Spring Rain Garden Maintenance
Darren Driscoll • March 10, 2014
Spring is here! And that means your rain garden probably needs a little TLC.
First, you need to remove any debris that’s made its way into your rain garden. Dead leaves, dead pine needles, and other muck can keep your garden from draining properly or thriving.
You should also check for sediment build-up and erosion. Remove them as necessary.
Next, trim back your perennials a little bit to let new growth flourish. Get rid of any dead plants! If you need to divide your perennials now is the time to do it.
You might have to replace a few plants if you have too many dead ones. You always want your rain garden to have a neat, clean look–it’s neither fun nor attractive to let it grow wild.
Next, it’s time to spread a fresh layer of mulch. Rain gardens perform best when you use shredded bark for this task. That’s because shredded bark won’t float away and clog your drains the way that wood chips will.
Don’t go nuts with fertilizers. Native plants don’t necessarily require them the way an import might. If you must, call your county extension for some Florida-friendly fertilizer tips. If you don’t you might just undo all of the good work you did by placing a rain garden in the first place!
Finally, it’s time to start adding any annual plants that you might want to place in your rain garden. Again, choose natives for best results.
You can get a list of native annuals and perennials here.
Of course, it’s also important to remember that your rain garden is part of a total system that starts with your rain gutters! Spring is also the season for cleaning your gutters.
If you don’t, your rain garden won’t get the water that it needs–and your home’s foundation will get water it absolutely does not need.
Don’t want to do it yourself? If you live in Ocala, Brandon, New Port Richey or anywhere else in the Tampa Bay metro area, call us. We’ll give you a free quote on gutter cleaning, and we’ll keep you off that ladder.
Everybody wants to save money on home maintenance costs. We get it. Even if you realize the full extent of everything your gutters do to protect your home from water damage, you probably don’t want to spend an arm and a leg making it happen.
So if you’re considering DIY gutter installation, hey, we can hardly blame you. After all, we know, and you know, that you could go grab a 6″ x 10″ aluminum K-style gutter in 10″ lengths for about $15 at your local Home Depot.
So how do you know whether you should do that, or whether you [...]
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If you’re hoping to find a gutter that can literally last a lifetime then galvalume gutters might appeal to you. These types of gutters can easily last 100 years or more if maintained properly. They’re also less expensive than copper gutters, which is another type of gutter that can last 100 years.
Despite their longevity, it’s rare to see galvalume gutters on homes in our service area. In fact, in the 40+ years we’ve been in business we’ve never been asked to put galvalume gutters on a home.
They aren’t as aesthetically appealing as copper or even seamless aluminum gutters that [...]
What are Galvalume Gutters? is from Rain Control Gutters
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They gleam in the sunlight and are reminiscent of stately homes and churches from another era. There’s no denying that copper gutters are gorgeous. There are even people who will tell you they’re more eco-friendly than their aluminum counterparts.
They’re also the most expensive type of gutter you can buy, so you will want to think carefully before deciding they’re right for you.
What are the biggest benefits of copper gutters?
There’s no denying copper gutters offer some impressive benefits.
They don’t rust.
They are algae-proof and fungi-proof.
They’re structurally stable and sound.
They’re durable and do a good job of standing up to our climate here [...]
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Here in the Tampa metro area we get 54″ of torrential rain every year. That means most homeowners need strong, durable gutters capable of holding up to so much water.
K-style gutters, also known as “ogee” gutters, are a great solution which allows homeowners to do just that. They hold more water than rounded gutters. They’re also tougher, doing a better job of standing up to water pressure, winds, and other stresses without bending or protruding. Finally, they blend in nicely with any style home so they always look great.
It’s for these reasons why we only install K-Style gutters.
K-Style Gutters: [...]
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Todd Dudkewic has retired after over 40 years of owning and managing Rain Control Aluminum of Central Florida Inc. He’s sold the business to us, the Driscolls. We’ve always wanted to own a family business, so this is an exciting opportunity for us!
We’re Darren and Gwen Driscoll, and we’re excited to step into Todd’s tradition of providing excellent, ethical rain gutter service to the residents of Central Florida.
Darren worked with Todd for over a decade before taking this step. Darren comes from a management role at a very successful Master Elite Residential Roofing Company (Sharpe Professional Roofing, LLC). [...]
Rain Control Aluminum of Central Florida Inc. is Now Rain Control Gutters is from Rain Control Gutters
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When you’re gearing up to sell your home you usually don’t want to put too much money into it. After all, you won’t be around to enjoy it.
But putting money into things that can make your home sell for a lot more is a smart investment. And while most people think about kitchens and bathrooms first, gutter guards are a right choice if you position them correctly (and if you buy the right ones).
How Gutter Guards Can Help You Sell
Think about it. What’s the number one commodity most people are hurting for? What’s the number one thing that brings people [...]
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You might wonder why on earth a seamless gutter company would publish a list of their competitors, but at Rain Control Gutters, we believe in putting the customer first!
Installing seamless aluminum gutters is a major investment in your home, and we know you’ll want to do your research to make sure you’re getting the best service and value.
We started a similar list of the best gutter installers in Tampa a few years ago. We got such positive feedback for putting such a list together we thought we’d do it for other cities starting with Odessa, FL.
Here are five seamless gutter [...]
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On our blog we’ve done a lot of talking about hurricanes. It’s only natural. We help people manage the way weather effects their home. And hurricanes are not only a whole lot of weather, they’re almost a fixture in the Tampa metro area.
This year NOAA predicts a normal hurricane season, with 9 to 15 named storms. 4 to 8 of those could become hurricanes. And they predict at least 2 to 4 major hurricanes.
We’ve gathered a few resources to help people in our service area make it through hurricane season, safe and sound. Some of these resources are elsewhere [...]
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Nobody spends a lot of time taking Pinterest photos of their gutters or talking about them on HGTV. But they’re one of the most important parts of your house.
Especially in the Tampa metro area! Our torrential rains are no joke.
Your gutters protect your home. Which means your gutter contractor had best be someone good at his or her job.
But how can you know?
You’ve got to do a little research. Here are some things to look for.
1. A ton of positive reviews.
Look, customers aren’t exactly unaware of Google+, Yelp, and Facebook recommendations.
If a gutter company can’t get great reviews, something’s [...]
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Water damage is brutal. It can ruin both your home and your belongings. It can leave behind mold, an even more destructive force.
And if you’re not mitigating your water damage risk because you think insurance will cover everything, you may be in for a rude awakening.
Insurance is for emergencies.
Homeowner’s insurance typically covers things like tree limbs falling and tearing a hole in your roof, or tornadoes ripping the shingles away. It doesn’t cover basic maintenance failures, or even, always, the results of those maintenance failures.
“If the damage is not sudden or accidental, but instead is the result of a [...]
What’s Covered in a Water Damage Insurance Claim? is from Rain Control Gutters
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