GCH Projects: E3 Ranch Project Update

The pantry, laundry room, and bathroom.

GCH Projects: E3 Ranch Project Update

Custom cabinetry by Tharp Cabinets, Loveland, CO. Stained concrete floors by Mike Rogers, Fort Scott, KS. Granite counters by Signature Granite, Joplin, MO.

GCH Projects: E3 Ranch Project Update

MUST-DO MAINTENANCE

Home maintenance isn't restricted to repairs. In fact, certain tasks--when performed regularly--may actually prevent things from breaking in the first place. But when things do go wrong (and it's inevitable that they do), we have some backup plans that you can try before you grab the phone to call for pro. Appliances and plumbing are the most frequent offenders, but they also often can be the simplest to care for. From the gutters to the living room carpet, there's a reliable method for keeping every part of your home clean, safe, and well maintained.

The quickest fix is to not have the problem in the first place. Here's a checklist of items every homeowner should get to regularly.

1. Test your garage door opener monthly to ensure that it reverses when it hits an obstruction or when its sensor beam is interrupted.

2. Vacuum the clothes dryer's exhaust duct at least once a year. If the duct is plastic, replace it (it's a fire hazard). Rigid sheet-metal ducting is best.

3. Replace furnace filters quarterly, or as recommended by the furnace manufacturer.

4. Test all GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) outlets monthly. Press the test button and use a voltage tester to make sure the power goes off.

5. Clean leaves and debris from the condenser of a central air conditioner seasonally.

6. Once a year, vacuum the refrigerator coils underneath the appliance.

7. Have the fireplace chimney inspected and cleaned annually.

8. Inspect window and door caulking and weather stripping yearly.

9. Replace the batteries in smoke detectors yearly. And remember, even recent hard-wired smoke detectors have backup batteries that must be replaced. If you have never checked yours, do so.

GCH Projects: E3 Ranch Project Update

Interior trim, doors, and windows stainwork by Speigel and Son of Steamboat Springs, CO. Faux paint finish by Shannon Barbour of Fort Scott, KS.

'Tis the Season - Chimney Cleaning

Cleaning a chimney is im­portant for the safety of your home and family. Prevent chimney fires and potential house fires, along with dangerous carbon monoxide leaks - hire a pro to inspect and clean before your first fire of the season.  Find a pro trained to diagnose and repair hazards along with maintenance, firebox and damper repair, and smoke chamber repair. Some sweeps also offer more complicated repairs such as flue repair and relining, crown repair, and rebuilding of masonry chimneys.

In the US, the two trade organizations that help to regulate the industry are the Chimney Safety Institute of America and The National Chimney Sweep Guild. Certification for chimney sweeps are issued by two organizations: Certified Chimney Professionals and The Chimney Safety Institute of America. Certification for chimney sweeps who reline chimneys are issued by Certified Chimney Professionals.

GCH Projects: E3 Ranch Project Update

Fire Extinguishers and Home Safety

To maximize home safety, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends a fire extinguisher on every level of your home, and also in garages, kitchens and basements, and near exits. A fire extinguisher is most effective when the fire you are fighting is small and self-contained, when there is a clear exit behind you and when the extinguisher is used to create an exit path.

Fire extinguishers are Underwriters Laboratories® (UL) classed and rated based on the type and amount of firefighting agent inside and the types of fires the agent can put out. Firefighting agents are classed as A, B or C, and all fire extinguishers are available with some combination of the three agents. Fire extinguisher labels contain the information you need about class ratings, including icons identifying the types of fire the extinguisher will extinguish. 

Class A fire extinguishing agents are rated for fires involving ordinary household items such as wood, cloth, paper, rubber and plastics. The numerical rating on Class A extinguishers represents the extinguisher’s capacity in terms of an equivalent volume of water. For example, a 1-A extinguisher has the equivalent firefighting power of 1.25 gallons of water. A 4-A extinguisher has four times the power of a 1-A extinguisher, or the equivalent of 5 gallons of water.

Class B fire extinguishing agents are rated for fires involving flammable liquids such as kitchen grease, gasoline, oil, solvents and oil-based paint. Class B extinguishers are numerically rated based on the number of square feet of fire the material can put out. For example, a 10-B rating means the extinguisher can cover 10 square feet of fire.

Class C fire extinguishing agents are rated for fires involving energized electrical equipment, such as wiring, circuit breakers, machinery, electronics and appliances. Class C extinguishers don’t have a numerical rating.

GCH Projects: E3 Ranch: Patrick J Wood Construction

Pat, of Patrick J Wood Construction, has been instrumental in the E3 Ranch Project. PWC has worked on the framing; the setting of windows and doors; roofing, including all the metal work and will work on the exterior/interior trim. The workmanship of Pat and his team has been outstanding and they have been a pleasure to work with.

Contact info:
Patrick J Wood Construction  
620-224-7163  
1254 240th St, Fort Scott, KS 66701

GCH Projects: E3 Ranch: The Rock Yard Inc. + JB Stone and Masonry

To complete the mountain rustic style of the E3 Ranch project, GCH used a stone quarried in Tennessee. The Rock Yard Inc., of Atlanta, GA, is the supplier of the stone material. The stone mason for the project is JB Stone and Masonry.

For more information:
The Rock Yard, Inc.
770-534-4040
www.therockyardinc.com/

JB Stone and Masonry
678-450-4141 ‎

GCH Projects: E3 Ranch: Architectural Doors and Windows

Architectural Doors and Windows of Steamboat Springs, CO provided GCH with the window and door package for the E3 Ranch project. The windows and exterior patio doors were manufactured by Jeld Wen. Architectural Doors and Windows supplied the custom interior doors and interior trim. The windows are a copper exterior cladding and reclaimed Fir wood interiors.

Contact information for Architectural Doors and Windows: 2673 Jacob Circle, Unit #200, Steamboat Springs, CO 80487. (970) 879-7580

GCH Projects: E3 Ranch

A few photos from the E3 Ranch project. Reclaimed antique lumber provided by Southern Wood Imports. http://www.southernwoodimports.com/

GCH Projects: E3 Ranch: Tharp Cabinets

For the E3 Ranch custom home project, Graham Custom Homes is utilizing the Tharp Cabinet Corporation in Loveland, Colorado. GCH has had the pleasure of working with Eric Parlin, an in-house designer with the company. Tharp cabinets are manufactured using only the highest quality wood, component materials, and hardware. Their professional craftsmen combine over 325 years of cabinetry experience to produce unsurpassed final products. All Tharp cabinets are built with solid wood frames, doors, hanging rails and veneer end panels and are assembled with the strongest and most durable methods. All of this makes Tharp a perfect choice for the E3 Ranch project.

Tharp designs, manufactures, delivers, and installs cabinetry and specializes in a variety of cabinetry solutions, including residential, commercial, multi-family, and contract manufacturing. For more information about Tharp Cabinet Corporation, visit www.tharpcabinets.com.

GCH Projects: E3 Ranch

Graham Custom Homes is currently building a 9,000 finished sq ft custom home on the E3 Ranch in Southeast Kansas. The E3 ranch is a private, family operated working cattle and horse ranch in SE Kansas and a large portion of the property is used for hunting.

Mountain Rustic describes the style of this custom home beautifully, with reclaimed barnwood siding, 18th century barn timbers, and extensive rock work through out the home. This custom home is also energy efficient with the inclusion of a smart home/home automation system, hybrid insulation system, and a geothermal pond system.

GCH worked with Southern Wood Imports, a company in Montrose, CO that specializes in reclaimed antique lumber, to find the perfect materials for the E3 Ranch project. http://www.southernwoodimports.com/

A Few More Home Maintenance Resolutions...

A few more home improvements, repairs, and maintenance projects (that you might have been putting off) to add to your New Year's Resolution to-do list:


Get an Energy Audit
One of the first things on your to-do-list should be an energy audit. Hiring a professional energy auditor to assess your home's energy consumption may seem like an unnecessary expenditure. However, making your home more energy efficient can lead to more money saved over time. An energy auditor can point out poor insulation and air leaks throughout the home, which are common causes of increased utility bills over the winter. Improve Your Insulation
As stated above, poor insulation can be quite costly, especially during the winter months. What many people fail to realize is that poor insulation affects utility bills in the summer, as well. If your home is not properly insulated, you will end up spending more money on gas and electricity trying to keep it warm over the winter and cool during the summer. This makes insulation improvements an important task on your New Year's to-do-list for cutting costs in your home.

Look for Drafts
The final step in weatherizing your home for this New Year's home improvements is to check for drafts around walls, ceilings, doors and windows. After locating any air leaks, begin plugging them up with caulk, foam, tape or some other form of weather-stripping material. If you don't feel confident in doing it yourself, you can hire a contractor to do the job for you.

Start Buying Energy Efficient Appliances
According to the United States Department of Energy , home appliances and electronics make up 20% of your energy bill. From the living room television, to the refrigerator in the kitchen, replacing old appliances with new, Energy Star rated appliances can help save you money over time. Not only will you be saving money on your electric bill, but you'll also be saving the environment as well. Now that's a New Year's resolution worth making.

Get Organized and Ditch the Rental Storage Space
Many people find the need to rent a monthly storage space to store anything they can't fit in their home. In reality, most of these people would have sufficient space at home if they just took the time to do a little organizing. Consider clearing out the clutter in your garage and closets by having a yard sale. You can also donate any furniture, clothing or other household items that have been gathering dust in the attic to create more storage space.

Go Green
This New Year, embrace Green Living by making your home more eco-friendly. Instead of tossing glass, aluminum and plastic bottles or containers in the trash, keep them in separated bins. Then, head down to your local recycling center and get a couple bucks back for being environmentally conscious. Also consider going paperless to minimize waste. You can pay bills and manage your banking online, while utilizing email instead of snail mail to make your home paper-free.

Stop Buying Bottled Water and Get a Water Filter
Cut costs on your grocery bill by installing a water filter on your kitchen sink for drinking water instead of buying bottled water. While city tap water is regulated and should be safe enough to drink by itself, a water filter can provide that fresh, clean taste without having to spend as much on bottled cases of water. This is another New Year's task that can save you money while you save the environment by minimizing plastic pollution.

Refresh Your Home by Repainting a Room
Instead of going for a full remodel, you can refresh and update an old home with a simple paint job. Painting a room with a bold color, or multiple colors can bring new life to a ho-hum interior. If you feel reluctant about using loud colors that aren't typically on your home palette, do a little experimenting by painting an accent wall instead of the entire room. Worst case scenario, you can simply repaint the wall to match the original color scheme.

Improve Your Home Safety
Remember when you took the batteries out of the smoke detector for the TV remote in the living room? The New Year is a great time to make sure your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are functioning properly. While you're at it, check and see that the fire extinguisher you've had since the 1980s still works. These tasks can prove to be invaluable on the off chance a real emergency like a gas leak or fire occurs. Plan out Dinner Menus for the Upcoming Year
Your final task for your New Year's home improvement list is to start planning out your dinners for the upcoming year. Many people find themselves eating out more when they have no idea what to prepare for themselves at home. Even consider buying yourself new cooking tools to experiment with dishes you've never served at home before, like a deep-fryer or slow-cooker. That way, you can add more variety to your dinner menu.

The Bottom Line
Your New Year's home improvement list does not need to be limited to these 10 tasks. Take a quick tour of your home and inspect areas that you've been purposely avoiding, ignoring or hiding. For example, that stain on the carpet under the living room rug, or the draft you noticed around the rear sliding door. Use the coming of the New Year to help motivate you into doing something that benefits yourself and your family by properly maintaining your home.

[Article courtesy of Investopedia/Yahoo! Finance]

5 New Year’s Resolutions For Your Home

We all start off the new year with the best intentions for self-improvement. And if your house could talk, it might have a few resolutions of its own. The good news is that these tasks are all relatively inexpensive and easier to accomplish than, say, exercising more or losing weight.

1. Change the furnace filter
A well-maintained furnace runs more efficiently. During the heating season filters should be checked monthly and cleaned or replaced as needed. Better disposable filters cost $10 to $30 but will last up to three months.

2. Check smoke and CO alarms
Batteries should be changed at least once a year. Smoke alarms usually need to be replaced every 10 years and carbon-monoxide alarms every five years. Check the alarm for its manufacture date. CO alarms should be on every level of your home, and smoke alarms should be in all bedrooms, hallways, the attic, and the basement. Remember, you need both smoke and CO alarms for the best protection.

3. Perform a radon test
After smoking, radon is a leading cause of lung cancer. Long-term test kits give you a more accurate idea of average radon levels, because levels can vary from day to day. Winter is a good time to test because doors and windows are likely to be closed and the home's stack effect is more likely to draw radon-containing soil gasses into the living space. Place the detector on the lowest level of your home.

4. Install a programmable thermostat
By automatically lowering the home's temperature by 5º to 10º F at night or when you're out, a programmable thermostat can pay for itself in less than a year. The trick is to get one that's easy to read and use. They can also help save on cooling costs.

5. Clean your humidifier
If dry indoor air in the winter has your humidifier working overtime, remember that it needs frequent cleaning. Minerals in tap water can cause an accumulation of scale, a breeding ground for bacteria. So check the owner's manual to see which parts need to be descaled with vinegar and disinfected with bleach. Filters and wicks also require periodic replacement. Hard water can increase scale buildup.

[Article courtesy of Consumer Reports magazine]