It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

The snow is falling and the temperatures are too! It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas! That tends to always lighten the spirits. That is, until your spa decides to quit heating water. Nothing can cause more problems than frozen plumbing. And damage is exactly what will happen when water stops running or heating when the thermometer dips into the teens, as it has been doing lately. 

And, it can happen so fast! But, so can the remedy! The easiest way to prevent damage to your spa and its plumbing is to regularly check your spa in the winter. If you do find that water has ceased to flow, a trouble light, heat lamp or small heater under the skirting will generate plenty of heat to fend off the cold. Be sure to check that it isn’t against something or melting damage will be your next repair. Also, be sure to close the skirt up to hold in that heat. 

Then, give us a call so we can trouble-shoot the source of the problem. That way we can get you back into hot water, the right way, without you getting hot behind the collar!

Merry Christmas!

Jerry Bowers

Winter Weather Fencing

Winter Weather Fencing

It was late in the fall one year and I had just finished measuring and giving an estimate on a fence and the customer says to me, “Well, when you start back up in the spring, we’ll have you do this fence for us.” Since then I have made a point to educate our customers that we work year round. As one of our motto says, “If we can find the ground, we can build your fence!”

A couple of the most common concerns are ‘Frozen Ground” and ‘Pouring Concrete in the Winter’. 

Frozen ground can be good and bad. We like it in one aspect because there is no mud, but it does get hard as well. We combat the hardness with hydraulic, motorized augers and carbide tips. With ‘down pressure’ and the carbide tips we can actually dig thru asphalt along with frozen ground, so no problem when it freezes!

But, what about pouring concrete when the temperatures dip below freezing? Well, that is a major concern… when you’re pouring sidewalks, for sure! But, when you are setting fence posts, it is actually a benefit when the weather cools off. If cement freezes, it will weaken it, but when it is poured into a post hole, the ground actually insulates the ‘mud’ from freezing. Kick a little dirt (or snow, as the case may be) and the cool temperatures slow down the curing process, making the cement harder than it is when pouring in the heat of the summer. We generally like to allow an extra day when letting post set before building on the posts.

Additionally, we serve two purposes when we work year round; 1) Customers have needs year round, with wind damage, new puppies for Christmas and people moving into new homes. 2) Our installers still have house payments and groceries to buy, even in the winter… go figure! :)

 

So, just like mail carriers, "Neither Rain, Nor Sleet, Nor gloom of night" or even frozen ground will keep us from our appointed task!

Have a great winter!