So, you are in the process of buying a home. Everything is going great, except for one small issue: your potential home is reading high radon levels. All of a sudden, you might be hesitant to purchase the home until the inspector mentions that you can hire radon mitigation services. If you are unsure about moving forward, let us here at Astrid Environmental Services help explain your options when it comes to .

• You can pass on the purchase of the home. You can pass on the contract if inspection results were a determining buying factor. However, think carefully...

Hiring the right mold remediation professional creates the difference between a clean, healthy space and one that has reoccurring mold issues. Before hiring a mold specialist to remove mold from your home or business, we at Astrid Environmental Services recommend asking these five questions to any professional you consider. We would be happy to tell you more, so please contact us today!

1. Will you perform an onsite inspection? Every mold situation is different and requires a visual inspection. Be wary of any company that will provide an estimate over the phone...

It’s easy to not think about the things you cannot see, even if those things are right under your feet. While many of us have crawlspaces beneath our homes, they are often dark and dirty, and are therefore largely ignored by most people. However, your crawlspace is an important feature of your home and needs a little extra care to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the rest of your home. Crawlspace encapsulation is a great way to make this happen, and if you don’t already have crawlspace encapsulation, here are three reasons why you should.

1....

Increasing the value of your home is what you hope to get out of any home renovation, so how do you know where to start or even which projects to do? At Astrid Environmental Services, we’ve been in the home renovation game for a while, so we know which projects offer the best payback. Here are just a few we recommend if you want to add value to your home:

• Add new siding—Is your home’s siding looking worse for wear? Increasing your home’s curb appeal is everything, so if you want to give your house a brand-new look and increase its market value, adding new siding...

Deciding to cross off that home remodeling project you’ve had on your to-do list forever is exciting! What may not be as exciting is coming up with a budget for said project and figuring out costs, but it has to be done. Here are some tips for developing your home remodeling budget for a better overall outcome.

• Ballpark the total cost—Whatever your project, do a little research into what these types of home remodeling projects cost. For example, doing a few upgrades in your bathroom could cost a few thousand dollars, but gutting your kitchen could cost upwards...

You’re new to the whole professional office cleaning idea, and now that you’ve signed up for services, you’re never going back. At the same time, you’re unsure of when you should have your office cleaning crew come into your building to tidy things up. From our experience at Astrid Environmental Services, here’s what we recommend:

• Morning—For many companies, early or mid-morning is the best time for office cleaning. We recommend this schedule if things are slow to start up in the mornings as people trickle in. Plus, many companies are less likely to hold...

You hired a commercial cleaning company so you wouldn’t have to worry about keeping your office space clean and tidy. How do you know that company’s doing a good job? Here’s how to tell:

• They manage their time—Your cleaners should show up at the right time, complete all the work you pre-specified within the given timeframe, and stick to the right ongoing cleaning schedule.
• They use the right equipment and products—Your cleaners should be well-equipped when they show up to your location to get things clean. They should also use the same...

If you are planning to hire janitorial services for your office, there are a few important things you already have in mind for your space. For example, cleaning public restrooms and refreshing the kitchen area are likely some places that you want to make sure stay clean. There are a few things, however, that you’ll want to ask for that may not occur to you:

• Seasonal Cleaning – Living in any place that has seasons means that there will be different cleaning requirements for each time of year. During the spring and winter seasons, you may want janitorial staff to...

You can rearrange the furniture in your home a million different ways, buy new items to try to fit the space, and even DIY a few remodeling tasks to try to ease the “trouble” spots.

At the end of the day, however, sometimes you might love your home and hate the way it’s laid out or the outdated-ness of it all. If that’s the case, sometimes its better to just skip rearranging and spending money on new items and go right to the home renovation instead.

Home renovation is great for several reasons, starting with the fact that you can truly customize your home the way you want it....

If you want to keep your office tidy in between professional cleanings, there are a few easy things you can do to make sure your space always looks its best. Follow these steps for a more efficient office cleaning routine:

• Dusting – Office spaces collect dust quickly and it can easily get out of hand. Before you know it, you put down a folder and a plume of particles finds its way into the air. Dusting your desk once a day will cut down on this annoying situation.
• Disinfecting – Another way to improve your office cleanliness is to...

When you’ve had any sort of event at your home that has resulted in damage, you may find yourself picking up the pieces and looking at your options. Even if you have filed an insurance claim, you may be tempted to start some DIY home restoration projects to get things moving while you wait. Surely you can dry up water and scrub away soot from a fire, right?

Before you do, there is one catch that makes it important not to take on DIY home restoration, but instead wait it out with your insurance company and a professional cleaning team. What’s the catch? Your safety!

Of course...

Whether you own your own business or manage a corporate store, sometimes, the cleanup can seem to take forever when you are ready to end your day. If you know that you need to maintain a clean space for your employees and your guests, then you also likely want to make the process as efficient as possible. Here are some commercial cleaning tips that will save you time:

1. End of Day Checklist – One of the easiest ways to make sure your facility remains clean from day to day is to create an end-of-day checklist that is easy to follow. By assigning specific employees...

Everybody wants to breathe clean air! If you have an indoor air quality problem at your home, it can sometimes be difficult to determine what the problem is, and then apply the best solution. The reality is that having great indoor air quality doesn’t have to be complicated, and there are some basic things you can do to keep it fresh and healthy throughout the year.

• Replace Your Air Filters – This is one easy thing you can do to keep your indoor air clean and safe for breathing. The trick is that you’ll need to follow the recommended filter guidelines for...

As a homeowner, you already know that you need to take certain steps to protect your home from unwanted water damage. For example, you may have weatherization strips around windows and your bathrooms and laundry areas are properly ventilated to reduce moisture buildup. These are all great steps for moisture control throughout your home!

There may be some hidden areas, however, where moisture control problems can quickly get out of hand without your knowledge. For example, your basement and crawlspace areas are key places where moisture control can be a problem, but you don’t know it...

If you are a homeowner, you likely take every precaution to keep your indoor air quality at its best. From changing your air filters regularly to having your air ducts cleaned and making sure your HVAC system is functioning well, each item on your to-do list serves an important purpose: making your home healthy and safe.

One thing that may not be mentioned to you as your buy a home or select a new community to live in is the importance of testing for radon gas. Why is this colorless, odorless, naturally occurring gas so important?

Radon gas is naturally occurring in many areas,...

Our air ducts are often out of sight and out of mind. However, when you start to notice poor indoor air quality, you may not be sure what steps to take. At Astrid Environmental Services, we know how important scheduling air duct cleaning can be, and we’ve listed some situations in which it may be time to schedule this important maintenance task.

• You Want to Discourage Mold– Mold can live in your air ducts and other dark and damp places. Air duct cleaning will help remove this potential threat.
• ...

At Astrid Environmental Services, we meet a lot of customers who didn’t know they had mold in their home or business until it was a severe problem. Here is a list of warning signs and steps you can take for proper mold remediation.

Do You Have Mold?

• Musty Smells – Do you keep smelling strange odors, but haven’t been able to determine the source? That musty smell could indicate water damage and mold growth.
• ...

You may have heard about the dangers of radon gas and how important it is to have your home tested for this invisible hazard. However, radon gas may also seem like an elusive and mysterious problem that leaves you with more questions than answers. While you may expect that high levels of radon gas are dangerous, is there a “safe” level that wouldn’t pose a threat to you and your family?

Here are a few quick pieces of information about radon gas that can help answer some of your...

Have you ever walked into a deep, dark, spooky-feeling basement? It’s one thing to walk into a room like that when you’re in the appropriate location, but quite another to walk into it in your own home, every time you enter your basement. If you’re tired of having a basement that is on the dark side and are ready to turn it into a space that is more enjoyable to work, relax, or entertain in, you may want to consider a home renovation.

A home renovation is a great way to take your basement area from shabby to stellar. When you choose a design that fits your needs,...

Did you know that many homes and businesses operate at below 60% efficiency, and improving the cleanliness and thermal integrity of the duct work is an effective way to improve that efficiency?

It’s common to overlook duct work as an important part of your property’s maintenance and HVAC system, but the truth of the matter is that duct work is instrumental in moving air of the right temperature to its intended location; the state of your duct work can also have a massive effect on indoor air...

Looking into your options for a home renovation can be extremely exciting, until you get down to how much it will cost. The good news is that financing for your home renovation doesn’t have to get out of hand as long as you develop and stick to a manageable budget. Here are some tips for putting together a successful budget for your next home renovation:

• Figure out your finances — How much do you have to spend on your home renovation? At this point, determine if you’ll use...

If you’re worried about radon levels in your home, you probably have questions about radon remediation and mitigation. As your source for radon remediation, our team at Astrid Environmental Services will do our best to provide the information you’re looking for. Here are some of the most frequent questions about radon remediation.

Is there an “acceptable” level of radon?

The EPA has established an “action” level that determines when you need to do something about the radon in your home....

At Astrid Environmental Services, we’ve heard our fair share of untrue things about radon gas. Here are some of the most common myths about radon gas and why they aren’t true:

Myth #1: Radon gas isn’t dangerous.

Many people in the scientific and general community have claimed that radon gas is nothing to worry about. However, the American Medical Association, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and American Lung Association all agree that radon poses a danger to human...

As a homeowner, your concerns about radon entering your home are warranted. Not only can you be completely unaware when radon is in your home, but its presence can also harm you and your family members. Today, we want to go over how this dangerous gas enters your home and what you should do about it if you have a radon problem.

There are many major entry routes radon uses when infiltrating a home, such as:

• Cracks in concrete...