March 2018

Willis Sinclair Homes

The Lowcountry’s Premier Custom Home Builder”


Little George (1½ years old) is sporting his “diploma” (aka cast) from the School of Hard Knocks!

24 Gabriel Road

Lodge, South Carolina 29082

www.WillisSinclair.com

Sales@WillisSinclair.com

843 846 2500



March 2018

Number 49


From the desk

of Abbey …

Hello!

I hope all of you survived our colder winter without any broken pipes or damage! With all of our cold weather I thought I would go over just a few things that may help you the next time fall/winter comes around.

‘Frost-proof” hose-bib covers are a good idea if you aren’t going to be staying at the house for some of this season. They work well as long as the covers fit right up against the siding or trim. There are a few locations on some homes that trickling the water will be the only option because the cover will not protect the spigots from freezing since they will not seat against the home properly.

It is always advised to disconnect hoses from the spigots if the temperatures are expected to drop below freezing. You can trickle your spigot, but don’t try to trickle it through your hose because it will only end up freezing in your hose and possibly causing a larger problem.

It is safer to make sure that your well is covered too. If you have an outside metal holding tank and it is too large to cover or if it is not worthwhile building a structure around it, then covering it with a blanket may be just enough to protect it. The important thing is that if you cover it, make sure whatever you use makes contact with the ground all the way around. It is the heat from the ground that keeps your tank, or almost anything, from freezing.

An issue we have had is that air conditioners located under roof drip lines can ice up. The water drips onto the blades, freezes, the blades get out of balance and won’t spin, then the unit cannot run properly and it ices up. All is not lost though because although your outside unit may not run, the inside unit can keep the house temperature pretty well maintained. However, that happens because Emergency Heat kicks in, which, as many of you know, can get expensive quickly!

It would probably be a good idea to make sure your gardener has prepared your flowers and plants to withstand the fall/winter. Some plants require little to no preventative measures because it seldom gets very cold, for very long here in the South. I remember preparing our roses for winter by just mounding dirt (cow manure/compost) around them after the first freeze; that was after we cut them back so they could “hibernate” for winter.

As some of you know we are building three homes, we have several smaller projects going and we have a couple more in the pipeline. Although we are busy I hope you will always feel that if there is anything you need or want to discuss, we are always available. It is our goal to take care of our customer’s concerns in the quickest and most efficient way possible!

I try to make a note of everything I am asked to take care of but I don’t mind an email, text or phone call to make sure I haven’t forgotten something you asked or wanted me/us to do. I appreciate the help remembering! Thank you for your patience and support! I look forward to working with each of you this year!!


How Should Your Job Site Look?

Why does the appearance of your job site matter? The answer is similar to looking at a job applicant’s appearance. Generally what an applicant looks like on the outside is a good reflection of what is on the inside.

A job site appearance similarly gives you an idea of the builder’s quality.

Litter & personal trash

Is there litter on your site? How about cigarette butts, empty water bottles or lunch containers? Is trash caught in your barrier fence?

Dumpster


Look who is casing a dumpster on one of our job sites as this is being written on January 30, 2018!


Dumpster covers are required by some plantation or subdivision rules, but that does not always happen. There are a couple of reasons for covering the dumpster (in addition to the fact it is required). One is to keep loose trash from blowing out of the dumpster. A cover also discourages animals (particularly racoons) from digging out old lunch containers or other potential food treats.

While writing this, I noticed an uninvited visitor at one of our dumpsters: a racoon.

The dumpster should also not be filled over the top nor have debris falling out of the container.

Fencing


The black silt fence helps prevent soil erosion from getting into the waterways.

Typically, there are three types of fence on your site. Along the road you will probably have a split rail or board fence. Is the fence in good order? It is stained or painted? Does it look like the builder cares about the appearance of the fence?


Materials are staged and covered on one of our sites. Notice the green barrier fencing on the left.


You will likely have a silt fence (required by our county) to prevent runoff from draining into waterways. Your silt fence should be erect. The bottom edge of the silt fence should be buried so runoff cannot go beneath the fencing.

The barrier fence is to keep workers from wandering off the site. It should be erect and well maintained.

Materials

During the early stages of construction, materials will be in the yard. Are they stacked neatly and covered? Can workers locate the materials they need quickly. Are “drops” (scrap pieces) cleaned up daily? Allowing building material to get wet can cause them to warp or twist.

Is the yard cluttered with discarded materials that should be neatly stacked or discarded? The yard should be tidy.

Are any used boards in the yard either free of nails or do they have the nails bent over so there is no chance of someone stepping on a nail?

Job Sign


Here is a job sign on one of our sites. It lists the owner (redacted), the builder (us), the architect or designer and landscaper.


Does your job site have a neat and professional looking sign? Here where we build, the green color of the sign is specified as is the yellow lettering.

Inside home

How does your home look as it is being built? Is it full of sawdust and debris or is it swept and cleaned regularly. Are there cigarette butts and personal trash in the house? If your workers don’t respect your future home, what kind of job will they do?

Do the windows and doors get closed in the evening just in case there is a rainstorm?

Grass

Is your builder keeping the grass neatly trimmed or does your site look like a jungle? Is it neatly trimmed? In the winter, this is not a problem, but during the warmer months (most of the year for us), the grass grows quickly.

Deep grass looks unkempt. It also hides debris or hazards.

Supervision

Probably one of the most important things to check is how often a builder will have a representative on your job site. Do they just “fire and forget” or do they closely manage a job.

Granted a supervisor does not need to be on the job 24/7, but they need to regularly check on the job to make sure sufficient materials are in place and to make sure construction is done well.

The Easiest Way to Have a Great Job Site

Obviously, hiring us to build your home will insure that you have a great looking job site!

Willis Sinclair Homes

We can do it!

Call Us: 843 846 2500

Willis: 843 599 9056

Abbey: 843 599 2302

info@willissinclair.com

www.willissinclair.com

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