Custom Mountain Home Blog

Would you know what to do in the event of an emergency?  The following are some guidelines and recommendation to help you and your famil prepare for disaster.

Creating a 'defensible space' around your home is one of the most important and effective steps you can take to protect you, your family, and your home from catastrophic wildfire.  Defensible space is th earea between a structure and an oncoming wildfire where nearby vegetation has been modified to reduce a wildfires intensity.

 Firewise Construction involves using non-combustible building materials and keeping the area around your home free of debris. The following .pdf will describe each concept and offer alternative building materials that will reduce a home's risk to wildfire. Firewise construction and landscaping helped protect this home from wildfire.

Nearly every state has been devestated by wildfires in the last century. More than 140,000 wildfires occur on average each year.  Since 1990, more than 900 homes have been destroyed each year by wildfires.  So what can you do to protect yourself, your home, and property from wildfires?

Mountain residents often worry about the quality of their water.  Some people think of mountain water as the purest on earth, while others argue the effects of high levels of bacteria and othe contaminants.  One thing is known, the very nature of a mountain ground water system makes it vulnerable to contamination.

Grassfire Mitigation includes vegetation management, property management and prevention. The Colorado Springs Fire Department recommends creating at least 10 feet of separation immediately around the home as well as mowing grasses and weeds to a height of no more than 4 inches at least 30 feet from any structure, but not to extend beyond the property line. You can manage the vegetation beyond 30 feet as long as you do not encroach on your neighbor. Remember, you can't treat what you don't own!

Insurers and homeowners share a common goal of reducing exposure to losses from wildfires and ensuring that consumers have adequate homeowners coverage in place to recover from financial losses that can occur. It is very important to regularly revisit the amount of insurance carried on a home to be certain it is sufficient to cover a major loss. An annual insurance check up will help make sure you have enough insurance coverage to rebuild your home in the current construction market. 

The pounding of rain or hail, the fury of wind and the weight of snow and ice test the strength of a tree’s limbs, trunk and root system. The care you give your trees before and after a storm can be the key to their survival and keeping them from falling on your home, car or other valuable property.

Edible landscapes combine fruit and nut trees, berry bushes, vegetables, herbs, edible flowers and ornamental plants into aesthetically pleasing designs. The designs can incorporate any garden style and can include just a few, or be completely comprised of edible species.

The trees you choose to landscape your home not only add beauty, they can help cut energy costs by providing shade in the summer and buffering cold winds in the winter. Trees clean the air, reduce noise, create privacy and can increase a property’s value by improving the appearance. It is important to consider a number of factors when choosing the right trees for your particular environment and the best locations to plant trees in your yard.

Using porous pavement for a home's driveways, walkways, and patios has numerous benefits for the environment. For one, it helps recharge groundwater by allowing rain and snowmelt from paved surfaces to percolate into the soil. Porous pavement also reduces stormwater runoff and the contaminants that runoff carries. Further, the water that is absorbed into the soil is of a higher quality because porous pavement systems filter some pollutants out of the water before it's absorbed.

There is more to a home than its walls, insulation, and foundation--yards offer homebuyers space to relax, cook out, and enjoy nature. Homebuilders can think of a yard as an additional room of the home, requiring the same amount of planning and maintenance as the interior. Just as interior design elements help bring a home together, landscaping provides a finishing touch that makes a home feel complete.

It’s too easy these days to live almost exclusively in a climate-controlled, electronic world. Your days are spent going from air-conditioned house to car to workplace, with your ear glued to a cell phone or your fingers typing away on your personal digital assistant in between. But as people try to re-connect with nature, a new trend in home design — bringing the indoors outside— is emerging.

Care, patience and a little bit of knowledge can make the difference between a lush healthy lawn and an arid brown eyesore. But proper lawn care is more complicated than setting out a sprinkler every once in a while. You can water or fertilize a lawn too little or too much, and even the time of day matters.

After you have bought the new home of your dreams from your builder, you will probably immediately start thinking about personal decorating touches that you can add. When considering these personal touches, don't think just about the interior of the house.
The landscaping around it will also be very important. Trees can affect everything from your heating and cooling bills to your resale value -- some surveys have put this increased value in the range of 10 to 15 percent. Trees can produce shade, food, firewood or just a beautiful scene. They can also attract birds and other wildlife.

By following the best framing techniques when installing windows in the home, you can save time and money. Framing takes up a good part of your lumber costs; if done incorrectly, it can lead to expensive mistakes and rework. Fortunately, there's a better way to frame windows than the conventional method.

The way in which you install windows in a home greatly affects how well those windows perform. You need a good seal—one that guides water around the window opening and keeps the interior wall protected and dry. By using window flashing instead of caulk, you can increase protection from the weather for years to come.

After you have bought the new home of your dreams from your builder, you will probably immediately start thinking about personal decorating touches that you can add. When considering these personal touches, don't think just about the interior of the house.
The landscaping around it will also be very important. Trees can affect everything from your heating and cooling bills to your resale value -- some surveys have put this increased value in the range of 10 to 15 percent. Trees can produce shade, food, firewood or just a beautiful scene. They can also attract birds and other wildlife.

With the current emphasis on energy-efficient windows, the National Fenestration Rating Council has designed an energy-performance label to guide contractors and homeowners in their search for the perfect window. Since the climates in different parts of the United States vary widely, checking the label before ordering the window can make a big difference in how much the window can help your client keep energy costs to a minimum.

Choosing the best water heater for your home has become more challenging in recent years as new designs have swept the industry and rising energy costs have raised consum-ers’ eyebrows. In spite of the promise of the high-tech water heaters of the future, most folks in need of a water heater today still find themselves facing the same decision: tank or tankless?