Category Archives: Maintenance

winter-prep-22

Winter Prep 2022

Winter Prep: As below freezing temperatures are quickly approaching, it brings to mind a few items or reminders to prepare your home for the upcoming winter weather.

  • Remember to remove your garden hoses from the outside spigots. Freezing temps can damage your plumbing if water is trapped in these lines.
  • Clean your gutters of fallen leaves to prevent overflow and leaks.
  • Store away your patio furniture to prevent winter wind damage.
  • When the snow falls please be sure to keep vehicles off the streets to allow for snow plow trucks to more effectively clear the streets.
  • New homes often have high humidity. Airflow helps to prevent condensation build up on your windows so remember to keep your drapes and blinds open, reverse your ceiling fans to pull air, and run your furnace fans on “circulate” or “on” mode..
  • Using deicers on your con­crete driveway in the winter can cause surface dam­age. Do not salt them ever. Also, do not park on them after the roads have been salted. Road salt will drip off your car and damage your driveway.

Storm Damage 2022

As you’re aware, many Windsor homes in Southwest Fort Wayne sustained some type of damage from Monday night’s storms and winds.  There are messages coming in asking about products, colors, installers, etc.  The intent of this memo is to let you know that we can be a resource if you need information regarding the products and selections of your home. If you need to turn anything into insurance, contact your own insurance agent and they will walk you through everything.

Here is a list of a few vendors that we used to build your Windsor Home:

Andersen Windows – Home Lumber – 260-493-4436

Certainteed Shingles – Reese Wholesale – 260-484-7759

Royal Vinyl Siding – Reese Wholesale – 260-484-7759

Gutters – Sublime Dezigns – 260-740-2660

Also, If you have any questions about your selections for colors, you can still access your portal on BuilderTrend. Visit https://www.mywindsorhome.com/ . The BuilderTrend access can be found at the top of our home page. Once you’re in the BT portal, you can find your custom selections under the FILES drop down menu, then click DOCUMENTS and then find the SELECTION SHEET folder.  If for some reason, your BT access has expired –  we still have your paper documents on file. You can email us at info@mywindsorhome.com and request a copy of your selection sheet. Remember to include your address, lot number and neighborhood in the email.

Please be patient with us and our vendors/ trades people, this will take some time to clean up. Jason Myers and Canyon Alexander will be around today to help clear debris. Together, we can all help get our neighborhood back up to par… or birdie (for you golf lovers).

snow ice

Ice Damming in Gutters

Message from our team:

Windsor Homes is aware of a couple cases of ice damming this year due to a few weeks of severe weather. We’ve protected your valleys and eaves with an ice and water membrane so there is not likely any internal damage. You should, however, inspect your gutters for damage as the weight of the ice/snow can pull them from the house.

Photo by Sindre Strøm from Pexels

cold-weather

Winter Prep

Winter Prep: As below freezing temperatures are quickly approaching, it brings to mind a few items or reminders to prepare your home for the upcoming winter weather.

  • Remember to remove your garden hoses from the spigots outside. Below freezing temps can cause frost which can damage your plumbing.
  • Check your gutters for fallen leaves to prevent overflow and leaks.
  • Store away your patio furniture so the winter winds don’t damage them.
  • When the snow falls please be sure to keep vehicles off the streets to allow for snow plow trucks to more effectively clear the streets.
  • New homes often have high humidity. Airflow helps to prevent condensation build up on your windows so remember to keep your drapes and blinds open, reverse your ceiling fans to pull air, and when needed turn on your house fan.
  • Road Salt is very harmful to your newly poured driveway and sidewalk.  Do not salt them for the first year. Also,  do not park on them after the roads have been salted. Road salt will drip off your car and damage your driveway.

Spring Check-up TOP 5!

As March wraps up with, hopefully, the last of the snow, keep in mind that your home has weathered the harshness of winter as well.  There are several things you should inspect to keep your home weather tight and comfy as we move into the wet Spring season.  And, as you have some unexpected time at home these days, you may need some tasks to keep from going nuts!

  • Put a ladder up (a drone if you have one ) and inspect your shingles, siding, and flashing.  High winds can damage these and you don’t want costly leaks!

  • Inspect the grade around your home to make sure water will shed away from the foundation.  Sometimes landscape projects can change the original grade set for your home.

  • Make sure your gutters are still secure and your spouting disperses the water well away from the foundation.

  • Window wells:  if applicable, make sure that no debris has collected in the bottom as this will plug the back-up drain and could create a really big problem in a heavy rain.

  • Check the caulk.  There are many areas, of your home’s exterior, that rely on sealants to help keep moisture from penetrating to unfinished or unprotected surfaces below.  The sun and changes in temperatures can cause drying and cracking of these sealants.

When the April rains begin, you’ll feel a lot more confident knowing you’re ready for the storm!

Happy Spring!

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Covid-19 and Windsor Homes Inc warranty procedures

Dear Valued Windsor Homeowners,

First and foremost, we wish you and your families protection and health as we all monitor the growing concerns with COVID-19.  We thank all our Community’s first responders for their dedication and sacrifices to help those affected by COVID-19.

We wanted to take a moment to reach out to our homeowners, to share our revised standards for warranty requests.  Effective immediately, all in-home service calls will be suspended, until further notice.  We kindly ask you to submit all requests via email or BuilderTrend.  All requests will be documented and recorded for entry during your normal warranty period.  All requests will be serviced once it is safe to initiate in-person service repairs.

It is also important to note, we understand there can be extenuating circumstances which require urgent repair.  Emergency requests such has no heat, water leaks, or circumstances that could cause significant damage would always be of top priority.  Windsor Homes Inc and our vendors, are committed to responding to emergency requests with safety as our priority.

We appreciate your understanding, as it is imperative we all do our part in minimizing the spread of COVID-19.  Windsor Homes Inc. is honored to serve our homeowners and will be committed to the safety of each of you and your family, as well as our employees and Trade Partners.  Rest assured, we are still working hard behind the scenes and are here to respond to any questions and/or concerns.

Stay Safe and Stay Positive!
Your Windsor Homes Team

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grass

Landscaper’s Note

Just a reminder for those of you who have moved into your new home over the winter:

When lawn installation ceases in October, a list of closings is compiled until planting commences again in mid-May.  Those lawns are then planted in order except when efficiency dictates that two or three, in a given neighborhood, get done at once.  Please be patient as Spring weather can be less than accommodating at times.

The seed will be applied with fertilizer, but future fertilization is critical for healthy growth. A new lawn should receive five applications of fertilizer per year for the first two years. (See landscaper’s recommendations received at orientation for timing.)  Remember to soak the lawn once a day and rake the straw back over bare spots if it gets blown by the wind.

You won’t need a green thumb… just follow the directions.  Happy Mowing!

Photo by Matthias Cooper from Pexels

cold-weather

Cold Weather Reminder

BRRRRR … RECORD LOW TEMPS ARE NOT SOMETHING YOU … OR YOUR HOME ENJOY.

YOU ARE LIKELY EXPERIENCING SOME STRANGE THINGS IN YOUR HOME LIKE FROST IN PLACES … ON THE INSIDE!

OR CONDENSATION ON A TILED FLOOR! THESE ARE DEFINITELY NOT NORMAL … ON A NORMAL DAY.

IT IS NORMAL TO PANIC A BIT … BUT GOOD NEWS …. IT WON’T LAST AND THERE IS A LOGICAL REASON FOR IT. HOMES IN THIS REGION OF THE COUNTRY ARE DESIGNED TO A TEMPERATURE BAND THAT COVERS THE LARGE MAJORITY OF THE WEATHER/TEMPS EXPERIENCED IN THIS REGION. THIS WOULD INCLUDE INSULATION LEVELS, WINDOWS, HEATING AND COOLING, ETC. OUR BUILDING CODES RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE GOING TO BE LIMITED TIMES THAT THE TEMPS MAY RISE ABOVE WHAT YOUR AC IS RATED FOR AND IT WILL STRUGGLE. ALSO, THERE WILL BE TIMES THAT THE TEMPS WILL DIP BELOW WHAT YOUR FURNACE OR WALL INSULATION IS DESIGNED FOR.

YOU MAY THINK, WHY NOT JUST DESIGN IT FOR 100% OF POTENTIAL OCCURRENCES? THINK CO$T. MOST PEOPLE DON’T INCREASE THE SIZE OF THEIR HOME FOR THE TWO TIMES A YEAR THAT THEY MAY HAVE TWENTY PEOPLE OVER FOR THE HOLIDAYS.

IF YOU BELIEVE YOU MAY HAVE AN ISSUE THAT GOES BEYOND THIS, PLEASE LET US KNOW AND IF YOU’RE NOT HEADED TO SOME PLACE WARM, BUNDLE UP AND BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!

OLD MAN WINTER WILL BE GONE BEFORE YOU KNOW IT!