Brrrr.... Be Careful with Your Space Heater!

When Winter hits, we pull our space heaters out of storage, grab all the blankets from the closet, and hunker down for what's sure to be a bitterly cold few months. But we often forget that our portable heaters are also a very serious fire hazard.

Here are some things to think about when buying a space heater and using it in your home or office.

• Keep the heater far away (at least 3 ft.) from combustible materials such as newspaper, bedding, blankets, pillows, clothing, drapes, or furniture.
• Keep it on level ground so it doesn't tip over. Keep it out of high traffic areas where it could get knocked over. 
• Do not leave it on while you are out of the home, or when you sleep. Its tempting but don't risk it.
• Avoid plugging the heater into an extension cord. Ideally the heater is plugged directly into the wall.
• Keep the heater away from the bathroom or any source of water.
• When buying a heater, only purchase newer models that have an overheat protection featured, tip over switch, and a guard around the heating element. 
• Buy a heater that has a label showing it was tested in a nationally recognized testing laboratory. Many older heaters aren't tested for safety.
• If you're going to use a kerosene heater (which are more dangerous), do NOT use gasoline in it. Also do not use a propane heater inside.

And while you're at it, check the batteries in your smoke detectors.

 Be safe, stay warm, and we'll see you in May after hibernation time is over.

The Herd is a Proud Sponsor of the President's Plunge to Support Special Olympics

Buffalo Restoration is proud to sponsor the President's Plunge on Feb. 18th to support Special Olympics of Montana. Our community has supported our business since 1991 and we feel that it is important to constantly give back.  Special Olympics has always been a special cause for Ben and Gail Yanker. And the plunge happens right across the pond from our new office! So naturally, our mascot Chip, insisted we join the fun this year.

Special Olympics Montana's mission is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community. 

The President's Plunge is one of the Big Sky Area's major fundraisers for the year. The plunge starts at noon but show up early to meet the athletes.  All you need to plunge is pledges of at least $100. Visit http://www.somt.org/events/plunges/presidents-plunge/ for more information and to register.

Chip is ready to cheer on some plungers and support Special Olympics athletes in our community, are you?

How to Choose the Right Carpet Cleaner

You've got about a million choices for carpet cleaners.
They all have some kind of huge discount, flashy ads in the Yellow Pages, and trucks that claim they are the best AND the cheapest. So how the heck do you choose the right one?

You've heard the horror stories. Your friend got their carpets cleaned and they were wet for days. Susie from next door didn't want to pay for a professional so she rented a DIY at Walmart. 6 hours, a sore back, and tons of supplies later and the stains are totally gone. Your coworker got the BEST deal from an online site, 6 rooms for the price of 2! But when the carpet cleaner showed up, they claimed his carpets were excessively dirty so there would be an additional charge of $200. There goes the savings.

Here's why you should hire a professional and how to choose:

Carpet cleaning eliminates trapped pollutants from your home including pet dander, dirt, and dust. Your carpets can also house dust mite infestations. This is nasty stuff and you'll never know they are there becuase they're microscopic. But they can leave behind body fragments and feces in your carpet. Professional carpet cleaners heat your carpet to such a high temperture that they kill bacteria and dust mites.

Not all carpets and rugs are the same. A professional is going to know which method will work the best with each type.

You'll eliminate the hassle of renting your own equipment and supplies. And the DIY systems are not nearly as effective. You may even make a stain worse by cleaning it yourself. The systems you buy at the store don't have sanitizing systems which means they won't kill the dust mites and bacteria that get caught in your carpet.

Stains are tough stuff. Professionals know how to treat them specifically.  Hire a professional that has had the training to deal with stains.

When hiring a professional, be wary of discounts that seem too good to be true. As the experts from Angie's List say "Always insist on an in-home estimate to get the estimate possible and remember that even a small area may cost around $79 to be cleaned. Always be careful when you hear promotions for carpet cleaning. Never go with an estimate that sounds too good to be true. You always want to be sure that you're going to get the right estimate so you don't en up with extra charges after you hire someone."

How often should you clean? Good question. It is important to clean at least once a year to remove the dust and allergens. But also know that the dust and dirt in your carpet is not only an allergen, but breaks down the fibers of your carpet. The less particles in your carpet the longer your carpet will last.

And finally, here are some things to do before your professioanl carpet cleaner arrives.

1. Vacuum. You want your carpet cleaner to be working on the deep down dirt, not the stuff you could easily remove on your own.
2. Dust your baseboards and vents so that debris and dust don't contaminate your newly cleaned carpet when the professional leaves.
3. Remove furniture or fragile items that will get in the way.
4. Free up a parking spot outside of your home. Many professionals use truck mounted equipment and they'll need to run hoses from their trucks to your door. 
5. Identify areas that you'll want the professional to focus on including stains and spots.

We Are Family...

Ben and Gail Yanker started Buffalo Restoration back in 1991. Ever since the beginning its been a family business. Their daughters Alisa and Emily and son Christopher were put to work at an early age, crawling in wet basements and drying up water losses on weekends.The children grew up and the company expanded. For the last 6 years Alisa has run the marketing efforts and Christopher is at the helm the company's production team.

But Ben and Gail treat their business as if they have an extra 23 members of their family. With home cooked breakfasts on your birthday and team announcements and cake on the anniversary of your hiring, it is hard to not feel special. When we jokingly refer to our company as the Buffalo herd, there's truth in that. Because a herd moves together, they support each other, through the cold Winters, and the lush Summers. And buffalo are a strong and rare breed. They're about as local as an animal can get in Montana, and so are we.

And being a family company has an impact on how we do business.  When you choose Buffalo, you're part of the herd, no questions asked. We're going to treat you like family, and we won't rest comfortably until you can. 

Learn more about the members of our herd here.