'We put lives back together'
Arrigo Construction leads in restoration of damaged property
By STEVE HENSON THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
Have you ever wondered ...?
After "Dexter" investigates a bloody crime scene, or the "Law and Order" boys find a body that's been decaying for a week, or after local police bust and close a meth lab, who cleans up the mess?Or does someone clean it up or simply bulldoze it?"In my 30 years, there have only been a couple of times that we haven't been able to restore things," said Joe Arrigo of Arrigo Construction and Restoration.

Arrigo is one of the nation's foremost experts in property restoration. Homicide, floods, fires, mold and disease are just a few of the hazards that Arrigo and his crew make go away. "We put people's lives back together," Arrigo said. "That's really what we do."Arrigo is 66, raised in an era that was not dominated by very graphic television crime dramas. How did he get into this field? By accident. Arrigo is a musician, a cellist - he helped revitalize and still plays with the Pueblo Symphony- and went to the University of Colorado, where he received a bachelor of arts degree in music education. He was hired to teach in Pueblo School District 60; he taught three years. He also taught private music lessons for many years, and even owned the Arrigo Music Store in Regency Park for several years. "I loved it, but I couldn't make a living," Arrigo said. "It was the late ’70s, when we had a recession, and people were lined up to buy gasoline. I was selling instruments to schools, but budgets were cut, and I was struggling. "But on the side, Arrigo was doing some cabinet-making and stairway construction. And that business was going well."When I was at CU, I worked in dorm maintenance," Arrigo explained when asked how he obtained these skills. "CU is like a miniature city, and it takes a lot to keep it going. So it was like I was an assistant every day, learning from people who knew what they were doing. And I picked it up."He had previous experience, helping build his parents' eventual Westcliffe retirement cabin while he was a boy.

The skills he gained then were augmented during his time at CU.He did more and more construction-type work away from the music store, then closed it in late 1979.He had formed his construction business the previous year, but he wanted to create a niche."I had built a couple of homes, but that really isn't what I wanted to do," Arrigo said. "I got more and more into repairs of damages caused by all sorts of things- fire, mold, water, broken water heaters, dishwashers over-heating. There was a need for someone to work in these areas, so I got some highly specialized training, studied hard and that's what I did."He and his son, Andy, who works in the business, are nationally certified restorers.

There are only about 500 in the world, and as you read on, you'll see how sophisticated the business is. "It starts with odor," he said. "Humans have amazing memories. You can remember odors from your childhood."It's difficult to get rid of odors, but it's also very difficult for people to return to their homes after damages and not smell the odors they've spent their lives around."Put another way, it takes very technical measures to eliminate bad odors and yet retain the good fragrances that are familiar to homeowners.Trauma scenes - shootings, stabbings, bodies discovered several days after death- leave terrible odors."Those are very difficult for our employees," he said. "Those odors stay with you for life."How do Arrigo and his crew remove odors and repair damaged property?Here's how:"We are a complete turnkey operation. We pack up all of the belongings and store them. We send clothes to a dry cleaner and laundry- there are special dry cleaners for clothes that have incurred especially nasty odors such as in a meth lab or a fire."We clean, seal and paint all porous and semi-porous surfaces. We take up all porous surfaces- carpet, for example - and haul it to special hazardous-waste sites for disposal."Then we thoroughly clean the contents that can be cleaned, do any structural repairs that are needed, and return the contents and the occupants to the house. As you might suspect, Arrigo's equipment is far more than spray bottles of Lysol."For example, our HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) scrubbing machines will filter out up to 99.97 percent of all particulates down to 0.3 microns. A human hair is about 60 microns."We use charcoal filters, and we've been doing some cleaning and sanitizing for swine flu."The machines cost up to $3,000 each, and Arrigo said he owns "quite a few." There is quite a bit of other equipment, too, including thermal-imaging cameras.It isn't inexpensive for a homeowner - more typically, the homeowner's insurer, who sets the repair costs- to hire Arrigo to restore a property. But it's less expensive than tearing it down and starting from scratch. And Arrigo's equipment and labor costs- and his staff is highly educated and trained - are considerable. But it's not just about money, Arrigo said. He emphasized that he and his staff take a lot of pride in supporting the Pueblo community.

"We were over at the District 60 ad building seven days a week, 20 straight days, and I didn't hear a single complaint from my staff, "Arrigosaid. His company employs about 12 workers, down a bit from 20 before the economy went south.Arrigo offered two more examples that illustrate why he wants to support the community that he regards as "a great place to live".

"A tiny adobe house in Salt Creek damaged by fire. "We just restored this house in Salt Creek. Everybody wanted to tear it down. It was adobe, not very large, had been added on to three times."But the people living there were the third generation of people who lived in that home. I had coffee with the owners. And I felt that we needed to fix this home for them. And we did. And it felt good."Arrigo said his business has grown increasingly sophisticated, and there is a constant need for training. But now Arrigo is the teacher more often than he is the student.As one of fewer than 300 nationally certified water-loss specialists in the U.S., Canada and England, Arrigo has served on national boards and "chaired the building science committee that wrote the standards for water loss, water mitigation.

"With all of his emphasis on safety, which is paramount in his business, even Arrigo has experienced unexpected health issues from carelessness."Once, I went into a room just to shut off some machines and had a run-in with ozone," he said. "I had asthma-like symptoms for six months. "Another time, I opened a closet at the old Dincler's Fabrics at the Mesa Junction, all this stuff hit me in the face. I went to the eye doctor, and he put me on antibiotics that I had to put in my eyes every 15 minutes. Whatever the stuff was, it literally was eating my eyeballs.

"He looks a lot younger than his age and, although he enjoys traveling and his family- he and his wife KC have five children and 13 grandchildren between them - he has no intention of retiring. For one thing, he enjoys working with his son. For another, he still loves the work after 30 years."My dad was a barber; I shined shoes at his store, mostly so he could keep track of me," Arrigo said. "We lived right across from the main gate at the steel mill. I graduated from Central, my parents graduated from Central, my kids graduated from Central. I love Pueblo, and I love being able to specialize. It's a fascinating career."

Soot Can Blacken Lungs and Walls

By Jeff May
Jeff is founder and principal scientist of May Indoor Air Investigations LLC in Tyngsboro, MA: www.mayindoorair.com.

He has been investigating building problems for over 20 years and is author or co-author of four books on indoor air quality published by Johns Hopkins University Press, including My House is Killing Me! The Home Guide for Families with Allergies and Asthma and his current book, Jeff May’s Healthy Home Tips: A Workbook for Detecting, Diagnosing and Eliminating Pesky Pests, Stinky Stenches, Musty Mold, and Other Aggravations Home Problems (2008). His work has been featured in Business Week, MD News, and The New York Times, among others. His media appearances include CNN News, “Discovery Health,” “Inside Edition,” and NPR’s “All Things Considered” and “Living on Earth.” Jeff is a nationally recognized speaker and holds an M.A. from Harvard in organic chemistry.

Healthy Home Tips: Soot Can Blacken Lungs and Walls
Soot particles are small enough to be breathed deeply into the lung and even pass directly through capillary walls into the blood stream. The particles may contain carcinogens – such as benzo[a]pyrene – and can also act as “surrogate allergens.” The medical community recognizes that the cornstarch powder in latex gloves (used to keep the rubber from sticking to itself) can acquire latex allergens. When the powdery granules become airborne and are inhaled by someone who has latex allergy, that person can experience an allergic reaction – sometimes severe. Similarly, the microscopic particles of soot that settle on surfaces that contain mold or pet dander can become contaminated with allergenic substances. The particles can then become airborne again and be inhaled when surfaces are cleaned or otherwise disturbed in some way.
Now I have to talk a little bit about chemistry (ugh, groan, I hear you say….but chemistry is one of my favorite subjects!). Complete combustion inside a gas furnace or boiler results in the formation of carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) vapor. In other words, one atom of carbon (C) from methane (CH4) combines with two atoms of oxygen (O) from the air to produce CO2 (one carbon atom, two oxygen atoms). Four hydrogen atoms combine with two oxygen atoms to form two water molecules (H2O). If the combustion is incomplete, however, some of the carbon combines with only one atom of oxygen, resulting in carbon monoxide, or CO (one carbon atom, one oxygen atom). When there isn’t enough oxygen, combustion is incomplete. Then some carbon atoms combine with oxygen to create carbon monoxide, other carbon atoms combine with oxygen to create carbon dioxide, and still other carbon atoms do not combine with any oxygen but rather they combine with each other to produce soot (“C”).
What creates soot in our indoor environments?
A gas furnace or boiler that is not firing properly or that does not have sufficient make-up air can produce soot. And even though the furnace or boiler may be located in the basement, if the combustion products are getting into the basement air, airflows carry the soot up into habitable rooms above.
Gas fireplaces can produce soot. When soot particles are heated in a flame, the particles become incandescent (glow) and give off a yellow light. The gas in gas fireplaces is not premixed with enough air, so the flames are yellow due to inadequate oxygen (otherwise they’d be blue, like the flames coming from a gas cooking stove – not exactly what people expect to see in a fireplace!). If there is inadequate draft for a gas fireplace that is producing soot, the particles can leak into the house and stain the walls and ceilings black.
People love jar candles, because of their pleasant scents and yellow, flickering flames; but jar candles also produce a lot of soot, even if burned for only a few hours. As the air moves in and out of the jar, it disturbs the flame structure and causes incomplete combustion. If you burn jar candles, look at the jar rim. Is it black with soot? Imagine the soot that candle released into the air that you and those you love then inhale.
Soot staining in older homes can be fairly uniform, sometimes visible only when pictures are removed, revealing whiter surfaces beneath where soot has not deposited – though in some Victorians, the soot pattern mimics the horizontal “stripes” of underlying plaster/lath, darkest at the plaster “keys.” In newer, better-insulated homes, soot stains on exterior walls and on ceilings near exterior walls look like vertical stripes on studs, with darker black dots at the nail heads. Wherever air moves more turbulently due to temperature differentials, the air will impact surfaces that much more frequently and deposit the soot particles it carries in its flows. (Dark spots develop in bathrooms above vanity fixtures for the same reason: increased deposition rate due to hot air rising above the bulbs.)
I know of one homeowner whose insurance company spent $5,000 to have all the rooms in his house repainted. The man continued to burn jar candles, however, and had to repaint the house all over again. So protect the value of your property by choosing tapered candles over jar candles (just don’t burn the candles near a window or door, where airflows may disturb the flame). Better yet, choose the battery-operated, fake candles that look like the real thing.
Of course, money is important, especially in these lean times. But your health and the health of those you love – including your children – are paramount. So stop burning jar candles. If you don’t burn candles and you still see soot stains on your walls or ceilings, have a professional evaluate your furnace or boiler and undertake necessary maintenance or repairs.

Seven Simple Fire Prevention Strategies for Your Apartment

Fire prevention strategies can help protect you from incurring thousands of dollars in damages, and they can save your life. It’s great to have working smoke detectors and a carbon monoxide detector installed, but those are only effective after a fire has already started. Here are 7 simple fire prevention strategies for your apartment.
1. Caution in the Kitchen
Move papers, bills and other flammable materials away from your kitchen stove. Kitchen fires can get out of hand in a hurry once they get started. Also, be careful when cooking anything with hot oils or grease. This is one of the most common causes of kitchen fires. Make sure you have a working fire extinguisher in your kitchen, just in case.
2. Use Surge Protectors
This not only protects your appliances, it can also help prevent a fire. If something shorts out, the spark could potentially start a fire. This is especially true in older apartments, where the outlets may not be up to municipal fire codes. A surge protector for your electronics can be an extra level of protection.
3. Candles and Incense
Unattended candles and incense burners are frequent fire starters in apartments. Never leave these items unattended if you’re burning them. Be careful not to place them in a location where they can accidentally be knocked over. Also, place them away from drapes, curtains or anything else that could catch fire.
4. Cigarettes
Unattended cigarettes are the number one cause of apartment fires. This makes it a tremendous health risk not only for yourself, but also for your neighbors if you set the building on fire. Consider entering a treatment program to kick the habit, and if you must have a cigarette, smoke it outside (away from your neighbors apartments), and ensure it is properly put out.
5. Check Electrical Cords
If you find an electrical cord for an appliance that’s frayed or cracked, it’s a potential fire hazard. Either replace the cord or the entire appliance. Also, don’t run electric cords underneath a rug or between rooms. Walking on a cord or closing a door on it can cause it to wear out over time, and a spark could cause a fire.
6. Don’t Store Flammable Materials
If you have an extra gasoline can or a propane tank for a barbecue, don’t store those in your apartment. This is a potential fire hazard, and it might even be a violation of your lease agreement.
7. Take Care with Heaters
Don’t attempt to dry clothes on the heaters in your apartment. Make sure to keep all heaters free and clear from obstructions, especially things that are flammable. If you use a space heater, make sure it’s an appropriate distance from anything that could catch fire (about 3 feet). Space heaters should also be plugged directly into a wall outlet. Never use an extension cord with a space heater in your apartment.

Following these fire prevention strategies is just the beginning to protecting your apartment. Make sure to keep all of your apartment exits free and clear of obstruction in case of a fire. Also make sure your windows operate properly, and have an escape plan for everyone in the apartment in case of a fire.

Best Uncluttering Question EVER

I can’t take any credit for this question, but I’m so excited about it, I just have to share.
I found it in this great post on decision-making over on Shawn Driscoll’s Lead the Way blog. The question? very simple – Does this item represent where I’m going or where I’ve been?
That simple phrase has been dancing around in my head ever since. Because, you can get rid of some serious crap with the usual questions of Do I use it/Do I love it/etc. But sometimes those questions can let you hang onto things needlessly. Things that you have, in fact, used in the last six months but that really have nothing to do with the person you want to become or the life you want to lead. This question can pave the way to actually following your dreams.
Now, I’m not one to recommend something without trying it out myself first (I promise you that), so I took it for a little test-drive this morning. And oh, holy crap! Does it ever work well! Stuff I’d been holding onto limpet-like for way too long – gone! In just a few minutes, I had filled a green garbage bag full of clothes and fabric for the Goodwill and started another pile of stuff to go to the auction. And this was just a test-drive!
Try it the next time you need to unclutter and just see what you’ll allow yourself to let go of. And then please let me know what dreams suddenly have room to grow in your life.
*** A little word about the symbols at the bottom of my posts. ***
They’re here so that those of you who use social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter can easily share posts you like with your friends and followers. And by easy, I mean in two clicks. The first click (on the icon of your choice) gets you to your chosen site and the second one posts it. Easy! And you don’t even have to be signed into your account at the time, it all happens automatically. So if you like a particular post, please give it a try.

The Best Aging Secret: Make Time Your Friend

By Deepak Chopra
Make Time Your Ally
Here's a guide to the simple things you may often overlook when you neglect to make time the ally of your body.

• Keep regular hours. Eat and sleep on a regular schedule.
• Avoid drastic changes in diet and activity.
• Set up an orderly work environment. Reduce distractions.
• Rest quietly once to twice during the day to let our body retune itself.
• Take yourself out of stressful situations sooner rather than later.
• Take your time; don't rush.
• Make decisions when they arise. Don't procrastinate or get distracted.
• Pay attention to what is directly in front of you. Focus on one thing at a time.
• Don't multitask. Dividing your attention leads to confusion and weakened focus.
• Protect yourself. Avoid the temptation to plunge into high-risk situations.
• Stay within your comfort zone.
• Put your house and finances in order.
• Address underlying anxiety.
• Release underlying anger. Learn to do this without losing control or hurting others.
• Renounce violence in thought and word.
• Become more resilient emotionally.
• Eliminate chaotic influences at work and in your primary relationship.
• Live as if you have all the time in the world.

Office and Home Recycling

Art, wine collections require reading fine print on insurance policies

Art, wine collections require reading fine print on insurance policies
By GAIL LIBERMAN, Special to the Daily News
Saturday, October 03, 2009
It was a landmark case in the art world.
Casino magnate Steve Wynn, while showing off his Picasso masterpiece, La Reve, to friends, accidentally stuck his elbow through it. Among those who witnessed the embarrassing move: Broadcaster Barbara Walters and screenwriter Nora Ephron.
The result was a 2-inch gash in the painting and a $54 million lawsuit involving insurer, Lloyds of London. Wynn had claimed, based on published reports, that Lloyds initially downgraded the value of the painting he was planning to sell for $139 million to $85 million — despite the $122 million Wynn spent to repair it.
The case, originally filed in Manhattan's U.S. District Court, ultimately was settled. But it raises important issues to consider when it comes to insuring valuables.
Insurance policies for private collections no longer are plain vanilla, says Katja Zigerlig, assistant vice president of fine art, wine and jewelry for the New York-based Chartis private client group. Chartis is the rebranded global property-and-casualty business of bailed-out American International Group.
As the art market becomes more private and international, insurance policies have grown more varied, Zigerlig says. But you'll need to weigh the added pricetags of the various coverages you select.
"Diminution of value," Zigerlig reported in a recent talk to insurance brokers and financial advisers at The Brazilian Court, is one important feature to consider. It initially was a point of dispute in the Wynn case.
Say you chip or crack your sculpture. Unfortunately, you're not only stuck with a repair bill but also an immediate loss of value to your masterpiece. Chip a sculpture worth $100,000, and an appraiser, after you've had it repaired, might value it at $90,000. "Diminution of value" coverage would provide reimbursement for your 10 percent loss in value as well as the repair and restoration.
Other private collection policy coverages to examine: Catastrophic perils, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, flood and terrorism; coverage of newly acquired items; coverage for transportation — in case you bring home a piece of art, for example, from Russia; and arbitration in U.S. courts or abroad.
Wynn might have realized the importance of coverage for court arbitration abroad. Reason: Attorney trips to Great Britain cost a pretty penny.
Beware that if you're relying strictly on your homeowner's policy to cover your private collection, you probably have deductibles. Plus, policies generally limit your coverages and have exclusions for breakable or fragile items.
A growing concern both in art losses and wine losses is in adequate oversight of staff and contractors.
One art theft scheme by organized crime involved actually planting staffers — like nannies — as employees inside mansions to provide information on collections, Zigerlig says.
Screen your staff — including your gardener, electrician and nannies. Know how many have your security code and keys. Keep an up-to-date inventory of your collections and have current appraisals.
The overwhelming majority of those with wine collections lack insurance, she says. Yet, wine requires an unusual amount of care, including stable temperatures of 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit; humidity, preferably between 50 percent and 80 percent; a vibration-free environment and odor-free environment as well as proper security with locks and key codes.
One record $600,000 claim was paid to a client who, while in the Hamptons, had an electrician drop in to see whether the surround sound was working. In the process, the temperature in the wine cellar inadvertently was tripped.
Gail Liberman is co-author of several books with her husband, Alan Lavine. Their latest, published by Que, is 'Quick Steps to Financial Stability.' You may e-mail her at MWliblav@aol.com.

Why have a Personal Inventory?

Documentation is used for

Ensuring you have proper insurance coverage
Establishing loss or damage in moving or storage
Estate planning and settlement
Divorce and pre-nuptial agreements
Provision of a thorough list of all business assets, rather than just those on a depreciation schedule
Sale or purchase of a business

Keeping Customers With Good Customer Service

Successful companies provide proactive customer service.
Proactive customers service leads to increased business and loyalty.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
Be a double checker
Customers appreciate it when a sales representative takes a minute to check on an item they've asked for. It lets them know they're being listened to and cared for.
Do something extra
Average service is about meeting the customer’s expectations. Great customer service is exceeding it. Give your customers more than they expect, and they'll return to do business with you.
Take the initiative
Offer several solutions to the customer's predicament. If one doesn't work, make sure you have multiple avenues to resolve their problems. This way, the customer knows you are trying your best to help them, and in the future will not hesitate to buy from you, since they'll know whatever problem they have, you'll be able to fix it.
(Taken from Bottom Line Business.)

"Prosperity is only an instrument to be used, not a deity to be worshipped." ~ Calvin Coolidge

Finders Keepers

"Finders Keepers"
This is a true story sent in by one of our readers.

Recently our contents company was called to perform a “pack-out” of a residence that sustained fire damage. The fire had been contained in one room, but the rest of the house was saturated with smoke and ash.
I explained the pack-out process to the homeowners which included the use of photo documentation. Also, I instructed them to remove all jewelry, money, firearms and any other item deemed extremely personal. The homeowner’s wife was pleased to know that she would have pictures of all their possessions prior to the items leaving the premises for restoration.
She seemed most concerned that there would be strangers (work crews) in her home – handling her personal property. She asked, " How do I know that valuables, if found, will be returned?" Of course we knew that our crew was like family. My “sons and daughters” could be trusted with any amount of money, jewels, valuable art, etc. – they would no more steal or harm anything here than they would in their own parent’s home. They were friends of mine and they wouldn’t let me down.
It’s the same with the sub-contractors we use. Before I entered the restoration business, I was an insurance adjuster myself, and I know that when you bring in an outside expert to assist with a case, they have to “belong.” So, my “third party,” companies have to earn a place with my team.
In this case, we brought in an excellent dry cleaning company to address the necessity of emergency clothing. The dry cleaning crew (third party contractor) proceeded to remove clothing, shoes, handbags, etc.
Normally the homeowners would inspect and remove personal valuables prior to the dry cleaning technician taking the items from the residence. But after a fire, most homeowners respond to displacement of their personal property with fear, anger, aggression, or despair. They just want it all to end, and they sometimes find it difficult to focus.
The dry cleaning company had taken various clothes, purses, shoes etc. to get the smoke out of them and a few hours later, we received a call from them. One of their employees found a handbag containing two thousand dollars.
The money was brought to us for safe keeping. We immediately contacted the homeowner and she explained that she never said anything to us, thinking that she would never see the money again – and that she thought no one would believe she had simply left two thousand dollars in a purse.
I felt the way you might feel if you heard that your daughter had found a handbag with two thousand dollars cash in it, on the street, and had turned it in at the local police station.
I was at once so proud that I thought my buttons would burst – and at the same time I would find myself thinking, “Well of course we did, nobody would expect anything less.”