The Ultimate Home Buyers Guide

Buying a new home can be exciting and intimidating all at the same time.The awesome part about buying a new home is the fact that you get to pick your location, the community you want to live in, and most importantly, the best floor plan that meets your lifestyle and needs. ...Read More

How to paint/touch-up your foundation and area wells

Covington Homes paints all foundation and area wells for stucco elevations. We believe this is a better solution for long term maintenance rather than applying stucco which is Cementitious (concrete) directly onto the concrete. ...Read More

Care and Maintenance of Cabinetry

Cabinetry is one of the biggest highlights of a kitchens look. Covington Homes prides ourselves on providing above average standard kitchens, but as well high-end cabinetry to match. With these resourceful tips from trade partners and professionals, you can have your cabinets looking as brand new as the day we put them in. ...Read More

Caulking Concrete Cracks

Step 1: Make sure that the cracked area is clean of grease, oil, or any other substances. After, rise with water and let it dry. This will allow the caulk to set and bond properly when applied. ...Read More

Maintain, Repair, and Re-finishing of your Hardwood Floors

Whether wood is being freshly cut or being laid in your home it will have a tendency to flex and expand with the climate it is exposed to. The drier or more humid an area is the wood will reciprocate. From this we want to make sure that the climate our wood is exposed to is consistent. ...Read More

Heating and Cooling Do’s and Don’ts

In Colorado Springs, we are constantly having weather that is ever-changing and with this comes drastic temperatures. One day it will be a high of 93° and the next a low of 53° with rain showers. But one thing we all want to keep consistent is our homes temperature. Here are some tips on ways you can make sure that when the seasons hit your heating and cooling system it is ready for the challenge! ...Read More

Stucco Care and Cleaning

The outside of our home is the very first thing people see and we always want to make sure that the exterior looks its best. Whether your home has acrylic or regular stucco we always want to make sure it is properly maintained to last its full capacity. Here are some easy steps you can take to make sure your stucco lasts against the test of time. ...Read More

Adding Onto an Existing Drip Irrigation Line

Did you go to Lowes or Home Depot and find that perfect rose bush? Do you think that there aren’t enough evergreen shrubs in your yard? Or perhaps you want to add dimension to your yard by adding grasses and flowering perennials? You need to add to the existing drip irrigation to add these extra shrubs and plants. Too hard you think? Well, it’s not too hard at all. ...Read More

Painting and Caulking Your Baseboards

We recommend that the baseboards in your home be cleaned on a fairly regular basis. We also recommend to caulk and touch up paint the baseboards in your home on an annual basis. Even when you clean the baseboards monthly or every few months, the caulk gets dusty and dirty. Ideally removing the caulk and re-applying the caulk is the maintenance item that should be performed, but let’s face it- that’s a lot more work than reapplying caulk and painting over the existing caulk and paint. ...Read More

Pointers for Yearly Maintenance on Floors and Thresholds

Three tips on keeping your thresholds looking and functioning great. Hinge squeaks and sticking entry door latch, Reducing the air blowing under the Thresholds & Regular maintenance of the weatherstripping. ...Read More

Programming Irrigation Controllers

Today’s irrigation controllers offer a variety of features and program options. As much as these modern marvels help improve the flexibility of an irrigation system, they do increase its complexity and, sometimes, the frustration you’ll experience servicing it. The following tips will help give you a basic understanding of how a controller works, how to program it and what some of the more complex features might be. ...Read More

How to Clean or Replace a Faucet Aerator

A faucet that has weak water pressure for both hot and cold water may just need the aerator cleaned. Another symptom of a dirty aerator is an irregular spray pattern or a stray stream of water going off at an odd direction. Cleaning or replacing the aerator is very easy and you might be able to do it without any tools. ...Read More First of all, close the drain so you don’t lose any parts. You don’t need to turn off the water supply for this repair. The aerator is the assembly and screen water passes through as it leaves the spout. This part at the tip of the spout unscrews in a clockwise direction (righty tighty, lefty loosey). Dry both the spout and your hands before trying to remove it with your fingers. If it is too tight, then you are going to need to use adjustable pliers. Before using the pliers on the faucet, wrap several loops of masking tape or a rubber band around the aerator to reduce the risk of marring the finish.

Once you remove the aerator you will notice one or more parts contained within. Note the order and orientation of the parts as you remove them. As you take them out you will probably find grit and rust. Rinse the pieces with water and brush off the debris. For difficult to remove deposits, soak the parts in white vinegar for a few minutes and scrub with a toothbrush. If any parts are cracked or broken, replace them. If the washer has hardened, it should replaced.

With the debris cleaned out, reassemble the aerator and screw it back onto the faucet. Hand tightening should be adequate. If water leaks around the threads, give it a fraction of a turn with the pliers and then remove the masking tape.

That’s it, you’re done. - Source: acmehowto.com
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Irrigation Start-up

To start a sprinkler system after winterizing you must first know where the sprinkler system shut offs are. If you had an irrigation service company shut down, blow out, and drain the system sometimes it is easier just to call them back to turn it on. Many lawn service companies will even shut your sprinkler down for the winter and start it back up when the time comes. If you can find the main sprinkler shut off valve and have a key to turn it back on then you can turn it on yourself. ...Read More

Caulking Your Tub and Shower

Caulking the connection between your shower walls and tub prevents leaks and reduces mildew buildup. Removing old caulk and recaulking joints between tiles and your tub is an annual bathroom maintenance job. If you have tile shower walls, as the house moves (a natural process that occurs in every home), a hairline crack can occur that allows water to get into the joint. ...Read More

Repairing Small Holes in Drywall

Small holes in drywall can be easily repaired. These types of holes include nail or screw holes (like those left from picture hooks), paper tears and indentations made by furniture and other hard objects. ...Read More

Touching up your Grout

Grout is a typical maintenance item when owning a home. Sometimes grout can last years, and other times it lasts a few months before it starts to dry out and crack. It usually depends on the area in question. Grout at tile in wet areas needs maintenance more often than grout in dry areas. Even though sealer is applied over the grout the moisture eventually breaks down the sealer and grout over time, thus requiring the areas to be re-grouted. ...Read More