Apartment Dry Rot Repairs by Sacramento General Contractor

As we head into the rainy season, many of the apartment communities in the Sacramento area have realized that they may have dry rot repairs that still need to be addressed before the rains. These areas of rotted wood, if not corrected, can lead to further water damages. Apartment managers and owners need to be aware that the rains are coming and any repairs need to be started soon.

Where does dry rot occur? Wood will rot if left unprotected, or exposed to frequent or continuous moisture. Siding and trim boards on the south side of buildings get a lot of extreme weather. The weathering of these painted or stained surfaces can lead to those surfaces to be unprotected and at risk of water and dry rot damages.

Wood exposed to irrigation water and rain water can weaken the protected wood and lead to water damage. Checking for these weakened areas, may expose problem areas that can be corrected if caught soon. Similarly, wood that is in contact with soil is especially at risk of dry rot. Wood should not come in contact with soil.

If you are in the Sacramento area and need help with dry rot or water damages, Tromler Construction can help in detecting, and correcting these problems. We specialize in this sort of repairs and are more than willing to help.

We can be reached at 916.765.5366

 

Tromler Construction

Sacramento County

El Dorado County

Placer County

Yolo County

Sacramento Apartment Community Improvements By Placerville General Contractor

 

 

We have been given the opportunity to do some property improvements at several Apartment communities in the Sacramento area this year. We specialize in water damage and dry rot problem, and that is exactly what we have been doing. It’s not exactly a glamorous job but it is what we have been doing as a general contractor for many years now.

Most of the calls that we get are out of necessity. Repairs are needed before painting, moisture intrusion problem, or safety concerns top the list of reasons why property owners and managers call Tromler Construction. But you don’t have to wait until things are a necessity. We have looked at several communities to find potential problem areas. If we can help determine what can be changed now to prevent future dry rot or water damage, we can help with that too.

We look forward to an ongoing relationship with apartment community owners and property managers that can use our services. Maybe we can be helpful to someone you know.

Keep us in mind.

Enjoy this day!

 

 

 

 

Countertops – Estimated Cost For Corian Counters

I recently can across this site for estimating the cost of Corian Countertops. By getting an estimate of what the costs may be, perhaps I can save myself, and the owners, time by having an early estimate of the cost involved with the installation of this type of counters.

Du Pont, the maker of Corian, has a web site for the estimation of cost for their product.

Here is a link to that site:

Corian® Kitchen Countertop Installed Price Estimator

Water Intrusion Problems Must Be Repaired

I am constantly reminded of the need to repair water related problems to homes, apartments, and commercial buildings. The building itself is not the issue, water will do damage to property, any property, if not corrected. During these winter months and the rainy season, water intrusion can start to show in ways that can lead to escalating damage as time goes by.

General Contractor can catch problems early!

I recently was called to repair some drywall in a storage closet that had some discoloration. Opening the wall exposed a leak in the unit above. The leak was coming through the exterior concrete decking, the hot mopped tar had failed. It was raining at the time and I noticed that the gutters had a small hole and water was streaming onto the concrete deck. In examining the hole, I noticed that the gutter was full of water because the downspout was clogged.

All of these things need to be addressed by the owner. Whether they do or not is not up to me. The clogged downspout causes water to flow in the wrong places – like down the wall and inside the building. The small hole caused splashing water to hit the building, doors and trim. The failed hot mopped tar will allow water to leak inside that storage closet until it is fixed. The drywall will continue to get wet, produce mildew and mold, and will need to be replaced regularly.

Most water intrusion problems can be done at minimal cost if detected and addressed in the early stages – before the damages have grown. This requires owners and managers to regularly inspect the property. A qualified contractor can help point out the areas that need to be watched. There are qualified contractors in your area that would probably be willing to do this type of inspection for you at no cost to you. It certainly would not hurt to give them a call.

Placerville General Contractor Repairs Stairs And Decks For Apartment Complex In Sacramento

It is not impossible to find a general contractor willing to work on stairs and decks in an apartment community, but it can be difficult sometimes.

Experience in doing the work, liability insurance, ability to plan project and frustration in working in busy work environments can eliminate many contractors from the pool of available tradesmen. If you are in need of a general contractor and manage a community what can you do?

Well, you can start by contacting other communities in your area, they may have contractors on a list that they can pass on to you. Contact these businesses and ask all the right questions. Are you insured? Do you have experience in doing this work? Do you have references? If you find someone, get started. A good general contractor can go a long way in making your job a lot easier.

Good Luck in you search.

Searching For General Contractors To Work At Apartment Communities

It’s hard sometimes to find the right general contractor for construction in an apartment community. The work is a little different working around a number of residents, hundreds of cars, multiple schedules; much different than working for a homeowner in a residential community. People are curious to see what is being done, they like to watch and ask questions.

There are many issues with working within the apartments. Safety is high on that list. It’s not unusual for people to walk up, cross barricades, signs, and caution tape just to see what you are doing. their intension is not to get hurt but they are in an unsafe work zone. Constant observation of the surrounding work space is necessary.

People are coming and going at all times of the day. Where you park, what is on the ground, and being available to move out of the way is another burden that the general contractor must face on a daily basis.

Also, scheduling with the office, notifying the residents in advance, planning the work crew to best serve the management of the community is vitally inportant. If it is not an emergency situation, the contractor can not just drop by and start a project.

The list can go on and on. Some general contractor are willing to do this sort of work. Working under pressure to complete in a timely fashion. Planning out the job to produce the least amount of disruption to the management and residents of the apartment complex. And be grateful for the work.

Drainage Pipe Leak – This One Is Not Uncommon!

So you move into your home or apartment and start to get the pictures and things hung up on the walls, sometimes with nails, sometimes with screws. The key to getting things to look “just right” often times means centering on the wall, or above the television, or toilet. That’s right, I said toilet. This post deals with this location specifically.

It is common for an upstairs toilet to share the same drain line as the downstairs. Two bathrooms, one above the other, very common in apartment because they have the same floorplan. This drain line is centered on the toilet. I recently came across an apartment unit that was moist on the wall above the toilet.

The previous tenant had hung something centered above the toilet with a screw that drove through the plastic drain pipe. What are the odds of this happening? Well this pipe had 4 holes in it at different spots, I’d say the odds are higher than I originally thought.

Usually the pipes are set back far enough to eliminate this problem with the drain pipe, but that’s not always possible. The real “kicker” is that the problem does not start until the screw of nail is removed. In most homes and apartments, that means when the tenant or homeowner moves out.

The good news is that this can be fixed.

Problem solved!

A Non-Smoking Apartment Community?

I don’t know of any apartment communities that are non-smoking, but apparently this may soon change. I read an article in Unit Magazine that was very interesting. I know what kind of damage that smoking can do to the smoker and those around them. That is documented and common sense to most of us.

The problem that the smoker brings to an apartment community is not as well understood. For example, the nicotine collects on the surfaces within the unit making it more difficult to restore when the tenant moves out. The odor can linger despite rigorous attempts at removing the smell. If you’ve stayed in a hotel which has that nasty aroma, you know what I’m talking about.

Interestingly, the article states that tenants would be willing to spend more for a smoke-free community. Apparently there is a demand for this kind of housing. Housing that is more comfortable, safer, with the rights of the non-smoker in mind.

The lawmakers have already begun making changes for this change. California is included in the list of states on this bandwagon. I don’t smoke but personally I would prefer to live in a smoke-free environment.

Here is a link to that article!

Cracked Drainage Pipe Repair In Placerville

 

As a General Contractor, I am called to look at all sorts of repairs and improvements to properties. Dry Rot and Water Damage Repair is my job of choice, not because it is glamorous and sexy, but rather because its messy and disgusting. High on the list of messy and disgusting repairs usually involves the drainage pipes. If one of these cracks, you have a situation. Anything that you wash, rinse, soak, flush, or dispose down a drain flows through the drain pipes. Obviously, you don’t want this kind of leak for very long. But why do pipes crack?

Drainage Pipes installed in the last several decades have been primarily ABS pipe. This black plastic pipe is used in most residential construction today.

Drainage pipes break or leak for a number of reason. Here are a few…

1.  Nail and screw holes. I’ve see several cases where people have used a long nail to hang a picture and the nail hit and punctured the drain pipe.

2. Pipes that have been hit with great force. Know anyone who drove to far into the garage and hit the wall? In many homes, that wall is the laundry room with drain pipes within the wall.

3. Poor installation. The pipes were not glued correctly when originally installed. Sometimes the pipes were never glued at all!

4. Drainage Pipes that are bent to fit. These plastic pipes have some flexiblity. Pipes that maintain constant pressure will eventually crack under the stress.

5. Manufacturers defects. There has been cases were manufacturers have produced defective pipes and or glue. If you have several areas on your property with breakage and cracking, you may want to check into this possibility.

These are just 5 examples of how drainage pipes can leak or crack. The important thing is to identify that you have a leak and get it corrected as soon as possible.

Sacramento, Cameron Park, Placerville

Gutter Maintenance And Repairs

There is truth in what I have to say here. Gutters do not last forever, but you can extend its life by doing some things during the year.

Nobody seems to notice when the gutters on our homes are functioning correctly. During the heavy storms, tons of water comes racing down the roof and into the metal gutters and flows smoothly downstream into the downspout and away from the home. It’s a perfect system of water collection and placement. Over time, debris gets into the system. Leaves, sticks, dirt, maybe even a tennis ball, can all start to accumulate and ruin the perfect gutter / downspout physics. You can’t see it from the ground but a bunch of stuff can get into the mix. Once things stop working as it should, we have a problem. How can we prevent this from happening?

Five important things that the property owner can do to maintain a properly working gutter system.

1. Check your gutters and downspouts regularly. Do this at least twice annually. Look to see if anything is building up in the gutters and the downspouts are clear. Check for signs of rusting of the metal.
2. Clean the gutters at least once a year. Get a gutter scooper to clear out the leaves and dirt. If possible, wash out thoroughly. This will also verify a clear downspout.
3. Repair any rusted or damaged areas. This will eliminate any leaks and restriction in the flow of water.
4. Clear away overhanging trees limbs. Low hanging branches can crush and bend the gutters. Trees limbs overhanging the roof will also add the the amount of leaves stuck in the gutters.
5. If necessary, replace the gutters. Gutters that do not function correctly will allow a lot of water to flow in places that can easily lead to much greater problems.

Doing these things may seem a little excessive, but it will benefit the property owner in the long run. It will add to the life of the gutters, eliminate problems during the rainy season, and keep the water flowing where it needs to go.