Planning a winter getaway? Mind your pipes!

When traveling this holiday season, the last thing you want to worry about is a frozen pipe bursting in your basement. While it may seem counterintuitive, fact is our mold inspection team keeps quite busy during the winter months, and here’s why: When a basement floods, your nightmare is just beginning. If you don’t remove the water and dry the area immediately, you’ll probably be looking at a major mold manifestation. See, water seeps into sheetrock, carpeting, and cracks in cement; it clings to furniture, destroys cardboard boxes, and damages the inside of your walls; mold spores naturally abound and once water is introduced, game over.

So before you hit the roads, make sure your pipes are properly insulated and your heat is left at a reasonable level—because the last thing you need to stress over is a flooded basement.

Tip: If you have a flood, remove the water first, then call your insurance company and RTK’s mold inspection team! Indoor mold often hides in floorboards and walls; we’ll help you find the hidden mold so your contractor can properly remove all of it. Click here for more information.

Wishing you and your family a happy and healthy holiday season. Here's to a wonderful year ahead!

Warmly,

Bob & Gene

RRP Classes Announced in Northeastern United States

If you’re one of the thousands of painters, contractors, or maintenance staffers who are looking for proper Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) accreditation to meet the U.S. EPA’s stringent new guidelines, we can help. RTK Environmental Group is one of only a handful of accredited RRP instructors located in the Northeastern United States. The April, 2010 deadline is rapidly approaching, so reserve your spot quickly.

Remember, the US EPA is taking enforcement seriously. $32,000 per violation and possible jail time. You can’t afford not to take this class.

Seating is limited, so reserve your spot today!

New York tri-state area, classes meet in Stamford, CT, just blocks from the Stamford Transportation Center (Amtrak & Metro-North Commuter Railroad):

-January 14, 2010

-January 15, 2010

-January 28, 2010

-January 29, 2010

Boston/Hartford/New England, classes meet in Newington (Hartford), CT:

-January 4, 2010

-January 5, 2010

-January 18, 2010

-January 19, 2010

All classes meet from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and are taught in English. Lunch is provided. Due to the scope of curriculum, seating is extremely limited in each class. Reserve your spot today!

More classes announced soon. For additional information, contact Gene Burch: 1-800-392-6468 or gburch@rtkenvironmental.com

Failure to accurately state EPA accreditation conditions could result in the EPA suspending or withdrawing accreditation; Course: Renovator-Initial course (English) and Dust Sampling Technician-Initial course (English).

Planning a renovation? Get to know RRP.

If you own a home or multi-family unit built prior to 1978, listen up: a new EPA rule protecting consumers from lead paint hazards (Renovation, Repair, and Painting [RRP]) takes effect April, 2010.

The United States EPA says that when disturbing lead-based paint, common renovation practices like sanding, cutting, and demolition, can create hazardous lead dust and chips which can be harmful to children and adults. Beginning in April 2010, contractors performing renovation, repair, and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978, must be certified and must follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination.

If you don’t think the EPA is serious about RRP enforcement, think again; each violation of the new RRP rule could cost your contractor $32,000 and lead to possible jail time.

Believe it or not, lead is still a serious issue in both the city and the suburbs. Lead is a toxic metal that may cause a range of health effects in both children and adults, from behavioral problems and learning disabilities to seizures and death. Almost one million children between the ages of one and five have dangerous blood-lead levels.

Here in the Northeast, many houses and apartments were built before 1978 (when lead paint was banned). It’s common for these homes to still have lead paint on many surfaces. If this sounds like your home, read more here.

RTK Environmental Group has just been accredited to teach proper RRP techniques for contractors, painters, and maintenance staff. Courses are approved for purposes of accreditation under Section 402 TSCA for the respective discipline. Classes begin in Newington, CT on January 4th, 5th, 18th and 19th, 2010. Classes in Stamford, CT occur on January 12th, 15th, 28th, and 29th. Reserve your spot by e-mailing Gene Burch, gburch@rtkenvironmental.com or call 1-800 392-6468. And be sure to follow this blog for future class dates and RRP information.

Here's the important legalese: Failure to accurately state EPA accreditation conditions could result in the EPA suspending or withdrawing accreditation; Course: Renovator-Initial course (English) and Dust Sampling Technician-Initial course (English).