Tag Archives: home maintenance services

HVAC repair and maintenance

HVAC Repair and Maintenance Tips

Heat may not be a top concern in the humid, muggy environment of South Florida, but central air conditioning certainly is! Your central air conditioner’s condensing unit, among other components of your Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVAC) system, needs regular care in order to function properly. If you value cool air and comfort in your home, then pay attention to the following HVAC repair and maintenance tips!

How To Repair & Maintain Your HVAC System

Fortunately, there are plenty of HVAC repairs that are easy and can be done on your own. Follow these steps to maintain your condensing unit on at least an annual basis, and call your local home repair service for any other HVAC repair and maintenance you need!

Shut Off the Power

First, you will need to shut off the condensing unit’s power supply. Open the switch box, which should be located next to the unit outside your house. Depending on the make and model of your condensing unit, you will need to do one of the following:

  • Unplug the box
  • Remove the fuse plug
  • Hit the switch that shuts down the power

You should also turn off the main service panel (which you may have repaired when investing for resale) and wait a few minutes to allow the charge to dissipate before moving forward.

Lubricate the Motor

There will be protective grilles on the side that must also be removed. Unscrew the top and side panels and pull the grille away. Do not remove it, but rather support it on top of the fan lightly and carefully. Then, drop some lubricating oil into the ports located above the fan blade.

Clean the Coils

The next phase of HVAC repair and maintenance is cleaning the condenser coils. Be sure not to bend or warp them as you are clearing away any leaves, sticks or dust. Using a soft bristle head attachment, also vacuum the exteriors of the coil fins and also any debris on the bottom of your condensing unit. Use a hose with a gun to lightly wash the inside of the coils.

Finishing Touches

Finally, reposition the grille covers and make sure your unit sits level with the ground. Use a leveling tool and if it is not level, adjust the feet to make it so. Once your unit is level, wait about 3 hours before you turn the power back on. Reconnect the switch and turn on the service panel. Turn your unit to cool — and voila! Cold air for everyone in your house to enjoy!

Prevent weed growth

How to Prevent Weed Growth Between Pavers

If you ave installed paving stones on your driveway, walkway or patio, your pavers already look more magnificent than anyone else’s. Interlocking paving stones have a significant elegance about them, and you will want to keep them looking that way. That’s why it is so important to prevent weed growth between your pavers to ensure they stay flush and appealing.

Preventive Maintenance Against Weed Growth

There is no question that weeds will destroy the appearance of your pavement. You’ve spent the time and money to make your paving stones look better than asphalt and concrete, and the last thing you want is for that to be destroyed by weeds. But this is also a matter of convenience. Removing weeds once they’ve grown is an extremely mind-numbing time-consuming task, so make sure to prevent weed growth from occurring in the first place.

Why Do Weeds Grow Between Pavers?

First, you must understand how this can occur. Weeds are extremely tricky to prevent because they do not grow as most flora do. Wherever there is available soil, seedlings will drop and replicate at an exponential rate. Even if your paving stones were installed by the best paving service available, there will still be crevices that weeds will find to grow.

How to Prevent Weed Growth

When it comes to preventing weed growth between your pavers, the best defense is a good offense. Rid your pavers of weed seedlings before they get a chance to grow by:

  • Regularly taking the time to sweep your pavers (at least once a week), making sure the bristles are deep enough to get between the pavers and in the crevices.
  • Making sure your pavers have a sufficiently declining slope (about 4′ away from your home for every 1″ decline), which will also prevent roof leakage and wet basements.

Dealing With Weed Growth

If you have failed to prevent weed growth between your pavers, fear not — all hope is not lost! Follow these steps to remedy the problem ASAP:

  1. Weed by weed, use your hands to pull and dispose of the larger weeds. Make sure you pull by the roots so they do not grow back.
  2. You can use a pressure washer for the remaining weeds. It is okay to wash away the joint sand as you pressure wash your pavers, but do not erode their bedding layer.
  3. You can use something as commonplace as boiling water or vinegar to destroy the roots and seedlings. However, vinegar may be corrosive, so check your bedding layer material and make sure the solution you are using is okay.
  4. Finally, allow the pavers to dry and refill the joints with sand.
Roof Leak Repair

Roof Leak Repairs & Troubleshooting Tips

Few things in life are more frustrating than roof leaks. And given South Florida’s status as the rain and hurricane capital of the nation, few homeowners have yet to experience this headache. The good news is that roof leak repairs are simple to get through. With the proper guidance, you can troubleshoot your way through almost any leak and fix it on your own.

Roof Leak Repairs 101

There are any number of reasons your roof may be leaking: improper installations, mage that has remained hidden or neglected for too long, etc. Nevertheless, the problem will usually boil down to a single issue in 9 out of 10 cases: flashing.

Flashing & Roof Leak Repairs

For those who are unfamiliar with the term, “flashing” is the primary form of waterproofing roofs. A flashing material (be it aluminum, steel or another metal) is installed in certain areas, such as seams and joints in the roofing, where water naturally flows toward. In so doing, flashing deflects the runoff and prevents leaks. Flashing that is not installed or maintained correctly is usually the prime suspect in a case of a leaking roof.

Troubleshooting Roof Leaks Repairs

You will want to identify the exact source of defective flashing on your roof, which can be any number of the following points.

Chimneys

A prime indication that your chimney’s flashing needs repair is when water stains are concentrated on the ceiling but away from the walls. The problem may be that:

  • The flashing material has been dented or bent
  • The metal has begun to rust
  • Your roof itself may have a loose brick

Roof Valley

As mentioned before, water naturally gravitates toward the vertex of downward sloping planes. If you notice the leak on your ceiling below a valley, then it should be the focus of your roof leak repair. You should make sure the underlayment of your valley’s flashing is properly overlapped by higher flashing (check with the manufacturer for specific measurements). Also, ensure that the underlayment was not installed too closely to the valley itself.

Vents

Some houses also have plumbing vents installed on their roofs. If you do, make sure the vents are properly flashed with rubber or metal. If lack any flashing on your vents, then make sure you hire a professional contractor to install on for you.

Installing home insulation

Getting The Right Home Insulation

Insulation is a key component in home maintenance, and the practical reason is twofold. First of all, it’s a matter of comfort. In South Florida, home insulation determines how much cold air is let out, as well as how much hot air is let in. It’s also an economic concern (as well as an environmental one), as insufficient insulation will undoubtedly cause your energy bills to rise.

How Home Insulation Works

To find the right insulation for your home, you need to know about its “R-Value.” This is the standard measure of an insulating material’s resistance to heat flow, defined as heat transfer (difference in temperature) divided by a period of time. Simply put – higher R-Values translate to better insulation. And whether or not you know it, each room in your house has a recommended R-Value, so be sure to check with your contractor or maintenance/repair man on whether you have the right one.

Different Types of Insulation

When finding the right home insulation, another factor to consider is the type of insulation. As a jumping off point, here are the types utilized in homes accredited by the nonprofit Energy Star:

Batt Insulation

  • What: Made of fiberglass or another mineral fiber , which are then fitted into blankets of different thicknesses.
  • Where: Installed within walls to fill in any gaps or crevices.

Blow-In Insulation

  • What: Made of cellulose or fiberglass that is blown in with a hose.
  • Where: Completely and evenly fills the walls in an attic.

Sprayed/Injected Foam Insulation

  • What: Synthetic insulation that is generally composed of polystyrene and/or polyurethane foam that is expanded or fashioned into large sheets after manufacture. It is also available as a spray foam.
  • Where: Can be injected in basements, crawlspaces, and walls outside. As a sprayable foam, it can also be used to fill insulation cavities anywhere throughout the house.
Dark and wet basement

Wet Basements: Problems & Solutions

There are few things in life more nerve-wracking than a wet basement. By “wet,” we don’t necessarily mean a basement that has flooded. That would be stressful enough, yet easy to fix with a wet vacuum. Rather, wet means damp — just wet enough to cause odors and mold, yet not enough to easily fix with everyday appliances.

Why Basements Get Wet in Florida

Wet basements are fairly common in Florida. While in other places they may be caused by the melting of wet snow, in Florida they are due to the pervasive rain and humidity. If the basement of your South Florida home is wet, one of two culprits is usually to blame: condensation or runoff.

Condensation

The Problem

It’s easy to see how condensation may lead to wet basements (especially in Florida), where the air is particularly humid. Condensation is the opposite of evaporation (liquid turning into vapor due to heat). Moist air leaks from the warm outdoors into the cool indoors whose walls and pipes lack sufficient insulation. It turns from vapor into liquid again, manifesting as puddles or droplets on the floor.

The Solution

A basement that is wet from condensation must be dealt with immediately to prevent mold, mildew, rust, and a whole host of other problems. The first thing you should do is open any windows and turn all the fans on in the basement. For problems of a larger scale, you may even want to invest in a dehumidifier.

The key to avoiding condensation is maintaining a balanced temperature between the indoors and outdoors. As stated above, a major cause is lack of insulation, so make sure to have your local home maintenance service perform an installation.

Runoff

The Problem

Being the state that rarely stops raining, it is no surprise that Florida is also home to many a wet basement caused by runoff. Many may wonder, “But isn’t that what downspouts are for?” The answer is yes, that is exactly what gutters and spouts are for. However, they have to be in good shape in order to effectively divert rain runoff from your home and your basement.

The Solution

  • Make sure your downspout isn’t clogged, as the overflow can easily send water leaking into your basement.
  • As mentioned in our post about installing interlocking paver stones, effective runoff requires a slope of at least 1 vertical inch for every 1 foot away from your house. Grab a measuring tape and make sure your slope is consistent with these measurements.
  • It may be the case that your wet basement’s foundation is leaking. Check your local hardware store to see which caulk would be most effective for patching it up, given its material and the size of any cracks in it.
kitchen remodeling in Boca West

Boca West Home Services

Boca West home services are a vital part of luxury living in this beautiful Boca Raton development. Even if CCM did not build your house, we are here to service anything it needs at any time. This includes renovation, remodeling, home repair, maintenance, and more!

Boca West Home Improvement Services

Boca West is a a planned development and country club in the South Florida paradise of Boca Raton. For the 3,000 people that call it home, renovation, maintenance and repair are absolute necessities. Nothing spoils life in your luxury house like a light that needs repair or a faucet that’s leaking. Fortunately, CCM is here to attend to anything your home needs.

Boca West Renovation Renovation & Remodeling

Renovation and remodeling are at the core of the Boca West home improvement services that CCM offers. We can repair or renew your old home, add something new, or both! Two of the most popular home services requested in Boca West are kitchen and bathroom remodeling. Here is what we can do for your kitchen and/or bathroom.

Kitchen Remodeling

kitchen remodeling in Boca West

Boca West kitchen remodeling with CCM can make your kitchen look like revitalized and personal!

CCM will help you update or refurbish your kitchen. Some ideas for your Boca West kitchen remodeling are:

  • Add mosaic tiles
  • For more sophisticated countertops, remodel them with granite or marble
  • For more stylish countertops, remodel them with stainless steel or limestone
  • Install racks and drawers for all your utensils and cookware
  • Maximize storage space with your cabinets
  • Choose vibrant colors to make your kitchen unique and personal

Bathroom Remodeling

Bathroom remodeling is also a core Boca West home service that CCM provides. Some of our most popular bathroom remodeling services include:

  • Environmentally efficient plumbing fixtures and shower heads
  • Double vanities to add more storage
  • Retiling your bathroom floor
  • Stone or granite tiles for your shower
  • Adding color and panache to your counter and walls to make your bathroom truly elegant

Boca West Home Repair & Maintenance

Home repair and maintenance are another type of our Boca West home services. They can be just as vital as kitchen and/or bathroom remodeling. For Boca West home repair and maintenance, we can fix, maintain or repair any part of your house.

Boca West Home Repair

home repair in Boca West

Whether it’s repair or home additions, CCM will take care of all your Boca West home service needs!

Our Boca West home repairs are always convenient and efficient, and we get your home running in tip-top shape in no time. Here are some of the most popular home repairs we offer:

  • Air conditioning repair
  • Plumbing repair
  • Retiling
  • Window and door repair

No matter how bad you think your home might be, we work hard to return it to the luxury home of your dreams!

Boca West Home Maintenance

With our home maintenance in Boca West, we can improve or upgrade your home in any way you wish. This often means:

  • Building patios, decks and walkways
  • Hurricane-proofing your windows and doors with impact resistant material
  • Landscaping you exterior
  • Making your home more environmentally and energy efficient.
  • Repainting and re-tiling any area of your house.
home maintenance services to make your home green

10 Home Maintenance Services to Make Your Home Green

Home maintenance services by CCM are designed to take your South Florida luxury home and make it even better. This can mean any number of things: from painting to redecorating to making your home green. In fact, homeowners are becoming more and more interested in how to make their home green and energy efficient. Here are 10 South Florida home maintenance services that will do just that.

Appliances

energy star

Energy Star logo” by United States Environmental Protection Agency – This vector image was created by converting the Encapsulated PostScript file available at Brands of the World. Remember not all content there is in general free, see Commons:Fair use for more.. Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

Appliances (refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, etc.) are everyday items that use more energy than we often realize. However, you can save both money and energy by upgrading your appliances to ENERGY STAR rated products. ENERGY STAR is an international standard for green household appliances that was begun by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Upgrading to their rated appliances can save big (e.g. 20% on refrigerators and 41% on dishwashers).

 

HVAC Systems

HVAC repairENERGY STAR rated HVAC systems can also reduce your energy use — but there’s a catch. It has to be installed properly! That’s why HVAC upgrades and installations are one of the crucial South Florida home maintenance services that CCM offers.

Insulation

Insulation is a great way to make your home greenBad insulation is a great way to waste energy…but fixing it is a great way to make your home more energy efficient. CCM will not only install better insulation with environment-friendly materials. As part of our South Florida home maintenance services, we will thoroughly inspect your insulation to make sure there are no gaps that lead to wasted energy.

Landscaping

Custom landscaping can actually make your home greenIt may not seem like it, but custom landscaping and South Florida home maintenance services go hand-in-hand when it comes to making your house green. The environmental benefits are numerous: from blocking sunlight (which keeps your house cool) to reducing the water you use in irrigation.

Lighting

Home maintenance services with CCM even includes switching lightbulbsReplacing your lightbulbs and installing new ones is a simple yet effective way to make your home green. CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps) are a great way to accomplish this. They’re not much more expensive than incandescents, but they’re about 4-5x more energy efficient. If you don’t mind spending a bit more, you can install LEDs (light-emitting diodes), which can be as much as 80% more efficient!

Plumbing

Plumbing is one of the most important home maintenance servicesA variety of plumbing repairs and services are at the core of CCM’s South Florida home maintenance services. We can install shower heads that reduce water. In addition, we’ll upgrade your current toilets to low-flow plumbing fixtures. Energy efficient plumbing fixtures can cut your water use in half…and toilets use over 25% of your house’s water. You do the math!

Solar Panels

Installing solar panels is an essential South Florida home maintenance serviceThe average solar panel will convert about 20% of exposed sunlight into usable energy for your home, which leads to HUGE savings! Buying and installing them usually aren’t cheap, but the tax credits and energy rebates they give you is more than enough to make up for this. For this reason alone, solar panel installations have become indispensable South Florida home maintenance services.

Thermostat

CCM's home maintenance services include setting thermostatsOne of the simplest ways to make your home green is to simply reduce the AC or heat on your thermostat. So why don’t people just do that? The fact is that most of us are too busy to be concerned with this. However, CCM can program and install a thermostat that automatically reduces this unneeded energy.

Water Heater

"Water heater bathroom" by User:Mattes - Own work. Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

Water heater bathroom” by User:MattesOwn work. Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

Hot water and making your home green may clash when it comes to hot water. On the one hand, taking a relaxing bath is part of living in a South Florida luxury home. On the other, there is the environmental impact. However, you can resolve this by having CCM install a tankless water heater in your home, which can cut your energy bill in half!

Windows

Home maintenance with CCM includes window installationThere are many South Florida home maintenance services that will make your windows more energy efficient. One popular way is double-glazing, which uses two panels of glass separated by gas to trap heat and insulate your home. In addition, consider buying wood-framed windows rather than UPVC-framed ones.