Michael F. Simon Builders

Michael F. Simon Builders August 2010 Newsletter

Happy August!

We believe an important key to building a new home or remodeling an existing home is having all of the information available to you. Our monthly newsletters are just one example of how we've been trying to shave our 117 years of experience with anyone interested.

Most of our clients have heard about us from friends or peers. We wouldn't be in business without referrals. We appreciate any referrals from you to your family, friends, co-workers and neighbors. As a token of our appreciation, we will treat you to a wine or brew of the month club, if your referral builds with us.

Thank you for taking time to read our newsletter and for thinking of the Michael F. Simon Builders Team in your future building or remodeling plans.

Best regards,

Green Certification

Today, we certify every single home that we build to be both Green Built Certified and Energy Star Certified. We take great pride in our projects and make sure our homeowners sleep easy knowing we are as proud as they are of their new home.

Green Built Home is a national award winning green building initiative that reviews and certifies new homes and remodeling projects that meet sustainable building and energy standards.

They use checklists as an outline of basic requirements which every certified home or remodeling project must meet. The home and checklist are then verified by an independent certified third party. A few key sections are erosion control, storm water management, materials selection, water and energy conservation, indoor air quality and waste reduction. For each requirement that the builder meets, they get a certain point value. Each new home must earn a minimum of 60 points.

Michael F Simon Builder's averages between 125-130 points for each new home we build. That's just over double the 60 points that Green Built Home requires to call the home "Green".

Current New Home Project:

One of the homes we have in progress right now is a 5,600 square foot two story home for a couple just outside Waunakee. It will take us about 7 months from the time we started digging, to the time they move in this winter. The home scored 126 points on Wisconsin's Green Built Certification checklist, which is just over double the required 60 points is to call the home "Green". The homeowners will be enjoying their retirement as they move into their new home, on their family farm where she was raised. The couple currently works and lives in Texas, but has flown back a few times to see the updated progress. By the time they are retired and move back to Wisconsin for good, their home will be in the dry walling stages.

The homeowners haven't missed a beat though as they have been very involved in phone conferences and weekly email updates. Simon Builders also uses online project management software called Buildspot, which is updated daily to keep everyone involved up to speed on what's happening. It includes a daily log, construction pictures, a detailed schedule, a copy of all project documents and much more. As long as the homeowners have internet access, they can see any updates to the progress of their home.

Check out our Facebook Page! The album called "Watch a home being built" is this home. It should give you an inside look what's involved in building a custom home! To continue to watch the progress, remember to become a fan. (Renderings by Bouril Design Studio)

Cleaning Your Gutters

You've probably seen a few homes with small trees and ferns growing in gutters because the homeowner hasn't cleaned the gutters in the last several years. Over the course of time, an organic muck builds up and creates a wonderful medium for growing all kinds of stuff.

Cleaning your gutters is one of those icky chores that needs to be done twice every year to ensure that rain water is diverted away from your house. Ignoring gutters can result in a host of ills including rotted fascia boards, water damage to the sides of your home, and foundation problems.

To cut down a bit on the amount of debris that gets trapped in your gutters, make sure that trees and tall shrubs are not touching or arching over the house. You'll have less to clean up.

Gutter cleaning

Gutters need to be cleaned at least twice a year if you live in an area with a lot of trees, particularly if they're close to your home. Unfortunately, there is no painless way to clean gutters.

Make sure you're not leaning your ladder directly on the gutters which can cause dents or damage to the gutter. You'll need gloves, a bucket or plastic bags, and a hose. Gutters are fraught with sharp edges and are no place for unprotected hands. Keep a bucket with you instead of tossing the muck over the side of the gutter to the ground below. Use your hands or a scoop to clean out the muck and leaves in the bottom of the gutter.

Once the gutter is reasonably clean, use the hose to flush out the last of the debris. Look for leaks or holes that need repair and note their location.

Downspouts

As you clean the gutters and hose them out, the downspouts should run freely. If you have blockage in the downspout itself, try dislodging it by running a hose down the spout. The water pressure shouldn't be too strong—you don't want to blow it up. If it's still tight, use a plumbing snake to clear it.

If there are angled joints, you may need to remove the downspout from the gutter to clear it. If you break a seal, clean the old caulk off with a wire brush and then apply silicone caulk to reseal. Reattach the clean, sealed downspout.

Gutter repair

Once your gutters are clean and dry, it's easy to check for leaks or damage. If you consistently clean your gutters in spring and fall, repairs are usually minor and require little more than a hammer, screwdriver, extra fasteners and nails, and a silicone caulk for sealing seams. If pieces are worn or damaged, replace them as necessary.

Seams between pieces of downspout or where the gutters corner are susceptible to leakage so pay close attention. Leaks left unattended for a couple years can result in rotted fascia, which requires complete removal and replacement.

Roofing cement is commonly used in the gutter itself to heal small leaks or holes. Use a putty knife to patch the hole taking care to keep the repair flat. For more substantial damage, repair the whole section with new gutter.

If you don't feel comfortable doing these, or any other repairs, give us a call. We'd be more than happy to assist you.

Featured Lot For Sale

Fieldstone Estates, Town of Middleton

4513 Deering Trail, Middleton, WI (Lot 10)
Click for Printable Lot Map
This large (40,000 sq. ft.) home lot is located on a quiet cul-de-sac with the front facing west. Sloping elevation would allow for a full exposure to the rear yard. Rear property line is heavily wooded. Priced at $195,000.00.

Green Tip: Clothes Drying

Over drying your clothes by 15 minutes per load can raise your utility bills by $34 a year.

Newer dryers have sensors that automatically turn the dryer off when the clothes are dry. If you're still using a top loading washer and matching dryer, it may be a good time to upgrade to front loading appliances. If you're unsure about this or any other energy upgrade, a home energy audit may be perfect for you. Email Lee at Piping Plover Home Energy Solutions ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) and tell him Simon Builders sent you so you can get our discount!

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Tips from Bob & Terry:

Bob Clemens (remodeling expert) and Terry Dowell (Project Manager) from Simon Builders, have picked up a few tips and tricks over their 50 plus combined years here at Simon Builders. This month is a great time to talk about gutters while it's so nice outside.

If you haven´t cleaned gutters for awhile, now's the time. See the article below for more information on exactly what you should be checking for. If your gutters aren't maintained, they can cause a lot of other, more expensive problems.

New Product: Remote Unlocks, For Your Home

Monitor and Control Your Home from Anywhere

Schlage LiNK™ lets you remotely control and monitor access to your home 24/7 from any Internet enabled computer and most web enabled cell phones. Advanced Z-Wave® technology and time-tested Schlage® construction working in unison gives you control of these Schlage wireless locks, Z-Wave enabled lights and various other Z-Wave component such as the Trane Remote Energy Management Thermostat. You can even monitor your home with the Schlage camera.

Remote home management lets you:

• Check the status of your lock and set temporary codes to your home from your Internet enabled computer or cell phone
• Change, add, or delete access codes to your lock remotely
• Access a 90 day history of who has accessed your lock

In the next issue:

» Available Lots
» New Products

» Green Tips

» Current New Home Project

» Tips from Bob & Terry

Send story ideas and feedback to Paul Simon ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).