What's in Your Wallet? (really, your Restoration Tool Box)

Why would you have an electric knife in your Bio-Cleanup kits? An electric knife is a great tool to cut out affected foam and mattress material for proper disposal. Learn this tip and more during Forensic Restoration Class, September 10-12 instructed by industry great, Don McNulty. Visit the Courses/Registration page of our website for more information on this amazing class!

What is "Bugging" the Paint Industry?

SHELLAC SHORTAGE     

By Gene Lemons – Texas Paint & Wallpaper


A world-wide shortage of raw shellac resin is really bugging the paint industry and causing price escalations that we have not seen, in the paint coating industry, since World War II.
Shellac is a natural resin secreted from the female lac beetle during their mating season. This secretion is gathered from trees, branches and leaves, which are primarily located in the south-east Asia nations of India and Thailand.
Shellac is used in a number of specialty convenience products which are then used by consumers world-wide.  Some of the uses of shellac include products produced for nail polish, paint coatings, food processing, medical equipment use, ink products, and many other applications. Although the shelf-life of the raw shellac flakes are indefinite, the shelf-life of liquified shellac is not as long as other paint coatings made from vinyl, lacquer, or other more synthetic resins. So, “stocking-up” while supplies last may not be the best idea.

Although world-wide demand for raw shellac has risen, there doesn’t appear to be any “one thing” that has caused the shortage of raw shellac resin. One possible reason given for the shortages is that the beetles are being disturbed by human encroachments into their normal mating areas.
In its raw state, shellac is an amber flake that can be liquified into a paint coating, which can then can be applied to wood surfaces, to provide a very long-lasting protective film.
As costs continue to escalate, we anticipate a very unstable pricing market for the products we sell which are made from shellac. These products include clear and amber shellac coatings as well as shellac based primer-sealers.
While shellac has served the paint industry very well, keep in mind that there are a number of other paint products that can do many of the jobs that shellac can do.

• Varnishes and lacquers will provide a beautiful long-lasting clear finish for hardwood floors, cabinets, doors and other wood surfaces that require a natural finish.
• Water-borne and alkyd-based primer-sealers can provide the same sealing power of shellac over most stains and smoke damages.

Sponsorship Opportunities

The Restoration Technical Institute has a variety of Sponsorship Opportunities available. Please view the attached video and see how you can have your products seen by thousands of industry specific individuals.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gi0_mbqCFGs

Emotional Intelligence

Great self evaluation tool in the attached article. A good constructive performance review can really help people achive their goals.


http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130627123742-117825785-nine-ways-to-think-about-your-own-emotional-intelligence?goback=%2Egmr_4537065%2Egde_4537065_member_253558968

Meth Lab Decontamination: July 25-26

The Restoration Technical Institute is excited to be hosting a Meth Lab Decontamination course on July 25-26. We have had a lot of interest in this course and a lot of questions. The attached article published by USA Today may answer some of your questions and help you to evaluate if this is a service niche and training program that interests you.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-03-25/meth-labs-cleanup/53773592/1?goback=%2Egmr_4537065%2Egde_4537065_member_251304461

If you are interested in this class or any other courses, please visit our website www.restorationtechnicalinstitute.com or give us a call at 610-926-0223

Building Containment - Mold Remediation and Water Mitigation

Containment is Critical in the Restoration Industry.  We need containment for Mold Remediation and Shrinking the Drying Area during Water Mitigation.  During the repair, reconstruction, and restoration phases of a project, containment systems can be used for dust control and minimizing seondary damage.   

Enjoy the video about how slip fittings can be helpful.  Please share any containment tips that you may have.

Remediating and Restoring in the presence of Bird and/or Bat Droppings - Histoplasmosis

Proper Personal Protective wear is imperative to protect against exposure to Histoplasmosis when working in conditions that have bird and/or bat droppings.  The link below from the Center for Disease Control provides a full guide, "Protecting Workers at Risk". 

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2005-109/