End of Daylight Savings Time
A reminder that this Sunday, November 6th, at 2:00AM marks the end of Daylight Savings Time – don’t forget to set your clocks back by an hour.
Also, this is a great opportunity to take care of semi-annual homeowner projects such as: changing batteries in smoke/carbon monoxide detectors, cleaning external dryer vents, having furnace and fireplaces serviced and making sure home emergency kits are up to date.
Village at Thornapple Turns 30
As we progress into the fall and winter months many homeowners are addressing common home maintenance projects including: driveways, roofs, landscaping and home painting. It is exciting to see homeowners showing pride in our community.
This year marked the 30 year anniversary of our neighborhood’s establishment. Due to our neighborhood achieving a certain age many of the more expensive home maintenance projects have been showing up in the neighborhood. To help homeowners plan and budget for these projects over the next few weeks we will be posting information for homeowners to reference when looking at home projects and budgeting for the upcoming year.
Driveways
To starts us off we will be covering driveways. Current guidance is that concrete driveways will reach end of life at approximately 20-30 years depending on care, use, maintenance, and weather. As asphalt driveway will last approximately 20 years again depending on care, use, maintenance, and weather.
For our community a property will be determined to be outside compliance when any of the following apply:
Black Top/Asphalt
Replacement will be warranted when >75% of driveway is fractured, fissured, and/or deteriorated (graveling) OR
Sealing will be warranted when 50% has no visible appearance of blacktop sealant
Concrete Driveways
Replacement will be warranted when >75% of driveway sections are broken, heaved, or decomposing into aggregate
Driveway replacements DO require a Request for Review application with approval to proceed with work. Many local businesses have long waiting lists so make sure to plan your project timelines accordingly.
Finally, don’t forget to thoroughly vet any vendor you plan on using. There are many resources for this: Google/Yelp Reviews, the Better Business Bureau, Angie’s, and others. According to the BBB here are some of the best practices when it comes to vetting a new vendor:
1. Research and gather information
2. Ask for references
3. Ask for multiple quotes
4. Get information/offers in writing
5. Verify licenses and insurance
6. Confirm building permits
7. Inquire about lien waivers
8. Ask about warranty coverage
9. Arrange a payment schedule
10. Get a receipt
11. Keep your contract
For more information on any of these items click here.
We hope homeowners find this information helpful and informative. Have a great weekend everyone!