Trash & Recycle Info

 Have you seen coyotes in the neighborhood?

Here are some tips from the City of Coppell.
Coyote Awareness Program

Mosquito Prevention & West Nile Virus

Carol Primeaux with the City of Coppell Environmental Health Department met with us to look at our spillways and discuss mosquito prevention and West Nile Virus.
Here are bullet points from the meeting.  Meeting with Carol Primeaux 

Here is some more info:
ChikungunyaDengueZika_comparison.pdf
FighttheBitesApr2015_000.pdf
HOA letter.pdf

Brick Replacement for Homes with ACME Brick:

If your home was built using ACME brick, that brick has a 100 year warranty from Acme.  If there are any problems with the brick, you deal directly with Acme for the repairs.  I know that Lennar homes used Acme, and I suspect the other builder used Acme also.

The bricks at the entrance way to my house are spalling (peeling off in thin layers like flakey biscuits).  Here are a couple pictures of the problem.  I have noticed other homes in the neighborhood with the same problem.

We called several masons out to fix the problem and were quoted up to $2,000 for the repairs.  Ouch!!!!

The solution is to call Acme Brick in Fort Worth. Once connected, ask for Customer Service and report the problem to them.  They actually have everything on file, so once to give them your address; they can tell you what brick is on the house.

In most cases the brick will no longer be in production and out of inventory. What they do is substitute a brick that is close to the color and size of the original brick, and then stain it to match.  After talking to the reps, they confirm that it is almost impossible to tell the stained brick from the original brick.

Once they take the report you will be contacted by Acme to confirm the problem.  They will then send out a Customer Service rep to verify the problem.  Once approved by Acme, they send masons out to check the extent of the problem.  At that point, you are on your way to getting the bricks replaced by Acme – AT NO CHARGE TO YOU (i.e. free). Their masons replace and stain the brick, and match the grout to the existing grout.

For us, the entire process has taken 5 weeks.  We have been approved for the repairs and are awaiting confirmation from the masons.

Contact:  Phone (817) 332-4101   – E-mail   contact@brick.com

I suggest calling them – they were really helpful and have excellent customer service skills

Termites:

We do have termites in this area.  Termite damage is easily recognized by what looks like lines of mud running up the side of your house or wooden fence.

Termites can get into your house through crack in your foundation slab.  Many of the houses in our subdivision have cracks at the corners of the house.  I fixed mine by digging a hole around the are to expose the slab.  Then I used “Liquid Nail” to caulk the cracks.  If you suspect that you have termites in your house, call a termite company.  I called Barrett Pest Control listed below.  Since it appeared that I only had termites in my fence, I just had them treat that area only.  I then bought professional termite bait stations (on e-bay) and installed them around the house.  Advance Termite Bate System

Air Conditioner Drip Lines:

The air conditioner unit in your attic has two condensate
drip lines.  The primary line is tied into a sink drain.  The other is an overflow line and is routed to the side of the house.  If you see water dripping from it constantly when your air conditioner is on, that means your primary line is clogged.  Mine dripped so much, I routed it into by downspout.  Letting it drip constantly on the ground is a bad thing because it invites termites!

 

Please note, the rerouting of the drip line is not recommended by A/C repairmen because they say the dripping is supposed to signal you that the primary line is clogged.  In my case, I see the water dripping out of the downspout when I’m in the yard.  You decide what’s best for you.  It was pointed out that putting a little bleach in the primary drip line once a year will help keep it from getting clogged.  Attached is a photo of where the drip line is tied into the wife’s sink in the master bath.  You will need to pull the J-trap apart and drain to get to it and clean it out.

Attic Fans: 

In the summer time, my attic can get to be 120 deg F. or more.
I have 6 mushroom roof vents  and 16 soffit vents around the perimeter of the house.  Installing an attic fan can increase the airflow through your attic and reduce your cooling bill.  You can either install wired fans or solar fans.  The drawback to solar fans is that they are not as powerful and don’t work when there is no sun.  The advantage to a solar fan is that they are easy to install.  I chose to install a wired fan because I want the fan to run at night to cool down the attic.  I also chose a fan with a thermostat and an automatic cut-off incase of fire.  I purchased it at the Lowe’s in Lewisville for $129 and am having the Roof Doctor (listed below) install it for $150.

Soil:

The soil in this part of Texas has a very high clay content and is highly expansive.  When it gets wet, it expands; when it gets dry it contracts.  Why is that important to you?  For a couple of reasons.  When that happens, the soil moves and can do things like break sprinkler lines or cause cracks in your foundation slab.