Winter Weather coming
Be sure your property is ready for the cold weather we are about to get. You don’t want this happening to you.
#dcandr #winter #dependabilityfirst #coldweather
Ice Fishing
With the roofing season slowing down, thanks winter, I decided to take Liam ice fishing.
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7 safety tips for winter construction
Construction doesn’t take a break in the winter. When we manage a construction site during the winter there are additional hazards that winter throws at us. This means we have to take extra safety precautions. Cold temperatures, wet and snowy weather and wind chill can take a harsh toll on our crews. Taking the time to increase everyone’s knowledge and awareness of cold weather is very important. This will help avoid issues such as frostbite and hypothermia.
Here is a list of safety hazards or signs that every company should keep an eye out for.
- Require workers to wear the proper clothing and gear. Clothing and gear should be based on the temperature, weather conditions and duration of activity. Workers should wear layers whenever necessary, including an insulating, moisture-wicking base layer and a waterproof outer layer. Workers also should wear insulated, waterproof boots with extreme traction as well as warm socks and hats and gloves with grips to handle equipment safely.
- Provide a warm break area. Outside work is necessary for the construction industry, but workers need a place to take a break from the elements and warm themselves. It can be a heated trailer or a tent with portable heaters.
- Discourage workers from drinking coffee or other caffeinated beverages. Many construction workers work overnight and turn to drinks with caffeine to help them get through their shift. However, drinking caffeinated beverages in winter can increase workers’ heart rates, making them feel falsely warm. Instead, encourage workers to drink water to stay hydrated.
- Know the signs of winter-related injuries and illness. Educate your crews about these cold-related injuries and illnesses and their warning signs and symptoms. For instance, shivering, lack of coordination and slurred speech are symptoms of hypothermia. If a worker exhibits any signs of illness or injury, call emergency help immediately.
- Remove ice and snow before starting work. Construction workers have enough conditions causing danger at the work-site; they don’t need to add ice and snow to the mix. Make sure all ice and snow has been removed and salt or sand has been put down on any large patches of ice before starting work.
Whether you need roofing, gutters, siding or other construction related services the Team at Dependable Construction in Dayton, OH, can help. To schedule your appointment, call 937.318.9572 today. Visit the roofing company online to see our latest projects, and be sure to like us on Facebook for regular updates and deals.
Which Home Improvements Will Save You Money This Winter?
Some minor improvements to your home or office could make a major difference in your heating bills this winter, potentially saving hundreds of dollars.
It’s hard to believe, but winter is practically at our doorstep. We know it’s painful to think about ice and snow, but it is Ohio. Fortunately, Dependable Construction has a list of minor home improvements to help bring down your heating cost this winter. Many of these essential home improvements are simple and affordable. Consider adding these five home improvement tasks to your fall “to-do” list.
- Get a home energy audit. Find a qualified professional who can come to your home and help you figure out where you are wasting energy. Some local power companies are happy to offer energy audits for customers, at no additional charge. A qualified contractor will be able to provide an in-depth energy audit that will save you money in the long run. Once complete it’s time to fix these energy issues so you can see an immediate impact on your energy bills.
- Add more insulation. Unless you live in an older home, your walls are likely to be well insulated with fiberglass insulation. However, if your home is older you might consider insulating the walls sufficiently. Since heat travels skyward, be sure your attic is well insulated too. This can be a do-it-yourself job but it might be easier to hire a professional.
- Patch up any air leaks. November and December are great months for solving any air leakage problems in your home, so grab some caulk or expanding foam and seal up leaks around electrical outlets, air vents, windows, doors, etc. This can make a real difference when cold weather sets in.
- Get your heating system checked. A regular furnace tune-up may seem unnecessary, but it can save a lot of money over time. Many HVAC companies offer an annual contract for regular maintenance on your furnace and air conditioner, which means you get an annual inspection of each system every year. Remember, if your heating system isn’t running itself efficiently, you could be paying too much to heat your home.
- Install new doors and windows. This may seem a little “over the top” if you’re planning to install them yourself, but most people are happy to let the professionals install new entry doors and windows. This is a larger investment than installation and caulking, but keeps the heat from escaping your home better than anything else. When shopping for windows and doors, look for a professional installer in your area like Dependable Construction. Our installer can show you which windows are likely to reduce your energy bills and which doors have the best insulation.
Whether you need roofing, gutters, siding or other construction related services the Team at Dependable Construction in Dayton, OH, can help. To schedule your appointment, call 937.318.9572 today. Visit the roofing company online to see our latest projects, and be sure to like us on Facebook for regular updates and deals.
#dcandr #dependabilityfirst
5 ways your home loses heat in winter.
When you’re trying to determine where heat is escaping in your home, it helps to start with a comprehensive checklist. Whether it’s the middle of winter or the hottest month of summer, there is no doubt that energy is moving through the cracks and crevices of your home. It even moves through your walls, doors and windows. If you’ve never had a home energy efficiency “audit,” now is a great time to consider it. Before you go out and get new windows and doors, it helps to know where you are currently leaking heat. It could be that the insulation near a window needs to be upgraded, or the weather-stripping near a door should be replaced. So how does one find the spots where their home is losing heat?
It helps to narrow down the possible spaces where a home could lose energy. Dependable Construction view’s these five places where energy lose normally occurs:
- Walls
- Ceilings
- Floors and below grade spaces
- Doors and windows
- Air leakage (infiltration)
Now remember these areas are not all the same in terms of energy leakage. Heat loss due to infiltration is far more significant than what is lost through walls and ceilings. In order to understand their relative importance, it helps to look at energy loss in this order:
- Infiltration / Air Leakage: 12%
- Windows and Doors: 21%
- Floors and Below Grade Space: 8%
- Walls: 33%
- Ceilings: 26%
One might guess that the best way to prepare for winter is by purchasing insulation. While certainly not a bad idea, it’s not always the best investment. Reducing air leaks around certain openings is a more direct way to stem the flow of energy loss.
Where are air leaks occurring in your home?
Believe it or not, the biggest culprits for air leakage/infiltration may be places you never thought about before. Air can leak out through plumbing vents, switches, electrical outlets, recessed lighting fixtures exposed to the attic; vertical plumbing stacks open to the basement, attic stairs, or any other opening that is exposed to the coolest parts of the home. Through these openings, heated air can be drawn out of the home and escapes through the roof.
What is the bottom line for fixing infiltration leakage?
Focus on insulating the largest openings first. This may require purchasing new windows or doors. While certainly more costly than simple insulation or weather-stripping, they will provide the most bang for the buck long term for energy efficiency. After windows and doors have been addressed, consider insulating your attic. Although more heat is lost through the walls than the attic, it is a lot less expensive.
Call us on 937.318.9572 for help on your property. You can also check us out on Facebook to see current jobs going on or visit our site https://dependableconstruction.com
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Pros and Cons to Winter Construction
Winter isn’t the best time to start a construction project. Summer seems to be the season to get all of your construction projects done. However, there are many pros to choosing to do a construction project in the winter. For most companies the work slows down, meaning prices come down. This can save homeowners money. Of course, there are some cons to doing construction in the winter as well. Dependable Construction knows the challenges of a deadline and how weather can often hold you back from completing the project. What many may not know is that winter can help to speed up the process.
Here are some cons to construction in the winter:
- Fewer day light hours to work with here is Ohio. What we would like to get done in a work day may not be plausible in the winter as it would be in the summer.
- Extra heating cost. You can’t be working in the cold without some type of heating element. Or inside on a new construction project that doesn’t have heat yet and we’re trying to do drywall work.
- Ground freezing… There might be some construction delays because of the ground being frozen. Dig post holes 3’ down through frozen ground is not at the top of our fun things to do list.
Here are some pros to construction in the winter:
- Contractors have more availability meaning homeowners can have more services done within the timeframe.
- Better Rates. The winter causes many construction to slow down, often causing rates to be lower. So, homeowners are able to save more money in the end.
- Permits are easier and faster to get. This one we really enjoy.
Whether its summer, winter, fall, or spring Dependable Construction is here to help you with all your needs. Construction doesn’t have to just be for the warmer months. At Dependable Construction we take our time in making sure that we bring your dreams and vision to life. Call us today at 937.318.9572
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