Do you need a driveway makeover?

Recently, we were called by a Penryn, CA homeowner to take a look at their driveway. One of the first things we noticed was the signs of soil erosion around the driveway coming from the planters. We also noticed asphalt cracking from settling.

What you see pictured is a driveway to a large country side ranch house. The mulch in the planters is doing very little to keep the dirt off the pavement.

We proposed the addition of poured in place concrete curbs and the addition of a 3 inch thick layer of mulch. We chose poured in place curbs over the typical landscape machine landscape curbs because of durability. The curbs used in landscaping do not have large sized aggregates to withstand cars or farm equipment from accidentally breaking when hit or run over.

Due to the size of this project, we spent days preparing and forming the driveway for the new curbs.

We also felt it was a good idea to continue the curbs around the backside of the wood rail fence to separate the planters from the pasture. This added an additional touch of class to the project.

Once the curbs were poured, we repaired the asphalt with a fresh coating of slurry seal. This added years of service to the driveway and provided a clean and polished look.

Completing the project, we added additional plantings and covered the entire planters with a 3 inch layer of wood mulch.  The wood mulch finished the project nicely and also provides water savings for the landscape.

In the end, our Penryn, CA homeowners were ecstatic. Finally, after many years of having the typical country side driveway, their driveway is now worthy of their country estate.

CAD Construction specializes in country estate property renovations. Whether you need a new facelift for your driveway or a new equestrian facility for your horses, we are here to help.

Before Deck Addition

It looks like this home really needs a deck…

Shhh, slider installed before deck by others…
CAD Construction to the rescue. We were called by the homeowner to help complete his deck addition which was abandoned by another contractor. We removed the existing shade cover and added additional concrete patio to support the new Trex deck.

• Fix leaking faucets right away. Leaks can waste gallons of water quickly. If hot water is leaking, it’s wasting energy too.
• Insulate hot water heaters and pipes to prevent heat loss. If you’re doing it yourself, be careful not to cover the floor, top, thermostat or burner compartment of the heater. When in doubt, for safety, call us for our expert advice or to do the job for you. continue

SAFETY TIP: Never enter a septic tank. The tank may hold poisonous gases and insufficient oxygen. Always work on the tank from the outside. continue

Natural gas, often simply called “gas,” is used in homes to run many appliances. Gas is colorless and, in its natural state, odorless. The special “gas smell” is added to natural gas to let you know of a leak. It smells like rotten eggs or rotten cabbage. Whether the leak is large or small, it’s important for your safety and the health of your family to take action immediately. Natural gas is a fire hazard, it’s explosive, and inhaling it can damage health. continue

If your home or building was built prior to 1980, then the chances are that you have galvanized (steel) plumbing pipes. Galvanized pipes rust. A one-inch galvanized pipe can become so clogged with rust over the years that it narrows to where you can hardly see through it.

The result can be low water pressure or clogged drains. Worse, the pipes can leak or burst, damaging your home or business. continue

Garbage Disposal Not Working

1. Before doing any work on the garbage disposal, ALWAYS make sure the switch to the garbage disposal is turned to the OFF position.
2. Using tongs, clear out anything inside the garbage disposal which might be jamming up the motor. continue