Mason Martin Blog

We are pleased to announce that The Canadian Home Builders Association - Central Alberta has  honored Mason Martin Homes with the Home Builder (Large Volume) award for 2012.

Thank you our staff, service people, clients, and to all of you who contributed to making Mason Martin Homes the Customer Choice Builder of the Year!

Join us at the Brick this weekend and receive a choice of TWO home packages for your new Mason Martin Home!

With the purchase of any Mason Martin Home* you can receive a Home Theatre Package including:

• 65″ 3D Panasonic Plasma TV (4 year warranty)
• 5.1 Surround Sound
• 3D Blu Ray Player
• 4 Piece Wall Unit

OR

A LG Kitchen Appliance Package including:

• French 4 Door Fridge (25 cubic feet)
• Smooth top 30″ Range & Convection Oven
• Over the Range Microwave
• All items include a 5 year warranty

*Exluding Springbrook’s 8 plex

When landscaping your property here are a few tips to improve the pleasure of your yard as well as increase your property value!

• Planting deciduous trees on the south side of your home will provide shade in the summer months and allow sun to shine through during the winter months. Inversely, planting coniferous trees on the north side of your home will help to provide shelter in the winter months and reduce your heating costs.  This it can reduce the amount of energy your home uses by 25%!

• Relax, and don’t worry about mowing that lawn so often! Try planting a low growth variety of grass to reduce maintenance. Shorter grass encourages weeds to take over, but by keeping grass a bit longer it actually helps protect the roots by providing shade and preventing water evaporation.

• Is your existing lawn looking a bit worn out? Before the summer months hit rake and aerate your lawn. Aerating is the process of inserting holes in your lawn for better water absorption, nutrient absorption and helping in the process of eliminating thatch. Fill in depressions and over seed any bare patches with topsoil and seed. Be sure to fertilize your lawn in spring and/or fall.

• Make sure your garden beds don’t interfere with your drainage systems. Be sure to grade your beds away from the foundation of the house by approximately 8 inches. This will help prevent moisture damage and insect infestation.

• Always check with your local greenhouse to ensure proper care of your plants, but most trees and shrubs prefer to be pruned in early spring or late fall. Check for signs of disease and insect infestation. Always have professionals remove trees that may be hazardous to the foundation of your house or your service lines.

It may be hard to believe, but summer is just around the corner! That means green grass, flowers blooming, and increased water consumption.

During our Canadian summer water consumption dramatically increases to over 50% of your home water usage being designated for outdoor use.

Here are some tips and tricks for water conservation during the summer months.

As a general rule your lawn only needs 2-3 cm’s of water per week. To cut down on your water utilization even further try to use low angle or pulsating sprinklers that produce large droplets of water opposed to a fine mist that will evaporate quicker. Routinely check your irrigation systems for leaks and fit your hose with an automatic shut off nozzle to ensure water is not wasted when left unattended.

Invest in a rain barrel to collect rain water. Be sure to find one with a spigot and suitable cover to protect from contamination and evaporation. Water collected in your rain barrel is actually better for your garden because it doesn’t contain any chlorine contaminants and is at ambient temperature.

Not only will these tips help protect our environment, but it will help to water down your bills as well!

To check how your household measures up click here for Environment Canada’s Water Use Calculator.

We had a great time at the Home Show this weekend! Check out Built Green’s website! They mentioned us! http://www.builtgreencanada.ca/mason-martin-homes-promotes-built-green-program?id=1456

Mason Martin Homes will be at the Red Deer home show, put on by the Canadian Home Builders Association, this weekend March 16-18th! Come check out our awesome booth and slide show! We will have our most knowledgeable people there to tell you all about the Mason Martin Homes Advantage! It is going to be a great time and we look forward to seeing you there!

Mason Martin Homes is building a few spec homes in Springbrook. If you hurry you can still have your chance to pick all the colors for your new home! It is simple and a fun way to make it special to you!

Mason Martin Homes has 6 Spec homes already on the go!

Mason Martin Homes has said several times that we can save you up to 15% on your electrical bills. We are sure you are wondering how? Well here are 4 ways that help save energy in your home:

Blower Door Test

A blower door is a powerful fan that mounts into the frame of an exterior door. The fan pulls air out of the house, lowering the air pressure inside. The higher outside air pressure then flows in through all unsealed cracks and openings. The auditors may use a smoke pencil to detect air leaks. These tests determine the air infiltration rate of a home.

Basically this tells us how many air leaks are in your home. The slower the pressure inside equals the pressure outside the more energy efficient your home will be. It will tell us if you have any major leaks. This way your house will stay heated longer in the winter and cooler in the summer because there will be fewer air leaks.

24 inch Spacing on Studs

Standard spacing between studs is 16inch. By using 24inch spacing which reduces thermo bridging or also known as heat loss.

Argon Filled Windows

Mason Martin Homes uses Argon filled windows because Argon is denser than the atmosphere which provides with better insulation, between window panes, then air would be. This creates a more energy efficient window and home. It is a colourless and odorless gas that is non reactive (so it would not be harmful if window was broken.) We also use a solar shield on the window surface to deflect the suns rays in the summer but let the rays in to heat in the winter.

Extended truss heel height:

Mason Martin Homes uses a 12inch truss heal height allowing more insulation at the perimeter of the home creating a more energy efficient structure.

All of our homes come standard with these features. To find out more about what Mason Martin Homes can do for you and the earth call Scott today @ 403.342.4544

Once you have decided that Mason Martin Homes is your right move have a look at either our spec homes we have or stock plans to start planning your brand new dream home!

Have you been thinking about your new year resolution? Thinking about finally getting that new home you have always dreamed of? Well look no further, here at Mason Martin Homes we offer nothing but exceptional service for our customers. We will work with you and your whole family to build you that dream home you have always wanted. Why not start now? 2012 is going to be a great year, start it off fresh buy starting your new dream home!

You can have a look at our stock plans, or you can come in and meet with our Architectural designer, Andrew, and we will work with you and your needs to build you your very own custom dream home.

Don’t let this be your forgotten new year resolution this year, make it happen! We now have lots in the new Vanier area; in Red Deer, Springbrook, Innisfail, Sylvan Lake or Blackfalds. Beautiful lots available, don’t wait till their all gone. Call Scott today 403-342-4544

This is an article I found on Readers Digest, We thought it would be helpful to spread the word on how to be safe this Christmas!