News & Events

A big thank you to Wade from the NEIT for our last Victorian state meeting. We learnt about the new first aid laws and regulations that will be affecting sole traders and small business from July this year. If anyone requires information on this subject, please contact [email protected]. We are really looking forward to the Jena Dyco Conference, May 30-31st , and we hope to see a strong Victorian member presence being in our home town! We are also excited to catch up with our newest Victorian members, Paul Buck from Paul’s Complete Carpet Care and Kelly and Paul Rummery from Country Carpet Cleaning & Restoration. Our next meeting will be held in conjunction with IICRC instructor, Rachel Adams’ visit to Australia to teach the AMRT course in Melbourne. Details of this meeting will be released soon.

Don’t forget to become a member of SCRIA Members-only Facebook page where job referrals are frequently posted from the main SCRIA office!

Don’t miss out! Join by clicking here.

29 May: Jena Dyco Mould & Restoration Conference – SCRIA Welcome Drinks, Phamish Bar and Restaurant, Melbourne, 7pm

30-31 May: Exhibitor at Jena Dyco Mould & Restoration Conference, Novotel St.Kilda, Melbourne

31 May: SCRIA Member Panel Discussion, Q+A with our Secretary Mark Carey

Contact [email protected] for more information on upcoming events.

As we roll out the calendar of events for meeting this year, we are seeking volunteers who would like the opportunity to host a SCRIA state meeting at their venue!

There are approximately four face-to-face meetings remaining for the Eastern States in 2014. (The alternating months we will be holding webinars to be more inclusive of those members that are unable to travel).

What happens when you host a meeting?

As a host venue you will ideally have a meeting room or provide chairs for attendees in an open space, such as a workshop or an open area.

You will only need to provide the venue and facilities such as bathrooms, tea / coffee. You will also have the option to do a 10-15 demonstration on something that your business specialises in!

You will receive full support from the SCRIA State Representative, who will organise the speaker, catering and make all other arrangements. This is a fantastic chance to become more involved with SCRIA and introduce your business!

If you would like to volunteer your premises to host a meeting, please contact [email protected] and we will send you some more information.

There’s nothing like being rewarded and that’s why the SCRIA Member Benefits will be sure to impress. Keep an eye on your email and look forward to the launch at the Jena Dyco Mould and Restoration Conference 29 – 31 May, 2014.

Congratulations to Scott McFadzen who is now President of SCRIA!

Hello to all SCRIA members,

Well how does the year go so fast! We are already in March and Easter is around the corner. It was not so long ago the turkeys were getting stuffed and Australia was being beaten by the English in our country sport.

Now it is time to pull on our favourite jersey and support our teams. Eat a pie at the game or drink a beer from a plastic cup. But that’s what I love about this time of year. Footy, beer and food!

This time of year also for SCRIA is also important as this is where we get together as a board and put pen to paper in order to listen to you and what you want to see for this year.

As previously mentioned to members at the end of last year in a previous newsletter, 2014 brings a tighter focus on several key project areas. Example of the projects we have been working on are Member Benefits, Education and Recognition, Industry Presence and what we can do to increase the profile of SCRIA in the public forum. You will see some great examples of this within this newsletter. The main project we have currently been working on has been member benefits. We want to make sure we get it right and put together a package that is beneficial to you as members and also to provide our fantastic business partners with benefits so that we all can work as a professional association. We are having our first ever face to face meeting to put together the finishing elements of the Member Benefits package. Our goal is to having some information about the package to give to members before the Jena Dyco Mould Conference in May 2014.

I truly do love the industry and it is my passion. So please contact me directly, or any other Board member, if you have any feedback about what you want to see in SCRIA or about industry direction, because if we put our heads all together we will certainly gain the most.

Scott McFadzen

One of the most exciting benefits for our members is thanks to social media. SCRIA now has a thriving online community on Facebook. This is a great forum, not only to stay in touch with fellow members or to see the latest updates and event invitations, but also to receive job advice and referrals. If you want more heads than one to help you on the job, this is the place to go. Every week, members come online to share issues and photos with other members, many of whom chip in to help resolve a difficult problem!

To join the Facebook group you must be a current member of SCRIA. Please visit the SCRIA Facebook Group and join our active community today!

1. Removing Lillium Pollen stains

2. Aluminum Framing after a Fire

The SCRIA national enquiry line often receives calls or online comments from customers who need help or advice. When they are looking for professional carpet & upholstery cleaners or restoration specialists, we are able to refer them to our members. This is why it is essential that you keep your qualifications and service area up to date with the national office so that we can ensure that we can refer the right customers to the right members! Call the SCRIA office on 0294318678 to make sure we have your correct details.

When we receive an enquiry, the board share their experience and expertise in order to provide the customer with the best advice possible. If we can’t help, we will find someone who can!

This is not just for customers! SCRIA receives calls from members looking for advice too. SCRIA is here to help you in any situation. If you are having problems with customers, struggling with a difficult job, need advice on growing your business, then come to SCRIA. The board are happy to share their knowledge with you at any time.

Here’s how we have we helped customers in the past:

1) A customer is looking for someone who specialises in upholstery in Melbourne.

SCRIA directs the customer to the ‘Locate a Professional’ page on the SCRIA website and to select Victoria and Upholstery & Fabric Cleaning. The customer can then scroll through all our members who provide this service in Melbourne and call for a quote. SCRIA will never recommend one member over another.

2) A Customer has a faded light coloured carpet with stains and wants to know whether she should have it cleaned or entirely replaced?

SCRIA always recommends that a customer sends in photos for the Panel to make an accurate assessment of the carpet’s condition. Without photographs, SCRIA recommended that the customer contact a local Carpet Inspector to assess the quality of her carpets onsite. SCRIA provided the customer with phone numbers of the SCRIA member’s who operate in her area.

3) A customer purchased rubber dumbells which were stored on a vinyl flooring. After three months, the dumbells left a yellow stain on the vinyl but were not exposed to water or sunlight.

The SCRIA panel explained that this was a common reaction between rubber and vinyl and recommended the customer contacted a vinyl flooring inspector.

4) A member has a problem with a difficult customer who claims a job was not performed to their satisfaction.

The SCRIA panel recommends documenting every process on the job. Take before and after photos and ask the customer to sign an audit prior to beginning the job. If necessary, request a history of previous cleaning job’s on the carpet. Always cover all your bases to avoid complaints further down the line.

5) A customer has recently moved furniture but has left indents in the carpet. How can they have the indents removed?

SCRIA recommends that although the carpet can be steam cleaned for the build up, the backing will be stretched. In the long term, the carpet may need to be replaced.

By Scott McFadzen, Master Water Restorer

The thermal imaging camera is fast becoming an important tool for professional restoration companies.  These cameras allow us to see what the eye cannot, and provides an insight into what is happening behind that wall, which is wet from a recent rain event or a burst hose in the bathroom wall.

Take this picture for example:

The building assessor had been in two hours before me and said to the insured that the wall was okay, nothing was of concern and that only some painting was needed.

However, this picture shows the moisture behind the plasterboard between the sheet and brickwork.

If this was left, it would have been a perfect area for microbial growth to start and then cause secondary damage.

These cameras have for many years been very expensive and out of the reach for smaller companies due to their cost. But as times change, prices have lowered.

Does this mean you don’t get a great product anymore? Absolutely not! The latest in thermal cameras goes way beyond cool and is not out of reach for restoration professionals.

Today’s IR camera’s offer Wi-Fi and touch screens. It also comes with Moveable two temperature points on the screen, so you can get comparison temperatures on the building materials at two different points.

The Wi-Fi is my favourite and is a great marketing tool with my clients and the assessors that you may meet on the job. The Wi-Fi allows you to download an app and connect with IOS on any of your mobile devices.

This allows you to give your iPad to the insured and they can see exactly what you are seeing. I have done this onsite on some of my claims and it works. The insured can see what is going on behind the wall or in the ceiling. The assessor can also see why you may have removed a ceiling panel or have channelled off your dehumidifier into a cavity space.

The cameras also have video capabilities and picture in picture. This allows you to take real time photos and then send them to the assessors when you return to your office. It is also great for your records and file keeping.

Our team uses the thermal camera to check if the dry air is being processed onto wet areas or in hard to reach areas. Remember though, this does not replace the moisture sensor or hygrometers that you are currently using. This is another tool for your tool box as a professional restorer.

…Or an expensive stud finder!