Blog • Classic Construction

The Top 3 Ways the Texas Heat and Humidity Can Cause Damage to Your Home

It’s no surprise to anyone who’s lived here from May to August that North Texas summers are hot and humid. What might surprise you is the damage that the summer heat and humidity can cause to your home. That’s why today, we’re going to share with you the top 3 ways that heat and humidity damage your home – and what you can do about it.

Foundation Damage

Perhaps the biggest threat the Texas heat poses to your home is the threat of foundation issues. Your foundation is designed to gather moisture from the soil around it to help it maintain itself. In the heat, the soil around the base of your home dries up and shrinks away from the foundation, causing an imbalance in the delicate foundational support system. Furthermore, having large trees with large root systems near your home can cause further foundation damage as the roots spread out in search of water. A good way to keep your foundation damage-free is to make sure the soil around your home is continuously moistened by a sprinkler system and to remove any large trees from near your home. You might also consider bringing in more soil if you find that the soil or mulch around your home is already receding.

Roof Damage

Here at Classic Construction, we are unusually passionate about regular roof maintenance, and for good reason. Your roof is your first line of defense against the elements, and the heat and humidity in summer can cause damage to your roof that can affect other areas of your home as well. The heat can cause shingles to crack, making them more likely to leak. A good summer shower can come along and then cause unbearable humidity in your attic which, when combined with the heat, can cause the shingles to deteriorate at an even faster rate. The humidity can also cause the insulation in your attic to breakdown. To help prevent damage to your roof, we suggest scheduling regular roof maintenance to keep it properly maintained.

Sealant Damage

Sealant essentially prevents moisture from entering your home or escaping your plumbing. Areas in your home that require sealant include your roof, pipes, windows, doors, tubs, and any openings that lead to the exterior of the home or are near the plumbing. Sealants typically have only a 6-month shelf life before they start peeling or become cracked enough to become ineffective. With the Texas heat and humidity, this shelf life becomes even less. Once moisture enters your home, you can have interior damage from the leaks such as stains on your ceiling or even more serious damage such as rotted wood or buckling hardwood floors. Furthermore, the humidity created by the combination of the leaks and the Texas heat can cause mold and mildew to grow. To prevent any of this from occurring in your home, we (again) suggest regularly scheduled maintenance and a healthy dose of vigilance.

If it’s been a while since you had someone come out and inspect your home for signs of heat damage, reach out to us here at Classic Construction today for a free quote!

Maintenance Tips to Prepare Your North Texas Home for Summer

Summer is here! As exciting as warmer weather is, it’s essential that we make sure our home is ready for the change. Below are some of Classic Construction’s top tips to help you prepare your home for Summer.

Inspect your roof

For your safety, you should perform this inspection from the ground to the best of your ability, possibly with binoculars. Check for dents, loose or torn off shingles, and obvious nails sticking out.

Change all your filters

This includes your water, range hood and air vent filters. Summer brings with it all the allergens, so this will help keep your family safe from these annoying particles.

Additionally, you should make sure to clean out your dryer vent. This is massively important to do because it can help you prevent a fire from destroying part or all of your home. Fire restoration services are expensive and time consuming but cleaning your dryer vent is free and takes about an hour.

Check all window and door seals

Summer is a dry season; checking your caulking will help you catch any areas for potential leaks before they cause damage to your home. Consider looking into weather-stripping.

Clean out your gutters

If you didn’t do this between autumn and winter, chances are your gutters are chock full of leaves and debris. When the spring showers hit, your gutters could overflow and cause damage to your home. They could also detach completely from your home from the weight filling them up.

Inspect your foundation

If you have a crawlspace, make sure to clear out and repair your foundation vents as these will prevent mold and critters from taking up residence beneath your home. Look for any visible cracks or shifting.

Inspect any brick or concrete surrounding your home

Moisture is the enemy of brick and concrete. If it seeps beneath your driveway, it can cause cracks and splitting. If water sneaks its way into the mortar between your brick walls, they could crumble and fall apart as well. Check for any signs of moisture seepage in these areas around your home and shop around for an estimate for repairs if you think it’s necessary.

Service your HVAC unit

Despite the costs, we all know our HVAC units are the real MVPs of our homes. They’ve kept us warm all winter and we’ll be expecting them to keep us cool during the summer. Therefore it’s essential to have them serviced by a licensed HVAC professional. You don’t want to wait until the heat of summer to find out you have an AC problem.

Inspect your wood siding, decking, and railing

Winter is harsh on wood. Look for any signs of wood damage or deterioration. If any of your wood is rotted, it needs to be replaced. Also be on the lookout for any signs of termites or other critters. It’s better to have these removed or exterminated before acquiring further damage.

Prepare your pool

If you have a pool, you’re probably already looking forward to using it again. I’m sure you know about the usual cleaning, brushing, chlorinating and debris removal; these are what you usually handle yourself. Make sure you also clean the filter, check the conditioner levels, test your pool equipment, run the pump during the warmest part of the day, and clean your salt cell (if you have a saltwater pool).

When should I hire a contractor for my construction project?

If you find yourself with a construction project that needs doing, you might be wondering when you should hire a contractor. This can be difficult to know since different types of projects will have different needs. If you’re a property manager or landlord with an angry or persistent tenant, the answer might be “yesterday.” But if you’re a homeowner looking to make upgrades or non-essential improvements, you’ve got time on your side.

In any of these situations, there are 3 main tasks you will need to add to your to-do list before you hire a contractor.

Determine when the work must be completed

Is this an emergency or a wish list project? Emergencies obviously require repairs today, while wish list items can wait. In any event, determine when the work should be completed. If it’s an emergency, you’ll need to move through these steps quickly. But if it’s a wish list project, determine which season would be best to have this work completed.

You’ll also want to be mindful of the construction industry’s busy seasons. The summer season is when many large projects are typically taking place because the lack of rain makes it easier complete a large amount of work in a short amount of time.

Contractors who can get large jobs scheduled are likely to do so in the summer. Large jobs are more difficult to schedule in the spring, fall and winter seasons, so smaller jobs such as leak investigations or interior repairs are more likely to be scheduled during this time.

Determine your budget and scope of work

This is pretty straightforward advice and probably the single most important item on your to-do list before hiring a contractor.

Before a contractor starts demolition on a property or making repairs, they need to have a plan for the work to be done. This is commonly referred to as a bid or an estimate and is where these two items come into play. A bid clearly outlines the work that the client (you) would like to see completed and lets you know how much the contractor expects to be paid for that work. Without a clearly defined scope of work or a budget on your end, you’re likely to overspend and not get what you thought you paid for.

Do your research

Before starting a job, most contractors will submit a formal bid or estimate based on the scope of work and budget you’ve provided them. A good one will work with you and educate you on the price of materials and type of work you’re asking for to make sure you understand why they can or cannot do a certain type of work for the price you’re asking.

When doing your research, make sure you solicit bids from at least 3 different contractors. This will give you a range of price points to choose from, as well as introduce you to a few of the types of contractors you’re likely to encounter. You’ll learn a lot about the values, attitudes, professionalism and knowledge of the contractors while discussing or negotiating their bids with them.

If you don’t know where to start looking for a professional contractor, try the Better Business Bureau.

If you’ve already accomplished these three to-do items, give Classic Construction a call…we provide free estimates and we can do it all on time and on budget.

That’s Classic!

Taking care of your MVP: Why you should get an HVAC system inspection during early summer

Whether we know it or not, the HVAC systems in our homes are the heroes we neglect day after day. They keep us warm in the winter and cool in the summer, all at the touch of a button. And they do it without complaining. We don’t think about how much we need them to work until they break in the heat of a North Texas summer. In order to prevent a summer break down, we have to take care of them.

The best way to do this is to make sure you schedule your yearly HVAC maintenance appointment during early summer.

You might be thinking an HVAC maintenance appointment is a luxury you can’t afford. Let me say this: an HVAC maintenance appointment might run you anywhere from $50 to $100 for the tune up, but a brand new unit will cost you 20 times this or more.

If you’re wondering if you can perform a DIY HVAC tune up, the answer is a
conditional “yes.” There are a few items on the tune up checklist that you can do
yourself.

These include:

 Changing the furnace filter – According to the Department of Energy, this one step can reduce your energy usage by between 5% and 15%, saving you lots of money on energy bills

 Drying out your dehumidifier – the dehumidifier can play a huge role in the efficiency of your HVAC system depending on the time of year. To dry it out, take the outer casing off and let it air out. Once dry, vacuum the entire unit to remove excess dirt and debris.

 Removing obstructions and landscaping around your exterior system-vegetation shouldn’t be allowed to grow within two feet of your exterior air conditioning unit. This is because the unit needs space around it to pull in the air it needs to control the temperature in your home. Make sure to cut back or trim any plants growing around the unit.

 Cleaning the bathroom fans – to make sure these fans run as efficiently as possible, turn the power to the fans off and remove the covers. Wash these in warm, soapy water and dry thoroughly. Using an old toothbrush, clean the fan blades before reattaching the covers.

 Upgrading to a smart thermostat – A smart thermostat allows you to program the temperature in your home to be warmer while you’re away and more comfortable while you are home. It might feel like technology is taking over your home, but you might not mind it so much when you get the energy bill.

In order to get your HVAC system in the best, most energy efficient shape of its life, you should have licensed, professional HVAC technician come out and perform a tune-up service.

During this service, the technician will:

 Test refrigerant levels
 Water wash condenser coil for efficiency
 Inspect contractor for proper electrical connectivity
 Inspect capacitor for leakage and wear
 Inspect/lubricate condenser fan motor
 Record amperage draw of compressor
 Inspect and tighten electrical connections
 Inspect service valve for leakage
 Inspect indoor evaporator coil
 Inspect blower assembly
 Calibrate thermostat
 Flush condensate drain
 Evaluate air filters

All of these actions will maintain your AC unit to improve its performance and save you money. And remember, you want to schedule your appointment soon because summer is an HVAC technician’s busiest time of year!

Suggested Community Pool Guidelines for HOA Leaders During COVID- 19

As local governments across North Texas start lifting stay-at-home orders, many property managers of HOA and apartment communities are feeling pressure from their residents to open their community’s amenities. This particularly applies to community pools as summer is now upon us.

But there is some trepidation amongst community leaders to do so, specifically
because of the liability issues that arise with their insurance companies. Most
insurance policies are probably unclear on their standards of liability when it
comes to national diseases such as COVID 19 as this is a trial unprecedented in our lifetime.

While we here at Classic Construction do not presume to be experts on what
insurance policies will and will not cover, we can say that we encourage you as a
property manager to speak with the insurance company and determine these
things.

In the meantime, if the pressure from your residents to open the community pool
becomes too great to resist, we have some guidelines that should help you stay in
compliance with the CDC pool guidelines and with social distancing.

First, consider setting up blocks of time for pool access that your residents can
sign up for. This will help you control the number of residents who enter the pool
area at one time and comply with social distancing. Additionally, you might be
able to further mitigate your liability risk by having residents sign a release of
liability waiver before entering the pool area, as well as posting signs reminding
citizens of the social distancing protocol.

Second, consider how you will adjust your sanitation policies to accommodate the
new pool policies. Will you reduce the amount of pool furniture available so that
it can be spaced approximately 6 feet apart? And will you clean and disinfect the
furniture between each time block, or periodically during each time block while
residents swim?

Lastly, consider the staffing requirements you might have were these policies put into place. While the community might already have a staff of trained lifeguards, we do not suggest asking your lifeguards to perform multiple tasks in addition to watching the pool. This means you might consider hiring staff to document who enters the pool according to your time blocking chart, to collect the liability waivers, and who clean and disinfect all pool furniture and equipment.

If you find that you are able to withstand the pressure from residents to open the community pool, take a moment to consider what repairs can or should be made to your pool area before you do open it. The most common projects we at Classic have performed over the years include repairs to the wrought iron or other
fencing surrounding the pool, as well as surfacing and deck repairs.

Maintenance for Community Managers: How to maintain your community’s playground equipment –

With the hot Summer weather drawing near, the kiddos in your community will want to start playing on the playground more frequently. Before they swarm the equipment, check out these CAI maintenance tips for playgrounds.

Clean the equipment
If you’re thinking like a parent or childcare worker, you probably just imagined yourself wiping everything down with Wet Ones. Don’t worry; there is a faster way!

The first thing you might want to do when inspecting the playground equipment in your community is have it power washed. This will not only remove any dirt or mud buildup but also allow you to see any imperfections or damaged areas of the equipment more clearly.

Check structures for insect nests
Lots of insects hate cold weather and to them, the underside of playground
equipment is a good place to build a home. Have your maintenance crew
walk the entire playground area, even the seating areas, and check for insect
nests.

You might this unnecessary because parents should be responsible for keeping their kids from bothering the insects, but there are always parents that are less attentive than you might think. The last thing you want is an angry parent holding
you responsible for their child getting stung by a bee when they’re deathly allergic.

Think “Safety First”
Take this time to have your maintenance crew tighten or replace any loose bolts
on the playground. This is especially important in cases where there are multiple slides or levels to the playground, and if your community is home to lots of children.

If you find any rusty areas on metal playground equipment, or any warped or
damaged areas on plastic playground equipment, consider getting a bid to repair it.

Playground equipment probably isn’t at the top of your Board’s list of priorities
and that’s okay. Just know that to build a new playground set from the ground up,
it can cost anywhere between $5,000 and $50,000. For higher-end communities
that want even nicer equipment, it can cause ten times this much. In the off
chance that your community playground does need some major repairs, know
that it’s cheaper to maintain it than to rebuild it.

Budget for resurfacing
This is especially important if the playground has wood chips or tire mulch. Even if you don’t plan to completely replace the surfacing, make sure you budget to have it raked and leveled, especially under the swings and slides.

If you’re not sure if you should resurface your community’s playground, Classic Construction recommends reading the Texas Health and Safety Code regarding playground surfacing. You’ll want to make sure your current playground is up to code before worrying about whether or not it’s in good enough condition to leave in place.

Community playgrounds are amenities that do an excellent job of bringing communities together. They get kids and parents out of their homes and into connection and conversation with each other. To make sure your community playground can continue to provide this invaluable service, take some time to schedule the inspection today.

What does GAF Master Elite™ Certification mean for our customers?

Here at Classic Construction & Restoration, Inc. we take pride in being among the top 2% of roofing contractors in North America. How did we achieve this lofty goal?

We went through the process of becoming GAF Master Elite® certified!

GAF is an acronym for General Aniline & Film, which is the leading manufacturer of roofing and waterproofing materials in America. If you have a roof over your head, there’s a 1 in 4 chance that it was built with GAF’s materials.

The Master Elite® Certification is GAF’s factory certification program that provides ongoing training to roofing contractors and assurance to you, the homeowner, that the roof will be completed well and professionally. This is a highly prestigious award because only 2% of all roofing contractors in the country have qualified as Master Elite®.

What does this mean for you as a homeowner?

Choosing a GAF Master Elite® contractor is your assurance that you will be dealing with a quality, dependable and professional contractor. In order for a roofing contractor to qualify for the certification, they must meet the following standards:

A+ BBB rating
possess an established license for the state they work in
be current with distributor partners in receivables
have been in business for at least 3 years
consistently show ethical contracting in their service area
be adequately insured
show a commitment to ongoing professional training

A certified GAF Master Elite® roofer is the only contractor that can offer 2 of the best warranties in the industry, Silver Pledge and Gold Pledge, both backed by GAF. GAF also covers a Master Elite’s workmanship. Approximately 95% of the issues that arise on a roofing project are related to the installation of the product, not the product itself. With a Master Elite® roofer, you can be sure that they have been trained to install the materials correctly and have the ethical wherewithal to make sure that your home is protected.

As a full-service general contractor proudly serving North Texas for over 90 years, and one who qualifies as a top 2% roofing contractor, you can rest assured that your roof is in good hands with Classic Construction & Restoration, Inc.

If you find yourself in need of a new roof, call Classic Construction today for your free quote!

Preparing for Tenant Turnover: What Major Maintenance Items Should Be on Your Checklist?

Tenant turnover is a year-round problem for property managers and landlords. But with the warmer weather on the horizon, turnover rates will be on the rise. According to the National Apartment Association, turnover expenses have the potential to reach up to $162,000 or more annually, depending on the property’s location and turnover rate.

With that being said, here are 3 of the top turnover maintenance tips to help you manage this busy season more effectively and save money in the process.

Begin the process before your current tenant moves out

As long as your resident has given you written notice of their intent to vacate, you can start the turnover process by scheduling a pre-inspection at any time before the current tenant moves out. During this time, you’ll be able to assess the condition of the flooring, the blinds, the appliances and any other big-ticket items that you might need to order in advance.

Speak with your vendors about availability of materials

Because you were smart and started the turnover process early, you now have the opportunity to make sure that your vendors have what you need in stock, or place your order for the materials so that you receive them in a timely manner.

Additionally, your maintenance team will be able to prepare for whatever make-ready responsibilities they will be handling after the tenant is gone. These can include, but are not limited to, replacing window screens, air vents, appliance upkeep and cleaning.

Prepare for both major and minor renovations, if necessary

If during your pre-inspection you realize the unit is overdue for a light remodel, you will be able to assess what items need replacing. Simple renovations such as new light fixtures, additional electrical outlets, or new paint can potentially generate a higher rent and depending on the skills your maintenance team possesses, can be done by them for a relatively low cost.

However, if you or the property owner have been going through the process of completely updating units and this one needs a major remodel, this is the time to request contractor bids and estimate the costs. Doing this before the current resident is gone will help you when looking at your turnover budget and you will be able to then determine an accurate timeline for when the unit can be rent-ready.

Fortunately for you, Classic Construction handles everything from general maintenance to full remodels to large insurance claims. If you find your maintenance staff overwhelmed with their turnover responsibilities, give us a call or contact us today for a free estimate!

Pest Prevention and the Benefits to Your Home

Pests are called “pests” because they are not only irritating, but they also cause mayhem wherever they are found. So it can be almost disastrous when they take up residence in your home. With the rain we’ve been getting here in North Texas, we would all be wise to seek out some pest prevention methods that we could put into play in order to protect our homes. Here are just a few we found from the Community Associations Institute’s Spring 2018 magazine.

And when it comes to pests, our homes need protection. We’ve discussed the damage termites can do to your home in a previous post. Another silent terrorist you want to be aware of is the carpenter ant.

Why are they called carpenter ants?

Because similar to the way termites eat wood, carpenter ants like to do their dirty work in wood. Both of these pests live and die by destroying the wood in your home. While the destruction caused by carpenter ants is not as severe as that caused by termites, it has the potential to grow into a devastating amount of damage over time.

As the ant colony grows, it will continue to expand into other wooden elements of your home including framing, support beams, floor joists, posts, ceiling joists, siding and wall studs. Carpenter ants will typically only nest in wood softened by moisture, so pay particular attention to their potential points of entry such as your attic vents, foundations, cracks, electric wires, and plumbing pipes.

Other types of pests to protect your home against are rodents.

These critters are already unsavory houseguests due to the diseases they can carry, but their indiscriminatory tastes will have you trying to kick them out before dinner once they’ve made their way into your home. Squirrels typically will chew their way through roofing or siding near roofs and under eaves, making their way into your attic. Mice and rats usually eat their way into your home on the ground level.

When I say they have indiscriminatory tastes, I mean they will eat or chew through just about anything! This poses an obvious threat to the belongings in your attic or garage, but more than this is at stake.

Rodents will cause damage to your home in a myriad of ways through gnawing, nest-building and defecation. They will chew on just about anything that they deem necessary to build their nests. They will chew up wood to create shavings for the rugs. Insulation isn’t safe either as they will burrow into it to create their beds and sofas. They will even chew through wiring around electrical outlets and appliances, thereby installing their very own entertainment room!

Aside from the wood shavings, the damage caused to your home by rodents chewing through insulation and electrical wiring puts your home at risk of catching on fire. Because of this, it’s important to take steps to “pest-proof” your home as best you can.

Eliminate possible food sources

Keep food in thick plastic or metal containers with tight lids

Secure garbage in similar containers with tight lids

Keep outside cooking areas clean

Clean up spilled food right away and wash dishes and cooking utensils soon after use

Keep compost bins away from your home

Keep pet or other animal food stored in thick plastic or metal containers with airtight lids

Eliminate excess moisture

Fix up dripping taps and leaking pipes

Make sure your gutters’ down spout deposits water at least a couple of feet from your foundation

Fill or remove any indented areas of your lawn close to your home so that they won’t hold standing water

Seal all the holes and gaps inside and around your home

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, mice can squeeze through a hole the size of nickel and rats can squeeze through a hole the size of half dollar. And of course, ants enter through holes we might not be able to see. Keeping ants out can be trickier, but it’s not impossible if you follow the steps below.

Seal interior holes:

Inside, under and behind kitchen cabinets, refrigerators and stoves

Inside closets near the floor corners

Around the fireplace, doors and windows

Around the pipes under sinks, washing machines, hot water heater and furnace

Inside the attic, basement or crawl space

Between the floor and wall juncture

Seal exterior holes:

In the roof among the rafters, gables and eaves

Around windows and doors

Around the foundation

At attic vents and the crawl space

Under doors

Around holes for electrical, plumbing, cable and gas lines

While we here at Classic Construction won’t come clean your dishes for you, we can provide you with the best sealant work in DFW. If you need help making sure you catch all the nooks and crannies that need new caulking, contact us for a free estimate today.

Termite Tip & Tricks: How to asses and prevent termite damage to your home

Spring is often considered a beautiful season as it is the time of year when nature comes back to life after hibernating during the winter months. We see new flowers, new baby animals and lots of new growth all around us. While all this newness can be exciting, the ugly truth is that spring also brings to life termites and other pests we’d rather not see again so soon.

Termites specifically are nasty pests to deal with because they do most of their dirty work out of view and the damage can be catastrophic to your home. According to the National Pest Management Association, termites alone cause up to $5 billion dollars in damage in the U.S. each year!

And it’s not just cosmetic damage; they eat into the very structure of your home. It’s a well-known fact that termites eat wood and many of the foundational elements of your home are made from wood. This includes support beams, floor joists, posts, ceiling joists and wall studs. In addition to their regular fare, termites also enjoy the occasional gourmet meal of plaster, insulation and metal siding.

Visible signs of termite damage include:

Discolored or drooping drywall
Peeling paint that resembles water damage
Wood that sounds hollow when tapped
Small, pinpoint holes in drywall
Buckling wooden or laminate floorboards
Tiles loosening from the added moisture termites can introduce to your floor
Excessively squeaky floorboards
Crumbling, damaged wood
Stuck windows or doors
Maze-like patterns in furniture, floorboards or walls
Mound of drywood termite pellets, often resembling small piles of salt and pepper
Piles of wings left behind after swarms, often resembling fish scales
Mud tubes climbing the foundation of your home
Flying termite swarms anywhere on your property

If you’re seeing any signs of termite damage to your property, you should definitely call a professional termite company for an inspection because the damage is probably already worse than you think. Termites can live in your home’s foundational elements for a long time before being detected, which means these unseen items have probably already taken on worse damage than those you can see.

A couple of ways to prevent termites from entering your home during the pre-construction phase include pouring a concrete foundation and using pressure-treated wood for framing, etc. These are common in most new homes in the DFW area these days.

But if you are trying to prevent termites from entering your lived-in home, the number one thing you can do is remove all landscaping and soil from around your home’s foundation and siding. Create a 4-inch barrier between mulch and your home. Keep plants at least a few feet away from siding and windows. Make sure the soil around your foundation is at least 6 inches lower than the siding. All these items retain moisture and moisture attracts termites and their very large families.

If you have determined that your home already has termites and termite damage, the first thing you should do is make sure those buggers are dead and gone. Consult with a termite specialist to determine the best way to remove these nuisances from your property.

Then, determine which parts of your home are majorly damaged and which parts are only cosmetically damaged. Most cosmetic damages can be handled with some weekend DIY projects. These include sheetrock/drywall repairs, painting, and floor covering replacement (after your foundation and framing have been repaired, if necessary).

For major repairs, you will need to look into hiring a general contractor. It is not recommended that you try to repair any of the damaged foundational elements of your home mentioned above unless you are a licensed contractor yourself. This is because you might need a more in-depth analysis of the damage in order to accurately assess what needs repair vs what needs replacing. Depending on the age of your home, you might also have code upgrades that might need to be made and a GC can help identify these.