KC Restoration

Quality, Integrity, Trust

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Gratitude – from Emotion to Action

KC Restoration Culture Series – each month we will highlight a different company value. Since Thanksgiving is in November, we selected the value of Gratitude to discuss this month.

Gratitude is an emotion, something that gives you a feeling of happiness. Happiness can increase your life span, intelligence, creativity, energy and allow you to be more effective. There are many ways to express gratitude – internally (making a list of things you are grateful for), externally (send a card/text/note your gratitude to someone), or expressing gratitude to everyday things (i.e.:  I’m thankful for my heater).

At KC Restoration, our vision of gratitude is:

Gratitude:  Choose to be grateful and express gratitude.

  • The most tangible way to encourage is to offer appreciation for efforts and/or results. Please make it a point to express gratitude to a team mate each day.
  • We appreciate the opportunity our customers give us as well as their patience and flexibility. Every interaction with a customer should include an expression of appreciation.

KC Restoration demonstrates gratitude in many different ways:

  • Our technicians give written notes of gratitude in their end of shift reports.
  • Our CEO writes hand written thank you notes.
  • We send video messages of thanks to our technicians.
  • We send vendors and customers expressions of our gratitude through words and gifts.

We are so grateful you took the time to read about Gratitude. We hope you find ways to spread gratitude to others.

Ways to Increase Gratitude in Your Life

Technology has made it easier to track your happiness and gratitude. Here are a few apps that can help you track your Gratitude/Happiness:

  1.  Track Your Happiness (Free)
  2. Happify (Free)
  3. My Gratitude Journal ($2.99)
  4. Headspace ($12.99/mo)
  5. RealLifeChange ($3.99/mo)
  6. Stigma ($2.99)
  7. SuperBetter (Free)
  8. iMood Journal ($2.99)
  9. Worry Watch ($2.99)
  10. Daylio (Free)

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Lacquer Coatings for Durability and Appearance

 

Metal fabrication is a vital industry that supports the world’s infrastructure and economy. Some form of metal appears in our lives every day from household appliances to vehicles. Metals like carbon steel, stainless steel and aluminum make many aspects of life possible and many metal products are simply indispensable in today’s society, provided they’re properly finished and protected.

Some raw metal without proper finishing can tarnish and corrode. Unfinished metal parts are eroded by salts, weakened by ultraviolet light and rusted by rain. Corroding metal is a problem. Preventive measures, can delay or eliminate corrosion, and the right coating can form a protective barrier to further delay corrosion, especially when the coating is maintained.

Picking the right coating can be daunting with so many to choose from.  Lacquers and water-based urethanes come in a range of clear or pigmented coatings. Lacquer dries by solvent evaporation to produce a hard, durable finish. Urethanes dry as the thinner in the product evaporates; then the product cures while its polymer chains cross-link.  The finish can be of any sheen level from matte to a high gloss. These finishes are usually harder and more durable than oil-based or latex paints, and are typically used on hard and smooth surfaces.

Lacquer is usually applied as a clear coating, allowing you to still view the surface texture and design. Many metals surfaces can be attractive without the need for a colored coating; this is when lacquer or clear urethanes are most useful.

Lacquer and urethane form a clear protective layer on metals and are particularly useful on bronze, brass, aluminum, silver and copper, which often form decorative items. Lacquer is regularly used on ornamental brass and on the surface of finely machined steel. This ensures that the metal surface from the day the initial finish was produced remains protected throughout the life of the lacquer or urethane. 

Contact KC Restoration today for more information regarding lacquer coatings for your metal surfaces.

 

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Tips to Help Save Metal Surfaces from Corrosion During Winter

  

Cold weather, ice and snow are all on the way.  Soon you will be calling a contractor to remove snow and ice from many surfaces to prevent accidents on your property.  This is an important safety measure to ensure building occupants and visitors do not slip and fall, but materials that help melt the ice and snow take a toll on many exterior and interior metal surfaces.

Did you know that the chloride ion molecules in deicers interact with the metal in an electrochemical reaction which accelerates the metal molecule’s interaction (oxidation) with the surrounding oxygen into metal-oxide molecules? This results in what is commonly called rust.

When ice melt is not cleared away from your metal, bronze, stainless steel, aluminum or anodized aluminum siding, corrosion begins. Metal corrosion is a concern primarily in parking garages due to the steel rebar that is in the concrete to reinforce it.

The common dry non chloride deicers that are used to avoid corrosion are CMA (Calcium Magnesium Acetate), sodium acetate and urea. The primary non chloride liquid for anti-icing use on pavement is potassium acetate. Note that none of these chemicals have the word “chloride” in them.

A few chloride-based deicers are claiming to be “less corrosive”. These products contain 95 – 99 percent chlorides and have about one 1 percent CMA added. CMA costs about 20 times as much per pound as salt; this is why only a “pinch” can be added to a common deicer. There is currently no evidence supporting the claim that adding any amount CMA to salt helps reduce the corrosiveness of chlorides.

If the price non-corrosive deicer exceeds your budget, there are some steps you can take to minimize the corrosion process and avoid costly repairs:

  1. Place mats both outside and inside all entrances
  2. Increase frequency of cleanings
  3. Try to keep the snowmelt from building up on any of your metal
  4. Once warmer temperatures arrive, pressure wash areas exposed to ice melt

For more information on how to protect and maintain your building’s exterior through the winter, contact KC Restoration today. We are the trusted experts in restoration, beautification and preservation.

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Stone Floor Restoration for a Sparkling First Impression

 

 

Restorative floor care procedures can make your building shine. Floor restoration services include deep cleaning, removing soils and debris from high traffic surfaces and polishing. Daily maintenance tasks can be performed by a cleaning crew if they are using the right chemicals and equipment.

Stone floors throughout commercial buildings require regular maintenance as well as routine professional maintenance from time to time. Cleaning is an extremely important procedure the KC Restoration team performs to extract the buildup of dirt, filth, mildew, and other particulates from the surface. However, over time and regular cleaning, the polish that makes specific types of tile and stone shine have dissipated. KC Restoration recommends investing in a polishing service that requires the polishing maintenance following a professional cleaning to restore the ambient shine.

Terrazzo, marble, granite and more are all examples of hard floor surfaces that should get polished to keep the luster, gloss and beauty. Simply ensuring you polish your stone flooring offers more protection. Polishing should be done at least once a year following the regular cleaning service. If your floors endure high traffic and abuse, cleaning and polishing services may be needed on a more frequent basis to maintain the luster.

If you are uncertain if the floors in your facility require a polishing service, the professionals at KC Restoration can inform you on the professional treatments optimal for the type of floor you have. While buildings are empty and floor traffic is at a minimum, take advantage of the opportunity to do floor care projects efficiently and right!

Contact Us

KC Restoration, LLC
1465 N. Winchester St., Olathe, KS 66061
913-766-2200