Testimonials
Projects & Services
Featured Projects
- Rio Washingtonian Center
- Harvey Hottel, Inc. recently completed the replacement of a 1000 ton cooling tower on the roof of the parking garage at the Rio Washingtonian Center in Gaithersburg, MD.
- Rockville Cooling Tower
- Harvey Hottel, Inc. based in Gaithersburg, Md. one of the Washington DC area's largest HVAC companies just finished the installation of a new cooling tower...
- Winchester Welcome Center
- Environmentally friendly Geothermal Heating and Cooling system on the brand new Winchester Safety Rest Area & Welcome Center off Route 81 in Winchester, Virginia.
Featured Services
- LEED Certified Green Building Designs
- Eventually, green buildings and construction plans will be the industry standard. The team at Harvey W. Hottel refuses to skip a beat. We are the Premier LEED Certified Green Building contractor...
- Tailored Maintenance Solutions
- We recognize that everyone's requirements are not the same so beyond our standard service agreements we offer agreements "tailored specifically to your needs and requirements".
Useful Links
We are a proud member and support the following Associations and Business Groups:
- Geoexchange
Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium - www.geoexchange.org
- International Ground Source Heat Pump Association
- www.igshpa.okstate.edu/index.htm
- Radiant Panel Association
- www.radiantpanelassociation.org
- Association of Energy Engineers
- www.aeecenter.org
- Air Conditioning Contractors of America
- www.acca.org
- Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc.
- www.abc.org
- Better Business Bureau
- www.dc-easternpa.bbb.org
- Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce
- www.ggchamber.org
- Salvation Army — Montgomery County, MD
- www.montgomery.salarmydc.org
- Virginia Department of Transportation
- www.virginiadot.org
- Trane Commercial and Residential Air Solutions
- www.trane.com
- Bryant Heating and Cooling Systems
- www.bryant.com
- FHP Manufacturing
- www.fhp-mfg.com
- Water Furnace Geothermal Comfort Systems
- www.waterfurnace.com
- Tekmar Control Systems
- www.tekmarcontrols.com
- Lennox
- www.lennox.com
- Honeywell
- www.honeywell.com
- KMC Controls
- www.kmccontrols.com
- ECR Technologies
- www.earthlinked.com
- Earthlinked Technologies (ECR)
- www.earthlinked.com
- HI Solutions
- hisolutions.net
- Horizon Builders
- www.horizonbuildersinc.net
- Fairfax County Public Schools
- www.fcps.edu
- Prince William County Historical Preservation
- www.pwconserve.org
- City of Gaithersburg, MD
- www.gaithersburgmd.gov
- City of Falls Church VA
- www.fallschurchva.gov
- Prince Georges County
- Montgomery College
- www.montgomerycollege.edu
- Maryland Environmental Service
- www.menv.com
Resources
Avoid Bathroom Water Damage by Maintaining Tub and Shower Caulk Joints
Your bathroom walls endure a lot of pressure on a daily basis. Your shower and tub wall joints will periodically experience eroding, mildewing, or cracked caulking, since those joints are constantly getting wet and the seams of your shower experience expansion and contraction of walls due to changes in temperature and humidity. Maintaining these joints is relatively quick and inexpensive, and a crucial step in avoiding possible water damage to your walls due to cracked caulk or leaking joints.
To avoid costly damage, re-caulk your shower or tub joints as soon as cracks appear. Caulk is used to keep water from building up, under, or around the tiles at joints between tiles and the tub or shower, as well as on joints were walls meet. Caulk works as a strong glue and a flexible sealant. Caulk can crack, leak, and become discolored from mildew.
When re-caulking your shower or tub, plan to do the entire job at once, as stopping mid-job will leave openings for water and mildew growth.
Follow these steps when re-caulking your tub or shower:
- Allow the tub and shower area to dry completely.
- Remove old caulk using a plastic putty knife or razor. Scrape out all the old loose caulk, and if necessary, use a chemical for caulk softening and removal as directed by the manufacturer. Repeat until the joint is open and there is absolutely no caulk or residue on the wall surface or fixtures. Be meticulous.
- Clean off any soap scum and, if necessary, use a product to kill mildew spores
- Dry out the joints and surfaces using a hair dryer.
- Once the area is dry, apply the caulk and fill the joint completely. Use a caulk gun for big projects or a small, plastic tube of caulk works just fine as well. Make sure to only use caulk designated for tub and tile use, as this type of caulk is made for mildew resistance.
- Smooth the joint using the wetted tip of your finger. If you don’t want to use your finger, use a plastic straw or a plastic caulk-smoothing tool. Smooth the line immediately after you lay it.
- Once the caulk is dry, use a utility knife and soft cloth to cut and smooth away any excess caulking.
- Wait at least 12 hours, or as long as is indicated on the caulk label, before using the tub or shower.
When maintaining your home to avoid potentially costly repairs, look no further than Harvey W. Hottel Inc., the family-owned plumbing and HVAC expert based in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Harvey W. Hottel serves the entire Baltimore, Northern Virginia, and Washington DC metropolitan areas, delivering expert heating and air conditioning, plumbing, duct cleaning, and geothermal services.