Lundberg Builders, Inc. – Page 4 – A Better Building Experience Since 1977

Have You Heard: Pantones 2017 Color of the year is here

Have you heard? Pantone recently released it’s choice for Color of the Year for 2017. This symbolic selection is a color snapshot of what we see taking place in our global culture that serves as an expression of a mood and an attitude. This years choice is a vibrant and refreshing color named Greenery. Although inspired by nature, the staff is very specific about the shade describing it as “a fresh and zesty yellow-green shade that evokes the first days of spring when nature’s greens revive, restore and renew.”

“Greenery bursts forth in 2017 to provide us with the reassurance we yearn for amid a tumultuous social and political environment. Satisfying our growing desire to rejuvenate and revitalize, Greenery symbolizes the reconnection we seek with nature, one another and a larger purpose” Leatrice Eiseman

You can easily incorporate this color in your home and life to elevate your mood and to encourage new beginnings. As Pantone states, Greenery is natures neutral color and can be incorporated with many different shades including yellow, melon, purples and blues. Try these tips below to keep you up to date on trends:

Painting all four walls may be a bit overwhelming. Try to use it on an accent wall or kitchen back splash to give your room a refreshing look.
Often overlooked when trying to incorporate a new hue: add something alive! Bring plants and herbs in this bright color into your home to liven up any room.
Rugs, throws, tablecloths and pillows are always an easy way to stay on top of trends. They are also inexpensive and easily changed. This color will stand out even more in a neutral room.

Pantone’s staff around the world spends the year studying trends in fashion, consumer products, social media, art and technology. It looks for influences that best describe the current culture and mood in our society.

“There’s a growing desire to reconnect with Nature and what is real, and find ways to disconnect from technology. We need a break. We need to stop and breathe. “(Greenery) is about unity and community—connecting to oneself and others and a higher purpose, Nature.” Laurie Pressman, Pantone Color Institutes Vice President

Credit: www.pantone.com/color-of-the-year-2017 and CNN.com

Ways to save on heating costs this Winter

Although the days have been warmer here in Maryland, they are slowly becoming chillier as we near Christmas. If you are concerned about cranking up the heat because of the increase in your electric bill, check out our easy tips for reducing your energy costs.

Adjust your thermostat at night or during the day when you are away from you home. You can save about 10 percent per year on your heating bills by turning your thermostat down 10 to 15 degrees for eight hours a day, according to the US Department of Energy.

Keep your furnace clean and unblocked. Check your furnace filter regularly and replace it when it gets dirty. A dirty filter makes your furnace or heat pump work harder, and leads to higher energy bills.

Plastic wrap your windows. Drafty windows can be major culprits of heat loss, but can easily be fixed by covering them with plastic. DIY window insulation kits start as low as $12 and can even be found at local stores like Target.

Hang thermal curtains. Invest in curtains with thermal lining that will block heat and UV in the summer and keep cold air out in the Winter.

Reverse the ceiling fan. Most ceiling fans have a switch you can flip that will change the direction the fan blades are rotating. This will push hot air that has risen to the ceiling back down into the room.

Decorate for warmth. Put flannel sheets on your bed, warm rugs on your floors and extra throw blankets on the sofas.

Take advantage of free solar heating. Open curtains during the day to allow the sun to warm your home; close curtains at night to trap in the heat.

Close the damper. Sometimes overlooked this can be a major culprit in heat loss. Keep the damper closed when your fireplace isn’t in use to prevent warm air escaping.

H.O.M.E: Home Operations and Maintenance Evaluation

Are you aware of all that our Home Operations and Maintenance Evaluation (H.O.M.E) offers? For the majority of homeowners today their homes are one of their most valuable investments. H.O.M.E. provides homeowners a comprehensive evaluation of the operations and maintenance of your entire home inside and out.

Why should you choose the H.O.M.E. program?

Save money by eliminating avoidable repairs and failures.
Extend the life of home components, equipment, and systems.
Reduce safety and health risks in your home.
Shorten your ‘to-do’ list.
Maximize your home’s value and resale potential.
Improve and maintain your home’s appearance and appeal.
Take pleasure in your beautiful home where everything works as designed.
Enjoy peace of mind knowing that your home is professionally maintained.
Extra Time to do the things that are most important to you.

How does H.O.M.E work and when should it be done?

A Lundberg technician will conduct up to a 4 hour evaluation using a 300+ point check list.
The H.O.M.E. checklist inspects all operations and maintenance needs of your home inside and out.
During the evaluation minor repairs will be addressed (Included in evaluation).
Larger repairs, if needed, will be noted and an estimate for repairs will be provided if desired.
It is suggested that homeowners check the maintenance needs of their home 2-4 times a year.
Routine maintenance as needed.

Subscription rates
H.O.M.E is offered as a yearly subscription, providing 3 levels of comfort for home maintenance

1 Yearly inspection visit: $250.00 total investment
2 Yearly inspection visits: $400.00 total investment ($150.00 annual savings)
4 Yearly inspection visits: $600.00 total investment ($400.00 annual savings)

***If repairs are needed and work is commenced a $250.00 credit will be applied to your final invoice after repairs are completed. Credit may only be used one time in a calendar year.

Home Operations and Maintenance Evaluation extended services
We understand that your time is valuable and when issues arise with your home, whether it be your weekend retreat or your main abode. H.O.M.E. extended services are available to address those issues when you cannot. Let H.O.M.E. extended services be your hassle free solution.

H.O.M.E extended services include:

Seasonal preparation
Pool closing/opening
Landscape clean-up
Deck and ext. furniture cleaning
Outside furniture prep or store
Dock and lift maintenance
Ext. hoses/water line maintenance

Don’t let your unfinished projects and to-to lists continue to grow. Let us provide you with high quality workmanship for your home and check off all of those to-dos!
Contact us today at 410-643-3334 for more information.

Your Fall Home Checklist

Boost your homes energy efficiency and prevent winter damage by checking off these to-dos before cold weather hits.

Check outside walkways, stairs and the driveway for cracks or imperfections. When covered in ice and snow these can be hard to maneuver and can become hazardous

Take a walk around your house and look for signs of damage. This includes the roof, siding and foundation. Schedule these repairs before winter comes.

Seal gaps where critters could enter. With colder weather animals are always looking for a warm place and some only need a small gap to sneak in.

Stock up and check the condition of winter supplies. This includes snow scrapers, shovels, emergency kits and snow blowers (if you use them).

Rake leaves. Letting leaves sit over winter can inhibit spring growth.

Shut off exterior faucets and store hoses. Drain the hoses and protect your pipes from the dropping temperatures.

Add weatherstripping. This is often overlooked, but this small step can help you save money on your energy costs. Apply it around the frames of windows and doors.

Clean gutters and downspouts once most of the leaves have fallen. Clogged gutters during rainstorms can cause water to pool and damage your roof or siding.

Check safety devices. Test smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors and replace batteries as needed. In addition to this check the expiration date on your fire extinguisher.

Clean dryer vents. Lint buildup in dryer vents can make your dryer work less efficiently and even cause a fire.

Schedule a chimney cleaning and heating system maintenance. Make sure your chimney and furnace or boiler are cleaned, maintained and in working order.

Thank you for voting!

We wanted to take a moment to thank you, our loyal supporters, for voting us ‘Best Builder’ for the Shore Updates 2016 Golden Anchor awards for the second consecutive year. As we are nearing our 40th year in business, we couldn’t be more proud to be part of such a supportive community.

We recently were awarded ‘Best Custom Home Builder’ in the “Whats Up Best of” awards for the Annapolis and Eastern Shore. It was our 6th year winning for the Eastern Shore and our 1st for Annapolis.

The team at Lundberg Builders take great pride in each project that we work on and aim to provide exceptional customer service to each client even after their project is completed. We thank our clients for trusting us with building, maintaining and renovating their homes and for their many referrals. We sincerely appreciate your support, trust and loyalty.

You can check out the full list of winners here: shoreupdate.com/2016goodies

Easy ways to Transition your Home from Summer to Fall.

Can you smell that? That’s the comforting scent of all things pumpkins, apple cider and spice. We may still be in the depths of summer and planning beach trips, barbecues, and enjoying warm summer nights, but Fall is almost within our reach! Check out these quick tips to help transition you’re home decor from Summer to Fall.

Layer rugs and pull out the throw blankets
Add warmth to your home by adding a few textured throw blankets and area rugs to your rooms. For an added touch, choose ones that are in rich fall colors: red, orange, dark purple and browns.

Turn to the outdoors for inspiration
Bring the outdoors inside and fill some jars with branches from your yard or your local craft store. Add in fall smelling potpourri for added affect. A bundle of fallen twigs wrapped in a bow could be used in an entry way or as fireplace decor, fallen leaves could be used as a base to fill a jar and pine cones could be used to fill a wooden bowl along with other accents. Bonus because those decorations are all free!

Switch out pillows
This is always a fairly inexpensive way to change your decor. Choose fall colors and textured pillows such as ones with knitted covers or faux fur.

Change our your bedding
Add linens in rich colors, plaids and darker prints. Simply adding darker colors can totally transform your home to feeling more seasonal.

Change out your welcome mat
The best way to say “Hello fall!” is to have a festive welcome mat by your front door!

Create a welcoming autumn feel with scented candles
Scented candles in the season’s vanilla, spice, apple and pumpkin fragrances can easily bring warmth to any space. Try arranging large candles around a centerpiece with faux leaves and pine cones.

Switch your hand towels
Choose darker, bolder, earthy and warm fall colors. You can also bust out new hand soaps in fall scents.

Your August Home Checklist

As the summer approaches it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with back to school tasks and the end of those long summer nights. With life moving so fast we all try to plan ahead to be organized and get our homes to run more efficiently; but we often don’t get around to it.

Take a look at our quick list and tackle a few of these “to-dos” now before the months get even busier. Improve home safety, get rid of old summer toys and clean up the yard before heading out for your end of the summer vacation to help you get a head start!

Improve home safety. Many people save their vacations for the end of the summer in mid to late August. So it’s best to touch up on your home safety features before jetting off. Add deadbolt locks, trim bushes near windows and add motion sensor lights. If it’s within your families budget adding a home security system is always recommended.

Fix drips and leaks. Remember to check inside and outside, as the outside is often overlooked. Take a tour of all outdoor s aid427650-728px-Keep-Your-Kitchen-Clean-and-Safe-Step-1 pigots and showers, and fix leaks as needed.

Brush up kitchen chores that you’ve been putting off. Rinse out trash cans and recycling bins with soapy water, run white vinegar through your coffeemaker (finish by running plain water), and wipe down kitchen light fixtures and appliances.

Out with the old, in with the new. Go thru summer toys and gear and donate or toss broken and worn beach toys, umbrellas and the like. Clean all sports equipment and outdoor toys while you’re at and put them in their proper space.

Clean dryer vents and washer hoses. Clean out dryer vents and check the hoses as well to help your dryer and washer work more efficiently. Cracked washer hoses can cause costly leaks — check and replace yours before they become a problem.

Clean cleaning equipment. Mops, brooms, buckets, and vacuum cleaners get dirty, too. Replace heads on mops, replace brooms altogether, scrub buckets, and service the vacuum cleaner.

Get your heating system checked to make sure there are no leaks and no surprises when cold weather sets in.

Test your smoke detectors. Replace batteries as needed. Go over your family’s evacuation plan and refresh if needed.

Prep for easy weeknight dinners and school lunches. It’s time to start thinking ahead to the busy months of back to school and fall. Get a jump start on kitchen tasks by cleaning out the cupboards and organizing your Tupperware, fridge and snack cabinets. This will help with making all of those school lunches that much easier!

Vacuum your refrigerator coils. The fridge can use up to 15 percent of your home Dirty-coils ’s total power, so you want it running as efficiently as possible. The coils get dirty over time and your fridge uses more energy. It’s estimated that you can save up to $100 a year by doing this.

Wash windows inside and out. You’ll be amazed with how much more light will come in and how much clearer your view will be.

Inspect outdoor play equipment. Reinforce, tighten and re-stain, reseal or repaint as needed.

Lawn Mower Safety

Springs here and that means more yard work for many families who are starting to plant gardens and tend to their yards. Did you know that approximately 68,000 people are treated in emergency rooms for lawn mower-related injuries each year (AAOP)? Sadly more than 9,000 of them are children under age 18.

“The overwhelming majority of these injuries result in amputations that require reattachment or reconstructive surgery,” says Rick Redett, M.D.

The majority of lawn mower-related injuries can be prevented by following a few safety guidelines and using common sense. Check out the list below for a few safety precautions you can take to prevent injuries.

Keep all children indoors while a power mower is in operation
Do not allow children under 16 to use ride-on mowers
Do not allow children under 12 to walk behind mowers
Do not allow children to ride as passengers on ride-on mowers
Prevent injuries from flying objects, such as twigs and stones by cleaning the lawn before mowing begins
Use a collection bag for grass clippings or a plate that covers the opening where cut grass is released
Wear protective goggles and close-toed shoes when operating a mower or when near one
Turn off the mower immediately if you see a child running toward you. Children can fall and slip into the blade, especially if the grass is wet
Do not pull the mower backward or mow in reverse unless absolutely necessary
Always turn off the mower and wait for the blades to stop completely before removing the grass catcher, unclogging the discharge chute, or crossing gravel paths, roads, or other areas
Make sure that blade settings (to set the wheel height or dislodge debris) are done by an adult, with the mower off and the spark plug removed or disconnected

Wanted: StableFamily Sponsor

Sharing horseback riding activities and lessons gives families a chance to interact and cooperate in ways that promote feelings of well- being and connection. As a family, you laugh and play together; figure out problems together and cooperate to achieve a common goal. This activity builds new bonds and stronger relationships.

Wanted: TheraPony Sponsor

Therapeutic riding can benefit individuals with a wide range of challenges including cognitive, physical, emotional, or social issues. Horseback riding for individuals suffering from these challenges allows the rider to have independence and mobility where they may otherwise be restricted. The list of specific challenges and disabilities that can be helped with therapeutic riding is nearly endless, however some of the more prominent disabilities include severe brain trauma, cerebral palsy, autism and muscular dystrophy.

TheraPony is a program specifically designed for children with cognitive and physical disabilities.The rhythmic motion of riding a horse causes the kids to focus on the movement – which is slow, deliberate, and relaxing. The child indirectly learns how to focus better, which is aided by the calming effect of riding.

In addition to the movement experienced when riding the horse, tactile senses are stimulated. The horse’s skin is fuzzy, the mane and tail are rough, and the nose is soft. Discovery of these sensations often helps draw a child out, stimulating development of his or her verbal communication and interest in other physical objects.
Motor skills are also developed as the child learns to ride, and eventually groom and tack. These new skills, and the child’s continued improvement upon them, increase their self-confidence, which increases their desire and willingness to learn skills at home and/or at school. Learning is no longer scary, but fun, interesting and rewarding.
A child’s ability to interact socially is often improved as well. The therapy sessions teach the child how to interact with the counselor and staff people. Not only are basic communication and motor skills improved, but many children experience improvements in their overall moods. Children who before experienced angry outbursts or who rarely smiled are suddenly calmer, and smile more readily and frequently.