By Tom Branch, on September 2nd, 2011 
I was chatting with a past client this morning. They love the house we found for them but they are unhappy with the lawn. The grass under the trees has all died off despite heavy watering.
It’s not a water problem; it’s a sunlight (really a lack of sunlight) problem!
When they purchased the home, the trees had been kept trimmed and thinned out allowing sunlight to reach the ground. Over the past couple of years, the new owners had not kept up with the trees. The Bradford Pear trees that line their driveway grow much quicker that the Live Oaks and had completely blocked out the sunlight from reaching the ground.
All they need to do is to trim and thin the trees’ canopies and reseed under the trees. Rather than Bermuda, Zoyia grass might be a better choice as it requires less sunlight.
According to zoysias.com, “In the south Zoysia has good shade tolerance while in the cooler areas it needs more sun…Zoysia establishes a dense thick turf that crowds out weeds after several mowings.”
Tree trimming and thinning should be completed every year. Visit our Business Directory for lawn and landscape contractors who can take care of your trees.
By Tom Branch, on May 30th, 2011 
I was out showing homes yesterday afternoon.
As we walked the outside of the home, I noted a trail of larger ants on the white stone wall. They were blazing a trail from the ground into the house where the stone transitions to siding.
Bad news! While I’m not a specialist, I’m almost certain these are carpenter ants.
Homeowners need to watch their foundations and the exterior walls of their homes. Trees and shrubs should not be allowed to touch the home as these give insects an easy and hard-to-detect path into the home.
According to Texas A&M:
Carpenter ants are social insects that make their colonies primarily in wood. They hollow out wood to build their nests, making their galleries and chambers velvety-smooth as if a carpenter had sanded the surfaces. Their tunneling in wood and foraging for food and water lead to their “pest” status in and around homes.
The presence of carpenter ants can mean that a building has problems that need attention, such as moisture, rotting wood or other conditions conducive to ant infestation. In Texas, there are at least 14 species of carpenter ants that destroy wood. Homeowners can minimize damage to their houses by learning how to identify the ants, knowing where to look for them, and understanding ways to prevent and control them.
Homeowners can treat carpenter ants themselves with residential insecticides purchased locally. Larger infestations may require professional treatment.
Pest Control Companies Serving the Dallas Suburbs
By Tom Branch, on May 20th, 2011 
I was out showing homes the other day to some out of state buyers. As they looked at homes, they would spot some hairline cracks in the sheetrock of some of the homes. They were concerned about potential foundation issues. Welcome to Texas!
North Texas is notorious for expansive clay soil. Why is this important? The foundations of our homes are built on top of this soil and this causes the foundations to move with changes in the water content of the soil. When the foundation moves, hairline cracks can appear in the sheetrock.
The key to minimizing the movement is to keep the soil around the foundation at a consistent moisture content. What does that mean? Water the lawn or add soaker hoses around the foundation. Dried up soil contracts and allows the foundation to move.
Foundation movement is not the only reason that cracks appear in the sheetrock. In new construction, the studs may not have been completely dry when the home was built. As the wood dries, it shrinks and can cause minor cracking.
If you’re purchasing a home and you have concerns, hire an engineer to inspect the foundation of the home. The cost ranges from $250 and up depending upon the size and type of foundation.
Dallas Foundation Repair and Inspection
By Tom Branch, on April 20th, 2011 
I received a phone call from a past client yesterday. He called asking about water draining from a pipe in the soffit of his home.
I knew immediately what he was talking about. It’s been warm in north Texas and many homeowners are switching on their air conditioning systems for the first time this season. Air conditioning systems produce condensation. Normally this condensation is caught in the primary pan and is drained into the main drain system.
If the primary drain becomes stopped up, the condensation will overflow into another pan located directly under the primary pan. This condensation is routed to the outside of the home and the exit point is usually over a window.
Why a window? So the homeowner can see the water, realize there’s a problem with the primary drain, and get it fixed. If you see water dripping from one of these pipes, it’s time to have your air conditioning serviced.
It’s a good idea to have the air conditioning serviced in the beginning of the cooling season so the unit is in top operating condition. Part of that service should include preventive maintenance on the primary air conditioning drain line.
By Tom Branch, on December 11th, 2010 Here it comes! The National Weather Service is predicting low temperatures on Monday morning to be close to 20 degrees. Is your home ready?
 Copyright 2010 - Tom Branch If your home is heated, you’ll not likely have any problems inside.
Outside, be sure to disconnect your hoses from the faucets. This allows the water to drain. While many newer faucets have freeze prevention built-in, many older faucets can freeze. If they do freeze, the pipes may fracture and the home can flood.
You can purchase covers for less than $5 at many local stores. These covers help insulate the faucet and keep it from freezing. The cost is far less than repairing damaged pipes behind the brick facade and cleaning up the water damage inside.
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