Choosing the Best Professional Snow Removal Companies in Iowa

Professional snow removal is very different from paying a neighborhood kid a few bucks to shovel your driveway. Iowa receives an average of about 30 inches of snow each year. However, in northern cities like Fort Dodge and Cedar Falls, these figures might be much higher! Therefore, you will need the help of expert snow removal companies to keep your property snow-free. 

However, only a few landscaping companies in Iowa provide snow removal services. In most cities, people hire a neighborhood handyman for a snow-free driveway and roof. 

Unfortunately, this is usually insufficient for larger properties due to the sheer volume of snow. 

Iowa sees heavy snowfall throughout winter, and sometimes right up to April! Snowfall averages between 8-10 inches in January and 1-0.5 inches in April. You will need professional snow removal at least twice a month from November onwards. However, owners with large properties need snow removal companies having the right equipment and necessary experience. 

Only the best landscaping companies in Iowa can keep a property snow-free in such extreme weather! 

 

Professional Snow Removal Equipment and Methods 

These days, snow removal companies have a host of modern vehicles and equipment for removing snow. Large scale snow removal was quite tedious before such equipment was available. 

However, you also need strategy and planning before removing snow from your property. If you’re not ready for the job, you might get stuck, or pile the discarded snow in the wrong place! These are common mistakes people make when trying to get a snow-free driveway or roof. 

Since professional snow removal means hiring an experienced landscaping professional, you would expect it to be quite safe. However, there are innumerable risks when you’re trying to clean a massive pile of snow on your roof. Slippery driveways are also quite dangerous, especially if there is ice build-up. 

 

Using the Right Equipment or Method 

Part of professional snow removal is determining the most effective solution for your specific requirement. If you simply need a short driveway cleared out, some salt and shoveling would be enough. However, a large property with many walkways and driveways require special equipment.  

Clearing the snow piling up on your roof is also a very difficult job few professionals can manage properly. These days, leading landscaping companies use a host of new organic de-icing agents which are quite effective. Also, professionals use stakes to mark the perimeter to determine how much snow must be removed and from where. 

 

Getting Rid of Excess Snow 

Another key factor in the act of keeping your premises snow-free is disposing the snow responsibly. You can’t shovel it onto your lawn or garden patch. Neither can you shovel it onto a public pathway or footpath. In fact, some city regulations may hold you responsible for the damage caused by snow you have displaced.  

Therefore, the best snow removal companies will dispose of the snow they have cleared from your premises. Depending on the volume of excess snow, landscaping companies take it to a designated disposal site far from residential areas. 

 

 

Keeping your roof snow-free during Iowa’s winter season is literally impossible. But when it builds up too far, it can slide down in huge heaps. Hence, roof snow can be quite dangerous since they literally bury people or cars when they fall. However, there are very few professional snow removal companies who will attend to emergency calls. Only the best landscaping companies like All American Turf Beauty will rush to your aid. They even monitor local weather channels to be ready for days with exceptionally heavy snow! 

 

 

Safety Practices During Professional Snow Removal 

Much of the safety practices one must follow during snow removal come down to a matter of common sense. However, professional snow removal companies like All American Turf Beauty also provide additional training to their personnel. 

This training not only prepares the landscaper, but also ensures safety for other people around the job site. However, it’s difficult to find trained people from local landscaping companies for professional snow removal services. Only companies like All American Turf Beauty maintain the same charges across the winter season. 

But a snow-free driveway or roof during winter in Iowa is quite an achievement. Removing such massive quantities of snow can be dangerous for the untrained or unprepared! Make sure you hire expert landscaping companies like All American Turf Beauty to enjoy a snow-free free property without risks. 

 

Safety Precautions Before Professional Snow Removal 

Snow removal companies use several safety precautions on the job. Firstly, the landscaper will wear appropriate spiked shoes while walking on the iced-up pathways. Secondly, they know the correct techniques for physically shoveling snow in the right way. Also, they take a lot of hours of training with the machines and equipment used to keep your property snow-free. 

 

Some Dangers of Deep Snow 

Landscaping companies from Iowa are all too familiar with the dangers of a deep layer of snow. You could slip, pass out, and end up getting frost bite within minutes! Also, you can’t see potholes or open manholes in the deep snow. Therefore, professional snow removal companies will carefully stake out the areas they are working on. The stakes mark the boundaries of lawns or hedges, while also revealing the actual depth of snow near the stake. 

 

Don’t trouble yourself with snow removal chores this winter. All American Turf Beauty is among the best professional snow removal companies in Iowa. Call 1-800-365-8873 immediately for a snow-free property throughout the long winter season. 

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Commercial Holiday Lighting Installations Bring More People to Your Business

Commercial holiday lighting is slightly different from holiday decorations for people’s houses. A business establishment typically opts for permanent lighting installation instead of putting up and taking down their seasonal decoration. This is because permanent outdoor lights are a necessary decorative element for any business establishment. 

These days, LED lighting installations are amazingly versatile. Not only do these setups chance colors and patterns, but they can also be controlled remotely via Wifi or Bluetooth. However, you need a professional lighting consultant to install such a complex electrical set-up. While home holiday decorations may also have these features, commercial installations are much more complex and intricate. 

 

Permanent Commercial Holiday Lighting Fixtures 

Commercial holiday lighting improves footfall into business establishments, especially during the holiday season. They improve the visual allure and give great public exposure to your business. However, holiday decoration businesses in the US get extremely busy when the season sets in!  

Permanent outdoor lights are a cost-effective and convenient solution for any business establishment. Even setting up and taking down a holiday lighting installation in your house takes a couple of days. Imagine the hassle of doing the same across a large business establishment! Hence, most business owners prefer a permanent solution for their outdoor lights and decoration. 

Business owners in Iowa look for professional landscape decoration consultants like All American Turf Beauty before the holiday season. As soon as it is October, all professional lighting installation companies in the US become extremely busy. 

But outdoor lighting installation for business establishments take more time than home installations. For commercial projects, the installer must set the writing through permanent conduits. These projects also take much more time than home decoration lights because they require a longer testing phase. Therefore, finding the right contractor in time is a very critical matter. 

It is much more convenient for everyone if you complete your holiday decorations by early October. However, the biggest contractors like All American Turf Beauty can manage even late season installations. With personnel across the State, they can install outdoor lights for clients as late as November! Although, it is very risky (and difficult) to set up commercial holiday lighting in the snow.  

 

Advice Before Buying Holiday Decorations: These days, designer lighting installations with automated control panels and the latest LED lamps are quite affordable. Make sure that your outdoor lights change colors and can be adjusted for different pattern effects. 

 

The Longevity of Commercial Holiday Lighting 

The best landscaping decor companies like All American Turf Beauty guarantee their outdoor light installations for years. Though smaller elements like an individual bulb, or a section of wiring will need to replacement occasionally. However, most of the lighting installation features should be intact for years!  

Holiday decorations for homes don’t have to stand the test of extreme weather throughout the year. They are usually set-up by Fall and come down by Spring. In Iowa, there is heavy snow in the winter. Hence, the home decoration wiring and lights need to be tough. However, businesses need to keep their outdoor lights working throughout the year.  

While putting up holiday decorations, many forget to check whether their fittings are fit for outdoor use. Commercial holiday lighting fixtures used in places like Iowa need to be completely ‘Weather-proof’. Your outdoor lights need to withstand extreme snow during winter and humid heat of the summer. However, many people still buy cheaper lighting installations that aren’t weather resistant.  

 

Some Features your Commercial Holiday Lighting Installation Should Include: 

 

Changing Colors 

LED bulbs will release different spectrums of light depending on the power input. This feature of LED technology is great for designing custom holiday decorations. When purchasing a permanent lighting installation, invest in high quality LED bulbs. Laminated LED bulbs in hardy weatherproof casing is necessary for any outdoor light arrangements. However, only branded bulbs carry any sort of weatherproof guarantees.  

 

Changing Patterns 

Since LED bulbs change light colors quickly, they can create beautiful holiday decoration patterns. The best commercial holiday lighting companies like All American Turf Beauty have designers to create these beautiful patterns. For a business establishment, such beautiful visual cues would mean attracting more customers. The better the lighting design, the more memorable your building is for a person. This helps make your business establishment a recognized landmark! 

 

Outdoor Lights Should Enhance Your Indoor Lighting 

If your business operates at night, like a club, your outdoor lights must complement your indoor lighting installation. If you have blue lights and lasers in your club, bright yellow lights outside would be a drastic contrast. Similarly, if you have a mellow mood lighting in your restaurant, your outdoor lights shouldn’t be too flashy and gaudy. Your commercial holiday lighting consultant should have plenty of suitable options to choose from. 

 

Your Lighting Installation Should be Low Maintenance 

Commercial lighting installations cost considerably more than holiday decorations brightening your home. However, this higher price should also come with distinct advantages. One of the most important features of branded outdoor lights is that they should be low-maintenance. However, contractors like All American Turf Beauty do a complete wiring checkup for their clients before the holiday season. This annual checkup and some minor repairs should be all the maintenance your lighting installation needs. 

 

All American Turf Beauty has been among the top commercial holiday lighting contractors in Iowa for nearly 50 years. Give your business establish a fresh new look this holiday season. Call us on  1-800-365-8873 or register a free consultation on our website now!

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Christmas Decor Offers a Full-Service, Affordable Solution for Outdoor Holiday Decorating Chores

Holiday lighting professionals deliver outdoor holiday displays that are always on-trend, fresh, and innovative

– According to financial marketplace site Lend EDU (https://lendedu.com/), almost 13 percent of the average property owner’s total annual holiday budget is spent on decorations. While this may not amount to a huge amount of dollars in any given year, this number reflects only the cost of purchasing the decorations, and not the value of the time spent moving decorations into and out of storage, untangling light strings and checking them for damage, maintaining and even replacing decorations throughout the holiday season, and installing and taking down decorations year after year.

“What’s more,” said Jim O’Loughlin Of Christmas Décor by All American Turf Beauty,  “property owners who invest in expensive ornaments, lighting effects, and holiday décor items may feel financially locked into using the same decorating scheme year after year, even though each new holiday season brings innovative ideas they might want to try.”

One option for property owners who want to create a great outdoor holiday display that will always reflect the latest trends in lighting color schemes, effects, and accessories is to turn to a holiday outdoor decorating specialist like Christmas Decor. Trained specialists plan, install, maintain, remove, store, and replace holiday decorations each year, creating eye-catching lighting and decorating designs that fit the client’s budget and style. “No matter what outdoor display you prefer,” said O’Loughlin, “our trained holiday lighting designers can keep your décor fresh and on-trend each year by incorporating exclusive, professional-grade lighting accents on trees or landscape shrubs, colorful enhancements on wreaths, or colorful ‘picks’ and ornaments on greenery. Subtle changes can deliver a big impact.”

The demand for professional holiday decorating services is growing, not only because property owners appreciate being able to hand off this annual chore and the stress that goes with it, but also because they realize that no amount of planning and effort will produce the results that trained designers can deliver. Using the latest lighting and décor options not available to the everyday consumer, the Christmas Decor Franchise Network now decorates more than 50,000 homes and businesses nationwide each holiday season. As demand grows, O’Loughlin warns, the availability of prime, early decorating dates shrinks. The optimum window for holiday display installations is a small one – beginning in October and wrapping up in early December – so interested property owners should schedule their holiday display planning and installation now, while prime dates are still available.

 

For more information on having Christmas Decor decorate your home or business, or to schedule an appointment for a consultation or installation, please contact All American Turf Beauty. You can also learn more at www.christmasdecor.net

 

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DIY Home Decor Hazards Most Americans Don’t Consider During the Holiday Season

Christmas Decor professional holiday and event decorating company offers safety tips for DIY home decor enthusiasts. 

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), DIY home decor and holiday decorating activities resulted in an average of about 240 injuries per day during the holiday season of November and December, 2017.* 

Statistics like these contribute to the growing popularity of professional event and holiday decorating companies like Christmas Decor. As a premier holiday lighting and decorating company in North America, they undertake outdoor decorating for more than 50,000 homes and businesses annually. Although DIY Christmas decorations are popular in America, companies like these are becoming increasingly popular for homeowners and businesses. They make the holiday season safer. 

“The simple truth is that holiday decorating can be hazardous,” said Jim O’Loughlin of Christmas Décor by All American Turf Beauty, a franchise member of Christmas Decor, Inc. “Beyond the risk of injuries during installation, there are risks associated with using the wrong type of lighting and hardware and choosing the wrong spots to anchor or string lights and other decorations.” 

O’Loughlin strongly recommends that property owners consider using Christmas Décor by All American Turf Beauty this holiday season.  

But Americans love trying DIY Christmas decorations for themselves. For DIY home decor enthusiasts planning to install their own holiday décor this season, O’Loughlin has the following safety tips: 

Ladder Safety During DIY Home Decoration 

More than 40 percent of holiday decorating injuries involved falls from ladders, roofs, furniture, and step stools. Here are tips from the American Ladder Institute to help avoid becoming part of that statistic:** 

• Wear sturdy shoes with slip resistant soles. Leather soles or sandals are not slip resistant. This is especially important in places where it snows during this season. DIY home decorators often forget that just because they’re home, doesn’t mean there aren’t hazards. 
• Use a ladder rated to hold your weight combined with the weight of your tools and decorations. Some DIY Christmas decorations props may be several pounds too heavy! It should also be long enough to reach the needed height without standing on the top rung. 
• Set your ladder up on even ground or use leg levelers. For home owners doing DIY home decor, try have someone to help you with the task. 
• Follow the “3 point-of-contact rule”: Always face the ladder and always have two hands and one foot, or two feet and one hand in contact with the ladder. Never reach so far that the buckle on your belt is outside of the right or left rail of the ladder. 
• If your ladder is metal (including aluminum) it will conduct electricity. If a live wire from holiday lights touches a metal ladder, it can cause electrocution. DIY Christmas decorations and lights stored since the previous year may have short circuits. 

• Don’t drink and decorate, and don’t decorate at night. This is quite common during DIY home decor attempts in the holiday season. Alcohol consumption when climbing ladders can lead to injury and death. Also, remember that decorating at night is dangerous. 

 

Lighting Safety for DIY Home Decor Enthusiasts 

It’s important, but it’s not enough, to ensure that lights have been tested for safety by a recognized testing laboratory and to check each set of lights for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. For a safer holiday lighting display, property owners should also keep these tips from the CPSC in mind: *** 

• Use only lights that have plugs containing fuses. DIY home decor lovers are usually quite savvy with electrical work. However, a single loose wire in your store-bought DIY Christmas decorations may cause a wide short-circuit. 

• Check to see that outdoor lights been certified for outdoor use. This is something common during DIY home decoration. People tend to use fancy lights which aren’t safe to use outdoors. 
• Don’t overload your home wiring during DIY Christmas decoration. Also, make sure that extension cords are rated for the intended use. Please hire a professional electrician to do a basic check-up of your wiring system at the least. 
• Stay away from power or feeder lines leading from utility poles into older homes. People undertaking DIY home decor for the first time may not be aware of this risk. However, this is a common power distribution method used in older cities and towns. 
• Fasten outdoor lights securely to trees, house walls, or other firm supports to protect them from wind damage. Use only insulated staples (not nails or tacks) to hold strings in place or run strings of lights through hooks. Never pull or tug on lights. 
• Plug lights into circuits protected by ground- fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) to protect against electric shock. Portable outdoor GFCIs can be purchased where electrical supplies are sold. GFCIs can also be installed permanently to household circuits by a qualified electrician. 

“Holiday decorating doesn’t need to be a hazardous activity,” says O’Loughlin “Our decorating professionals help eliminate unnecessary accidents and produce a result that is often superior to what individual property owners can achieve with consumer-grade lighting and accessories. Our designers are trained to execute lighting displays on high roofs, ladders, and in tricky situations. Just as important, our installation crews use the utmost care when decorating each client’s home or business, avoiding damage to moldings, roofing, or architectural elements.” 

So, do you think DIY home decor is worth the risks? The Christmas Decor Franchise Network has been decorating homes and businesses nationwide since 1986, focusing primarily on exterior decorating services. Christmas Decor franchisees offer customized lighting displays, garlands, wreaths, and bows. 

The full-service package that each Christmas Decor client receives includes design, installation, maintenance, removal, and storage of all decorations. 

Citations: 

https://www.cpsc.gov/content/put-safety-at-the-top-of-your-list-when-decorating-this-holiday-season 

https://www.americanladderinstitute.org/page/BasicLadderSafety 

https://www.cpsc.gov/content/cpsc-announces-holiday-season-decorating-safety-tips 

 

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