[three_fifth padding=”0 15px 0 15px”]We’re all pet owners and pet lovers here at The Weil Team. Farewells to our beloved pets in the morning before the trip to work and the happy greetings after a long day make every single day better. Our pets are part of our family to whom we give love and care and treats to every single moment that we possibly can. When a family moves, there’s no question that their dog is along for the move as well. There’s a few extra precautions and procedures that we recommend doing for pets to make sure that moving pets from one home to another goes as smoothly as possible.

While your new home will be entirely yours, don’t forget that the home will also be where your pet will be living as well! A living area foreign to your pet may make it a bit anxious for quite some time. We recommend getting your pet acclimated to the area once the home buying process is on its way.

• Walk your dog around the home and neighborhood
• If approved by the current homeowner, bring your pet inside
• Give your pet some treats within the home before moving in

[two_third]Moving day can be wildly hectic. Boxes stacked to the ceiling and movers in and out of all doors of the house will often rattle some pets and scare them.

• Keep them in a room with the least packed boxes to keep the home familiar to them
• On moving day, let them stay at a friend’s house so they avoid the stresses of moving entirely

Now that the whole family is in the home, make sure that the home is safe for your pets! In a vacant home there can often be exposed electrical cords and possibly not-so-consumable plants on the outside.

• Tuck in electrical cords
• Make sure your furniture is set up in a way your pets can’t get stuck
• Double-check for any pest traps around baseboards and other areas
• Remove poisonous plants outside of the home
• Check for chemicals in the water (sinks, toilets, etc.)

After the move is successful, there’s still some work to be done to ensure your animal friends are happy folk. They can be wary of new surroundings for a while, so do your best to get them acclimated to their new home. Keep them in their crate in a room with you for a few hours if possible–your own comfort in a new home will ease their apprehension. Take them out of it and play or pet them for a bit to show that they can have fun in their new surroundings. Once they seem a bit more like their normal selves, open the room’s door and let them explore one room at a time.

At this point, they’ll probably be as excited as you are to check out their new home, so let them run wild! They’ll lay and roll around on the new carpet, slide all over the slick hardwood and much to our dismay will likely jump over new furniture. It’s all the fun of being a pet-owner.

From our pet-loving team to your family, we wish you luck on moving pets and moving homes![/three_fifth][two_fifth_last padding=”0 15px 0 15px”]

@charlotte.doodle is 7 today 🎈

A post shared by The Weil Team (@theweilteam) on Aug 1, 2018 at 9:51am PDT

Happy National Pet Day from The Weil Team family. #yolo

A post shared by The Weil Team (@theweilteam) on Apr 11, 2017 at 2:24pm PDT

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A step-by-step home check-up guide to find warning signs and advice on how to repair them

By David Baur, Product Manager, GCP Applied Technologies

Spring is here! Time to get out and enjoy the great outdoors. It is also the ideal time to do a home health check-up, inspecting what winter left behind.

So, what are the three key areas of your home to examine and what do you look for? We have you covered from roof to deck. Follow this step-by-step home check-up guide to find warning signs and advice on how to repair them.

Roof: You’ve probably never thought about it, but your roof has to battle a lot of enemies: ultraviolet rays, rain, wind, snow and ice. But the good news is most new shingle roofs are designed to last about 20 years. Slate roofs and some types of tile and metal roofs can last even longer. The actual life span of your roof is determined by several factors, including environmental conditions, material quality, proper application and regular roof maintenance.

Warning Signs: How do you know when your roof is in trouble? Look for these warning signs:

Outside:

• Shingles that are warped, blistered, missing or torn
• Shingles covered in moss or algae, which hold moisture and encourage rot
• Loose material or wear around chimneys, pipes and other penetrations
• Overhanging tree branches that could gouge the roof in a strong wind
• Excessive debris (leaves, dirt, ice, roofing granules) in the gutters or downspouts, which block drainage

Inside:

• Ceiling spots or leaks
• Cracked paint
• Discolored plasterboard
• Peeling wallpaper
• Mold, mildew or rot in the walls, ceilings, insulation and electrical systems
• In the attic, look for signs of water infiltration such as staining, dampness, or mold growing on insulation/sheathing/rafters A poorly ventilated attic that shows signs of moisture, which promotes the roof’s decay. Sufficient attic ventilation can be achieved by installing larger or additional vents

Repairs Needed?

If repairs are needed, don’t skimp on quality to save a few cents. Much of the damage associated with serious storms results from water entering the home when roof coverings or siding is blown off. This is why it is imperative that you have a secondary layer of waterproofing protection underneath the shingles and siding. If proper protection measures are not taken, the resulting leaks are the main cause of interior damage, as well as potential causes of rot and mold. Rot and mold can lead to major structural damage and even potential health problems for homeowners.

Use Underlyaments: FEMA has published recommendations for the use of fully-adhered roofing underlayments, such as Grace Ice & Water Shield^®, as an enhanced secondary water barrier for homes. In the event roof coverings are blown off or water manages to get underneath your shingles, these underlayments are the key to preventing water infiltration.

Windows & Doors: Beyond the roof, a home’s doors and windows can also become major leak zones. Even if the windows and doors are well shuttered in a storm, wind-driven rain can be blown into the house at these points, especially if they have not been properly flashed and weatherproofed.

Warning Signs: How do you know when your doors and windows are in trouble? The following are some signs of water damage:

Inside & Outside:

• Leaks or breaks in seams around window trim and sills
• Uneven doorframes
• Discolored plasterboard
• Peeling wallpaper
• Chipped or cracked stucco finishes
• Mold, mildew, or rot in the walls, insulation, and electrical systems
• Missing, cracked, or blistered paint inside the home

Repairs Needed?

Use Flashing: Flashing is a critical part of your home’s weather barrier system. If not properly selected and installed, wind-driven rain, ice and snow, can leak and quickly cause damage to your home. Flexible flashings such as GCP Applied Technologies’ Vycor^® Plus can be used to seal the most vulnerable spots, including windows, doors, corner boards, and other non-roof detail areas. It is designed to work in severe winter climates, milder climates, and in coastal areas where wind driven rain is common.

Deck: Last but not least, check the deck.A deck is a wonderful way to enjoy the outdoors in the warmer weather. But, if your deck is not protected against the extreme weather, it can deteriorate and become unsafe. Decks, fences and other wood products should be routinely weatherproofed and cleaned to maximize their useful life. Weather combined with the treatment chemicals used for today’s pressure treated lumber means that the modern deck must be proper constructed to hold up.

Warning Signs: How do you know when your deck is in trouble? Look for these warning signs:

• Warped boards
• Cracked or split boards
• Debris that is “clogging up” space between deck boards
• Look under the deck for corroded joist hangers and other connectors
• Soft wood
• Mold and mildew

Repairs Needed?

Use a Protective Barrier: Even with today’s treated and high-tech decking products–which look great and last and last–preventing joist rot and decay, as a result of water accumulation under the decking boards, remains a major problem. Vycor Deck Protector^® is a unique solution to significantly extend the useful life of decks. Vycor Deck Protector^® helps prevent joist rot and decay and decrease the corrosion rate of connectors and fasteners.

By inspecting these three areas of your home and correcting any damage with the best materials, you will ensure your home will live longer. Not to mention your wallet will be happy too! Now, put on those shades and head out to enjoy the spring & summer activities with peace of mind!

David Baur is Product Manager at GCP Applied Technologies, formerly known as Grace Construction Products. He has step by step tips for homeowners, contractors and builders on building homes for extreme weather.