, act fast to rectify the situation. It saves you time and money to catch the problem early. A slow drain can be harmless if it doesn’t happen often. However if it is a persistent issue then you more than likely have a blocked pipe. This is also the case for toilets, so keep an eye on it and take action before it becomes a bigger problem.

3: Visible Mould Or Mildew

This can occur in your bathroom and may not be a serious issue. If it is a recurring issue however you may have a larger plumbing problem. Look out for mould or mildew on non shower walls. If it is present, you may have a water leak. Even small water leaks can cause serious damage to the structure of your home over time. It also helps create the dark, damp conditions that mold and mildew love. If you are facing this issue call a plumber before that small leak causes a big problem.

Check around your home, if you have any of these 3 signs of a plumbing problem, call a professional. It saves you time, money and a lot of headaches down the line. If you spot any of these issues, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Drain blockages can happen at the most inopportune times and wreak havoc on your daily routine. If your drains ever do get blocked then don’t hesitate to call us, However in this blog I will be going over tips on how  you can avoid getting blocked drains in the first place. The first step is to have them cleaned by a professional, it stops any build up and may just save you a headache down the line. Once they are cleaned you should follow these simple steps to keep them clear.

1: Don’t Pour Grease Down Your Drain:

Grease from things like frying pans and grill trays can be a nightmare for your drains. Once it goes down the drain it cools down and solidifies which can lead to them blocking and backing up. Try pouring this grease into a can and disposing of it another way to save yourself hassle down the line.

2: Be Careful What You Flush:

Only flush toilet paper down your toilet. The so called “flushable” wipes that are everywhere now are one of the biggest causes for blockages in households. Throw them in the bin after use to avoid any unpleasant surprises.

3: Use Strainers in Kitchen & Bathroom Drains:

Strainers are quite inexpensive and are extremely useful in kitchen sinks so that any waste food can be caught before it falls down into the drain. Using them in bathroom drains is also advisable as they stop hairs from going down into drains and getting tangled up. This is especially good advice for anyone who bathes their pets in the bath.

4: Run Hot Water Down Your Drains:

Running hot water down your kitchen sink can help to get rid of any grease or oil deposits that have become trapped in your drains. Similarly running very hot water down your bathroom drains can get rid of soap build up in your bathroom drains.

Being conscientious about what you put down your drains can save you time and money in the long run. If you use these 4 simple tips for keeping your drain unclogged you shouldn’t have any trouble. However if you do run into trouble Advance Maintenance is here to help.

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Being prepared for the Winter is always a good idea. While we live in quite a temperate climate which means we generally don’t suffer with extreme weather, we do occasionally get snow and ice and it’s still always better to be prepared than to end up stuck in your home with nothing. This Winter preparation checklist should help you to be ready if the worst happens:

1. Have a small supply of non-perishable, easy to prepare foods on hand. This can include things such as tins of beans.

2. Keep extra supplies of essential medication in case it’s too difficult to get to the pharmacy.

3. Have an adequate supply of fuel for your heating system and cooker. If possible have suitable alternatives should the main ones fail.

4. Have a shovel and a large bag of salt on hand to keep pathways safe and avoid any painful falls or slips.

   

5. Have torches and spare batteries in case of a power cut.

6. Have candles ready also, they should be kept in proper candle holders and away from draughts. Never leave a candle unattended or by a christmas tree.

7. Ensure your heating system is working correctly.

8. Know how to turn off your water supply in case of burst pipes.

9. Keep a water container so you will always have a drinking supply.

10. Keep warm & avoid unnecessary travel

This checklist should help you to stay safe this winter. This list is just the basics and is by no means all encompassing, if you think of anything you feel will benefit yoursafety and preparedness this Winter you should do it. If you do run into any problems such as faulty heating systems or burst frozen pipes we would be happy to help you.

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Winter is now just around the corner. This means it is the perfect time for you to start preparing your buildings for the coming season. This is especially necessary if you have older buildings that haven’t been refurbished recently. Old fashioned heating systems, insufficient insulation & damaged foundations that leave the cold and damp in are just some of the problems you will face. All of this combined will see you drain your energy budget in no time at all. In this article I will be going over a few easy ways you can try to get your buildings up to scratch before the winter hits.

1: Inspect Your Heating System Checked:
The first thing that you should do going into winter is get your heating system checked by a professional. This is even more important if your system has been in place for more than 10 years. It’s important to make sure everything’s running smoothly as a system failure on a freezing day in December is no laughing matter. Older heating systems in large buildings often require a lot of manual oversight. According to the HVAC manager for Princeton University, valves need to be adjusted in each building starting in early to mid-October. Such a seemingly simple task could become quite complicated if you’re unsure of all the proper procedures.

2: Inspect Your Windows:
Windows are a huge reason for heat leakage in older buildings. Single pane windows are very inefficient and should be replaced wherever possible. Double glazed windows have a gap between the two panes of glass that acts as a cushion and slows the transfer of heat, this means that they are far more efficient when it comes to reducing heating bills.

3: Inspect Your Doors:
If the windows of your buildings are leaking heat, chances are your doors are doing the same and need an assessment. Gaps in masonry not only let the cold in, rodents also see it as a door to a new home inside your building. Ensure that all of your doors are sealed properly before you get a few unwanted guests for the winter months.

Going through with these preventative measures will save you countless headaches as well as reducing your energy costs. It’s better to prevent something than to fix it so save yourself the time and money and do it now.

If you own a business and you haven’t got a professional plumbing & heating service lined up then you are just asking for trouble. You need someone with a comprehensive service that can cover everything from full installations to emergency repairs. In this articles I will be going over 4 key tips for selecting a plumbing & heating service.

1: Make Sure There Is An Insurance Schedule:

An insurance schedule, also known as a policy schedule, is document which says the amount of insurance the plumbing company has. In other words it tells you the amount of redress that you would be entitled to if something went wrong. It’s important that this cover is adequate, if there is no insurance schedule whatsoever then you should definitely avoid that company.

2: Check The Number Of References They Have:

Any plumbing & heating service company should be able to provide at least five references. Usually you can check a company’s website and they will have them listed. If they have less than four or five references then you should also avoid them as it shows how few happy customers they have had in the past.

3: Ask About Any Jobs In Progress:

If a plumbing service is good then it should always be in demand. Also it’s likely the current customer will be contactable so you can get an idea of how satisfied their customers generally are with their work.

4: Look At Images Of Current & Completed Jobs:

Before during and after pictures of a work site can give you a great indicator of how the plumbing company in question

s operates and what you can visually expect from them. Many plumbers take before and after pictures these days for insurance purposes so that should not be too much of a problem.

Using these 4 tips for selecting a plumbing & heating service will help you avoid any costly mistakes in the future. For more information on our plumbing & heating services please visit the plumbing section of our website https://amltd.ie/services/plumbing/

It’s tempting to want to do all repairs yourself to save on the cost of running a business or home. However when it comes to electrical repairs it really is essential to go with a professional electrical repair service. This article will be highlighting some of the reasons why work with electricity should only be carried out by the experts.

1: On The Job Safety Issues:

Working with electricity can be extremely dangerous especially if you aren’t entirely sure of what you are doing. It can be as simple as forgetting to turn off the power and you could get yourself in serious trouble. Electricians are experts in their field and it’s important not to hesitate in finding one if you are ever in doubt.

2: Long Term Safety Issues:

If for some reason you have decided to throw caution to the wind and somehow completed the job yourself there can still be some serious safety hazards. If you haven’t hired a professional electrical repair service, chances are you have made some mistakes in completing the job. If electrical repairs aren’t completed correctly they can lead to electrical failures which can lead to shocks, fires and other dangers which could have been completely avoided if the job was done properly.

3: Long Term Money Saving:

In any area mistakes can prove to be very costly, in many cases even more expensive than resolving the issue in the first place. This is especially true when it comes to electrical repairs. If you make a mistake in this area you could end up needing to rewire the building, or even burning it down. You can also save time as these projects are huge undertakings for non-professionals and may end up taking a lot longer than you initially expected.

4: Troubleshooting Abilities:

When there is an electrical issue it can be extremely difficult for the lay person to find the actual cause. A representative from a professional electrical repair service has a wealth of knowledge and experience in these kinds of issues which gives them a huge advantage when it comes to assessing what has gone wrong. This enables them to quickly get to the root of the problem which ultimately saves you time and money.

Hopefully this list of tips will help you to make the right decision and hire a professional electrical repair service for any issues that arise. It will end up saving you time and money and it could even save your life.

Let’s face it – whether we’re talking about property maintenance or any other area of our lives, we’re bound to make mistakes. We’re only human after all. Most people are afraid of making mistakes because ever since they were little they were told that mistakes are bad. However, this is not entirely the case because mistakes help us see what we did wrong and how we can do it better in the future. Smart people always learn from their mistakes. That being said, you don’t have to only learn from your own misadventures. Rather, you can learn from other people’s mistakes (that’s what wise people do). Here are some of the most common mistakes people make when it comes to domestic upkeep. The good news is that even if you slip up, you can always hire a reputable and reliable property maintenance company in Cork, but we hope that this article well help you avoid making these errors.

1. Not doing any maintenance

We’re a society of chronic procrastinators. We rarely do things unless we absolutely have to and it can’t wait until tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow, or next Easter. That’s why we have sayings like, “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.” We like it when things just work, so we don’t pay attention to minor issues. We d

Proper maintenance, routine check-ups of plumbing and electric circuitry, dehumidifying if the humidity is too high are all important. You never know if there are minor leaks in the plumbing or potential problems with the circuitry that’s just waiting to “blow up” and take your appliances with it. It’s apparent that most people today either don’t have the expertise or the time to perform their own check-ups, but property maintenance services in Cork are readily available. It’s far cheaper to deal with a minor problem than to wait for it become an emergency. Stop making this mistake and start taking your maintenance seriously.on’t take measures before something happens. We wait for it to occur and then deal with the crisis we have on our hands. This is one of the most common practices for most people today, but the truth is that it absolutely destroys good property maintenance. If you think that your maintenance is good just because everything works, then you’re in it for a treat when everything starts breaking down all at once.

2.  Using a new property maintenance company every time

Sometimes in the interest of saving money we don’t make the best decisions we can make. One of the most popular decisions that fall into this category is using a new property maintenance company every time because in some ways it feels like we’re saving a bit.

There are legitimate reasons for changing the company you use, especially if they’re not doing the job you hired them to do in a proper manner. However, using a different company every time is counterproductive on several fronts.

First, even if it seems like you’re saving a bit of money when hiring a new company, this may very well not be the case because you can never be sure what you’ll get in return. Cheap ends up being more expensive sometimes.

Second, you scarcely have the time to conduct proper research and find out if a company is good or not, especially when we’re talking about an emergency, meaning that you will probably go for the company that offers you the lowest rates, which can do you more harm than good in some cases, as stated above.

Third, even if the company you choose is good, a new company has to get the overall picture of the building or accommodation in terms of plumbing, circuitry, environmental factors, etc. This takes time, effort, and is a pointless exercise in futility for several companies to go through this process if experts from your current company have a satisfactory performance. The Cork area offers high quality property maintenance services, so pick one you trust and stick with them.

3. DIY when you don’t know what you’re doing

While not doing any maintenance at all is rather bad, doing it even though you’re not sure what is it you have to do can be even worse. Especially when it comes to plumbing and electricity, basic understanding is a must so you don’t accidently cause irreparable damage. Furthermore, you may end up hurting yourself severely, especially in regards to circuitry maintenance. People who handle electricity and electrical systems are trained specialists. It’s not a simple job and can be quite dangerous. Even if you do remember to turn the power off, it still doesn’t mean that you will not get the wiring mixed up and fry your entire installation afterwards.

When it comes to plumbing, things are somewhat similar. Even if you do a decent job, you might miss something and that something might cause a flood in your living room, completely destroying your carpet. Hence, you’d have to pay for repairs, as well as a new carpet. This happens more often than you think. Taking proper care of your home is not easy so if you want to do it yourself, you need to have the knowhow. If not, better leave it to property maintenance specialists in the Cork area.

Conclusion 

At the end of the day, repairs and maintenance are just two sides of the same coin. If you don’t have proper maintenance, then you will need to have repairs. Sometimes there are unforeseen events that cause an emergency need for repairs, but in most cases these unforeseen events can be easily seen through a proper inspection. Good property maintenance may seem like it costs you money, but can actually save you a lot on repairs that could have been easily avoided. The truth is that we often try to spend as little as we can and in our attempts we make mistakes that end up costing us more. DIY is admirable, but only if it doesn’t lead to calling the cavalry afterwards. A bit of foresight and understanding can go a long way toward ensuring that your property is well-maintained.