GPP

GPP or

Grains Per Pound

a way to measure water vapor in the air. Also know as humidity ratio.  The weight of water in a given weight of air ( a pound of dry air) 

DING DONG...ServiceMaster of Salt Lake calling

DING DONG...ServiceMaster calling

Agents and adjusters, let us visit your office to show you what we can do for your clients when disaster strikes. Our fun calling card...a box of Ding Dongs

uummmm... Ding Dongs....

Carpet Cleaning Questions

Carpet, Upholstery cleaning. Ask a pro

Our Ask a Pro. Will also cover  all Carpet and upholstery cleaning.  Can it be cleaned? How best to clean all types of carpet, fabrics, floor & wall surfaces.   Post you question on our Facebook page, we will respond short replies on Facebook and more detailed replies here on our blog.


Look forward to you tough questions....we have the answer

ServiceMaster of Salt Lake

ServiceMaster Salt Lake

You have found us on our Blog page, now check us out on FaceBook  ServiceMaster of Salt Lake & Utah Counties    or the twitter thing...  @ServiceMasterSL


Message us on Twitter, LIKE  us on  Facebook...    ask a PRO (carpet & upholstery cleaning, disaster restoration services )  our certified and Mater technicians are ready to help.

Four knows of Drying

The Four "Knows of Drying"

Four question that Summarize the information that must be obtained , documented and evaluated throughout the restorative drying process.  When left unanswered, these questions are the source of the most common deficiencies in inspection and documentation.  The four key questions, or "knows," of dying are:

1. What's wet?
2.  How wet is it?
3. Is it drying?
4. Is it done? 

Only through inspection, monitoring and documentation will answer these four questions.  A gap in this process will result in improper drying, additional water damage, and compromised structural cleanliness and integrity. Proper instruments and tools are a key ingredient to successful completion of the drying process.


( RSA- Restoration Sciences Academy) RD 101

Antimicrobials Saftey

Use Antimicrobials Safely and Properly

At ServiceMASTER  of Salt Lake    our   IICRC cleantrust certified technicians are trained to use all Antimicrobials  used at your home safely and properly. the following steps included.

1. Read the product label
2. Use appropriate PPE  (Personal Protective Equipment)
3. Communicate with occupants
4. Obtain consent
5. Provide MSDS if requested  ( Material Safety Data Sheet )

Reporting water Damage

Reporting Water Damage..things to note

When reporting a water disaster  a few things to keep in mind that you should report.

1. Origination  (what is the source of water)

2. Water Cleanliness  (water from a dishwasher or ice maker line, over flow from a toilet )

3. The extent of Water Damage  ( how far has it migrated, has it wicked up the walls )

4. Have you done anything to clean up (mitigate) before calling.  What?

Always remember the first concern (after stopping the water at source-if possible) should always be  your health and safety.

Disaster Clean Up

Disaster Clean UP

Disaster Clean Up.  What is that you ask.

Fire-    Grease fire in the Kitchen. Embers from the fire place. Smoking in bed. Spontaneous combustion.
Water (flooding) Frozen water line to swamp cooler, water line to ice maker, cracked water line to other    
appliances. bathtub over flow. Toilet broken

Smoke damage.  from fire place, neighbors fire. Burned toast

Anything unexpected that you need the experts to clean up. Water extraction and drying. Demo for water or Fire.  Pack out services. Content cleaning.

Tell your insurance provider you prefer ServiceMASTER of Salt Lake

What we do

Fire, Smoke, Water Flood Clean up

What do we do, the question is often asked.  What does ServiceMASTER  do?
We Clean carpets and rugs.
We Clean upholstery   (can apply protector)
We Do Disaster Restoration:
This includes all Fire, Water and Smoke Restoration.  Including Pack Outs and Content Cleaning
We are available 24 hours a day for any emergency.
Our office also offers commercial services that include Janitorial, general cleaning, construction cleanup. All done to meet your schedule and demands.

Give us a call.801-506-0027

Category 3 Water loss

Category 3 water loss

Category 3 water loss is grossly contaminated and can contain pathogenic, toxigenic or other harmful agents. Examples of category 3 water sources can include, but are not limited to: sewage; toilet back flows that originate from beyond the toilet trap regardless of visible content or color; and other contaminated water entering or affecting the indoor environment, such as wind-driven rain from hurricanes, tropical storms, or other weather-related events. Such water sources may carry silt, organic matter, pesticides, heavy metals, regulated materials, or toxic organic substances.


This is the highest level of contamination. Precautions to protect workers and building occupants must be taken.  These may include the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and/or Air filtration devices (AFD) with HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters.

Category 2 water loss

Category 2 water loss

Category 2 water contains significant contamination and has the potential to cause discomfort or sickness if contacted or consumed by humans. Category 2 water can contain potentially unsafe levels of microorganisms or nutrients for microorganisms, as well as other organic or inorganic matter ( chemical or biological)

The standard indicate that the water has some contamination, but not to the level of a category w loss.  Odors might be indicative that water has been contaminated.  Some factors that influence the water's cleanliness are the current use of the structure ) such as nursing home, hospital, day care, veterinary clinic, etc.), the general condition of the structure, previous water loss and the age and history of the structure. Time and elevated temperature will quickly degrade this to a category 3 loss.

Category One Water loss

Category 1 water loss

Category 1 water originates from a sanitary source and does not pose substantial risk from dermal, ingestion, or inhalation exposures. However, once clean water leaves the exit point, it might not remain clean once it contacts other surfaces or materials.

The standard does NOT say that the water must be drinkable to be a category 1 loss. It must come from a sanitary source and not have gathered any significant contamination after leaving the pipe or hose.  Some factors that influence the water's cleanliness are the current use of the structure (such as a private home), the general condition of the structure, previous water losses, and the age and history of the structure.

Water loss categories

Water Loss Categories.

Relates to general range of contamination in the water considering its source and the materials it contacts.

Class 4 water loss

Class 4 Water Loss

Specialty drying situations.

These consist of wet materials with a very low permeance/porosity (e.g., hardwood, plaster, brick, concrete, light weight concrete and stone).  Typically. there are deep pockets of saturation, which require very low specific humidity to remove.

This class of water includes situations where moisture is trapped deep in dense materials like hardwood floors, subflooring, and plaster walls.  This "bound water" is difficult to remove and will require the use of special drying tools and techniques. Additional drying time may be required to maintain a balanced environment so as not to cause damage to other materials in the loss through moisture removal.

Class 3 Water loss

class 3 water loss

Greatest amount of water, absorption and evaporation.


Water may have come from overhead. Ceilings, insulation, carpet, cushion and sub-floor in virtually the entire area are saturated.


This class includes the largest amount of water remaining after extraction and demolition is completed. This will involve entire room(s) and their materials. Porous and non-porous materials may be included. large volumes of moisture have been adsorbed and need to be evacuated quickly to prevent secondary or long term damages. This evacuation may require the use of heat, large volume dehmidification, air movers and specialty tools and techniques.

Class 2 water loss

Class 2 water loss

Large amount of water, absorption, and evaporation.

Water losses that affect the majority of a room of carpet and cushion (pad).  Water has wicked up walls less than 24 inches.  There is moisture in structural materials.

This class includes more water remaining after extraction than class 1 and includes some moisture wicking up the walls. Since porous materials are affected and absorption happens rapidly, the volume of moisture that will be dealt with must be considered.  These items will also release their moisture rapidly, therefore more dehumidification is required to prevent secondary damages.

class 1 water loss

Classification of Water. Class 1

The Classification of water- related to the relative degree of saturation. This class is used to calculate the initial amount of equipment needed in the drying process.

Least amount of water, absorption, and evaporation. Water losses that affect only part of a room or area , or larger  areas containing materials that have absorbed minimal moisture. Little or no wet carpet and/or cushion is present. These may also include small losses where the carpet and cushion has been removed and only the sub-floor is being dried.

This class may include more than one room or drying chamber, but is typically asmall amount of water left after extraction and removal of wet materials. A number of rooms with each room having only a slight involvement in the loss may also be labeled as a class 1 loss. 

Classification of water in a water loss

Classification of Water..in a water loss

What is the class of water  when you have a water loss in your home?

how munch does a gallon of water Weight?

How much does a gallon of water weigh?

drum roll please.........


8.34 Lbs  is the weight of a gallon of water.

how much does air weight?

1 Lb of dry air - is approx. 14 cubic feet in size