The city of Maple Valley has a number of projects planned. The following is an update on projects around the city

Summit Park

There is a proposal to subdivide 23.38 acres into 126 lots for construction of single-family detached residences at Summit Park. The development site is bounded on the north by Southeast Kent-Kangley Road, on the west by residential development, on south by the new Tahoma High School campus and on the east by the Cedar to Green River Trail.

The land will be developed at a density of six units to the acre, and as proposed, meets R-6 development standards regarding maximum housing density, minimum lot width and minimum building widths. The recreation area requirement for Overlook at Summit Park is 54,810 square feet. The three recreation tracts provide 54,899 square feet of recreation space, meeting the city of Maple Valley standards. These tracts include amenities such as picnic tables, benches and childrens play toys.

On the east side of the land, proposed Road C is connected to the King County Cedar to Green River Trail right-of-way via a 15-feet-wide pedestrian pathway consisting of eight feet of paved trail with 3.5 feet of landscaping on each side.

Information provided by Novastar Development. You can contact them at 425-251-6110.

Lake Wilderness

This will provide 200 residential units in 17 multifamily buildings; a club house and three commercial buildings.

There are three different residential building styles that are all three stories tall. Two of the commercial buildings will be a single story with the third having a second floor.

The allowable height in the community business zone is 85 feet. The residential buildings proposed are approximately 38 feet. Lake Wilderness Mixed Use is providing 21,930 square-feet of commercial space, which will be a mix of office, retail and some restaurant space.

Also 3,760 square-feet of commercial land will be at the base of one of the residential buildings, whereas the rest of the commercial land faces Maple Valley-black Diamond Road. This project provides 118,992 square feet of open/recreation space, which includes an outdoor swimming pool and a tot lot.

Information provided by Itty Bitty, Big &Bouncy LCC.

Four corners

Four Corners Mixed Use will provide 126 residential units in 11 multifamily buildings and a club house with a commercial component. There are four different residential building styles that are all three stories. The residential buildings proposed are approximately 36 feet. The club house will be 8,271 square-feet and of that 5,067 square-feet will be office and retail space that will be open to the public.

This project provides 42,502 square-feet of recreation space, which includes an outdoor swimming pool, dog park, playground and a community patio space in the center of the site.

Information provided by Pallis Properties.

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Construction projects update in Maple Valley - Covington-Maple Valley Reporter

Lebanon The apartment complex to be built behind the Element hotel on Route 120 in Lebanon moved has moved a step closer to reality as the developer has filed his plans and sought permission from the city to begin construction.

Manchester developer Dick Anagnost filed a permit application with the Lebanons city planning department to begin construction on a $4 million, three-story apartment building. He hopes to be able to break ground on the project this fall and have it ready for occupancy next summer, according to Anagnost.

The apartment building is the first in a planned 153-unit residential complex in Altaria Lebanon Park, a mixed commercial and residential development spanning 65 acres of which the 4-year-old Element hotel was the first phase.

Anagnost expects the entire five-building apartment project to be completed by 2019 at a cost all-in, probably $20 million to $30 million, he said in an interview.

And even though construction on the project has not yet begun, Apartment Leasing signs are already up at the entrance to the Element hotel. Planning department administrator Leann Cushman estimates approval time to release a permit is about a week.

After years of complaints about the chronic housing shortage in the Lebanon and Hanover area more units are now in the various stages of planning, although how much the new developments will relieve pressure on the near-zero vacancy rate remains to be seen. Five different projects totaling 342 units are in various stages of planning and development in Lebanon.

The Altaria project will include one-, two- and three-bedroom units, along with underground parking, Anagnost said. He envisions residents to be mostly young professionals, but well have some families too because of the three-units. Were hitting a broad spectrum.

The complex also will include furnished units available for people in need of a short-term residence near Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, such as physicians serving their residency or visiting professors at Dartmouth College who teach for a semester or two.

Anagnost said a market study is being done to determine rental rates, but he anticipates them to range from about $1,700 to upward of $2,000 a month, depending on size. He said kitchen amenities in the units will include granite countertops and all stainless steel appliances.

Altaria is being developed by Hanover-based developer Peter Knights, who received the green light for the residential component from the Lebanon Planning Board in 2015. Overall, the development is to include 336,000 square feet of office space and 40,000 square feet of retail space. The board originally approved a subdivision plan at the site in 2011, which had been under consideration for several years prior.

Other housing projects at various stages in the pipeline in Lebanon include a 75-unit complex on Etna Road, which has been scaled back from over 100 planned units; a 29-unit mixed-income project on Tracy Street in West Lebanon sponsored by Twin Pines Housing (originally proposed for Main Street in West Lebanon); and an 80-unit building as part of developer David Clems commercial and residential River Park development. But the River Park apartment building is the last phase in Clems seven-phase development, so it is presumably still some time away from development, said David Brooks, director of planning and zoning for Lebanon, in an email.

John Lippman can be reached at jlippman@vnews.com.

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Fall Start Seen For Route 120 Apartments - Valley News

When construction was completed on the South Sides Terminal Warehouse and Transfer Company complex in 1906, it was considered the largest, safest and most efficient storage and transfer building on the Eastern seaboard, says Izzy Rudolph, director of development and acquisitions at McKnight Realty Partners.

More than one hundred years later, McKnight has begun construction on a multi-million dollar transformation of the six-story structure from a nexus of commerce to a riverside hub for office and retail space. It will be capped by an elevated, 500-foot-long park, the Highline.

Were taking it into the next generation by really modernizing the building soup to nuts, says Rudolph.

Buildout began this week on 125,000 square feet of new office space inside the800,000- square-foot structure. This phase of construction is scheduled to be completed by second quarter 2018 and will include new common areas, fitness centers, windows, HVAC, and a fire and life safety system. In addition, 350 new internal parking spots will be completed by first quarter 2018, with more to come.

Courtesy Indovina Associates Architects.

The hulking brick structure, located at 333 East Carson Street, transitioned from storage to office space beginning in the 1980s and is currently known as the River Walk Corporate Center. What appears to be two separate buildings bisected by a street is actually a single structure, and in 2013 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Besides office space, the property will look to attract 100,000 square feet of retail, including 15,000 square feet along East Carson. Another stretch of retail will be along S. 4th St. near Bingham St. and the nearby, trail-facing railyards portion (where trains used to arrive to transport newly imported goods to the surrounding areas).

Rudolph says they want to shy away from the negative aspects of South Side nightlife and have so far held discussions with local bakeries, fitness centers, bike and kayak rentals and even craft breweries about setting up shop in the space.

The most transformational part of the building, he says, remains the Highline. Modeled after the 1.5 mile long parklet created on the elevated former railroad in New York City, the Pittsburgh version will extend from near the entrance on East Carson and over the present CSX rail lines to an overhang that will overlook the Monongahela River and city of Pittsburgh.

Powerhouse building. Courtesy Indovina Associates Architects.

The Highline is currently scheduled to open around July 2018.

It will be one of the most unique green spaces in the state of Pennsylvania, says Rudolph.

The Highline will terminate at the second floor of the 15,000-square-foot powerhouse building. Rudolph envisions the riverfront structure as two-story restaurant space, possibly with separate concepts on either floor. It screams out waterfront eating, he says.

The lower floor of the powerhouse building abuts the Three Rivers Heritage Trail, which currently detours around the Terminal Building. Rudolph says he hopes to reconnect the trail in the very near future, along with adding upgrades to the outdoor promenade to make it more bike and pedestrian friendly.

Indovina Associates serve as project architects. For more information on the project dont miss our story from 2016.

Update 8/9/17: About that name. Many people commented on Facebook that there should be an original name, not one copied from New York. Izzy Rudolph said this in the NEXTpittsburgh interview:We wanted people to know what the space was the first time they heard it. As tenants come here that name will evolve into something different. But right now what we really want to get across is the uniqueness of the green space were adding to the project and thats something that no other name would do justice to.

pittsburgh highlinepittsburgh newsterminal building

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Retail, restaurants and unique elevated green space planned for South Side Terminal Building and Highline project - NEXTpittsburgh

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Access - Ladders, Steps & Walkways - Eurosafe Solutions

It's a visible sign of progress in the Buffalo Museum of Science's ongoing renovation of its Kellogg Observatory. On Friday morning, a new aluminum dome was raised to the museum rooftop and was put in place.

WBFO's Michael Mroziak reports.

The new dome replaces the green-tinted, copper-coated steel structure that topped the Kellogg Observatory for decades.

It is just one of many steps to rebuild the observatory, which has been closed since 1999. Other work includes making it accessible for the first time to disabled persons.

"The rest of the construction that now needs to happen is the addition of a staircase and en elevator, to make sure that everyone who comes to the museum can go up and enjoy that particular new asset." said Marisa Wigglesworth, president and chief executive officer of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences.

The observatory's telescope, meanwhile, remains in Pennsylvania for restoration. The vintage Lundinrefractor was removed last December and is now expected to be returned and installed in early 2018.

Also undergoing construction on the rooftop is an event patio.

"There's going to be walkways and areas so that the roof itself isn't compromised," said Anthony Picone, owner of PiconeConstruction, which is handling the project. "There will be small events planned for going up there."

What the patio will provide guests is a panoramic view of the city.

"It's beautiful," Picone added.

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Buffalo Museum of Science "raises the roof" or, rather, a new dome - WBFO

The idea is to provide benches for the visitors to sit, walkways, develop greenery and beautification and help visitors relax and rejuvenate, says a senior official from HMDA.

Hyderabad: Visitors at the national flag in Sanjeevaiah Park can now look forward to more recreational facilities as Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) is developing walkways, benches and others at the flag base.

Being one of the largest national flag in the country, every day many visitors arrive at the flag post and take selfies. Apart from those arriving into the city many local residents too visit the flag post regularly. Given the increasing patronage, HMDA is working on beautification at the flag base in an effort to make it more convenient for the visitors.

The idea is to provide benches for the visitors to sit, walkways, develop greenery and beautification and help visitors relax and rejuvenate, says a senior official from HMDA.

HMDA is developing an octagonal platform at the flag base with flowering all around the platform. There will be steps and walkways for visitors to walk along the platform.

This apart, a circular iron barricading is being established covering 30 metres from the flag base to prevent visitors from venturing close to the flag post. This is just a precautionary measure to avoid any damage to the flag post, he said.

All these facilities are being developed with a cost of Rs.65 lakh and the works were expected to be completed in a week, he added.

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HMDA takes up beautification works at flag base in Sanjeevaiah Park - Telangana Today

From mow to snow, WSUs landscape workers maintain 226 acres of university land

Todd Stewart, a gardener for WSU Landscape Services, weeds in a flower bed in the backyard of the Presidents Residence. Cayenne, President Kirk Schulzs corgi, just visible behind Stewart, often keeps him company as he works.

CODY COTTIER | THE DAILY EVERGREEN

CODY COTTIER | THE DAILY EVERGREEN

Todd Stewart, a gardener for WSU Landscape Services, weeds in a flower bed in the backyard of the Presidents Residence. Cayenne, President Kirk Schulzs corgi, just visible behind Stewart, often keeps him company as he works.

CODY COTTIER, Evergreen reporterAugust 11, 2017

As one of the most senior WSU Landscape Services workers, Todd Stewart assigns himself to whatever tasks he sees fit to keep the university grounds in top condition.

He keeps a mental list of weeds that need pulling, trees that need limbing and assorted odd-jobs across campus, checking them off whenever he has a free moment.

They kinda just let me do whatever I want because they always know Im gonna be productive, he says. They will never catch me screwing off.

He drives around campus in a white pick-up, loaded with rakes, brooms and cans for plant debris. Its a warm day in mid-June, and he points out the landscaping details of notable university sites.

Passing by Rogers-Orton Playfield, one of the universitys largest patches of grass, he says it takes an hour and 15 minutes to mow. Its the cricket field, he says, so they mow it to half an inch, two inches shorter than most places.

Though Stewart, 39, no longer works much in this area, he knows all of campus well. Farther down the road, Rogers Hall brings to mind his early landscaping days. He recalls students throwing condoms, tampons and other unsavory trash out their windows. Some, from several stories up, would even vomit to the ground below.

This is kinda the ghetto area, he says. You first start working grounds, they give you the ghetto It takes a tough person to pick up that kind of stuff all the time, but you get used to it.

After the first five years or so, he says, employees leave that behind. Stewart has now worked here for 19, since he graduated from high school in Moscow, Idaho, and he has worked jobs across campus.

CODY COTTIER | The Daily EvergreenStewart puts plant debris into the back of his truck after cleaning up a flower bed.

Most recently, he took charge of the Presidents Residence, a tiny piece of land compared to the larger responsibilities of most groundskeepers. This allows him to manicure the entire area, rather than only catching the highlights.

James Frazier, Landscaping Services lead and the only employee more senior than Stewart, noted Stewarts attention to detail and desire to do everything well.

He works good by himself, Frazier said, because hes so meticulous. Hes got an eye for things.

THE PRESIDENTS GROUNDSKEEPER

Stewart steps through a tall metal gate into the backyard of 755 Campus Street the home of WSU President Kirk Schulz and First Lady Noel Schulz. They dont appear to be home, the perfect time to work.

When theyre gone, Stewart says, Ill go and ransack it. Especially when Cayennes gone.

Cayenne, the Schulzes corgi, is one his biggest concerns. He must be careful not to spray harmful chemicals while she is around, or to leave a gate open.

If Cayenne got out of the fence and got hit by a car, he says, I wouldnt be able to live with myself.

The dog seems to be missing too, until she scampers down the white steps leading from the house to the yard. She approaches Stewart without hesitation.

Hi Cayenne! he says in the cutesy voice reserved for babies and small animals. She comes and licks me in the face when Im pulling weeds.

When hes not playing with Cayenne, hes carefully maintaining the acre of land that is the presidents yard. He has planted 500 flowers and fixed the pond, which for much of the year is home to dozens of koi (during winter they keep the largest fish, Fred and Frank, in a bathtub in the Landscape Services warehouse).

Stewarts greatest disappointment so far is that he has been unable to breathe life into the rose planted for former President Elson S. Floyd after his death.

This is my saddest thing, he says, pointing to the bare stem, but Noel says she thinks there is still hope for it.

The other gardeners are assigned to different sectors of campus ranging from 20 to 60 acres, 226 in all. But because the WSU president frequently hosts students, faculty and staff, and others from the university community, they decided during Floyds tenure that it needed greater care. They also hold donor events at the Presidents Residence.

When theyre all smoking cigars on the back porch, Stewart says, I want the yard to look nice so they give the university a bunch of money.

CODY COTTIER | The Daily EvergreenCayenne, the Schulzes corgi, stands behind Stewart as he works at the Presidents Residence.

Noel Schulz says Stewart has done a good job on the yard since he took over a few months ago, particularly with her favorite bed of flowers right behind the house.

Though they have spoken some about his landscaping projects for the yard, Noel says they mostly leave it to Stewart, who knows more about growing plants in the Pacific Northwest.

We kind of feel in a way its his yard, and he gets to pick and choose, she says. And were two engineers, not big greenthumbs.

The Schulzes have spent much of the summer traveling, leaving the house vacant often. But in August things start speeding up, and Stewarts work becomes more urgent.

You wont find a pinecone on this property during the school year, he says.

THE OTHER 225 ACRES

Stepping out the gate and locking it behind him, Stewart remarks that hes had the key for years already. Long before he began maintaining the Presidents Residence, he was a mow guy on the route that included that yard.

He worked on several routes, like the one that includes the Valley Playfields, which took three and a half hours to mow when they were grass so long in a straight line you could fall asleep, he says. Altogether, three mowers must spend two 10-hour workdays to cut all the lawn on campus.

But there is much more to WSU landscape work.

CODY COTTIER | The Daily EvergreenStewart dumps a load of bark into a Landscape Services truck.

In addition to mowing, most is general upkeep, like weeding, trimming and spraying. When it snows, they sometimes work 12-hour days to keep the walkways and stairs clear.

Stewart says they promote people to excel in whatever they are interested in, which is how he became a jack of all trades.

Im really into all of it together, so they just throw it all at me, he says. But I dont do anything I know my brain power cant handle.

For example, one of their big summer projects is a new irrigation installation at the Research and Technology Park. Stewart prefers gardening to this kind of technical and mechanical work, but he admires his co-workers who are more knowledgeable in these areas.

Stewart is familiar with all of campus, but he says some others, like Frazier and Josh Greggs, the irrigation lead for Landscape Services, have a more intimate knowledge of the inner workings of WSU than almost anyone. Greggs has even memorized the location of all the sprinklers.

Josh and Jim [Frazier], they know so much about campus, he says. They know whats in all the ground. Those guys are really on top of it.

He says its important to have a diverse crew not just a whole bunch of Potlatch redneck-type dudes because all kinds of people do all kinds of work.

If you just get a whole bunch of people that only like to chainsaw trees, he says, then pretty soon youre not gonna have any trees on campus.

METHODS OF A GARDENER

What Stewart likes are the simpler tasks. Sometimes, he is forced to do mechanical work in the winter, when its too cold to spend much time outside. But he says the good times, when the weather is fine and he can garden in the warm sun, outweigh the bad.

Theres something very therapeutic about going out and pulling some weeds at 6 a.m., he says.

CODY COTTIER | The Daily EvergreenTodd Stewart deadheads a patch of tulips behind Ferdinands. He always works barehanded.

As he drives along Stadium Way, he suddenly remembers a row of tulips behind Ferdinands that needs deadheading. Generally, he focuses first on Stadium Way and fans out from there to the areas behind buildings.

Youre out and about so much and you see so many different things, he says, you bank it in your mind at priority level.

Today, the priority is tulips. He pulls up, grabs a garbage can from the back of his truck, and starts yanking out the withered flowers.

Stewart is adapted to this work. He can bend over for extended periods of time, he says, and it no longer bothers him. He doesnt wear gloves, and has a weed-pulling callus on his thumb to prove it. He says his hands are tough enough to painlessly pull thistles.

I always work with my bare hands, he says, so I can feel whats going on.

Plus, he jokes, it drives my wife crazy.

In high school, Stewart and a friend ran a lawn-mowing business. His father worked with Fraziers wife, and after he graduated, Frazier was looking for groundskeepers. He joined the team and proved he could come up with enough tasks to fill every day.

They are busiest around graduation and when school starts, when high-visibility areas must be in pristine condition. But Stewart says work is always close at hand, even if that means just picking up litter.

If you cant find anything to do on grounds crew, he says, youre not looking hard enough.

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The keepers of the campus - The Daily Evergreen

The National Air Duct Cleaners Association launches a consumer campaign to protect homeowners from scams

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J (PRWEB) August 10, 2017

The Federal Trade Commission estimates that Americans lost more than $4 billion to fraud and scams during the last five years. To combat scammers and fraudulent companies taking advantage of unsuspecting homeowners within the growing air duct cleaning industry, NADCA developed an anti-fraud task force, which established the Breathing Clean initiative.

The goals of the Breathing Clean campaign are to:

Educate homeowners about the benefits of air duct cleaning and the importance of hiring a NADCA member company to perform the services.

Be a resource to homeowners, providing helpful information including tips for hiring a reputable air duct cleaning company and easy-to-understand instructions for making sure the job is done right.

Provide NADCA members with tools that will help with communicating to current and potential customers.

"Cheaper isn't always better and if deals seem too good to be true, they probably are," said Mark Zarzeczny, Certified Air Systems Cleaning Specialist (ASCS) and Chair of NADCA's Anti-Fraud Task Force. "NADCA members follow a higher standard and when done correctly, HVAC cleaning can be very beneficial."

As the leading authority in the field, NADCA developed a standardthe ACRfor the assessment, cleaning and restoration of HVAC systems, consisting of practical, industry-backed information for guiding the cleaning and restoration of HVAC systems to a specific level of cleanliness and evaluating and verifying the cleanliness of system components.

"By hiring a NADCA member to perform air duct cleaning and HVAC system cleaning services, you know you're hiring someone who pledges to follow the ACR and NADCA's Code of Ethics," added Zarzeczny.

To get started, NADCA encourages homeowners to visit breathingclean.com to watch videos and browse resources such as the homeowner's guide for proper cleaning methods. You can also find a NADCA-certified professional near you at nadca.com/find-a-professional.

About Breathing Clean:Breathing Clean is an initiative developed by NADCA, the National Air Duct Cleaners Association, created as an extension of the association's Anti-Fraud Task Force. For helpful tools and tips for hiring an air duct cleaning company, visit breathingclean.com and follow Breathing Clean on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About NADCA: The HVAC Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Association, otherwise known as the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) was formed in 1989 as a non-profit association of companies engaged in the cleaning of HVAC systems. NADCA's mission is to represent qualified companies engaged in the inspection, maintenance and restoration of HVAC systems, promote source removal as the only acceptable method of cleaning, establish industry standards for the association, and assist NADCA members in providing high quality service to their customers. With over 1,200 members, NADCA is made up of a diverse group of HVAC industry professionals, including air systems cleaning specialists, mold remediators, and HVAC inspectors. To learn more, visit http://www.nadca.com

# # #

Media Contact: Caitlin McWilliamsMarketing & Communications Manager856-642-4218cmcwilliams(at)AHredchair(dot)com

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2017/08/prweb14583109.htm

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NADCA Reminds Homeowners That Cheaper Isn't Always Better ... - Benzinga

By Tim RobbFrom the August 2017 Issue

You likely hear the term indoor air quality (IAQ) frequently when it comes to facility management, but do you recognize exactly what this means for building occupants and the overall bottom line? IAQ refers to air quality within and around buildings and structures, commonly as it relates to the health and comfort of building occupants. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 90% of our time is spent indoors. Now think about the occupants in your buildings and imagine invisible pollutants, debris, and bacteria in the air and how those can impact their health.

Facility managers face a lot of pressure when it comes to maintaining IAQ and implementing proper practices and prevention measuresand for good reason. The impact of poor IAQ hits on many factors important to facility management. Two to focus on include the health and safety of occupants and a buildings energy efficiency.

There are immediate and long-term health effects from poor IAQ. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) states these can range from minor irritations, such as headaches and dizziness, to serious issues such as respiratory diseases, heart disease, and cancer.

A big contributor to the increased pressure on facility managers is the recent deadly outbreaks of Legionnaires disease throughout the country and the approval of ASHRAE Standard 188-2015. The disease is caused by Legionella bacteria that can grow within a buildings water system and spread via droplets of water in the air. Cooling towers are one of the more common sources of Legionella. And while cooling towers are primarily located outside, the CPSC says the contaminants can enter a building through ventilation systems, door openings, windows, and other similar areas. The ASHRAE standard puts a greater amount of responsibility on facility management to take proper steps to inspect and maintain systems to minimize the risk of Legionnaires disease.

Bjarne Olesen, chairperson for the International Center for Indoor Environment and Energy in Denmark and 2017-18 ASHRAE president, conducted a study that indicated that limiting pollution sources and making improvements to air quality can increase employee performance by 5% to 10%. A study by William Fisk with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that reducing Sick Building Syndrome (allergies, asthma, and respiratory issues) by 20% to 50% could result in savings between $10 billion and $100 billion nationwide through prevention of productivity loss, sick days, and costs for medical care.

Many things influence the quality of indoor air including deteriorating building materials and outdoor sources, but one common cause (and one more easily maintained) is a buildings central heating and cooling system. Proper maintenance and upkeep of HVAC systems can go a long way to improving IAQ. The good news is, by performing routine maintenance and cleaning on heating and cooling systems, you can reduce the risk of indoor air pollution from certain sources, while also keeping equipment running efficiently.

Here are some best practices for maintenance teams to use to take steps toward improved indoor air quality.

Coil cleaning: Dirty coils waste energy and money. Without proper cleaning, air conditioning coils in the air handlers can become breeding grounds for mold and mildew growthboth of which are large contributors to poor IAQ.

Air duct cleaning: Dirty ducts can be a common cause of indoor air pollutants. Because duct surfaces are hidden from view, these are easily forgotten and can accumulate dust, pollen, mold, and more. These in turn can collect on coils and recirculate. Much like dirty coils, dirty ducts can cause the system to run longer which raises energy costs. A thorough duct cleaning every three to five years will keep your system in great working condition. There are several tools for duct cleaning including vacuums, agitation devices, and duct isolation equipment.

Cooling tower cleaning: Cooling towers are used to cool water in air conditioning systems, but they are also a breeding ground for Legionella and other bacteria. Infected towers can spread bacteria into facilities through ventilation and entrances. Many facilities dont equate the direct connection between IAQ and tower maintenance, and the importance of keeping a cooling tower maintained regarding the energy efficiency of a buildings cooling system. Inspecting cooling towers monthly helps prevent sediment, scale, and slime buildup; if these residues are found during inspection, they can be easily cleaned with tower vacuums to avoid shutting down or draining the system.

Cooling tower water treatments: When it comes to cooling towers, water treatment is very important in supporting system efficiency and good indoor air quality. Simply put, cooling towers are big air scrubbers. Outside air that is drawn into the tower is contaminated with pollutants, which then build up causing conditions for bacterial growth. Throughout the cooling system, the pollutants are precipitated out of the water and are dispersed into the air, or adhere to chiller tube walls, leaving a breeding ground for organisms and bacteria if not properly controlled. Chemical water treatments can protect against these issues helping manage scale, corrosion, and controlling growth of harmful bacteria that can, in advanced cases, cause serious health implications such as Legionnaires disease.

Filter replacement and selection: Air filters are often the first line of defense in protecting indoor air from outside pollutants. Its important to select the appropriate air filter for the system. Most filters have a MERV rating, which stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. This rating is measured from 1 (the lowest) to 16 (the highest) and can be a great indication to the quality of the filter you choose. Filters with MERV ratings between 14 and 16 are recommended.

Chemicals review: It is important to follow EPA and OSHA guidelines and restrictions when using chemical treatments for cooling towers, as well as referring to SDS sheets and following all safety procedures. Make sure the chemicals used have been scientifically tested and are labeled for the specific cleaning process being performed. It is also important to check that these chemicals work effectively to protect the indoor air from contamination. Simple chemical disinfectants like chlorine are insufficient to fight against bacteria and pollutants.

When it comes down to it, facility executives and their teams are at the forefront of costs savings and occupant safety. Through proactive maintenance of HVAC systems, occupant health and productivity along with energy efficiency can be expected to benefit.

Robb is vice president of marketing and strategic business development for Goodway Technologies, a Stamford, CT-based manufacturer and global distributor of maintenance solutions for systems, plants, and facilities.

Do you have a comment? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below or send an e-mail to the Editor at [emailprotected]

A BOMI-accredited session onNext Gen FMwill be held at the inaugural Facility Executive Live!, a new one-day conference presented by Facility Executive magazine on October 3rd in Chicago.Click here to learn more.

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Concerned With Poor IAQ? - Facility Executive Magazine

With the upcoming closure of Sears and Roebuck Co. at Crossroads Mall in Beckley, a husband and wife duo want to get word out that their business, Sears Carpet and Air Duct Cleaning Services is still open, will remain open and will continue to serve all throughout the state.

Kenny and Maria Fry, owners of the service, have been serving the state with their cleaning services for the past 35 years, and have no intention of shutting their business down any time soon.

It is really stressful when you have worked so hard to maintain a business and keep it alive, and something like this keeps happening, Maria said.

She said this is the fourth occurrence where the public believes their business is closing because Sears and Roebuck Co. has decided to close some of their retail stores.

It first happened in Ashland, Kentucky, then Bluefield, then Charleston Sears closed, and now here in Beckley, Maria said. We just want people to know we love our business, and dont want them to think we have stopped serving all of our areas.

Again, we want to say that this does not affect our store, she said. We will continue to clean carpets, air ducts, wood flooring and tiles for as long as we can ...

Maria said the experts working for Sears Carpet and Air Duct Cleaning Services do a great job, and they want to apologize to their customers for any confusion being caused throughout the closures of the Sears stores.

We are delighted to still be serving the state after all of these years.

For more information, visit http://www.searsclean.com or call 304-253-5021.

Email: jnelson@register-herald.com; follow on Twitter @jnelsonRH

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Sears Carpet Cleaning will remain open amid same name confusion - Beckley Register-Herald