Category Archives: Summer

Details to Include on Your Deck or Patio

New Home, Summer

Moderate weather in Eastern North Carolina, makes it easy to spend time outside in spring, summer and fall. Designing the perfect patio will keep you enjoying the extended living space of your home. There are many ways to make your deck or patio a favorite spot for your family.  Here are a few ideas to get you started.

 

Add a Fireplace or Fire Pit

Adding a fireplace or fire pit to your outdoor living space will keep you spending time on your patio or deck in the evenings or during cooler weather in spring and fall. Kids will love the opportunity to make s’mores whenever you have a fire going! Be sure to check your fire pit or fireplaces manufacturer requirements, and your city’s code before adding any flame producing items to your deck.

Outdoor Kitchen

An outdoor kitchen can be as simple as a grill and an outdoor sink… or a completely built-in gourmet set up! In either case, it reduces trips in and out of the house while cooking outdoors.  If you’re entertaining, you can converse with your guests and they’ll feel more included in the process. Be sure to speak with your builder about your options!

Lighting. Lighting. Lighting.

Lights can define your space and set an atmosphere.  You’ll need some lighting to make the space functional, but lighting can do more than make it safe to move about.  String lights can frame your outdoor living space in soft light.  Fairy lights can create a starry night effect overhead.  There are many creative ways to use lighting to set the mood for your space.

Overhead Cover

Roof extensions, awnings or sun shades provide cover for your deck or patio and in some cases can easily be installed after your build in complete.  This will protect you, your outdoor furniture and your deck from sunlight, heat or even a light rain. An overhead covering can also be helpful in blocking falling leaves or bird droppings. If you plan to use your outdoor living space frequently, an overhead covering will make it more enjoyable.

Multilevel Decks

Create a dynamic deck with distinct seating areas, space for games or levels that step down to a pool or other feature.  Think about movement to and from different high-interest areas.  If a multi-level deck isn’t right for you, add a stone path to a fire pit area from your main deck to achieve a similar effect.

Built-in Seating

Instead of buying patio furniture, build in a bench or booth for permanent seating. You won’t have to worry about it blowing away in a storm, and as your style changes with the seasons, you can change out cushions to keep your deck or patio inviting and unique.

 

 

Items in this segment that would fall under our Classic or Classic + packages would be:

  • Lighting Upgrades
  • Roof Extensions

 

Items in this segment that would fall under our Signature or Signature+ packages would be:

  • Awning or Sun Shades
  • Multilevel Decking
  • Built-In Seating
  • Outdoor Kitchen Areas
  • Outdoor Fireplaces

How Season Changes Affect Your New Home

blog, Home Building, New Home, Residential, Summer

Image: Wayfair

There is a big learning curve if you’re a first-time homebuyer. We’re here to help you learn the basics of home maintenance so that you can spend less time stressing about how to care for your home and more time doing the things you love in your new space.  One of the first things we tell our North Carolina homebuyers is that seasons have a significant impact on your house. Here we explain how and why that happens.

Expansion and Contraction

Every home deals with the unfortunate phenomenon of expansion and contraction. Changes in temperature cause the materials used to build homes to expand in warmer weather and contract in colder weather. This is true of concrete, siding, wood, etc.

Humidity  

Humidity also causes home maintenance issues. For example, fluctuations in humid air causes wood to swell when humidity is high and shrink when humidity is low. This can affect your doors, baseboards, wood floors, handrails, mantles, and cabinets.

Seasonal Décor

This may be surprising, but seasonal home décor can actually do some damage to your house. For example, large, heavy wreaths can cause your doors to come out of alignment. Hanging up your holiday lights can also damage gutters or shingles (and eventually lead to roof leaks).

Common Problems

These are some common problems homeowners face due to season changes:

  • Slight cracks around windows
  • Drywall nail pops
    • A nail pop is slight bump in a wall where the nail has worked itself to the surface
  • Driveway cracks
  • Slight drywall cracking where boards or corners meet
  • Sticking doors

What You Can do

It’s important to keep in mind that minor shrinkage and swelling is unavoidable. A normal amount of wear and tear on a home should be expected throughout the year and especially as seasons change. Even so, there are a few preventative measures you can take.

  • Try to keep the house at an even temperature all year
  • Manage humidity by using your exhaust fans and monitoring indoor relative humidity with a hygrometer
  • Clean and seal/reseal your driveway every few years
  • In the winter months use sand on your driveway for traction rather than salt or chemicals
  • Avoid placing overhead wreath hangers on your doors, use command hooks instead – over the door hangers, wreaths, and other door decor can cause doors to come out of alignment and not shut properly
  • Try using light clips to avoid puncturing or lifting roof shingles while placing holiday lights

We suggest consulting with a licensed and experienced contractor for any issues as they arise. If you’d like more home maintenance tips, check out our blog.