It may seem like summer has just begun, but “Back to School” time is just around the corner. This year, Fulton Homes is gearing up for the new school year with their Stuff the Bus campaign. Held at Chandler Fashion Center, the summer-long event benefits the Children First Academy of Tempe. The Fulton Homes Stuff the Bus initiative collects new backpacks, school supplies and clothing for the kids of the Children First Academy of Tempe, formerly the Thomas J. Pappas School. Fulton Homes, along with partner 99.9 KEZ, will be kicking off the program on Tuesday, June 22nd with a live remote from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. 99.9 KEZ radio personality Marty Manning will also be on-site at various times throughout the event. The Chandler Fashion Center is located at Chandler Boulevard and Loop 101.

Stuff the Bus, which runs through July 21, is a promotion that is true to its name. There will be a full-size school bus parked inside the Chandler Fashion Center, located in the Macy’s Court. The bus will be painted with the handprints of all the children involved with Children First Academy, and the handprints will detail the items that each child needs for a successful school year. Donators have the option of either choosing one of the handprints and purchasing the items specific to that child, or simply donating general supplies. Located at the bus will be a list of items that the children will be in need of for this year. The categories are split up into school supplies, clothing, and hygiene kits.

For those who wish to donate to Stuff the Bus, Fulton Homes and 99.9 KEZ are making the experience as fun and convenient as possible. Whenever the Chandler Fashion Center is open, there will be volunteers from the Maricopa County Schoolhouse Foundation ready to accept any and all donated items. KEZ Radio personality Marty Manning will also be on-site at Chandler Fashion Center the following dates:

June 22nd – 6:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. (Kick Off)

June 26th – 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

July 2nd – 6:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.

July 3rd – 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

July 9th – 6:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.

July 16th – 6:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.

July 23rd – 6:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.

July 24th – 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

“Lending a helping hand to families in need across the Valley is extremely gratifying and it perfectly complements our mission of developing people, not just homes,” remarks Douglas Fulton, CEO of Tempe-based homebuilder Fulton Homes. “Everyone deserves an education, and we are incredibly proud that Stuff the Bus program will help some very deserving children start the school year off right with some of the tools they need to succeed.”

All of the items donated to Stuff the Bus will go directly to the students at Children First Academy of Tempe. The Tempe Campus of Children First Academy opened as a Pappas school in 2001 and specializes in providing education to kids of homeless or underprivileged families. Many Valley residents might be familiar with the school’s previous name, the Thomas J. Pappas School, which provided these same opportunities to families. “Helping disadvantaged children receive an education has always been the priority of Children First Academy of Tempe,” says Diane Fernichio, Assistant Principal of the school. “As every parent knows,” states Fernichio, “The cost of starting school each year continues to rise. Clothes and school supplies can be difficult to afford for the average student. For families in need, it becomes impossible.”

There are many features in your new home that you’ll need to make sure to become familiar with.  From your air conditioning to your smoke detectors there is a lot to learn!  Please take a look at the interior and exterior product information we have gathered to assist you in understanding how you’re new home features work. By learning how these products operate, you will be able to keep them working at their optimum efficiency for the maximum comfort in your new home.

Electrical & Smoke Detection

Electrical

Some receptacles are controlled by a switch and are typically installed “upside-down” for quick reference. One of the outlets in the receptacle will be controlled by the switch and the other should have power all the time.

Per building code requirements GFCI protected receptacles “Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters” are installed adjacent to water sources, in kitchens, in bathrooms, in laundry rooms, on the exterior of the home and in the garage. These receptacles are designed to trip when a short or power surge is detected. This will prevent dangerous electrical shock. When this occurs, the GFCI outlets will need to be reset according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Do not plug a freezer or refrigerator into a GFCI receptacle, the constant surges created by these appliances will short out the GFCI and everything in the freezer or refrigerator will be lost. (To see a recent post on GFCI’s, click here.)

Arc Fault receptacles are installed in bedrooms. These outlets will trip if there is an electrical cord breakage or appliance failure causing an arc fault short in the wire or appliance.

All light bulbs are maximum wattage. When replacing bulbs be sure to use bulbs of the same or lower wattage.

Please note that lighting will sometimes dim when a major appliance or HVAC system is turned on. This is normal and will not cause any damage to your electrical system.

Smoke Detectors

Smoke detectors are “hard” wired and have battery back-up. Change batteries every six months. Be sure to change the batteries in ALL smoke detectors at the same time. They will “chirp” when the batteries are low.

We hope this helps you understand more about how the electrical and smoke detection in your home works!

Today continues a series about the stages of construction. Our goal is to help you understand the stages of construction, learn about how we do things and what you can expect during each stage. In this series, we have covered 7 additional stages of construction. To see the previous stages of construction, click here.

During this stage, the carpet is installed and the home is cleaned in preparation for the homebuyer orientation and final inspection by the local municipality building & safety inspector. The lot has a final raking and the grade certification is completed. This certification is provided by an independent survey company. Any final questions and problems are also addressed at this time.

All finished surfaces are cleaned prior to pre-carpet paint touch-up. This includes windows, tubs, cabinets, tile, mirrors and counter-tops. Most paint touch-up is done prior to carpet installation, but a final touch-up is always needed after carpet.

A Fulton Homes Construction Manager or Area Manager assures each home meets Fulton Homes Quality standards prior to installation of flooring. At this time, the home should be nearing completion except for the flooring and appliances. Any items found during this quality assurance inspection will be addressed before move in.

You will have a pre-orientation meeting to confirm options and address any concerns.

A final inspection for certificate of occupancy is performed by the local municipality building & safety inspector.

Floor covering installations is one of the last things to be done on the home. Minor floor preparation is done prior to floor coverings installation.

The Fulton Homes Detail Technician is utilized to put the finishing touches on the home prior to the orientation. The Fulton Homes Detail Technician is also required to accompany the Orientation Specialist during the orientation, to take care of any minor adjustments necessary.

The appliances will be installed the day of Close of Escrow. It is company policy not to install appliances until at this time due to theft and insurance issues!

We hope this helps you further understand the different stages of construction.

There are many features in your new home that you’ll need to make sure to become familiar with.  From your air conditioning to your smoke detectors there is a lot to learn!  Please take a look at the interior and exterior product information we have gathered to assist you in understanding how you’re new home features work. By learning how these products operate, you will be able to keep them working at their optimum efficiency for the maximum comfort in your new home.

Cracks and Squeaks in Your Home

Cracks & Squeaks in your home are normal. There are many different materials used in the construction of a home.

Most building materials are subject to expansion and contraction due to changes in temperature and humidity.  This is especially true of all concrete and drywall.  Due to this expansion, as well as the natural shrinkage which takes place at the time the material sets, it is inevitable that some cracks may appear in foundations, walks, driveways, porch floors, basement floors and steps, as well as dry-wall.  These are natural occurrences beyond our control and the strength of the various items is in no way impaired.

The structural lumber in your home, which includes the trusses, the joists, studding, rafters and other framing members, has been selected in sizes and grades that provide a factor of safety over and beyond that which is necessary to carry the loads for which they are intended. Shrinkage in all wood is inevitable and occurs in the drying out period of the new home.

This shrinkage in the framing explains why certain moldings, trim around doors and windows, as well as baseboard and shoe molding sometimes seem to work out of their original position.  Shrinkage can cause joints in the woodwork to open, doors to warp, cracks to appear in drywall, particularly around door and window openings, drywall arches and stairwells.  This shrinkage can be minimized by maintaining a constant temperature in your home throughout the year, particularly during the first year.

Wood floors may squeak! Sub-floor adhesive and screws are used to anchor the sub-floor to the truss joints. Even with these precautionary measures, wood floors will always flex and can eventually squeak to some extent.

We hope this helps you understand a little more about your home!