.
 New
York � February 12, 2009 � If it�s going to be �heaven in eleven� as experts
predict, then according to the Stuart Dean Co. Inc. its time to �maintain
in �09� and keep marble floors, metal fixtures and wood surfaces looking
their best for guests. Stuart Dean, headquartered here with more than 26
company-owned regional offices coast-to-coast and in Canada, has been providing
preventive-maintenance services to hospitality�s leading full-service and
luxury hotels for more than 75 years.
�In today�s challenging economy and competitive hotel environment, image remains important but preserving architectural elements is essential to avoid costly replacement due to poor maintenance,� said Greg Schall, Stuart Dean director of hospitality. �The condition of the hotel�s interior public areas is the first introduction to welcoming a guest. It�s a hotel�s opportunity to �Wow� a guest. A building�s façade is the face that is show to the world � whether at curbside or in photographs on the World Wide Web. From the entryway to the stairway, vestibule to veranda, the way management cares for a property�s architectural finishes shows guests how they can expect to be treated. Our role at Stuart Dean is to help owners and managers improve on those first impressions.�
�A common misperception among owners is that general maintenance personnel have the skills to service marble and granite floors,� Schall said. �However, there are at least 150 types of stone that are commercially available. While the method of restoring a floor is generally the same across different stone types, the precise method used to efficiently restore a particular type of stone varies considerably because the stones vary in their responses to the methods. Stones have different levels of hardness, and one type of marble may require much less aggressive honing than another. Knowing which grade of abrasive material to use, for how long, or how often in order to achieve a glasslike reflectivity or to simply �vitrify� to maintain the reflective surface, is an acquired skill.� Preventive maintenance for architectural metals also is a science in its own respect, he said. For example, all architectural metal oxidizes (rusts, pits or rots) when it is left alone and quickly can deteriorate in appearance. The type of metal � bronze, stainless steel, aluminum or copper � will determine how quickly the original finish may age. �Bronze is relatively expensive to maintain and when left unprotected it oxidizes quickly, tarnishing to a blotchy brown color within weeks, if not days,� Schall explained. �Aluminum, which is the most common architectural metal in the United States, corrodes which eventually causes pitting on the surface and cannot be restored once it has pitting. Stainless steel, which is sometimes confused with aluminum, is more lustrous in appearance, but its name is deceiving. Stainless steel is not always stainless: depending on the grade of metal it will rust. This is accelerated in wet-climate parts of the country. Where climate is controlled on the interior of a building, areas such as on the operating wall of an elevator, stainless steel will not rust, but it will gradually begin to show a greasy film and fingerprinting from frequent hand contact. �All these things must be taken into consideration when maintaining metals,� he added. �While it may seem relatively simple, there are many variations to these metals to also to consider. Not being skilled in the right refinishing techniques for the right type metals may prove to be more costly in the end.� Knocking on wood Stuart Dean also provides a variety of wood-restoration services, from Touch Up of nicks and scratches caused by abrasion to Reconditioning (commercially cleaning all woodwork, by removing old wax and dirt build-up, and then applying a fresh new top coat) to Refinishing (chemically removing existing coating to bare wood, touching up abrasion marks, sanding for a smooth surface, staining the desired color and applying four coats of a finish) and Wood Maintenance (Touch Up and color blend nicks, scratches and abrasions, applying a matching finish to affected area, and then applying a non-oily liquid wax to entire surface). �Our artisans have a common respect for the value of original architecture, and our technicians receive extensive and on-going training in restoration and maintenance,� Schall said. �At our national training facility in Cleveland, Ohio, we combine cutting-edge technology with time-proven methods to provide the highest quality and most cost-effective services available, making Stuart Dean the nation�s premier provider of these services. When Stuart Dean takes care of the details, the big-picture result is breathtaking.� The only nationwide company of its kind, Stuart Dean is an approved vendor for: Hilton Hotel Corp.: Conrad Hotels / Hilton Hotel & Resorts / Doubletree / Embassy Suites, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental Hotel Group, Loews Hotels, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Marriott Hotels & Resorts: JW Marriott / Renaissance Hotels / Marriott Courtyard, Peninsula Hotels, Ritz Carlton Hotel Co., Starwood Hotels & Resorts: Westin Hotels / W Hotels / Sheraton, and Avendra. For more information, visit www.stuartdean.com or call 312-640-9690. About Stuart Dean Founded in 1932, The Stuart Dean Co. serves as the nation�s largest and only nationwide restoration and maintenance company, specializing in stone, metal, and wood refinishing & maintenance. Stuart Dean was the first to field-apply clear synthetic lacquer to architectural metals to prevent corrosion. Today the company provides these preventive-maintenance services to the industry�s leading full-service and luxury hotels and is an approved nationwide vendor of virtually every major brand. For ongoing public-area preventative maintenance or renovation of guestroom bathrooms, Stuart Dean's 65 project managers and 500+ company employed expert technicians are ready to serve. Headquartered in New York, the company�s owned
and operated regional offices are located in Atlanta, Ga.; Boston, Mass;
Charlotte, N.C.; Chicago, Ill.; Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio; Dallas and
Houston, Texas; Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego and San Francisco,
Calif.; Miami, Orlando, and Tampa, Fla.; Nashville, Tenn.; New York; Norfolk
and Richmond, Va.; Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Penn.; Phoenix, Ariz.;
Seattle, Wash.; St. Louis, Mo.; Washington, D.C.; and Toronto, Canada.
For more information visit www.stuartdean.com
or call Greg Schall, Director of Hospitality, at (312) 640-9690 or 800-322-3180.
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The
adage: �An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure� is trite, but
true, he said. A properly maintained hotel will yield fewer guest complaints
and will cost less to run. Whether it�s the restoration of Metal (entrance
doors, elevator cabs, railings), Stone (lobby floors, public restrooms,
guestroom bathrooms), or Wood (panel walls, doors, registration desk and
furniture), Stuart Dean will maximize the life of these hard-surface materials
in a safe, healthy environment.