Drip is more efficient. That is true and it is where most comparisons stop, which is why so many drip conversions in this area end with dead plants and a homeowner who concluded drip does not work. Drip works. It just fails silently, and in a climate where a plant can die in four days of August heat, silence is the problem. What each one is good at Spray and rotors put water over an area. They are the right tool for lawn and for dense groundcover, because the whole surface ne

When an irrigation bill is high, the first instinct is to reduce the run times. Sometimes that works. More often it produces dry patches in some places and still-soggy ground in others, because the problem is not how long the system runs. It is what got grouped together on the same valve. What a zone is, and why it matters A zone is everything a single valve turns on at once. Every head on that zone gets the same run time, because they share a valve. That is the entire constr

Structural water damage is not an event. It is the end of a process that has been visible for years, in small signs that look like cosmetic issues. This is a walk-around you can do yourself in twenty minutes, twice a year. The best time is the day after a real storm, because that is when the evidence is fresh. Outside: start at the base of the walls Soil or mulch above the slab line On a stucco house there is a weep screed at the bottom of the wall — a metal edge that lets mo

Video of Balcony collapse in Malibu, CA. This could be 100% prevented with preventive maintenance and an annual structural assessment.

Air conditioners, furnaces, and heat pumps are also known as HVAC help regulate the temperature in your home and make it more comfortable. To ensure that your heating and cooling systems remain effective and efficient, regular maintenance is needed, filters replaced, grills cleaned, etc... Preventative checkups and maintenance prolong the life of your systems. That is why warranties are only valid if you performed the required maintenance! Maintenance requirements vary depend

Everyone knows that when the spring arrives, its time to make the maintenance needed in your Home Spring tips Replace your furnace filter Clean the kitchen exhaust hood and air filter Check your electrical system Always have a multi-purpose fire extinguisher accessible. Make sure the light bulbs in all your fixtures are the correct wattage Review your fire escape plan with your family Consider installing a lightning protection system on your home Protect all your electrical a

Mold and mildew is frequently seen in homes at this time of year due to homeowners keeping windows closed while having the heating on. Although, this unsightly fungi is not likely to ever be left long enough to cause significant damage to your possessions – and is rarely covered by your home insurance – it is also good to know how to prevent and deal with it because of the possible health implications that can be caused by prolonged exposure. Mold being removed from a wall i

Did you know that plumbing systems can be dangerous in unexpected ways? Most of the people that I talk to, have no idea that a simple sewer pipe can really explode if it is not installed correctly and, on a best case-scenario, can collapse all the underground pipes, and on a worst-case-scenario it can set the entire building on fire. That is why it is important to hire professionals that know what they are doing in the first place. Some items when done outside the building c

This blog post explains how slow hot water happens in the first place and how to prevent it from happening if you are building or fix it .

We are proud to maintain the same name that started it all by doing additions and remodels from the very beginning. Our founder started all the way down on the bottom of the totem pole and worked his way up in construction one step at the time, and in a few years he was already, building additions and remodeling entire homes. For this reason we know all that could go wrong and correct situations accordingly before it is a problem. The owner himself is still involved in each p

Toilets are by far the main source of water use in the home, accounting for nearly 30 percent of an average home’s indoor water consumption. Older, inefficient toilets also happen to be a major source of wasted water in many homes. Replacing these toilets with a low-flow would save nearly 11 gallons per toilet in your home every day! Recent advancements have allowed toilets to use 20 percent less water than the current federal standard, while still providing equal or superior

Dealing With Wood Decay: The first and most important thing to do once decay is discovered is to figure out where the water is coming from. Check for the obvious – Roof and plumbing leaks, and missing or punctured flashing. Look for stains and drip tracks. Are eaves wide enough to prevent water from cascading down sidewall’s? Are gutters poorly maintained or missing? Do finish grades slope toward or away from the foundation? Are foundation cracks admitting water? Is untreated