Paint Touch-Ups: A Demonstration

Today I want to demonstrate some helpful tips for touching up your wall paint. Stay tuned!

If the paint on your home’s walls needs some TLC to look its very best, then stick around: Today we’re going to demonstrate how to touch up paint so that your home will shine.

In this particular property, the painters applied two coats of paint on everything and after the final touch-up coat, they left the remaining paint behind in a bucket. It’s very important to save this bucket, even if it’s empty. If you ever need to get additional paint to touch up your walls, then knowing exactly what batch number of paint to mix will allow you to get the color you need. Without that, the batch you do purchase could be slightly off, meaning your walls will not match.

Beyond that, anyone who plans to touch up their walls should have these essential tools on hand:

• 5-in-1 tool. This tool can help you scrape, spread compound, clean your rollers, remove putty, and open cracks.  

• Paint rollers. These come in all sizes to suit any of your projects. You can use a 12-inch roller to paint a whole wall, or a smaller one to touch up just a few spots. Regardless of the roller’s size, if you’re only touching up a small part of the wall, be sure to use less paint—you won’t have to blend as much.

• TIMELESS paint. True flat paints can smudge when you touch them, but the TIMELESS paint has intrinsic cleaning properties and doesn’t smudge as easily.

• Foam/felt rollers. These are good for touching up paint on trims and allow you to match bumpy textured surfaces.

• Worcester brushes. There are a variety of these, but a good, quality brush will carry you a long way. With the less expensive brushes, the bristles tend to fall out. Worcester brushes last for quite a long time.

• Paddle mixer/drill. This combination will help you to mix your paint from the bottom to the top of the pail, especially if it’s full. For smaller amounts of paint, you can use a traditional stir stick, or you can slosh it around in the bucket to mix it up.

• Paint rolling tray. This will allow you to control how much paint is on your roller/brush so you don’t apply too much to your walls.

If you have any questions about touching up your paint, feel free to reach out to us. We’d be glad to advise you on tools and techniques that will make your home look as good as new. In the meantime, check out the model homes on our website!

How GFCI Outlets Keep You Safe

GFCI outlets help keep homeowners safe from electric shocks. Here’s how.

What are GFCI outlets and how do they keep homeowners safe?

GFCI outlets are required by the National Building Code, and they essentially protect you from receiving an electric shock from any faults in your home’s electrical devices. They function by comparing the current on the input side of the outlet to the output current on the neutral side. If you have a faulty blender, for example, and the outlet detects an arc, it will trip the power to it so you don’t get shocked.

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GFCI outlets essentially protect you from receiving an electric shock from the faults in your home’s electrical devices.

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You’ll find these outlets anywhere in your house where there’s recurring moisture (kitchens, bathrooms, basements, etc.). In all of our homes, all the bathroom outlets are connected to the GFCI in the master bathroom, and all exterior outlets are connected to the standalone outlet in the utility room. You’ll also see a GFCI outlet wherever your sump pump connects.

If you have any more questions about GFCI outlets or you have any other real estate needs, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’d be glad 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 eleven new construction home plans along with the benefits of owning a Charleston Home so they can make a decision that's right for them.

A Peek Into Our Villa Neighborhood: Eagle Ridge Village

Have you heard of our villa neighborhood? Eagle Ridge Village could be perfect for your next move. 

Today I want to take a little time to tell you about our villa product.

I’m not sure how many of you are aware, but we actually have a villa neighborhood in Papillion called Eagle Ridge Village. There are a lot of great opportunities in this neighborhood.

There are about 16 lots in the neighborhood, which has its own HOA. Some of the things included in the HOA are lawn care, snow removal, and trash removal.

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There’s a lot of great opportunity in this neighborhood.

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These properties start from about $220,000 and are perfect for anyone who is considering downsizing.

Feel free to visit our models to get more information. Our two models locations are Pebblebrook in Gretna and Arbor View in Elkhorn.

You can also always visit our website at www.CharlestonHomesOmaha.com.

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.

What Are You Responsible for as a Homeowner?

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 6 new construction home plans along with the benefits of owning a Charleston Home so they can make a decision that's right for them.

Today, I want to briefly cover the differences between homeowner warranty and homeowner maintenance. From time to time, we get some questionable calls from homeowners, so we thought we would explain this topic in some detail today.

Let's start off in the kitchen. The area where the counter meets the back-splash is a grout caulking. If any of the grout chips out, it is covered under warranty. However, if the grout caulking starts to wear, all you have to do is caulk it using a caulking gun, which is relatively inexpensive and easy to do yourself. 

Another maintenance item you should keep an eye on and maintain is where the under mount sink meets with the counter-top. About once a year you'll want to make sure it's neatly caulked. Additionally, transitions from the window frame to the actual window also need to be caulked with acrylic caulking.

Moving to the front entryway of the house, you'll want to check your closure on your storm doors. Periodically you may need to push the adjustment screw in or out to adjust how fast or slow the door closes. The further in the screw is, the slower the door closes, the further out the screw is, the faster the door will move. You also want to check your front door entryway thresholds. Make sure the door isn't rubbing in order to keep from tearing the weather-stripping.

As a homeowner, you are responsible for maintaining your own yard. This includes regular fertilization, watering, and mowing. As long as you don't change or alter anything, warranties cover just about all electrical. As a homeowner, you're responsible for replacing light-bulbs, even if they're very high up.

At the new home orientation, your builder will walk you through the home, room by room, and go over not only the ins and outs of the house, but also all imperfections that might exist. All imperfections will be addressed by your builder before close. After closing, if you happen to scuff up a wall or two while moving in, you can find the flat paint downstairs so that you can touch it up after closing.

In the bathrooms, you want to make sure the inside corners of your tiled shower stay caulked, as well as your tub if it has tiled area around it. Any wet areas should be checked routinely to ensure no separation has occurred.

Next, make sure you change out the 9V battery in your smoke detectors. Although the fire alarms are hardwired together, the battery serves as a backup; if a wire is severed, all fire alarms will still send an audible signal in the event of a fire. Once you've replaced the battery, press and hold the reset button to reset all of smoke detectors. This will let out an audible alarm as a test throughout the house, and should be done once a year.

I haven't covered all the differences between maintenance and warranty items, but this is a very good start. If you have any questions about new home construction, or if you would like our assistance, don't hesitate to call us or visit our models.

How to Maintain Your Tiled Shower

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 6 new construction home plans along with the benefits of owning a Charleston Home so they can make a decision that's right for them.

Today we're going to be giving you some tips on how to maintain the tile in your shower. Most of our homes have tiled showers, and after a few years you're going to have to do some maintenance on them.

Tiled showers are caulked with Tec Brand Grout Caulking, and this is used where the floor meets the wall or on any of the corners in the shower. You'll want to ensure that there is no cracking in the grout joints, and if there is, you can simply apply more grout with a grout sponge.

When you repair the grout caulking, make sure you have a matching color. If the original caulking is too cracked, you can scrape it out with a putty knife, or you can simply apply new caulking right on top of the old stuff if it's not too damaged. After applying the new grout caulking, you need to run a grout sponge over it and smooth it out.

We recommend sealing the grout annually because most grout sealers only work for about a year. There are other grouts that last for 4-5 years, but an annual check up is still necessary.

If you see any mold or mildew building up in the corners, applying bleach to a stiff bristled brush should remove the mold. If you have a buildup of mold in the corners of the shower you can apply bleach to a paper towel and squeeze it into the corner. Letting it sit overnight and removing it in the morning usually solves issues with mold building up in the corners of your shower.

Hopefully this has been helpful for you. Check back often for more helpful homeowner tips!

What We Do to Help Prevent Settling

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 6 new construction home plans along with the benefits of owning a Charleston Home so they can make a decision that's right for them.

Sinking can happen after fresh sod has been put down. We water soak and compact the soil with a tamper to prevent this, but sometimes the ground will still settle.  

Today, we're at one of our beautiful homes that's under construction to talk about how the ground around your foundation could sink or settle. 

But first here's how we start with excavating the basement. The CAT operator, after going through all of his calculations and carefully measuring the lots, will scoop by scoop remove dirt to complete the over-excavated basement. This means your basement will be 2-3 feet shorter than the hole itself; the extra space is used for water proofing and draining in order to prevent too much sinking. Later, that space is filled with loose dirt that is never quite as packed as the original dirt. Because of this, rain and snow melt can cause the sod or dirt above ground to sag or sink. 

To prevent these common problems, Charleston Homes does things a bit differently. We water soak the area to compress the ground; we manually probe the ground around the foundation with water to help the dirt settle. Another thing we're doing is back-filling and then packing the dirt down to make the loose dirt more compact. 

If you have any questions about settling foundations, or if you need real estate assistance of any kind, give us call or shoot us a quick email. We would love to hear from you! 

What Should Be on Your Spring Checklist?

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 6 new construction home plans along with the benefits of owning a Charleston Home so they can make a decision that's right for them.

Today we wanted to take a moment to discuss our spring home exterior checklist. People are always excited to do spring cleaning indoors, but often neglect the outside of their home in the process. A lot of damage can happen to your property over the long winter, so let's run through a checklist to make sure your home is prepared for the summer. 

• Check the caulking and sealing on the cracks in your driveway and see what effects the winter months have had on your concrete.
• If you have stone or mortar walls on the outside of your home, check for cracks. Also, check the seals on your windows for any possible leaks.
• Double check your downspout extensions. Winter weather and high winds can often cause these to become separated. Reconnect them if you need to.
• You definitely want to check the sealing on both your air conditioning and your fresh air exhaust and intake. If they have separated, reseal them with putty.
• Sump pipes can be disconnected. If yours came undone during the winter, you want to get that water away from your foundation. 
• If you have areas of sod that need some sprucing, overseed with a bluegrass/fescue mix and those areas will come back over time.

Over the winter, a lot of things can  happen to the outside of your home. Hopefully, this list will help you have less worry when it comes to getting your home ready this spring. If you have any questions, we are just a phone call or email away!

What Are Buyers Asking About?

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 6 new construction home plans along with the benefits of owning a Charleston Home so they can make a decision that's right for them.

Today we are happy to be joined by Eric Almquist, of First National Bank. Eric is our primary lender, and he's here today to talk about the market and what he sees going on in the mortgage world. 

The most common question Eric is getting right now is about where he sees rates going. As of right now, they are in a really good spot and have come down even more in the last few months. This has buyers wanting to lock in rates now, which is a good idea. Rates have been pretty steady as of late, but there is no promise of that in the future. The Federal Reserve has discussed raising rates for a while now. Although they haven't pulled the trigger yet, it may happen soon. 

The benefits of getting a mortgage through First National Bank with Eric are numerous. First off, you get a $1500 credit from us, on top of a $500 credit from Eric himself. This is a free $2,000 towards the purchase of your home. This could cover all your closing costs if you want it to. 

It's a great time to buy and, if you have an existing home, it's an even better time to sell. If you have any questions for us, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. Talk to you soon!

How to Treat Your Sod

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 6 new construction home plans along with the benefits of owning a Charleston Home so they can make a decision that's right for them.

Welcome back, everyone. Today we are going to talk about how to treat your recently installed sod. If you are living in a new home or a home with new sod, you probably got it put in last fall or winter. With the weather getting better and the ground unfrozen, people are going to start watering their yards. 

While the grass has some roots, it probably hasn't fully taken hold yet and the roots aren't fully into the ground. To do this, you'll need to do some watering. But be careful that you don't leave your sprinkler on when the temperature dips below freezing. 

One more thing you can do with your new sod is apply a light layer of starter fertilizer to get the grass going. 

One thing you definitely don't want to do is put any kind of weed killer on your sod if it's not rooted yet, because that can hamper its growth. 

If you have any questions about protecting your sod, or anything else real estate related, give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help out.

How You Can Combat Frost Heave with Your Exterior Concrete

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 6 new construction home plans along with the benefits of owning a Charleston Home so they can make a decision that's right for them.
We've had a pretty cold winter, with a lot of temperature swings and moisture changes. This has caused many of our streets, sidewalks, and driveways to fall victim to what is known as "frost heave." This is when extreme cold temperatures and moisture get into the small cracks in the cement and cause the cement to rise. This happens every year, but this year in particular has caused a lot of extra frost heave.

Since temperatures have risen here in the last few weeks, the cement has returned to its original position, but it has left behind some imperfections that you'll need to shore up. After frost heave happens, you tend to see a lot of little hairline cracks that will start to form in the cement - seal those up once temperatures get above 50 degrees.

Your home may have this problem as well. On many driveways, between the driveway and the garage, there is an expansion joint. The joint is meant to be there so the driveway can't be pushed into the house. When frost heave occurs, it will be pushed up. You can't really push it back down, so the best thing to do in this situation is to try to cut off the excess expansion joint safely with a knife. Then, get some polyurethane sealant and apply it to the crack. Doing this sooner than later will help prevent against frost heave next winter.

If you have any questions, you can always give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!

Don't Let Frost Heave Ruin Your Pavement

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 7 new construction home plans along with the benefits of owning a Charleston Home so they can make a decision that's right for them.  

It's been a cold winter here in Nebraska, and along with the cold and snow come some unique problems for homeowners. One such problem is frost heave, which occurs when moisture collects underneath concrete,  freezes and expands. The result is that it lifts the concrete and damages your driveway and garage. 

Causes of frost heave:

While frost heave can be very typical with the Nebraska winters, there are a few steps you can take to help prevent it.

• Do not wash the garage out in colder months
• Make sure downspout extenders are secured properly and diverting water away from concrete
• Clear snow right away
• Make sure gutters are free of debris and working properly
• MOST IMPORTANT- Caulking and sealing of the driveway prior to winter to help prevent water from going into gaps or voids (Typically when we receive calls that a driveway has frost heave, the driveway has not been caulked or sealed)

One way to prevent frost heave in the winter is by caulking your control joints early on in the spring or summer. This will help prevent excess moisture from getting inside the concrete slabs and freezing. Concrete is naturally porous, so it will absorb a certain amount of moisture, but caulking will help prevent quite a bit of movement.

What to expect with frost heave:

Typically when a concrete slab heaves due to frost it is not that anything was done incorrectly but
rather moisture made it's way into the ground causing the ground to freeze. Frost heave is more of a weather-related problem and cannot always be 100% prevented despite any measures taken ahead of time.

• Most heaves occur between the garage and the driveway
• Homes facing North and East are more susceptible to this due to a lack of sunlight and colder temperatures
• Slabs can move anywhere from 1/4" to 4" in rare occasions (typically 1/2" to 1")
• When weather warms, frost will come out of the ground and slabs typically return to their original placement
• On occasion, slabs can be held up by stone and concrete, not allowing sections of the slab to move, which causes cracks in the concrete panels
• Cracks less than 1/4" can be caulked using Vulkem concrete caulk

Be careful to inspect your concrete before and after winter to make sure that you've taken the necessary steps to protect your driveway and other paved areas.

If you have any questions about this or if you would like to contact us in regards to a property in Omaha, please feel free to do so via phone or email. We can always arrange a time to meet with you. 

Elkhorn's Newest Custom Neighborhood

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 7 new construction home plans along with the benefits of owning a Charleston Home so they can make a decision that's right for them. 

We're very excited to announce that lots are now available for purchase in our brand new Elkhorn neighborhood, Arbor View. It's located at about 208th and Maple and consists of 127 lots in Phase 1. The neighborhood is in a fantastic location - it sits across the street from Indian Creek Golf Course and is right down the street from downtown Elkhorn. It is also in close proximity to local schools and churches, making it an ideal place to raise a family.

If you are interested, don't hesitate to come by and see which lot is the best fit for you. If you want to check out some of our model homes, you can do so at our Saddlebrook location on 150th and Fort, or at Pebblebrooke near 174th and Highway 370. 

As always, if you are interested in building a custom home in Omaha, we'd be happy to help!

Omaha Real Estate Market Update for Spring 2014

Know anyone who's interested in buying 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 7 new construction home plans along with the benefits of owning a Charleston Home so they can make a decision that's right for them. 

Omaha Real Estate Market Update for Spring 2014

Today I will be providing you with a real estate update for this spring in Omaha. The market still continues to look good, but I really want to touch up on 3 different things today.

1. Interest rates: Interest rates are still historically low in the 4%-4.5% range. Everyone expects them to rise near 5%, but there has been no certainty that this will actually happen.
2. Cost of building: Building costs have stayed the same over the last 6 months, but I would anticipate these costs to rise by next year. 
3. Scarcity of Land: The supply of lots has decreased greatly in the last 2 years with the increase in new building in Omaha. As supply decreased and demand increased, this also drove the prices of these lots up.

Overall, I think this is a good time to be in the market. If you wait to buy, things will only get more costly. Your buying power is very high right now, so if you're on the fence, now is a good time to hop off.

It's also a great time to be a seller in this market because homes are moving very fast and low interest rates are spurring buyers to make their purchases now instead of next year.

Thanks again for tuning in to this video blog. If you ever have any questions or if you would like some advice about the Omaha real estate market, then feel free to contact us via phone or email.

Save Your Property from Improper Drainage this Spring!

Know anyone who's interested in buying 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 7 new construction home plans along with the benefits of owning a Charleston Home so they can make a decision that's right for them.

As Director of Production for Charleston Homes, I wanted to speak with you about the settling that can occur around the “over-dig” of your foundation and the proper placement of downspout extenders.

If you aren’t familiar with what the “over-dig” of your home’s foundation is, it is simply the 2 ½ foot area that was excavated around your foundation and then put back. Since the dirt was compacted back after construction, the dirt is never as solid as it originally was. If you have lived in your home for a number of years already, you have noticed this.

With the spring season, rain is usually imminent. This makes it important to ensure that this area is filled in to avoid excess water from soaking into your drain tiles. You don’t want to overload drain tiles if you don’t have to! To prevent this from happening, we need to make sure that the over-dig has a steady decline moving away from the foundation.

To further prevent drainage from overloading your drain tiles, a downspout extender is an inexpensive way to properly drain your property. Do be aware that downspout extenders have the tendency to break due to the wind – check it periodically to make sure it is still properly attached. If a large rainstorm hits, your roof could drain hundreds of gallons of water, making it increasingly important that your downspout extender is diverting that water away from your property. 

If you have any questions or additional information, please visit our website or one of our model locations. Thanks and have a great day!

Prevent Moisture from Forming Around Your Window Frame

Know anyone who's interested in buying a home? If you have any friends, family, or co-workers who are looking to own their first or second home - please give us a call at (402) 934-2212 (Saddlebrook) or (402) 502-5600 (Poebblebrooke). We'll be happy to show them our 7 new construction home plans along with the benefits of owning a Charleston Home so they can make a decision that's right for them. 

Prevent Moisture from Forming Around Your Window Frame

Thanks for tuning in! I’m Shaun Sterba, Warranty Manager at Charleston Homes and today I wanted to talk to you about condensation. Recently, I’ve been getting calls about condensation forming around window frames. Page 14 of our warranty book covers this topic, but I wanted to touch on it as well. Condensation is warm, moist air collecting on a cold surface (which your window in this case) and depending how cold it is, may freeze.

Everyday activities like cooking, cleaning and bathing contributes to putting excess warm moisture in the air. The moisture tries to find a place to escape by attaching itself to that cold surface. Brand new or newly remodeled homes will have a lot of that excess moisture, which is why we don’t recommend running a humidifier for the first year. However if you have to, run it a lower level.

To reduce condensation, make sure your dryer vent is attached properly, run your exhaust fan after bathing for an extra 30 minutes and periodically check your exhaust vents for proper ventilation. Also try opening your windows from time to time to allow fresh air in and the moist air to leave the home. You can also run a dehumidifier if necessary.

Thanks and have a great day!

Have You Noticed Anything Strange With Your Driveway?

Have You Noticed Anything Strange With Your Driveway?

Welcome back to our blog. With the recent blast of cold weather, I wanted to share with you what effects the weather can have on your home’s concrete. When we have a 50 degree day, you may notice some things with your driveway that you didn’t see in the fall or summer.

The place where you will notice this is at the point where your driveway meets the garage. When temperatures get very cold, the ground freezes anything with moisture and can expand up to 9%. When this happens, it is not uncommon for your driveway to be higher than your garage floor. For driveways facing the south or southwest, you won’t see this due to the driveway having more exposure to the sun. When the driveway was poured, we used re-bar (reinforcement bar) to allow the expansion so in the springtime, the driveway will lower again.

Don’t be alarmed! If you notice cracks in your driveway on a nice day (50 degrees or warmer), seal the crack with Vulkem to prevent any run off from your car sneaking in. Also, if you notice there is a lot of water pooling up in your garage, try and sweep it out as best as possible. If the water sits, it will creep down underneath and cause for more expansion.

Another thing to watch out for is the road salts that are spread on the roads during a snow or ice storm. The salts usually cover the bottom part of your driveway and can deteriorate the concrete if they aren’t swept off. Not only can the salt eat away at your driveway, snow packed on top of the salt can also cause damage as it will keep thawing and refreezing. If you come across a nice day, don’t hesitate to wash off your driveway!

Thanks for stopping by our blog. If you have any questions, visit our website or one of our model homes. Have a great day!

How to Tell If Your GFCI Outlet Has Power - Part 2 Sump Pump and Treadmills

How to Tell If Your GFCI Outlet Has Power

Welcome back! I’m Shaun Sterba, Warranty Manager at Charleston Homes. Today I wanted to talk to you about Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI).

Down in the furnace room, we have a sump pit that is plugged into its own dedicated GFCI outlet. If the light is illuminated, follow the troubleshooting steps listed previously. After heavy rains, lighting or snow melts, it is good practice to reset the outlet to make sure it’s working and it hasn’t accidentally tripped. Also, a sump pump has an unknown lifespan and is common practice to replace it every few years. Also, our electrical systems do not support treadmills and if you plan to use one, we recommend having a licensed electrician professionally install a 20 amp dedicated breaker for the treadmill.

Thanks and have a great day!

How to Tell If Your GFCI Outlet Has Power - Part 1 - Kitchens and Bathrooms

How to Tell If Your GFCI Outlet Has Power 

Welcome back! I’m Shaun Sterba, Warranty Manager at Charleston Homes. Today I wanted to talk to you about Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI). All of our kitchens, bathrooms, exterior, garage and basements will have GFCI outlets. You can tell if the outlet does not have power by noticing the illuminated light on the unit. To restore power, simply press in on the reset button and the illuminated light will disappear. There are different styles of GFCI outlets; but generally if there is no power press the reset button on the unit and power will be restored. As a general rule of thumb, all of our bathrooms are connected to master bathroom. This means if the light on the unit is illuminated, none of the outlets will work until the main unit is reset.

Thank you and have a great day!

Now is the Time for You to Winterize Your Sprinkler System!

Now is the Time for You to Winterize Your Sprinkler System!

Today I wanted to talk to you about the importance of winterizing and draining your sprinkler system. In the basement of your home, you will find the utility room where the main water line comes into the house. You will see two valves on the unit and by turning them at a 90 degree angle, that will shut the water off to your house; that is not what you want to do. Above those valves, you will find a red valve that will control the water going to your sprinkler system. Once you turn it 90 degrees, water will be shut off from going outside. Once the water is shut off, there is a drain valve above it where you should get a bucket and allow the water to slowly drip out. This can take up to several hours. Once on the outside of your home you will find the backflow preventer and you will turn the valve and allow the water to drain out by just leaving it open.

When it comes to actually winterizing your sprinkler lines, we leave that to the professionals at Turfbuilder Irrigation; they use compressed air to blow the lines out. Anytime the temperatures dip below 50 degrees or freezing, I highly encourage you to drain the lines until you feel the need to water again.

Thank you for joining me and have a great day!

Are You Having Trouble Finding a Home?

Are You Having Trouble Finding a Home?

Welcome back! We have had a phenomenal year due to the fact that most of our homes are presale. This means we weren’t building homes and waiting for them to sell; we had many people coming to us and building from scratch. Our low on-hand inventory is not alone, the Omaha area in general is lacking inventory.

The lack of inventory is creating frustration for buyers as they cannot find the home they are looking for. When buyers come to us with this issue, we simply tell them “let’s build it!” We help you find the lot and the floor plan and are more than happy to make it happen.

If you or someone you know is thinking about buying, give us a call or stop by one of our model locations. They’re open seven days a week. Have a great day!