Can I Install Solar Panels On My Roof And Sell Electricity Back To The Power Company?

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Is It Time For Me To Install Solar Panels On My Roof And Sell Electricity Back To The Power Company?

 

It seems like every week I see another news article telling me about a Homeowner that installed solar energy panels on his roof and is now saving lots of money. In fact, he is actually selling power back to the electric company!

After seeing those articles I want to run out and get some panels installed on my roof too! I want to be just like the other Smart Homeowner and save lots of MONEY $$$$. Yes!

 

Unfortunately, reality is not always what it seems. Below is a great article that wades through all the hype and provides the real picture.

 

http://www.constructiondive.com/news/striving-to-overcome-inertia-solar-industry-growth-faces-obstacles-among/411199/#.VoQ5BpIl7g0.mailto

 

Remember there is the cutting edge and the bleeding edge. The pioneers were the ones with arrows in their backs! My mind is certainly not set in concrete. On the other hand, the first person the Homeowner calls when a new product does not meet their expectations in their Builder.

The technology is coming but it's not here yet. I'll let you know when I think the time is right.

 

Have an awesome day!

 

Mike

 

www.regalclassichomes.com

 

Is Choosing The Type Of Front Door For My New Home Important?

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What type of front door should I buy for my Central Florida Custom Home?

 

Selecting a front door for an upscale home sounds deceptively easy. It's a lot more complicated than it appears, on first pass. If you are going to try and save money on your home building budget the front door area is the last place to do it, as it sets the tone for the entire home.

I'll limit my discussion to the 3 most popular materials that are used for front doors in the Central Florida area. Wrought iron, wood and fiberglass. Steel in another option but not usually suitable for an Orlando, Custom Home. 

A list of the issues to consider: 

1. Orientation to the sun. 

2. Protection from the elements. 

3. Material. 

4. Type of threshold. 

5. Maintenance. 

6. Finish. 

OrientationTo The Sun:

Wood- if your home has an East-West orientation to the sun a wood door is out of the question, in my opinion. The sun and rain are two of the worst enemies of a wood door. I'll address rain below. Direct sunlight heats the wood and causes warping. When a door warps, it no longer operates or seals properly. The result is severe energy loss. 

Wrought iron- holds up well to any orientation of the sun. 

Fiberglass- holds up to the sun but not as well as wrought iron. 

Protection From The Elements:

Wood- unless your home has at least a 10' deep porch or overhang beyond your door, wood is a poor option. When a wood door gets wet it swells and warps, probably in less than a year. 

Wrought Iron- Holds up better to water but in the long run rusting and leaking will be an issue if not protected from the weather. With Orlando's tropical weather conditions, a door without a substantial overhang is just a bad design idea. 

Fiberglass- Since fiberglass doors have an interior wood construction, exposure to water is an issue. Will hold up better than all wood construction but I would not recommend it without a large overhang. 

Material: 

Wood- if you are determined to have a stained front door then solid wood is the way to go. A soft wood like pine should not be considered. Caution; the taller the door the more likely it is to warp. Nothing over an 8' height. 

Wrought Iron- doors can be beautiful, especially with various types of glass inserts but they will never have the look of a wood stained door if that's your choice. They are heavy so using them requires a bit more muscle power. 

Fiberglass- may perform slightly better than wood but it will never have the beauty of a wood door, I don't care what the salesman says. 

Type Of Threshold:

There are basically 2 types of door thresholds, saddle and bumper. The only reasonable choice for an upscale custom home is a saddle threshold, due to looks and practicality for an in swing door. The drawback to the saddle type, they don't seal well and have to be adjusted periodically. I don't recommend a saddle type threshold on any door that does not have a 10' overhang to protect the door from the elements. 

Maintenance:

Wood- doors look great when they are new but they require continual maintenance, especially with and east, west orientation. 

Wrought iron- requires the least amount of maintenance. 

Fiberglass- because the outer shell is fiberglass the door requires little maintenance especially if it''s painted. 

Type of finish:

Wood- The obvious choices are stained or painted. Either is acceptable but a dark paint or stain with an east, west orientation is the kiss of death for the door. The darker colors absorb the heat from the sun and cause severe damage to the wood door. Dark colors are a poor choice. 

Wrought iron- since you can't stain an iron door the only other choice is paint. It holds up well on an iron door. The little know reason, paint peels off a surface is because water gets behind the material and pushes it off. Water can get behind wood but not iron. 

Fiberglass- can be painted or stained but I think paint looks better on a fiberglass door. Stain on fiberglass look ok but never looks great and that's what you want at your front door. 

Now you know the answer to the question: Is Choosing The Type Of Front Door For My Home Important?

 

Have an awesome day!

 

Mike

 

www.regalclassichomes.com

 

Be Kinder Than Necessary.

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Be Kinder Than Necessary.

 

 

I grew up in NYC where it was every man for themselves. It's been a long journey. Lol. 

Now I find that I'm more comfortable being kinder than necessary. Frankly, I feel better being this way and it makes everyday more enjoyable. It makes me feel good and it makes the people I meet feel great too! Many times, it's more rewarding.  Not that any personal benefit is my purpose for being kind. Life just works out better this way. It's hard to explain. It's something that has to experienced. 

Tonight is a great example. It's a family tradition to eat at Seasons 52 on Christmas Eve. An enjoyable evening for just our little family group. My wife Ellen, daughter Melanie and me. 

I started talking to a man at the hostess stand. Not for any particular reason. He recently relocated from NYC and introduced himself as "Oscar". He ended up seating us at a great table in the piano bar. 

Oscar circled back to our table periodically throughout the evening and we continued to chat. I even introduced him to my wife and daughter too. 

One thing lead to the next and before I knew it he dropped by to pour each of us a complimentary glass of expensive Champaign, which was very generous. I complimented Oscar on our fabulous meal and mentioned that our server "Tommy" is providing great service. 

On Oscars next visit to our table, we exchanged business cards and he presented a complimentary "Seasons 52" chef's knife and a $25 gift certificate, redeemable on our next visit. 

Before we left, Oscar who turns out to be a managing partner, thanked us again for our business and said, he will be calling me when he is ready to build a home in a few years. As I said, being kinder than necessary just makes life easier and sometimes more rewarding too but it's never about monetary rewards. 

It's as though I've spent most of my life swimming up stream, fighting the current and the more recent years swimming with it. It all just works out better when I'm kinder than necessary. I recommend it.

Have an awesome day!

 

Mike

 

Www.regalclassichomes.com

Can I Trust My Custom Home Builder?

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Trust, The Basis Of Every Relationship. How Is It Created?

 

This video link does a fabulous job explaining how trust is develop between people How To Develop Trust Between People.

As with any relationship, once two people trust each other all things are possible. Trust, it's the foundation of every relationship. Most of us would be surprised to learn, trust is developed by the little things more than by big events. It's keeping appointments, showing up on time and doing what you promised. 

The faster I can get homebuyers to trust me the sooner we can get down to the business of building a fantastic home for them. It's a dance I go through with every new buyer. Sometimes, the dance lasts a short period of time and others dance with me the entire time we are building, even after the warranty period. I realize trust is always earned but if I could address the entire issue of trust in the first few meetings we could put this behind us and build a relationship from there and enjoy the rest of our time together. 

I provide a list of satisfied homeowners, a live web camera during construction, blog posts, weekly status reports with photos from each day of the week, scopes of work, contract, professional designations, site meetings, emails confirming all conversations within 24 hours, a walk through of completed homes and a written warranty. 

I've even written a book to address Owner concerns about building a home they can read even before we meet for the first time. It answers most of the common questions and fears (see below). 

Following is a link to how-to-select-a-custom-home-builder-? 

So I ask every new home buyer, what can I do to build a foundation of trust with you? 

Sometimes it's not about me at all! It's about some prior lifetime experience that's left a bad taste in their mouths. In those instances there's not much I can do but at least I can ask. Perhaps, it's just some little thing that stands in the way and helping them over that barrier is all that it's going to take. Other times, I just watch Owners anguish over the months as they keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. 

 

Have an awesome day! 

 

Mike 

 

www.regalclassichomes.com

Should I Hire A Custom Or Production Builder To Build My Home?

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Should I Hire A Custom Or Production Builder To Build My Home?

 

Ok, here is a test question to see if we are both on the same page? What type of restaurant do you like to eat at with your family? Do you frequent national chain restaurants or do you seek out the hard to find mom and pop places? 

If you are like me, I hunt for the difficult to find restaurants, owned by a family where the owner is right there watching over things. The spouse is there too along with the teenagers as servers. The owner greets you at the door and stops by your table to see if you've been treated right. Somehow, the food always tastes better and I like being treated as though my being there matters. They know me by name after a few visits and what I ordered last time I stopped in. I'm feeling the love. 

I live on the SW side of "O Town" so I'll mention a few restaurants I frequent so you get my point. Taquitos Jalisco, Bonsai Sushi, Little Saigon, Brazas Chicken and Magic Wok. All of these restaurants are exceptional! On the other hand, you can eat at a national chain restaurant. The food and service is consistent but not exceptional. You take home your left overs and the next day when you take them out for lunch, there's sludge on the bottom of the container or you find out they use pink slime to make their chicken pieces you're feeding your kids! The difference, one has a stake in the community and the other doesn't. One is beholden to a bunch of stockholders distributed throughout the world and the other depends upon your support to feed his kids. For the family restaurant, you the customer are his life's blood. The chain food restaurant has to meet profit projections set by corporate headquarters in another city.

Now that I've made my point, the same is true for Production vs Custom Builders. It's some huge corporation that's building 10,000's of homes throughout the country vs a small Custom Home Building Company that builds a handful of homes to feed his family and put a few bucks away for his kids college fund and retirement. 

One that hires people that are only as good as the last home they delivered vs a builder that put his heart into each home that he builds. That has a team of suppliers and subcontractor that he's created a relationship with over the years vs. one that hires the "lowest bidder" to build your dream home.

A building company that has a service department with the reputation from their Homebuyers that say, if they can't caulk it, screw it or touch it up, it doesn't get taken care of. The other with a reputation of a continued relationship with their Customers where the Builder comes with the home.

Perhaps, buying a production home was all you could afford for your first starter home but now you've saved your hard earned money and are ready for a New Custom Home, Renovation or Addition. A home where value is important but so is quality and service.

I can always tell when I first meet Clients that had the production home building, experience, previously. The walk into our first meeting like they have 2 six-shooters mounted on both hips, one eye squinted closed and extra ammunition belts strapped across their chests. It looks like something out of an old western movie. They are loaded for bear! The questions are pointed with a determination not to be ripped off again. They felt like were squeezed like a loaf of "Wonder Bread" after their last home building experience. I spend the next several meetings and sometimes the entire time building their house getting them to trust me. 

Ok, now it's your turn to decide, Production or Custom? 

 

Have an awesome day!

 

Mike

Www.regalclassichomes.com

Is Buying A Corner Lot For My New Home A Good Idea?

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Should I Buy A Corner Lot For My New Custom Home?

 

 

The popularity of corner lots goes all the way back to the days of the horse and carriage. Homeowners would pay a premium for a lot where the barn, animals and the unpleasant odors were away from the main house. Now, years later, that rumor still persists, some lot buyers still think buying a corner lot is the way to go. 

 

As a Custom Home builder, I can assure you that's far from the truth. A corner lot is actually a detriment and should sell for a discount. Here's why: 

1. Corner lots have three, rear yard neighbors, instead of just one so privacy is limited. 

2. They usually require privacy fences due to having multiple rear neighbors. 

3. Homes built on a corner lot have to be custom designed due to setback and positioning issues. Most stock plans will be out of the question and a custom design will cost more. 

4. Building setbacks are more sever for corner lots so the front yard is quite large while the rear yard where you actually need more privacy is curtailed. The lot actually has 2 front setbacks, front and front side. 

5. Since corner lots have in effect two front yards, assessments for sewer, water lines and road construction are higher for corner properties. 

6. Finished homes on corner lots are more difficult to resell due to the above reasons that become apparent once a home is constructed on the property. 

 

There is one advantage to a corner lot in communities with front, facing, garages, a corner lot enables you position the garage so the overhead door faces away from the front door of the house. This doesn't apply to Custom Home Communities as they usually require motor-courts or side entry garages.

 

 

Have an awesome day!

 

Mike

 

www.regalclassichomes.com

Is Lightning Protection Something I Should Be Concerned About For My Central Florida Home?

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Is Lightning Protection something I should be concerned about for my Central Florida home?

 

 

It's been said, Central Florida is the lightning capital of the world! I'm not sure if that's true but Orlando sure has a lot of thunder and lightning storms with accompanying lightning strikes. 

Experiencing my first summer lightning storm years ago, was like something out of a Hollywood horror movie. Your first Florida storm is an unbelievable experience, unless you are the witness. One storm can have 1,000's of lightning strikes! 

Listen to somebody that's actually grown up in Central Florida and they have a healthy respect for storms and you should too. Beyond personal protection like not going outside or taking a shower during an electrical storm, what else do I recommend to my homebuilding Clients? There are quite a number of issues regarding home protection and it depends upon how much you want to spend. 

Protection of the homes structure and electronics is one option. Lightning rods are the way to go for protecting the physical house but protecting electronics is a bit more difficult and grows more so over the years. 

I remember visiting Florida relatives in the 1960's when unplugging the TV and the toaster was common practice. The number of sensitive electronic devices was quite limited. Now days, there are lots of items that can get damaged, multiple TV's, computers, air conditioners, printers, the list goes on and on. You quickly find out just how many items can get damaged if your home is struck. 

The problem with lightning protection, your home doesn't have to get hit for you to loose $1,000's worth of gear. A tree or transformer can get hit 100's of feet from your house and follow a ground rod or electrical wire into your home. The main power line, phone, cable, DSL and broadband all need to be protected. A builders low voltage subcontractor can address most of the interior electronic issues. That leaves the structure and the main power line. 

The power company sells a monthly service that protects your home from power surges and a lightning rod installation company can help you protect your home structure. Sure, we all have homeowners insurance but do you really want to deal with replacing all the gear and accompanying increase in insurance rates?

Most Orlando homeowners get their education regarding power surges and lightning strikes after their home gets hit with a power surge that knocks out $1,000's worth of electronic gear. You may be doing something that encourages a whole house power surge! 

If you have an electronic dog collar system, gate entry control, a yard fountain control, a booster for your cell phone signal, AC compressors, deep well, landscape lighting, irrigation controls, outdoor speakers for your stereo system, pool equipment and controls, irrigation pump, outdoor network or security cameras you are encouraging a power surge. 

Imagine, a spider web of electronic wires spread out in your yard extending 100's of feet past the perimeter of your home and a tree get struck with a lightning bolt. The bolt of lightning travels into the ground and is picked up by the spider web of wires. The surge from the strike travels backwards through the wires and into your homes electrical system. The result is a power surge that fries a number of electronic items, unless all those exterior items are surge protected. 

This is the type of issue a low voltage contractor can protect from happening in your new home. Something to think about and certainly not something your landscape lighting guy told you could happen. 

As you can see, protecting your home from lightning strikes and power surges is definitely something you should be concerned about when you build a New Custom Home.

 

 

Have an awesome day!

 

Mike

 

Www.regalclassichomes.com

Should I Be Concerned About Central Florida Lightning Strikes Hitting My Home?

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New strategies forming to protect smart homes from lightning strikes

 

Dec. 14, 2015

Photo via iStock

As homes come to incorporate more smart and connected technology, lightning strikes pose a threat to electronic systems.

The continued growth of sustainable energy technology, eco-friendly building materials and smart structure automation has necessitated upgrades and complex improvements to the electrical infrastructure of today's homes and buildings.

Smart structures, which are characterized by a high degree of automation and various interconnected systems, typically rely on sophisticated energy collection methods.

While design models have included upgrades to increase resiliency from disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes and flooding, lightning is often overlooked as a significant weather threat--even though lightning hits the earth over 100 times a second.

A typical bolt of lightning can generate up to 200 kA of electrical energy, making the threat of fire from a direct strike or an indirect electrical surge to homes and businesses very real, and making lightning protection an important consideration for inclusion in the smart structure building design process.

See how one insurance company is preparing to handle smart home claims

"Even though these automated systems are grounded, they are still highly vulnerable to lightning, since a direct strike can spark a fire and an indirect surge of current can pass through the wiring of a structure in any direction," said Bud VanSickle, executive director for the Lightning Protection Institute (LPI).  "Lightning can initiate a domino effect path of transient overvoltage which can disrupt, degrade and damage multiple electronic systems and connected equipment, making lightning protection systems significantly important for smart structures."

"As buildings become smarter, with intelligent systems, the need for lightning protection becomes more critical," said Illya Azaroff, AIA, architect with +LAB Architects PLLC in Brooklyn, NY.

Azaroff, his job captain Erik Jester Assoc. AIA and a coalition of national nonprofits are partnering to rebuild a home destroyed by Hurricane Sandy three years ago in the Breezy Point community of Long Island. The "resilient rebuild" project was recently launched by the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes with the help of +LAB and partners from the disaster safety movement, including Portland Cement Association, Kohler Generators, the Insurance Information Institute and LPI.

The Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH)®, a consumer advocate for strengthening homes and safeguarding families from natural and man-made disasters, is planning to document every aspect of the project construction to compile a comprehensive manual for rebuilding a resilient home which can then be shared with construction planners nationwide. A first of its kind, the partnership rebuild project will incorporate all aspects of storm-resiliency; including lightning protection, into the new home's design.

"It's important that designers perform an all-hazard assessment and build for everyday weather, not just the high impact disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes," explained Azaroff.  "And with critical facilities, the need for lightning protection is even more profound, as many more lives and systems could be at risk."

Recognizing the risk of lightning associated with the growth of sustainable energy technology, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has initiated the addition of new technical provisions to the upcoming edition of the NFPA 780 Safety Standard for the Installation of Lightning Protection Systems. The 2017 Standard edition will address lightning protection applications for smart structures and their interconnected systems that can be especially vulnerable to power surge failures sparked by lightning. The new provisions will also emphasize the importance of coordinating efforts of the various building trades to ensure a comprehensive lightning protection approach and help eliminate what the NFPA 780 Technical Committee cites as a "lack of potential equalization (isolated grounding and lack of bonding) stemming from piecemeal or uncoordinated installations of the electric service, telecommunications, antennas and other electronics" often seen in smart structure building applications.

"Ideally, a prime contractor, architect, designer or engineer will consider lightning protection in the initial design plan to ensure close coordination with the installation of the electrical service, alarm systems, and other amenities," said VanSickle. "Ultimately, coordination with a LPI-certified lightning protection expert is the best plan of action to ensure the complex design and installation practices described in NFPA are followed," explained VanSickle.

Read more about smart and connected homes.

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Topics: Appliances , Connected Homes / Smart Homes , Home Design & Plans , Maintenance & Repair , Sustainability Trends & Statistics

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What Does It Take To Maintain My Orlando, Custom Home?

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What Does It Take To Maintain My Orlando, Custom Home?

I have been the owner of and upscale home for more then 20 years and a homebuilder since 1980. Below are some helpful hints to maintain your home.

 

Landscaping- hiring a professional landscaper is best. Mow grass, edge, weed and trim shrubs weekly. Never cut more then 1/3 of the length of the blade of grass. Its puts major stress on the lawn. Sure its more work to cut the grass weekly during growing season but thats what it takes. Make sure you stay on top of your landscaper to avoid a $500-$700 bill for “whipping” your yard into shape when you hire the new replacement company. 

Pay a fee each month even though there is less work to do in the winter. Winter is the time to ask your company to tighten things up. In the summer, they have all they can do to stay on top of the basics. Go figure, you hire a lawn guy to work in the yard and then pay Bally to give you a work out! 

Mulch- new mulch should to placed in the planting beds yearly. On a1/4 acre lot about 15 CY is required. I buy 200 bags of mulch (2 cu yd's, each) from Home Depot ($50 delivery charge) and ask my lawn company to install it. This way I know how much mulch was actually installed and the bags are much easier for the lawn guys to carry. You can even do it yourself if your ambitious or decided to cancel your Bally membership. 

Non-colored Cypress mulch is best (the red dye can't be good for the environment ), pine bark mulch just floats way with the first rainstorm. Cypress mulch mats together and stays in place longer. 

Insect control- is required 1 time per month. Most companies fertilize and perform weed control at the same time. They normally apply fertilizer and insect control by spraying. During the rainy season, ask for granulated fertilizer so it doesn't wash away with the afternoon showers. Make sure they use a leaf blower to remove the excess granular material that lands on concrete services. Otherwise, the iron in the fertilizer leaves rust stains. It usually ends up in your pool as little orange dots! 

Roof cleaning- required every 3 years. Make sure they wet down your shrubs and cover them with plastic before they start. Its smart to water your landscaping a few hours before they arrive. This helps the shrubs and grass from absorbing their chemical mix as much. 

Hire a lightweight guy to walk on your roof to avoid costly roof repairs from broken roof tiles. I cleaned the roof this last time myself. It's not for the faint at heart. I saved about 2/3 the cost an outside company would charge. I used a 10% chlorine mix that I bought at Lowe's and applied it with a lawn sprayer. Make sure you hose it off afterward. 

When you walk on a tile roof, always step on the tile where two pieces overlap. It's stronger there and keeps the tile from breaking. On second thought, hire the roof cleaning guys. I don't want to have to take up a collection to support your wife an kids! 

Exterior house cleaning- removing mold, mildew, insect nests etc. is required every two years. I know they call it pressure washing but nobody actually does that. It causes too much damage. They use chlorine to do all the cleaning and just hose it off. Have them clean the screen enclosure too. 

Window washing- cleaning the inside, outside, screens and tracks is required every two years, right after the exterior house cleaning. I like to hire the same company to do both as I get a better deal. Have them do the pool deck too. They might even throw in the driveway and sidewalk cleaning if you negotiate. 

Exterior painting- is required every 5-10 years. Darker colors fade out faster than lighter ones. Touching up damage paint will extend the life of your paint job. Hire a painter ($100) every couple of years to TU the paint inside and outside. This will keep your home looking sharp. A fresh coat of paint is not only attractive but a waterproofing agent too. This becomes real important during hurricane season. 

Don't forget to get approval from the HOA if you're changing the outside color of your home, it's required. Hire an interior design company to pick your exterior color palette. The difference is well worth the $200 design fee. Make sure you apply color swatches to the exterior first. A color can sure look different once it's applied to the wall. Invite the HOA to give it their blessing, then paint. It sure beats an argument about who is going to pay for repainting the house with the HOA. 

I bought a foreclosure from a bank recently and had trouble getting the HOA to approve my exterior colors timely. After a week, I finally had to paint on the front of the house, "please approve my paint colors" in very large letters! It was a miracle! I received a call approving the colors that very afternoon. 

Pressure washing- concrete driveways, pavers, walks and pool decks require cleaning 1-2 times per year. You can extend the time between cleanings by applying a 10% chlorine solution with a garden sprayer. It's better to do it early in the morning before the concrete gets hot. Otherwise, it evaporates before it has time to do its job. Keep an eye on the kids because that chlorine leave ugly white foot prints on dark green carpet! 

Pool cleaning- required weekly. You can do the job yourself if you have a screen enclosure and a pool vacuum or hire a company if you don't. It's manageable if you have an enclosure. Set the clock for 8 hours in the summer and 6 after hurricane season. Once it starts raining you'll need the extra hours to manage the algae build up. Make sure the pool guy, cleans the cartridge filter weekly. 

Once it's full of dirt it can be cleaned with automatic dish washing liquid by soaking it in a clean trash can for a few days. Don't let the pool guy tell you it's clogged and you need a new one! Keep cleaning it until the horizontal bands break and the pleats stick together. I have two so I can rotate one while I'm cleaning the other. I only threw one out in 10 years! I can't tell you how many I bought before I figured that one out! Also, make the guy place the chlorine tablets in the automatic chlorinator unless you want to pay for another plastic skimmer basket. The chlorine tablets will eat right through it! 

Irrigation- maintaining your irrigation system is essential for the overall health of your landscaping. Look for evidence of broken sprinkler heads (wash outs and dry patches) weekly, especially in the dry season. Remove growth from around sprinkler heads 2 times per year. It’s best to do this before the growing season (March) and at the end of the season (October). 

Place concrete doughnuts around each head and trim grass away with a small spade shovel. Weed killer won't do the job. It's a good time to make sure the heads are adjusted properly. Don't let the water hit the house if you want to avoid mold issues! 

Replace the battery in the timer box too. This way the watering times will stay set even if the power goes out. Ok, when was the last time you thought of that one? It's a good idea to give a friendly neighbor permission to water your lawn if they see your lawn dying. It might save you from replacing the entire lawn. Trust me on this one! If you can't find a neighbor that will help you out then it's time to move! 

Water is the life's blood of your landscaping, especially the lawn. When it doesn't get enough water it gets stressed, then weakens. This leaves the grass susceptible to bugs and disease. It's a cascade effect so make sure you stay on top of watering. I know watering is expensive, that's why I recommend using a shallow well. 

Watering- required 2 times per week for 30 minutes a zone. More or less depending upon the weather. Make sure you rain sensor is working and just leave the timer clock set in the on position. Water early in the morning instead of late evening. It helps prevent your grass from getting a fungus. If your courageous, some people turn the irrigation system off in the rainy summer months. Better remember to turn it back on after hurricane season! 

The smart move is to install a shallow well and lower your water bill to less then $25 per month. It will be the best $2,000 investment you ever made! You'll start saving money after 2 years. Your neighbors will always wonder why your landscaping looks better than theirs. Tell them its like Coors Beer, its in the water! 

Handyman- stop kidding yourself that one day you will complete the "honey do” list. Its not going to happen! Wives are just built that way, so get over it, hire a handyman to come in quarterly and keep your home running smoothly. If you don’t, your new home will be falling apart before you know it. Maintaining your home will increase the value and avoid a nasty surprise when the future buyer hires a home inspector, before they close. Just keep a running list of things that need attention and have someone else take care of them while you are working. Save your free time for the family. A good handyman will save you a ton! I have are retired guy that can do anything but I'm not sharing! He even hangs the Xmas lights! Make your wife a deal. She can have that cleaning lady if you get a handyman! Negotiate, it's a win, win! 

Septic System- make sure you have a company inspect and pump out your tank every 3 years. It will save you a $10,000 bill for replacing the drain field. Better believe me on this one! Its best to be there when they pump out your tank. Ask them how your system is doing. Just don't shake his hand! I know its gross but its important! You need this feedback as they can tell you how healthy the septic system is by the smell. Then you can adjust how you are treating your waste system. He can even tell you if you need to visit the doctor too! No, just kidding but he probably can. 

Remind the company to clean out the filter. Can you believe, you have to tell them this! Yeah, get over it, just do it! Never flush old medications, coffee grounds or bleach down the toilet. Anything that kills the bacteria in you tank will stop your system from working. Every month, flush a whole jar of yeast down the toilet. Half on the 15th and the other half on the 30th You want to keep the septic tank bacteria happy! They usually get unhappy just when your having a really big party. It's not pretty! If not, buy a pair of hip waders (no, not for trout fishing). 

Once a month- stand in the street outside your home and see what your neighbors see. This will avoid an embarrassing letter from the Management Company and bad feelings with neighbors. If you see something that's unsightly so do your neighbors! 

Appreciate the team it takes to keep your home beautiful. I keep a supply of $10 Publix gift certificates on hand. It's amazing what you can accomplish with one of those babies!

Before the workers start I meet each of the guys, introduce myself, ask their names and shake their hands (except for the septic guy). I thank them in advance for doing a great job and hand the boss a Publix give certificate right in front of his men. I want happy workers giving me their best work because I'm such a great guy! I usually leave them whistling and smiling. 

I hope these tips have been helpful. Many of these lessons have been learned quite painfully over the years. Get back to work, somebody has to pay for all this stuff!

Now you know what it takes to maintain your Orlando, custom home!

 

 

Have an awesome day!

 

Mike

 

www.rega;c;assichomes.com

 

Where Should I Place Wood Flooring In My Home?

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Where Should I Place Wood Flooring In My Home?

 

 

In the real world, toilets overflow, refrigerators leak and accidents happen. Families have children, pets and all the other things that make a house a home. People will say, put wood flooring in your kitchen, foyer, bathroom or main traffic areas but I would advise differently. 

In the Orlando area, homes are constructed with concrete slabs on the ground floor.  Homes don't have basements And crawl spaces so the wood flooring that's predominantly used is "engineered wood flooring. It's ideally suited for installations on concrete slabs and our high humidity climate Engineered Wood Flooring. 

Traditional wood flooring is a solid piece of hardwood 3/4" thick, where as the engineered product is made up of multiple layers and glued down to the concrete slab. The main difference between these products is the wear layer. With solid planks it's 3/4" thick but with Engineered it's much less and dependent upon which product you select.

Laminated wood flooring is constructed of pressed wood, has a simulated wood finish  and normally floats over a foam/film layer rather than being glued to the concrete slab.

Engineered and laminated flooring does not hold up well in high traffic or high abuse areas like bathrooms, foyers, kitchens. I know, people will tell you differently but in my humble opinion experience teaches me not to advise it. 

Foyer- It's a high traffic area and the first place we step when entering a home. Dirt and sand is tough on wood finishes. Better to use a more durable material like tile or stone. 

Use engineered or laminate flooring in low traffic areas like, living room, master bedroom, dining room and avoid main traffic locations. 

Kitchen- you must be joking? Grease, water, spills, certainly not a place for an engineered or laminate product that doesn't tolerate abuse. 

Bathroom- Bath tubs flood, toilets overflow, I suggest you pass on placing engineered or laminate flooring close to any wet area. 

Some people may disagree with me, especially interior designers but with more than 30 years of home building experience, the above is what I recommend for your custom built home.

 

Now you know where to place wood flooring in your Central Florida home.

 

Have an awesome day!

 

Mike

 

www.regalclassichomes.com

Why are there cracks in the concrete slab of my custom built home?

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A question that drives Builders crazy, why are there cracks in the concrete slab of my custom built home?

Consumers with little home building experience usually ask this question. It's many times delivered with an accusatory tone, as though the Builder has provided an inferior product. It's almost as though some people think, you can judge how good a Builder is by the number of cracks in a concrete slab. 

Hairline cracks in concrete have absolutely nothing to do with how good a Builder is. The short answer, concretes natural tendency is to crack into squares. A good Builder can look at a set of building plans and predict where the concrete slab is going to crack even before the concrete is poured! 

Don't believe me? Next time you go for a walk in your subdivision look at the sidewalk. Public walks are usually 4' wide with a tooled control joint every 4' in length, notice you don't see many cracks in the sidewalk either. That's because the concrete finisher struck a tooled, control joint 1" deep into the concrete walkway. Striking that control joint 1\4 of the 4" concrete walks depth is the secret. The finisher knows the concrete is going to crack every 4' so he is providing a pathway for the crack to follow where it will be less noticeable, in the control joint. The lesson here, concrete cracks in squares. 

A house slab with an irregular shape will have a tendency to crack in squares too. So how do Quality Builders manage the cracks that naturally occur in house slabs? With carpet and hardwood areas, cracks less than 1/4" wide are not normally an issue. There is a waterproof membrane under the slab to stop water intrusion and the top side is covered with a flexible material like carpet. 

The slab areas that require special attention are places where tile or stone is placed on top. Quality Builders, install an isolating membrane that separates the hard surface materials from the slab concrete. They do this instead of adhering hard surface materials to the building slab. This way, any obvious cracks or ones that may develop in the future will not telegraph from the slab through the tile or stone. 

This is an important quality feature that will be important to you as the consumer over the years. Being proactive during the building process will minimize any future cracks that may appear in tile and stone grout joints or through the hard surface material itself. 

Have an awesome day- 

Mike

www.regalclassichomes.com

What Should I Do, I Have An Animal In My Attic?

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What Should I Do, I Have An Animal In My Attic?

 

I recently had a real learning experience and I build custom homes for a living! After living in our Orlando home for 5 years, we heard the pitter, patter of little feet in our attic one night. Action needed to be taken, before one became many. 

I have been through the animal trapping experience before and found the services expensive and ineffective. Many trap the animals, but do not repair the areas where the animals get in. Guess what, new one’s take up residence! I decided to purchase an animal trap and fix the holes myself. 

Well, after a month in the trapping business here are my conclusions: 

1. Any gaps larger than an inch will enable animals to get in your attic space. You know that big fluffy squirrel you see, well picture him without hair. I know it’s “X” rated but that’s how small a hole they can crawl into. 

2. I would bet money, that most of the attics (90%+) in our subdivision have animals in them. If you don’t know that your attic is animal free, then you probably have attic residents. Trust me on this one! 

3. In the past month I caught 1 cat, 2 possum, 2 raccoons and a squirrel. These were all caught in my back yard. 

4. An animal trap costs only $20 at Harbor Freight, and it’s easy to use. You can always release your catch down at “Occupy Orlando”. 

5. Fixing the holes up on the roof can mostly be repaired with rat wire and spray foam. Most handymen can handle this job. 

6. Unless you protect your attic you either have animals up there or will have some visitors soon. 

7. When the weather gets colder we like to stay warm inside, so do all the critters that live outside! 

8. If your wife tells you she hears something in the attic, she’s probably right. No, the noise is not from an animal walking on the roof tile, it’s in your attic. I can hear your wife now, “see Joe I told you we had animals!” Thanks, Mike. 

9. Your neighbors are having the same problem you are. They’re just not telling you they have rats in their attic too. It’s not something most people are proud of. 

10. Drive around the subdivision once, just before dark and count the number of squirrels you see. Guess what, they’re all living in your neighbors attics! 

11. Buy a rat and a mouse trap (Publix) and use peanut butter as bait in your attic. Better nail or chain the trap down as those critters can get BIG! 

12. The metal vents on your roof should all have rat wire wrapped around them. They come with a small piece of wire mesh over the opening (sometimes) to keep the animals out. Well, the animals must all be smaller in China where they make the vents as I hear the people eat the bigger ones. That little piece of wire mesh won’t keep healthy Orlando animals out of your attic! 

13. Next time you’re out walking around your house, take a look at your aluminum soffit. Follow it down until you are looking at the spot where the soffit meets the roof tile. You’ll see a little gap (yeah, it’s right at the “V”) where they meet (unless, a raccoon has already lifted it up with his back to make the opening bigger for his family). The builders leave it there so the animals have a way of staying warm in the winter. I guess it’s a Green Building feature. Lol. Stuff rat wire into that opening and spray foam it in place. If you just use foam without the wire the animals will dig it out and get back in. You have to use rat wire with the foam. 

14. If you find you have company in your attic, set traps in your back yard for a week or two. Then plug up all the holes on your roof you can find. Set traps in your attic with peanut butter bait (yeah, I know “Jiff” it’s not just for kids). Then wait… 

Don’t worry; your wife will let you know if you still have critters. Wives can hear them cause they don’t have to deal with the problem! If you’re lucky you got’em all! If not, you will start to smell something that reminds you of you Gym locker back in high school. It’s not a good sign! 

Yeah, I know, only your wife can smell it! Resist your wife’s demands that you go up in the attic on a wild goose chase with flashlight in hand. You won’t find anything! Tell your wife to get some potpourri and open it in the room where she thinks she smells something. Wait, it out. The smell will go away in about a week once the carcass dries out.

If all else fails call in the professionals. Just make sure they plug up every possible point of entry. This is the most important part and where the professionals can let you down. Look at your home critically, where can a small critter possibly gain entry? Make sure the pros do a good job so you don't have to deal with this issue again.

Better get this all done before the holidays when your mother-in-law comes to visit! They will definitely have you out numbered. If you think your wife can nag, wait until you meet the person she learned it from! Lol. 

Happy hunting! 

I hope this help out. At Regal Classic Homes, we incorporate various techniques to prevent animals from entering your Orlando, new custom home, addition or remodel. Now you know what to do when you have an animal in your attic.

P.S.: It was not my intention to offend anyone with this post, only to add a little humor to an annoying issue. I love my mother-in-law!

 

Have an awesome day!

 

Mike 

www.regalclassichomes.com