One of the biggest eyesores for neighbors to have to look at tends to be standing water in the front yard. Water collecting in the backyard may not be that big of an issue, but it can still be a problem when it reduces the value of the property in more ways than one. If the water collects around the foundation of the house, then this can put the structure of the home in jeopardy, since water in these spots long term can cause the home itself to sink down into the ground. Repairing that problem can be quite expensive, so taking the steps necessary to make sure that water does not collect around the house is very important.
The problem of standing water in your yard can usually be solved very easily by filling in the depressions on the property with soil. This should not take a lot of work, but the result will be worth it in the end. You can have the dirt delivered by someone else or if you have a truck, you can go retrieve it yourself to save even more money. Having a wheel barrow handy and some shovels can also help with this project. If you do not have a wheel barrow, some buckets will get the job done eventually. Walk on the soil until it appears to be even with the rest of the yard and plant grass over it. To keep it from looking out of place, you might want to take this opportunity to reseed your yard with new grass.
You can also put a drainage system in your yard to drain one area of its excess water. This does not have to be used for a large puddle of standing water, but can also be used to direct ground water away from the property. If there is an area that you want to keep drained, however, you can do this by digging a ditch, installing some gravel, and a length of PVC pipe. Make sure that your ditch slants downhill and that it does so enough that the flow of water is efficient. Gravel will be put down before the PVC pipe to help with the draining of ground water, which cannot typically be collected by the pipe itself. The PVC pipe will be completely surrounded by gravel and soil replaced on top of it. Taking the opportunity to reseed your yard with new grass could be a good idea now, as well, since you do not want a huge visible line of new grass running through it.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
water damage restoration and
mold remediation companies across the united states.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
What to Know When Hiring Your Contractor
The most important decision that you will make when you build your new home is which contractor you will choose for the job. A lot of people like to use the phone book for this job, but going a little deeper than that and putting a little more effort into choosing your contractor will end up saving you a lot of headaches and money.
Using the phone book to find the contractor you want is not entirely a bad idea. For someone moving to a new area, it is often one of the most feasible options. Having the ability to ask friends or neighbors about a good contractor is usually not available when you move to a new area, so you need to take some precautions when looking in the phone book for a contractor. Get at least three bids from three different contractors to build your property. Make sure they all get the same blueprints and look at the offers in comparison to each other. If one offer is significantly lower than the other two, this is usually a sign of desperation for work (not always a bad thing) and inexperience. Do a little research on the contractor that bid the lowest price and check up on his references. Giving someone who is well experienced and desperate for work is always a good idea, as long as you are sure that they are a good fit for you. Make sure you can live with this contractor being in your life for a few weeks or months. You need to have a good relationship.
As far as the contract that you will have, you should almost always go with a fixed price contract. This means that if there are unexpected costs that come up, the contractor will take care of them, not you. Building materials may change in price or the price of labor may go up and if you sign a time and materials contract, you will be responsible for making up for these new costs.
When writing up the contract, be specific. The date the project will begin and approximate date that it should be done needs to be in the contract. Make up a list of materials that you want to be used in the home. If you want 12 inch by 12 inch travertine tile, specify this. As with any important financial decision in your life, the devil is in the details.
Give your contractor an incentive to get the job done right and done early by offering a bonus if he does so. On the same token, do not be afraid to threaten a penalty if the project is done badly or finished late. All contractors should give you a warranty on their work that should be for at least 10 years.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Connecticut Mold Remediation services and
flood and water damage cleanup companies across the united states.
Using the phone book to find the contractor you want is not entirely a bad idea. For someone moving to a new area, it is often one of the most feasible options. Having the ability to ask friends or neighbors about a good contractor is usually not available when you move to a new area, so you need to take some precautions when looking in the phone book for a contractor. Get at least three bids from three different contractors to build your property. Make sure they all get the same blueprints and look at the offers in comparison to each other. If one offer is significantly lower than the other two, this is usually a sign of desperation for work (not always a bad thing) and inexperience. Do a little research on the contractor that bid the lowest price and check up on his references. Giving someone who is well experienced and desperate for work is always a good idea, as long as you are sure that they are a good fit for you. Make sure you can live with this contractor being in your life for a few weeks or months. You need to have a good relationship.
As far as the contract that you will have, you should almost always go with a fixed price contract. This means that if there are unexpected costs that come up, the contractor will take care of them, not you. Building materials may change in price or the price of labor may go up and if you sign a time and materials contract, you will be responsible for making up for these new costs.
When writing up the contract, be specific. The date the project will begin and approximate date that it should be done needs to be in the contract. Make up a list of materials that you want to be used in the home. If you want 12 inch by 12 inch travertine tile, specify this. As with any important financial decision in your life, the devil is in the details.
Give your contractor an incentive to get the job done right and done early by offering a bonus if he does so. On the same token, do not be afraid to threaten a penalty if the project is done badly or finished late. All contractors should give you a warranty on their work that should be for at least 10 years.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Connecticut Mold Remediation services and
flood and water damage cleanup companies across the united states.
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