Monday, December 10, 2012

Enjoy Your Fireplace, Worry Free



This holiday season we are looking forward to enjoying a warm crackling fire with friends and family.  Fire safety is always on our radar (and the professional firefighters on our staff never let us forget!), so we would like to share some fireplace basics for you and your family this winter from the U.S. Fire Administration:

  • Have your chimney or wood stove inspected and cleaned annually by a certified chimney specialist.
  • Clear the area around the hearth of debris, decorations and flammable materials.
  • Leave glass doors open while burning a fire. Leaving the doors open ensures that the fire receives enough air to ensure complete combustion and keeps creosote from building up in the chimney.
  • Close glass doors when the fire is out to keep air from the chimney opening from getting into the room. Most glass fireplace doors have a metal mesh screen which should be closed when the glass doors are open. This mesh screen helps keep embers from getting out of the fireplace area.
  • Always use a metal mesh screen with fireplaces that do not have a glass fireplace door.
  • Install stovepipe thermometers to help monitor flue temperatures.
  • Keep air inlets on wood stoves open, and never restrict air supply to fireplaces. Otherwise you may cause creosote buildup that could lead to a chimney fire.
  • Use fire-resistant materials on walls around wood stoves.
  • Never use flammable liquids to start a fire.
  • Use only seasoned hardwood. Soft, moist wood accelerates creosote buildup. In pellet stoves, burn only dry, seasoned wood pellets.
  • Build small fires that burn completely and produce less smoke.
  • Never burn cardboard boxes, trash or debris in your fireplace or wood stove.
  • When building a fire, place logs at the rear of the fireplace on an adequate supporting grate.
  • Never leave a fire in the fireplace unattended. Extinguish the fire before going to bed or leaving the house.
  • Allow ashes to cool before disposing of them. Place ashes in a tightly covered metal container and keep the ash container at least 10 feet away from your home and any other nearby buildings. Never empty the ash directly into a trash can. Douse and saturate the ashes with water.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

5 Halloween Tips for Homeowners

We all know that safety is an issue on Halloween night when little ghouls and goblins take to the streets, but mini Spidermen and Princesses are not the only ones who should brush up on their safety tips.  Homeowners must take precautions to protect their ghoulish guests and secure themselves and their property this Wednesday.


Here are some tips to remember:
  1. Know your City's specific guidelines for the big night.  If Trick or Treating hours are from 5-7 and someone comes knocking at 11:45, think twice about opening the door. Note: Central Indiana municipalities have set their trick or treating hours ranging anywhere from 5-9 this Wednesday.
  2. Make sure your yard and walkway are clear of clutter such as ladders, hoses, dog leashes or flower pots that could be trip hazards for little ones and parents.
  3. Never leave real flames unattended, even in a jackolantern.  If you're looking to light your path with some pumpkin faces, consider battery powered lamps.
  4. Paper or cloth yard decorations are a hazard around jackolantern flames or candles as well.
  5. Pets get frightened easily on Halloween with the costumes and excitement and incessant doorbell ringing.  It is best to put them up to protect them from cars or altercations with passersby.
Have fun, be safe, and don't be the house handing out toothbrushes!

Happy Halloween!

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Bob Vila's Sneaky Storage Ideas

Hammocks, flip flops, grilling supplies, and those favorite swim trunks.  It's time to say see-ya-later to your Summertime fun and break out the firewood, cozy sweaters, and holiday decorations.

Need a place to store all those Summertime items and running out of room?  Storage doesn't have to equal space-consuming boxes and crates thrown into a closet.  There are tons of creative ways to use every inch of storage space that you didn't know you had. 

Check out Bob Vila's Sneaky Storage Ideas!

Friday, October 12, 2012

Rockyedge on the A-List


As always, we invite and encourage feedback from our clients on a personal level, and we are do our best to put that feedback to use.  We invite all of our clients to rate us on Angie's List at our new profile!  Simply search for Rockyedge Enterprises under general contractors to find us.

If you are not an Angie's List Member, sign up is easy and just takes a few minutes.

Friday, October 5, 2012

It's time to Winterize!

It's time to winterize!  We have been very busy building beautiful homes here at Rockyege, but we wanted to pass along this great article with 19 simple winterizing projects.  Enjoy!

http://www.emrconsults.blogspot.com/2012/10/ntia-requests-comment-for-firstnet.html

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Five Unique Home Features

What sets your dream home apart from all the others on the block?  Take a look at some of these unique features that make a statement and skyrocket the value of your home:


1.  Enjoy some drinks with friends at your very own classy bar.




2.  Take a dip in your simple, elegant stationary swimming pool.

3.  Dazzle your neighbors and guests with stained glass windows.


4.  Upgrade family film night with a custom home movie theatre.

5.  Add some glamour to your bath with a vintage clawfoot bathtub.




For more unique ideas, check out the REALTOR Mag article online.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

THANK YOU!

Rockyedge Enterprises has had a great first year, and we wanted to take the opportunity to thank our great customers!  From remodels to new home builds to commercial maintenance, we have really truly enjoyed getting to know some of you around the Indianapolis and Central Indiana area. We have really enjoyed getting acquainted and helping your family build their dreams!

Our Summer projects have been wrapping up very well and we are currently working on a EIGHT new proposals for future projects!  So from our family to yours, here's a BIG

Monday, August 27, 2012

The Add-On Question

This article takes a close look at whether you should invest in your home by adding on, or just move.  Take a look.


Question: My family lives in a very small, older home in a neighborhood that is rapidly increasing in value in Charlotte, N.C. Our two-bedroom home is about to become too small as we consider having a third child, and we are struggling with determining whether to move or renovate. If we renovate, we'll have to take on additional home equity debt, but we'll be able to remain in a hot neighborhood. If we move, we can get a larger house and keep the same mortgage amount, but we will be further from downtown and have less property appreciation. What would you do? What factors come into play that we might be missing?
-- Jenny

Read more to find the answers at the Wall Street Journal.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Creative Garden Hose Solutions

Summer's almost over, but in the meantime, Bob Villa has some great garden hose tips:  Looking for a way to remedy kinks and knots in your garden hose? Consider one of these ten decorative hose management solutions.

Monday, July 30, 2012

A Fun Way to Track and Share Your Home Improvement Adventures

Remodels, new editions, and building a new home can be stressful, Are you preparing to embark on a home improvement journey?  Consider creating a blog to chronicle your progress. 
Blogging has many professional benefits, but consider the personal benefits for your family of posting photos, videos, updates, sharing family stories, and posing questions to the blogging community to make your experience interactive.  Share your progress with family and friends, or use it as a learning tool for yourself and your family to get into the world of online publishing. 

Many mistakenly believe a blog takes alot of work or technological savvy, but in reality a blog takes about five minutes to set up, and the Blogger interface is very simple.  A typical blog post can take as little as ten minutes to create and post online for all to see.

A great perk of this idea is that if you're planning to sell your home, you now have somewhere online to show potential buyers the before and after progress of your improvements!

Here are a few examples of great home improvement blogs, from the simple to the elegant:

http://www.younghouselove.com/
http://www.remodelaholic.com/
http://ourcastlereno.blogspot.com/

Monday, July 16, 2012

Let's Get Social

Rockyedge Enterprises stays connected to our clients, vendors, friends and family on various social networks.  Find us on Twitter (@RockyEdgeBuilds), Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+ to get the latest home improvement and constructions tips/tricks/updates. 

Giving Back with Habitat for Humanity

Rockyedge Enterprises is gearing up to participate in its first ever Summer Service Project with sister company EMR Consulting, Inc.  We will be helping Habitat for Humanity of Greater Indianapolis (HFHGI) finish up a construction project for a needy family, and thought it might be a good time to offer our blog subscribers some info about the organization. 

Here are some of the wonderful things HFHGI is doing in Indianapolis:
  • Cultivating and educating first-time, low-income home buyers
  • Working with potential homeowners to prepare for the long-term, sustainable success of their household with 6 months of education and preparation
  • Partnering with hired contractors, volunteers, and future homeowners to build or rehab their homes
  • Facilitating the ability for families to help themselves by providing no-profit, no-interest mortgage loans
Visit their website to learn more, contribute, or volunteer.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Cut Back on Water Usage During the Worst Drought in 25 years

As homeowners and business owners, we are naturally cautious and conservative when it comes to utility usage.  The Midwest is experiencing the worst drought conditions in the past 25 years.  Meanwhile, Indianapolis has managed to set a new record for water usage, pumping up to 231 million gallons per day, according to Citizens Water via AP.

Needless to say, Indiana is one of the biggest agriculture producers in the country, and our corn and soybean crops are suffering.  What can we do?  Eartheasy.com offers 25 ways to conserve water below.

 

From Wowo.com:  Our crops are in trouble.
1.  Check faucets and pipes for leaks.
2.  Don't use toilets as an ashtray or wastebasket.  Five to seven gallons of water is used for every flush.
3.  Check toilets for leaks.  Put a little food coloring in your tank, without flushing if the color begins to appear in the bowl within 30 minutes, you have a leak that needs attention.
4.  Use your water meter to check for hidden leaks
5.  Install water-saving shower heads and low-flow faucet aerators.
6. Put plastic bottles or floaters in your toilet tank to cut down on water usage.
7. Insulate water pipes.
8. Take shorter showers.
9. Turn off the faucet when you brush your teeth.
10. Rinse your razor in the sink in a few inches of warm water.
11. Use your dishwasher and clothes washer only for full loads.
12. Minimize use of kitchen sink garbage disposal.
13. Don't leave the water running while washing dishes by hand.
14. Don't leave the water running when you clean vegetables.
15. Keep a bottle of drinking water in the fridge.
16. Plan drought-resistant lawns, shrubs, and plants, and avoid watering during a drought.
17. Put a layer of mulch around trees and plants to slow evaporation.
18. Don't water the gutter (check the positioning of sprinklers), and never water on windy days.
19. Water your lawn only when necessary.
20. Deep-soak your lawn when you do water.
21. Water early in the day.
22. Add organic matter and use efficient watering systems for plants.
23. Don't run the hose while washing your car, use a bucket.
24. Use a broom, not a hose, to clean driveways and sidewalks.
25. Check for leaks in hoses and couplings.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

The Biggest Investment of Your Life: Making it Count

Home improvement is not just for the garage, kitchen, and bathroom.  Homeowners know what it means to pour heart and soul into a property to make it your very own.  Financially, homeownership is the biggest investment in the lives of most, so it pays to add value to your home. 

Here are some brilliant ways from HGTV to add value to your home:

  • Spring for a sunroom.  Your family will enjoy summer after summer with a custom sunroom, and it certainly will raise your home's value.
  • Spruce up your workspace with a home office remodel.
  • Is your Master Suite just another bedroom?  Find out how Rockyedge can change that, it may be simpler than you think.
  • What would your family do with a little more space?  Add a wide-open family room to bring them together.
  • New windows are a simple way to improve the look of a home dramatically.


Visit HGTV for more ideas.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Ways to Beat the Heat!

Temperatures will reach 102° in central Indiana today, so whether you are working outside, completing your home improvement project, or just enjoying your summer afternoon, here are some Real Simple ways to beat the heat:
  1. Block the sun.  Be sure to keep shades and blinds closed to keep the sunlight out as much as possible.  One handy trick is to hang damp curtains in the window to help insulate the room.
  2. Give your AC a break for a change.  On less than scorching days that are hot but not humid, try a bowl of ice in front of a window fan. 
  3. Close up shop!  Keep fireplace dampers and any pet doors or openings sealed shut.
  4. Spritz yourself with cool water.
  5. On days like this, run a fan and air conditioner simultaneously for optimum ventillation.
  6. Keep electronics and appliances off.  This is good for them as well as you.
  7. Air dry as much as possible.  This goes for laundry as well as dishes.  Skip the drying cycle if you're using a dishwasher.
  8. Go barefoot!
  9. Spice it up to cool yourself down; inhabitants of some of the hottest places on Earth such as India, Mexico, and Middle East dine on spicy foods to help reduce the impact of heat on the senses.
  10. Above all, STAY HYDRATED.  Also, eat light when possible.
Thinking of adding a new sunporch this summer?  Contact Rockyedge today to find out how we can help build your dreams.