Parrish Construction

Archive for the ‘Insurance- Home’ Category

Preventing Fire: Practical Precautions

Monday, July 25th, 2011 Posted in Building Codes/Regulations, Disaster-Fire, Electrical, Fall, Insurance- Home, New Construction, Remodels/Additions, Roofing/Ceilings, Safety Hazards, Summer, Timely Home Upgrades | No Comments »

[caption id="attachment_3702" align="alignright" width="300" caption="© Justinjohnson555 | Dreamstime.com"][/caption] There's almost nothing more frightening to a homeowner than the threat of fire. This fall's Fourmile and other fires were not caused by the individual homeowners they affected, but they've got us thinking ...

Q—We’re building a new fence and will be digging post holes soon. How can we find out if there are any buried utilities in the way?

Saturday, June 18th, 2011 Posted in Building Permits, Disaster-Fire, DIY Home Improvements, Electrical, Exterior Remodeling, FAQ, Flooding, Insurance- Home, Landscaping, Plumbing, Safety Hazards, Summer | No Comments »

A—Anyone who damages an underground utility such as electric lines, cable television, telephone, sewer, gas, or water lines is liable for damages. Fortunately, you can protect yourself by making a single telephone call to an organization which will notify all ...

Q: Last spring I had a flood in my basement from a broken water pipe. The plumber said it was caused by a frozen yard faucet. Why did it wait until spring to leak?

Thursday, March 17th, 2011 Posted in Advice to Clients, Basements, DIY Home Improvements, FAQ, Flood, Flooding, Handyman/Small Jobs, Insurance- Home, Money-Saving Tips, Safety Hazards, Spring, Timely Home Upgrades, Winter | No Comments »

A: “Frost proof” sillcocks are designed with a long extension tube to allow the water valve to shut off deep inside the wall where the heat of the house will keep the water from freezing. If the garden hose is ...

Q: Every Spring, we get water in our basement. Is there anything we can do to prevent this from happening again this year?

Friday, April 2nd, 2010 Posted in FAQ, Flood, Flooding, Insurance- Home, Landscaping, Seasonal Considerations, Spring | No Comments »

A: In my experience, most water problems in basements are caused by improper channeling of surface water away from the foundation. If water from downspouts, roof runoff, or adjacent landscaping is allowed to pond near the foundation, it can saturate ...

Q—We’re going to build a new house this year, and would like to supply some of the materials in the house to save money. Will contractors let us do this?

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010 Posted in Construction Contract, Construction Costs, Costs, DIY Home Improvements, FAQ, Handyman/Small Jobs, Insurance- Home, Materials- Construction, Money-Saving Tips, New Construction | No Comments »

A—Many contractors are willing to negotiate such an arrangement within reason—if you accept responsibility for the installation of the items you supply, and the project schedule is not impacted by late arrival or installation problems. Builders and subcontractors are naturally reluctant ...

Q–We are thinking about getting an emergency generator. Could we wire one directly into our breaker panel?

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010 Posted in Disaster-Fire, Electrical, FAQ, Flood, Heating/Cooling, Insurance- Home, Lighting, Safety Hazards | No Comments »

A—This is a job for a professional electrician like Crystal Electric. It would involve installation of a special switch that would disconnect main power while simultaneously connecting your generator to one or two appropriate circuits—typically supplying only emergency needs such ...