Lawn Watering Tips for the Summer

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sprinklertimer

So now that we have reached the dog days of summer, its time to try again to keep our lawns green.

Here are a few tips I picked up from popularmechanics.com.

The a.m. is the best time to water the lawn because the air is cooler and there’s usually not much wind to blow the droplets. In the middle of the day, water evaporates too quickly. And in the evenings, water can cling to the blades of grass overnight, which can cause lawn diseases.  Along with mowing the grass too short, he says, watering at night is about the worst thing to do for a lawn.

Homeowners who can’t water in the mornings before work should do it on a weekend morning. The best time is early in the morning: 4 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Water long enough to moisten the soil about 6 inches down, which is the depth of a healthy grass root system. To see how far the moisture seeps down, check the soil every 15 minutes during the first watering.

Time how long it takes the water to work its way that far into the ground, then water for that duration every time you turn on the hose. Each lawn has different soil. You have to water for your property.

Built-in lawn sprinklers are the best systems for watering the grass. This is the most efficient system and will pay for itself in the long run.  Over the years, if you’re planning on staying in the house, it’s worth the investment.

But for homeowners who don’t have an in-ground irrigation system and don’t want to invest in one, a pulsating, revolving sprinkler hooked up to a garden hose is the next best choice for an established lawn. The sprinkler shoots out the water horizontally at a high velocity so it’s not as vulnerable to wind and evaporation as oscillating types, which spray the water straight up.

If you’re watching the clock and trying to remember to shut off the water on time, chances are that sometimes you’ll sit down in front of the TV or let your mind wander and forget that the sprinklers are running. So get a timer. They start at about $10 at home centers and turn off the water automatically after a designated time to ensure the lawn gets the proper amount of water. The timer connects to the spigot, then the hose connects to the timer.

If homeowners don’t want to water their lawn, that’s fine too.  The lawn can go dormant just like it does in the winter without harming the grass, providing there’s not a drought longer than a month. But letting the lawn go dormant, then watering, and then discontinuing the watering again is hard on the grass.

Scott Price, CPI, #1532
Certified Home Inspector
Home Run Inspections
405-905-9175
homeruninspections@icloud.com
We cover all of the bases!

Serving the Oklahoma City metro and surrounding areas including Edmond, Guthrie, Cashion, Yukon, Moore, Norman, Chickasha, Midwest City/Del City, Bethany, El Reno, Shawnee, Harrah, and more.

Schedule Inspections Online at:
www.Home-RunInspections.com
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Kick Out Flashing

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Kickout flashing, also known as diverter flashing, is a special type of flashing that diverts rainwater away from the cladding and into the gutter. When installed properly, it provides excellent protection against the penetration of water into the building envelope.

 

 

Several factors can lead to rainwater intrusion, but a missing kickout flashing, in particular, often results in concentrated areas of water accumulation and potentially severe damage to exterior walls. Water penetration into the cladding can occasionally be observed on the exterior wall in the form of vertical water stains, although inspectors should not rely on visual identification. There may be severe damage with little or no visible evidence.

Inspectors may observe the following problems associated with kickout flashing:

1.  The kickout was never installed.

  • The need for kickout flashing was developed fairly recently, and the builder may not have been aware that one was required. The increased amount of insulation and building wrap that is used in modern construction makes buildings less breathable and more likely to sustain water damage. Kickout flashing prevents rainwater from being absorbed into the wall, making it more essential than ever.

The following are locations where kickout flashing installation is critical:

  • anywhere a roof and exterior wall intersect, where the wall continues past the lower roof-edge and gutter. If a kickout flashing is absent in these locations, large amounts of water may miss the gutter, penetrate the siding, and become trapped inside the wall; and
  • where gutters terminate at the side of a chimney.


2.  The kickout was improperly installed.

  • The bottom seam of the flashing must be watertight. If it’s not, water will leak through the seam and may penetrate the cladding.
  • The angle of the diverter should never be less than 110 degrees.

3.  The kick-out was modified by the homeowner.

  • Homeowners who do not understand the importance of kickouts may choose to alter them because they are unsightly. A common way this is done is to shorten their height to less than the standard 6 inches (although some manufacturers permit 4 inches), which will greatly reduce their effectiveness. Kickout flashings should be the same height as the side wall flashings.
  • Homeowners may also make kickout flashings less conspicuous by cutting them flush with the wall, making them less effective.

In summary, kickout flashing should be present and properly installed in order to direct rainwater away from the exterior roof-covering materials, particularly at the chimney locations.

Scott Price, CPI, #1532
Certified Home Inspector
Home Run Inspections
405-905-9175
homeruninspections@icloud.com
We cover all of the bases!

Serving the Oklahoma City metro and surrounding areas including Edmond, Guthrie, Cashion, Yukon, Moore, Norman, Chickasha, Midwest City/Del City, Bethany, El Reno, Shawnee, Harrah, and more.

Schedule Inspections Online at:
www.Home-RunInspections.com
Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/homeruninspections
Follow us on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/HomeRunInspect2

http://www.home-runinspections.com/

 

There’s A Bird Nesting Near My House. What Should I Do?

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birdnest

In general, the best thing you can do for a bird nesting near a human dwelling is to try to minimize the disturbance—stay at a respectful distance, minimize foot traffic, door openings/closings, and postpone and projects or construction slated for the area.

If a bird is nesting in an inconvenient place on your property, the good news is that the nesting period is not forever, and in some species may only be matter of weeks. The nesting cycle for most songbirds, robins included, is around 4 weeks from egg laying to chicks leaving the nest (two weeks of incubation, two weeks of nestlings). Try not to use the area around the nest until the young have fledged to ensure that the parents will not abandon their nest. If this is not possible, try to minimize your presence around the nest; many yard birds are tolerant of occasional disturbances.

Unless the nest is causing damage to your property or exposing  you or your family to potential disease from waste, we don’t recommend that you move the nest; Birds will often abandon their nest if it is moved. Only in extreme circumstances should you consider relocating a nest, and if you do, it must be replaced very close, within a few feet of the original location.

Some people choose to put up feeders or leave mealworms around to try to provide an additional food source for birds nesting nearby, but this is not necessary for the nest to be successful.

From my experience as a home inspector, most nest are not close to human traffic and are easily removed in the winter if desired.  The most detrimental nest are the mud type that Barn Swallows build, often on porches.  These birds, through beautiful, can be threatening-especially to young children.  I recommend removing these nest as soon as they are noticed.  Once established, you will have a neighborhood of “new builds” on you front porch and all that comes with it.

Any nest that is built inside of your dwelling, as in a hole in the soffit or facia, should be removed immediately.  Left alone this will only contribute to deterioration of your home.  The nest and its occupants should be removed and access permanently sealed to avoid further intrusion.

Scott Price, CPI, #1532
Certified Home Inspector
Home Run Inspections
405-905-9175
homeruninspections@icloud.com
We cover all of the bases!

Serving the Oklahoma City metro and surrounding areas including Edmond, Guthrie, Cashion, Yukon, Moore, Norman, Chickasha, Midwest City/Del City, Bethany, El Reno, Shawnee, Harrah, and more.

Schedule Inspections Online at:
www.Home-RunInspections.com
Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/homeruninspections
Follow us on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/HomeRunInspect2

http://www.home-runinspections.com/

#springhomemaintenance  #birdnesting

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