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 Quick Look at What We're Working on in Omaha

I just wanted to take a minute to show you phase two of the Arbor View development in Elkhorn that we've been working on. They're currently building an elementary school that's going to open here in the fall.

There are a lot of cool things going on here, and we're also getting ready to pave streets over in our second phase of Pebblebrooke in Gretna. Pretty soon we're going to have more available lots there as well.

If you haven't been to our website or seen our two new ranch plans, you can take a look here.

We model those in Elkhorn and Gretna. If you haven't been out yet, come take a look. We'd love to see you!

As always, if you have any questions for us about building a home, give us a call or send us an email soon. We'd love the chance to work with 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 8 new construction home plans along with the benefits of owning a Charleston Home so they can make a decision that's right for them.

Is Your Sprinkler System Prepared for the Winter?

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.

With fall weather approaching I thought it'd be a good time to talk about draining your sprinkler system. When the weather gets cold, the ground gets even colder, and the water left in your sprinkler system has a chance to freeze, which could ruin your sprinkler system.

Any time that the temperature gets below freezing you're going to need to drain the system until it's been fully winterized. To drain the sprinkler, simply locate the shutoff valve next to your sprinkler meter. On both sides of the meter, there will be shutoff valves that control the water to the home, which you'll need to shut off.

Then you will have to find the sprinkler valve. To shut it off, turn it vertically to prevent all water to the sprinkler system. A very important step in this process is to clear the water from the drain. You can do this by opening the drain valve next to the sprinkler shutoff valve. The drain valve will allow any excess water to escape and drip out. Be sure to place a bucket underneath the valve to capture any excess water.

You're going to have to step outside to drain another valve on the outside. All you have to do is open it up and release any excess water that has formed. Most homes also have ports on the outside drainage valve, and you'll need a flathead screwdriver to rotate the system to 90 degrees. You'll need to do this with every port that you have on your home, and some can have up to four or five.

For a quick recap of this process:

1. Shut off the water to the sprinkler system.

2. Open the drain to release trapped water.

3. Open the drain for the system outside.

4. Adjust the ports of the 'open' position.

5. Have the system professionally winterized by late October / early November.

That's a very abbreviated list above, so be sure to contact me if you have any questions. I can recommend you to someone who can come in and completely winterize your system once it's become too cold to use it anymore.

As always, please don't hesitate to visit our model homes in Gretna and Elkhorn.

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!

New Model Homes in Arbor View 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. 

Today, we're on the ground at 208th and Maple at our great new development, Arbor View. Models are under construction right now and running right on schedule. They will be finished and ready to tour before the holidays!

We still have our other models, of course. You can find them at Saddlebrook, at 150th and Fort, and Pebblebrooke, at 174th and Highway 370. As always, we're available to help with all your real estate questions and needs. Give us a call or shoot us an email - we'd love to work with you to achieve your dreams of home ownership!

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!

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!

Don't Wait Until Spring!

Don't Wait Until Spring!

It is shocking that we are already halfway through October. If you are looking to move into a new home, the soonest you could move in would be mid-April 2014 as we are sold out into spring. Most people’s mindset right now is that it's late fall, the holidays are coming soon and I am not ready to move. The reality, however, is that now is the time to buy so you can move in next spring. Additionally, interest rates are still staying low making it a great time to purchase a home and to also get an extended lock through your lender to secure your pricing and your final interest rate price.

Don’t forget, our models are open 7 days a week and we would love to have you come out and visit Pebblebrooke or Saddlebrook. Thanks and have a great day!

Pebblebrooke - Our Newest Subdivision

Pebblebrooke - Our Newest Subdivision

Autumn is here and today we’re at our Pebblebrooke subdivision on the corner of 174th street and Highway 370 where we opened our new models earlier this year. The sales and successes of this new subdivision have been phenomenal and there are still plenty of lots available. We do have lots that we are going to re-plat this fall to make more lots suitable for three-car garages. These lots are some of the most affordable in southwest Omaha and the locations include prime interstate access, minutes from schools and Chalco recreation center.

If you have not been out to visit us, our models are open seven days a week and we would love to see you. Thanks for watching and have a great day!

Building an Accessible Home - Part 2 - Warranty Check Up

Building an Accessible Home - Part 2 - Warranty Check Up

Hey, guys! Welcome back to our video blog!

At Charleston Homes we take pride in our homes and the service we provide. We want to be there for our customers before, during and after the home building process.

That’s why we are here today with the Hoell family. They have been in their home for 11 months now and we wanted to follow up with a checkup to see how everything has been going. Like many other families, the Hoell’s needed to customize their home to fit their needs.

A wheelchair accessible home was a must for them. So, we made sure the bathroom was large enough to comfortably move around in. We also added roll-over thresholds to help accessibility and many other adjustments to make life a little easier.

With these changes, the Hoell's find their daily routines much easier! This is just one example of how we work to make your home perfect for you and your needs.

Here's part one of this series: http://charlestonhomes1.blogspot.com/2012/10/an-inspiring-interview-with-newest.html.

If you need any help or have any questions. Please give us a call!

Seal Your Exterior Foundation Cracks

Hi everyone, welcome back to our video blog!

Today, I wanted to talk to you about sealing any exterior cracks you may have on your foundation above grade.

Many of you don’t know that your waterproof warranty does not cover any leaks above grade.  Now, here, we have our tar line and the tar line is meant to expand with the crack. Cracks in the foundation will happen and are very normal. Water can come in through the crack and exit on the inside into the basement.

To seal you can use Vulkem. It will leave a line; you can paint over it later. Start from top and go down to the tar line. Then take a rag and push everything into the crack. That’s it! It’s best to do it in the late spring or summer.

That’s all for today, if you have any questions please give us a call!

Thanks for watching!

Driveway Maintenance

Hi everyone, today I’d like to talk to you about driveway maintenance.  Summer is drawing to an end and that means winter weather will be coming before you know it.  So I want to talk about sealing your driveway, the control joints and any cracks you may see as well as sealing the surface with a penetrating sealer.

First we have a crack we want to seal. The product we like to use is Vulkem 116; you can get it at any hardware or home maintenance store. The color you should get is limestone; it matches most concrete shades.

So, the reason you want to seal the cracks is when the weather drops and snow falls, water gets into the cracks. It freezes and then will bust open the top. We seal then in the summer so the water can’t get in. Sealing the control joints is important as well because it prevents moisture from soaking in the ground underneath the driveway.

When you apply the Vulkem 116, you don’t need a lot, just enough to cover the surface.  Now, this is a polyurethane sealant so it can be a little difficult to get off your hands. So if you want to wear rubber gloves you can, but you’ll take your finger and push the sealant in the crack a little more.

It will be pretty tacky and sticky before it dries. Sometimes you can spread sand over the sealant to help with the tackiness. After about 2-3 days it should be dry.

Another maintenance item is sealing the surface of your driveway. Concrete is porous on the surface and all the way through.  You want to seal that surface for the winter months when you are tracking in salt from cars. You want to use a penetrating sealant. Try not to use an acrylic sealer; that just goes on surface and doesn’t soak as a penetrating sealant would. You would just spray that in a pump sprayer on a clean driveway!

So if you have any questions give us call! Thank you so much for watching!

Air Flows and Seasonal Adjustments

Hi there! Thanks for joining our blog today! I wanted to discuss airflow and seasonal adjustments of your damper and register vents!

Today we’re in a two story model. I want to point out if your home is equipped with dampers, there is a lever you need to adjust accordingly depending on the season.

When the lever is in line with the pipe, it is in the on position; it is open all the way. Inside the duct there is a flapper where a fan can be manipulated with the pull of the lever. As I rotate up or down (it doesn’t matter which way) I am able to adjust the air flow. If I turn to a quick 90 degree angle I can actually shut it completely off.

So, in the summer months, the upstairs is warmer than the main floor. So, you will want to turn the bottom lever about 45 degrees to push more air up. The same in the winter months, except you will want to adjust the top lever.

Other seasonal adjustments include the register vents in your home. The vents above the furnace tend to get more air so to create more air flow in the rest of your home you will want to close those a bit.

If you have any questions, give us a call at 402.934.2212!

Lot Availability in the Omaha Metro

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It’s no secret that the real estate market has been on the rise. Financial barriers that prevented people from buying and building are far behind.  

Walt Slobotski, of NP Dodge Real Estate, reported in 2008 there was a total of only 28 lots sold during the entire year. It’s almost the middle of 2013 and they have already closed 147 lots and have 120 pending.  

What does this mean for future buyers?

Lots are being bought up quickly, which is great; however, not much new land has been developed. A shortage of desirable lots is inevitable in the near future.  

To make sure our clients have desirable lots to choose from in 2014, Charleston Homes has bought 350 lots and put them in inventory.  

If you are thinking about building, our suggestion is to do so sooner rather than later.  Land developments can take anywhere from 18 to 24 months to complete.  Now is the time to buy: there is lot availability, interest rates are low and the market is great. Take advantage of the opportunity before things change.  

Please feel free to visit our models at Saddlebrook or Pebblebrooke if you are interested in building a new home and you can always get more information from our website at www.CharlestonHomesOmaha.com.

Why Now Makes Sense to Build

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The message is simple. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, let’s build it. There are only 3,800 homes on the market—the lowest number we’ve seen in years—so we’re getting calls daily from agents and consumers asking what inventory homes we have available, but we sold out of them a month ago. This type of market makes it the perfect time to build.

With the supply of homes so low, it’s especially challenging to find everything you want in an existing home. Don’t end up settling! It makes sense now more than ever to build. At Charleston Homes we offer seven floor plans at a variety of price points whether it’s a ranch, two story or 1½ story. To date, we’ve built in more than 60 neighborhoods and can find the perfect lot in the perfect neighborhood for you.

Best of all, you can personalize your home, rather than settle for what an existing home has to offer. Your home will reflect your personality because you can customize it to meet your tastes and needs. There are so many options from three-car garages, brick or stone fronts, a media room, finished loft, and more. Once you move in, we’ll ensure you’re satisfied by checking in with you 60 days later to see if you have concerns and then again 11 months later. We stand behind every home we build.  

If you’re out looking for a home, visit one of our model complexes. We’d love to talk with you at our new models in Pebblebrooke at 174th and Highway 370 or our models in Saddlebrook at 150th and Fort. Our model hours are Monday through Thursday 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday to Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. You can also reach us at Pebblebrooke at (402) 502-5600 and at Saddlebrook at (402) 934-2212. We look forward to seeing you!

What Makes the Huntington Stand Out

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Our 1½ story—the Huntington—has an updated design. You can see it at our model complex in Pebblebrooke at 174th and Highway 370. There are not many 1½ stories in Omaha, but we can build the Huntington anywhere in Omaha and the surrounding areas. You won’t be disappointed.

So what’s new in the plan? The heart of the home, the kitchen features more cabinets and a new setup that makes it more spacious. Tying the kitchen into the family room makes it a very open floor plan. The front room, could be a formal dining room or living room while the rest of the first floor features an owner’s retreat, with a more spacious bedroom and bathroom than in the previous layout. With two bedrooms and a spacious loft upstairs, the Huntington is one of the most functional plans we have. Top off all this space with an unfinished basement that offers multiple configurations such as a bedroom or a big open space with lots of storage and you can have the home of your dreams.

To give it your own personality, you can customize the exterior and interior to meet your needs and tastes. The Huntington, which has a total of 2,631 square feet of finished space above grade, typically sells in the $220,000 to $270,000 range.

We’d love to visit with you at our new models in Pebblebrooke at 174th and Highway 370 or our models in Saddlebrook at 150th and Fort. Our model hours are Monday through Thursday 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday to Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. You can also reach us at Pebblebrooke at (402) 502-5600 and at Saddlebrook at (402) 934-2212. We look forward to seeing you!