How Moisture Affects New Construction Homes

How much moisture should be in your new construction home, and how will cold weather impact moisture levels? Let’s find out.

Cold weather has a few distinct effects on new construction homes.

With any new home, you will have excess moisture because of all the building components that went into your property.

As you turn on your heat when colder weather arrives, this moisture becomes airborne. You can monitor your moisture levels with a hydrometer. The most important thing is to know where your moisture content is at in your home.

Some people think more moisture is better and are tempted to run a humidifier, but generally speaking, we don’t recommend running a humidifier within your first year or two of owning your new home. With so much moisture already in your home, it just isn’t a good idea.

Typically, it is best to have a moisture content of between 40% and 55%. Wood floors will contribute to a higher moisture content.

Some tell-tale signs that your home is beginning to dry out include cracking trim or trim becoming separated from the walls. This is the point when you may want to set up a humidifier. In the spring and summer, though, you may want to use a dehumidifier.

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It’s very important to know the moisture content of your new construction home.

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As moisture evaporates out of your materials during the winter months, you may begin to see condensation on the windows, since they are a colder surface than the walls.

It is perfectly normal to live in a brand-new home and still see condensation. Whether you have top-of-the-line or bottom-of-the-line windows, it doesn’t matter. It all depends on the level of moisture in the home.

Running bath fans after bathing or even while you’re bathing or showering is a good idea. It will help take the extra moisture you’re putting into the air and vacate it to the exterior of the home. If you don’t run bath fans while bathing or showering, it will increase the condensation in your home

As your home starts to dry out, you will experience some floor popping, but this is also normal. It’s all part of the weathering of the home.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Know anyone who's interested in building a home? 

If you have any friends, family, or co-workers who are looking to own their first or second home - would you forward this message to them? We'll be happy to show them our eight new construction home plans along with the benefits of owning a Charleston Home so they can make a decision that's right for them.

Tips for Snow Removal and How to Treat Your Driveway

Before you salt your driveway and ruin the concrete, I have a few snow removal tips for you today.

I have a few snow removal tips for you today, as well as a few tips on how to salt or treat your driveway.

Hopefully, you all had time to caulk and seal your driveways before the winter weather hit. If you moved into your home in the colder season, you might not have had the opportunity to do so, but make sure that you plan ahead for next year.

Caulking and sealing your driveway helps prevent extra moisture from going down in between the control joints. Sealing also helps protect your driveway from the road salt left on your vehicle as you drive in and out of your driveway and garage.

Now, you may be tempted to use ice melt and salt on your driveway. Don’t do it. You don’t want salt of any kind on your driveway, walkway, or garage floor. Salt is very detrimental to concrete surfaces and will cause spalling on the top layer of concrete.

Instead, sprinkle a pea gravel mix or sand on your driveway and walkways.

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Before you salt your driveway and ruin the concrete, I have a few snow removal tips for you today.

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The most important thing you can do is try and remove that accumulated snow or ice as quickly as possible. Don’t let it sit there.

As the salt trucks or snow plows go up and down your street, you may wind up with some ice melt or snow pushed onto the approach area of your driveway. Remove that as soon as you can using a broom or leaf blower.

Don’t forget to sweep out your garage, too. Ice melt stuck to your vehicle will drip down onto the garage floor, so get your broom or leaf blower to take care of that as well.

If you have any other questions about protecting your home this winter, just give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!

Know anyone who's interested in building a home? 

If you have any friends, family, or co-workers who are looking to own their first or second home - would you forward this message to them? We'll be happy to show them our eight new construction home plans along with the benefits of owning a Charleston Home so they can make a decision that's right for them.

Cleaning, Maintenance, and More: How to Care for Carpet

In the past couple of months, we’ve been getting a lot of questions about carpet. Today, we’ll be going over a few key points you need to know to best maintain any carpet. 

In the past couple of months, we’ve been getting a lot of questions about carpet. To best address them, we decided to reach out to our carpet installers: Imperial Tile.

According to them, the most important thing you can do to maintain your carpet is to vacuum, vacuum, vacuum. A lot of people complain about their carpet matting down, but vacuuming at least once a week should prevent this from occurring altogether.

Also, don’t vacuum in the same direction and pattern every time. This will help your carpet stand up to foot traffic and will prevent it from becoming worn down. Using a vacuum cleaner that will work well for your specific carpet is another way to maintain it.

High-quality vacuums can be adjusted for height. If you have a thicker carpet, you’ll want to raise your vacuum to a higher height setting. The opposite is true for short carpet.

So, what about actually cleaning the carpet? First, stick to a professional cleaner and have your carpet cleaned every 12 to 18 months. Rug Doctors and household steam cleaners can actually do more damage than good, since they can de-laminate your carpet.

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The most important thing you can do to maintain your carpet is to vacuum, vacuum, vacuum.

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Additionally, rugs can help to protect your carpet and keep it clean. Rugs are good for decor and for the longevity of your carpet. Placing rugs in areas where people enter your home and need to wipe their shoes is always a good option.

When a carpet does get dirty or a spill occurs, the best thing you can do is to get the stain out right away. Dish detergent and a little bit of water will go a long way. Blot at stains with a white cloth, since colored cloths can transfer pigment to your carpet. And remember: never scrub at a spill or stain. You can find more information on removing stains here.

Some wear and tear is to be expected, though. Depending on the activity that takes place in your carpet, you may start to see some rippling or relaxing of the carpet over time. If you move furniture often, this is likely to occur.

Different kinds of carpet tend to relax more than others. This has nothing to do with an installation defect. But, relaxing of the carpet is covered under our warranty for the first year.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Know anyone who's interested in building a home? 

If you have any friends, family, or co-workers who are looking to own their first or second home - would you forward this message to them? We'll be happy to show them our eight new construction home plans along with the benefits of owning a Charleston Home so they can make a decision that's right for them.