The Revolution

Most maintenance products and service techniques for the commercial building maintenance industry have been around for over 25 years with little change or innovation, despite new breakthroughs in technology.

Organizations like the U.S. Green Building Council, BlueGreen, and GreenSeal, have begun campaigns to ensure the health and well-being of people working in and living near the billions of structures erected and maintained around the world. Below are a few of the many innovations now in the building maintenance industry, and Presto is at the forefront leading the charge.

  • FACT – Most products used to seal precast and other architectural stone are organic, UV- and heat-sensitive oils. Products that look good from the ground level may not sustain on high-rise buildings that are subjected to higher temperatures and increased UV-ray exposure. When attacked by the elements, UV-sensitive coatings break down and leach onto surrounding surfaces creating stains on these other building materials.
  • FACT – Dishwashing detergents most commonly used today for window cleaning contain high concentrations of harsh chemicals and enzymes designed to fight unwanted oils. However, these industry-standard soaps also dissolve the oils in stone protective treatments, exposing the stone once again to environmental contaminates that cause stains.
  • FACT – Sticky residue from industry-standard cleaning solutions and elements from inferior water repellants reside on building surfaces and attract environmental pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and particles from acid rain, effectively gluing these contaminates to the building’s surface. Each time it rains, these substances combine to create an entirely new toxic material that runs down the sides of the building, collecting in high concentrations on glass and other building surfaces (as seen below). This is called Brown Building Syndrome.

Presto products are designed to protect all building surfaces by working in harmony instead of in conflict with one another. Ultimately, a building that achieves Green Building Synergy, and is properly maintained with Presto’s product line, will only need a semi-annual cleaning with purified water. In our opinion, this is the most environmentally friendly option conceivable.

PROPERTY OWNER RESPONSIBILITY AWARENESS

FACT – Glass, metal, and stone building surfaces develop unsightly stains and soap scum buildup. After years of carelessness, many of our most beautiful buildings suffer these and other signs of neglect and improper maintenance.

With the wide range of office space available on the market, positive curb appeal is essential. Employees – and owners – want the building in which they work to exude a positive image.

Improper maintenance can significantly decrease the value of a commercial property, making it difficult to lease space. Presto is revolutionizing the building maintenance industry by placing maintenance methods and products under a new light of scrutiny. As governmental agencies, corporations, and individuals realize the impact that real estate development has on the environment, property managers and contractors face new challenges to perform environmentally friendly services.

SERVICE COMPANIES DIVERSIFY

Today, as many companies are diversifying their service offerings, property owners and managers are looking for companies they can trust to perform the many different specialty services needed for their buildings. Presto is dedicated to assisting these businesses through expanding their service portfolio to utilize cutting-edge, environmentally safe products. Presto is also dedicated to simplifying product specification, purchasing and support for restoration, protection and maintenance services.

HOW AND WHY DOES A PRODUCT WORK?

People are demanding to know more about what is in the products that are used in our environment, and how and why a product works. As concerned citizens we want to know if there is a risk involved with using certain products inside of our delicate ecosphere. For example, DDT was used as a pesticide in the 1950s, and was finally banned in the 1970s due to the risk of some animals’ extinction.

There are pros and cons behind the use of any product. At Presto, we feel it is the manufacturer’s responsibility to create chemicals that will work well, last long and be environmentally safe, as well as educate the customer on these points. Companies have begun to make it mandatory for building contractors to use certain products that better suit their needs both monetarily and environmentally.

Presto has developed a complete and synergistic line of environmentally friendly products for the restoration, protection and maintenance of commercial properties all over the world. Our innovative and conscious efforts will change lives as we create safer and more effective products for an educated industry.

KEEP IT SIMPLE AND SAFE

At Presto, we develop our products with simplicity in mind. Many times our competitor’s products have 20 different ingredients when really only 1 to 3 of the ingredients are actually performing on the job. Often, these additional ingredients are fillers, created from harsh materials to add a greater punch to the product; however, when so many different materials are mixed together, the final product becomes a new concoction in which the real health consequences may remain unknown. Companies that mix these products don’t test for toxicity; only the manufacturers of the raw materials do, and the government doesn’t monitor chemical mixtures the way it monitors food and drugs. In addition, solvents or other ingredients are often selected because they are cost-effective; yet these materials may be much more harmful to humans and the environment than a more expensive option. Presto’s mission is to create simple products with the safest raw materials possible that still perform on the job.

NEWER IS BETTER

Many products developed 10 to 20 years ago remain on the market despite their lack of concern for environmental safety, and the fact that newer, safer chemical technologies are readily available. Products developed in the 21st century are held to higher standards, utilizing newer health and environmental information, as well as newer technologies.

So, why don’t large companies come out with newer products utilizing these higher standards in relation to our health and the environment? Many times, it’s because they already have so much invested in the creation of raw materials for their old products. Older products do not tend to last as long as newly created products and will need to be reapplied more frequently. This increased consumption is good news for the revenue goals of the product manufacturers, but bad news for long-term budgets of property owners.

PRODUCTS THAT PERFORM

Presto’s products have been developed by professionals that use these products every day. We have put our products through real-life testing in order to ensure that they not only perform on the job, but that they are the safest, longest lasting, easiest to use, easiest to understand, most environmental product option available on the market. When you use the Presto product line, you can rest assured that you are using the finest product available for your particular building restoration or preservation service.