Solar Panel Cleaning Milestone

This week Welcome Building Maintenance hit a huge solar panel cleaning milestone, 50,000!  We hit the 50K mark on the rooftop of the Oakland Walmart.  We’d like to extend a huge thank you to our amazing clients and our dedicated staff.  Our jobs both small and large from the Wine Country to Urban rooftops have all been so important in getting us to this number in such a short amount of time.

In the past six months we’ve had the pleasure of cleaning solar panels in all different industries across the Bay Area and beyond.  Walmart, Miner Family Winery, Materra Cunat Family Vineyards, Vacaville Water District, Union City Sanitation District, Partnership of HealthPlan California, the FBI and OSHA buildings and Caymus are just a few examples of the companies we have assisted in their commitment to keep their business green and running at maximum efficiency.  Our clients are seeing anywhere from a 10-25% rate increase during the spring and summer months after being cleaned by our team.

We are excited to continue our partnerships with to companies mentioned, and we are looking forward to what is already shaping up to be a fantastic 2020.  In 2020 we will be cleaning over 30,ooo solar panels for Tesla, and we have already also contracted Yahoo and the Martinez School District.

If you company has not had their solar panels professionally cleaned call us today for a free estimate.

Partnering with Tesla

Welcome is thrilled to be partnering with Tesla to assist them in cleaning both their solar panels and SUPERCHARGER Stations in San Jose, CA with more Northern California locations to come in the very near future.  We will continue this project along side Tesla to eventually clean thousands of solar panels and hundreds of SUPERCHARGER Station over the next few months.

According to the Tesla website, www.tesla.com , the total Co2 saved by their vehicles being on the road alone is 3,508,599.75 tons.  This is a number that should matter to all of us as we move forward with the green initiative across the Bay Area and the world.  Four Bay Area cities are on the Top 10 list of most Co2 saved by Telsa owners; San Jose comes in at #2 with 124,799,836 lbs. San Francisco at #3 with 96,288, 549 lbs. Los Altos at #6 with 67,737,214 lbs. and rounding out the Top 10 at #10 on the list is Palo Alto with 61,745,192 pounds of C02 saved.

We are honored to partner with such an amazing company that continues to be a leader in solar panel manufacturing and the electric car future to help reduce the world’s carbon footprint.

Let our team help keep your business clean and green, call today for your free estimate.

Pressure Washing Continuing Education

Here at Welcome Building Maintenance, WBM, we have always prided ourselves on doing whatever is necessary to improve the way we protect your investments. This past week Welcome took our team of pressure washing technicians to the Power Washers of North America (PWNA)  convention in Reno, NV.  PWNA is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering pressure washing education. At the conference we focused on improving the skills necessary to safely and effectively pressure wash your hardscape, flatwork and building facades. Job safety and Environmental concerns are critical on every job site, and our team has completed the coursework that the PWNA so greatly provided.

Forty Years of Family Business

In April we were able to get our full Welcome staff together for a photo shoot and company lunch.  Welcome Building Maintenance (WBM) has been family owned and operated for FORTY years.  Eric and Diane Bucklew took over the day to day operations of the company just over three years ago from Diane’s Uncle who spend over three decades creating top notch service in the commercial cleaning industry.  It was a wonderful day for our company as we snapped some great all staff pictures that included three generations of the Morris Family. We are proud of our family owned and operated business, and Eric and Diane are committed to making the Bay Area a cleaner place.  More often then not when you call WBM you will be talking directly to one of the owners of the company, insuring you will get the answers you are looking for quickly.

With our home office conveniently located in Concord, CA and servicing all of Northern California, we at Welcome Building Maintenance are here for you and your company’s  commercial cleaning needs.  We specialize in solar panel cleaning, day porting, parking lot sweeping, pressure washing, graffiti removal and more.  If you are a Bay Area company looking for family owned and operated business to help you keep your business looking its best, WE are the company for you. Please feel free to call or email us any time, and we’d be happy to come to you for a consultation and quote.

Caymus Vineyards Solar Panel Cleaning

Welcome Building Maintenance (WBM) was honored to have the opportunity recently to take our talents and our state-of-the-art iKarcher Solar Brush and professionally clean the new Caymus Vineyard’s distribution center’s solar panels. Our well trained staff was able to get Caymus’ solar panels in tip-top condition as we start the grape growing season in Northern California.

With over 1400 solar panels on their flat roof just outside of Fairfield, CA, Caymus understands just how important it is to get the most out of their solar panel investment. This insures that Caymus will be able to take advantage of all of the long and sunny days to come over the next six months for their 5.5 million-gallon-a-year facility. Keeping their solar panels clean with regular semi-annual cleanings from WBM is a priority for us and them.

We are passionate about keeping Sonoma Valley, Napa Valley and all Northern California wine regions Green and running at maximum efficiency. If your company has made the huge investment in Solar, it is crucial to keep them professionally cleaned.  Here at WBM it is both our priority and privilege to be able to provide top notch solar panel cleaning as well as a wide range of full service building maintenance.

Please see our previous blog post for more information on why it is so important to have regular solar panel cleanings.

HOW to best clean your commercial solar panels

For more information about Caymus Vineyards visit their website: http://www.caymus.com/

Why clean solar panels

Across the board, the evidence is becoming clear that solar panels need to be cleaned, at a minimum, every six months.

The frequency of cleaning depends on factors such as your location (near freeways for example), location of the panels themselves (ground mounted/rooftop/carport) weather and other unpredictable events (think fires). Unfortunately, rainwater is not nearly sufficient for keeping your solar panels operating at peak performance.

So you are probably thinking “how should I clean my solar panels?” The answer is simple! Cleaning solar panels is as easy as cleaning a window. The difficulty depends on mainly the location of your panels because most solar panels are located on the roof or are elevated. Climbing on roofs or using ladders can be dangerous. That is why contracting a professional, experienced company is always recommended. In addition to know-how, these experts will bring the best equipment and safety gear to get the job done well, and SAFELY

Solar panels are an investment. Their job is to provide you with cheap, efficient energy. To get the best results from your solar panels, clean them when it is necessary. Scheduling regular cleanings will guarantee your panels are performing as intended.

If your properties are located in the CA Bay Area, and more specifically Napa, Benicia, Concord, Pleasant Hill, Danville, San Ramon or Walnut Creek, we would be happy to consult you further about how to heat protect your solar investment.

Solar panel cleaning season

Spring is finally here, and with it comes the perfect opportunity to help protect your solar panel investment by having scheduled solar panel cleaning performed. All solar panel installations require cleaning at least every six months, and April and May present ideal conditions to perform this type of work. Whether your panels are mounted on the ground, are located up on the roof, or are out in the parking lot (carports) they will need to be cleaned in order to deliver a proper return on investment. Build-up of dirt, debris and other material prevents  solar system from experiencing optimal solar output, usually compromising performance to the tune of a 15-20% reduction in performance which for a system considerable size can mean significant financial loss over time.

SAFETY FIRST. Having your ground mounted, rooftop, and/or carport solar panels cleaned by a experienced, professional company is the safest way to go. Each time you climb up on your roof, or use a ladder to spray water onto your solar panels, there is a small but real chance you will fall off and injure yourself. Professional crews will always be outfitted with proper safety gear and the best equipment. If your properties are located in the CA Bay Area, and more specifically in Concord, Benicia, Pleasant Hill or Walnut Creek, we would be happy to consult you further about how best to care for your specific systems. (925) 288-1911

ADA Compliant propety

Got gum!? Gum removal

Got gum!? Why is it so hard to remove gum from sidewalks and other areas around your commercial property?

Research has shown time and again that when consumers are faced with choosing between two businesses, they will almost without fail, select the one that has a clean entrance and sidewalk. Aside from keeping walkways free of trash and debris, the physical look of the sidewalks themselves has an impact on the image of your property.

The rubbers used as gum base (the stuff that makes gum stay chewy) are not soluble in water. The material used by  producers of gum are designed to stick around, quite literally in your mouth. The Wrigley Corporation tried, and successfully developed a new recipe for biodegradable gum in 1996. It would have brought an end to sticky, and unsightly  black circles on sidewalks from leftover gum. However, consumers rejected the product because it didn’t stay chewy long enough.

Therein lies our dilemma, how to remove this pesky glue? The ONLY WAY to effectively remove gum from your commercial properties is with high pressure washing combined with high heat (250 degrees is recommended). A professional maintenance company will put  safety first and use only well trained crews!   The best industrial pressure washing units are capable of 4,400 PSI and reaching temperatures of up to 250 degrees.  The use of particular surface attachments, where appropriate can make a big difference as well.

If your properties are in the California Bay Area, and more specifically Concord, Benicia, Pleasant Hill, Martinez or Napa we would WELCOME the opportunity to show you how we can help you with your gum removal, and keep your properties looking their best.

Steam Cleaning

Steam cleaning is an alternative to pressure washing and in certain cases may be a better option. The main question in the debate between steam-cleaning versus hot pressure washing is about it’s in today’s commercial cleaning repertoire. The debate is a heated one, and we are here to help sort it out for you.

Steam cleaners are touted for their ability to cut grease and oil and, more specifically, for use in preparing surfaces for painting and other applications. In addition, they use much less water than conventional pressure washing, resulting in less runoff. Consequently, there is a smaller volume of waste to be handled, reducing the cost of the handling and disposal.

Even with hot water pressure washing machines, has the potential to leave behind an oily film on surfaces. In addition, splatter from pressure washing can be a downside. BUT, to get out the really dirty stuff, sometimes more pressure and higher temps are the only way to go. SO, If you have any doubts about the best way to maintain the grounds at your specific properties, look for a maintenance company with many years in the business.

If your property is in the California Bay Area, and more specifically Concord, Walnut Creek, Benicia, Pleasant Hill, Napa we WELCOME the opportunity to show you how we can keep your property looking its best and protect your investment!