Spring In Minnesota – Home Completion Items
With today being the first day of Spring in Minnesota we have started to process and organize the escrow items yet to be completed on winter construction homes. Even though it will be some time before any work can be done we want to tell you about some of the things that you may see soon and provide some friendly advice on what to do.
With the warmer weather comes mud, soft ground and standing water to just name a few.
Here are some tips that will make living with things a little bit easier…
- Parking or driving on your driveway will become nearly impossible as your tires will just sink into the gravel. Due to parking restrictions in many communities you normally would not be able to park on the street. However if you call your local police department and let them know about your situation, the soft ground, potential mud on the street and so on, we have found that they will exempt you from the parking restrictions. The only time you may need to move your vehicle is if a snow storm should come through. Please note we do not add more rock or gravel to your driveway. Adding more rock does not solve the issue but does delay the frost from leaving the ground causing a delay in the installation of your driveway.
- Not driving on your driveway will speed up the drying process and strengthen the base for the driveway which would mean few if any problems in the future. Remember, we do not warrant asphalt or concrete driveways.
- Rain can also cause many problems. Until your final grade is completed you may experience water pooling around your foundation which may lead to wet or damp foundation walls in your basement. This condition will persist until the final grade can be completed which allows the water to drain away from around the home. Adding an extension to your sump basket discharge will help minimize this condition and dry the soils around the home.
- Once sidewalks are in place, protect the soils around them by filling in any settlement or washouts due to rain. By doing this you can minimize any undermining and reduce the possibilities of cracks and settlement in the concrete. Once concrete has been installed, you as the home owner are responsible for any damage to the concrete due to erosion. It is important to take care of the concrete sidewalk until your landscaping has been complete. Please do not ask Key Land to replace your concrete if this damage occurs due to washouts.
When can exterior work be complete?
Each year we receive phone calls asking when the work will start. “It’s 70 degrees out, why are they not painting my home” The reason is simple, mother nature. We don’t know what she is going to do from one day to the next and temperatures need to be consistent. In the case of painting, the temperatures cannot drop below 40 degrees anytime during the curing time which can be up to 24 hours as long as humidity is low, longer if humidity is high. Rain is also a factor, rain within 24 hours of an application can also cause issues with the final product.
Driveways, sidewalks, final grades, patios and so forth…..
For ground work to begin;
- The frost must be completely gone and the soils dry. On average this is usually on or about May 15th but is weather dependent. Clay or heavy soil usually takes the longest to dry and usually are the last areas to have ground work completed.
- Road Restrictions must be removed. Road Restrictions are enforced by state, county and local officials that prohibit large and heavy vehicles from driving on roadways. The restrictions are necessary to protect the integrity and safety of our roads. Drivers and companies who violate these restrictions are subject to very large fines. These restrictions must be lifted before we can bring in the equipment needed to perform the work.
- For those that have concrete work to be completed. Temperatures need to be consistent as concrete can take as long as 28 days to cure and temperatures need to be above freezing for the first few days of that period. This requirement is not as important as the first two mentioned, but it is desirable as temperature can affect the appearance of the concrete.
For more information regarding the escrow process, please refer to our warranty guidelines section IV. You can download our Warranty Guidelines by visiting http://www.keylandhomes.com/2016/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/2017-Key-Land-Homes-Warranty-Guidelines.pdf
