Team Building Brings Big Thrills

Every year, Gaughan Companies hosts an annual team building event for all of its employees. This year, we took a day during the week to go to Big Thrill Factory in Oakdale with the whole company.

After an address from the company president, Patrick Gaughan, the attendees ate lunch and gathered into smaller groups in order to connect one-on-one with their coworkers. Our staff is growing, and with many of them at locations throughout the Twin Cities, it is important for us to take the time for these team building activities.

We participated in activities like go karts, laser tag, a ropes course, indoor zip line, and other events, like the Gaughan Jeopardy game. The atmosphere was filled with good spirits and friendly competition!

We appreciate our employees and all that they do for our company and our community. We are blessed to have a wonderful group to work with!

Winter Water Leaks

Do you have a water leak in your home? Is water dripping from your light fixtures or smoke detectors? If it is, one reason for this can be condensation.

As warm, moist air from inside the home rises up and comes in contact with a cold surface (like the underside of the roof deck), the air cools and moisture condenses out because cold air can’t hold as much moisture as warm air. That condensation forms a layer of frost on the cold surface.

When this frost builds up for weeks at a time and is followed by a warm day or two, it can melt all at once. Then, water will start running down the walls, out the bathroom and kitchen fans, through recessed light, out of door frames, etc.

People often jump to the conclusion that it’s a leak, even though it’s not raining and there isn’t too much snow to melt. But, what they are seeing is water that was already inside their home in the form of water vapor.

The best thing one can do to help this issue is control indoor winter humidity levels. If it’s 0°F outside, it’s best to maintain a humidity level of 20-25%.

WCCO recently released a story on this topic, too. Read more: http://cbsloc.al/2D6KxKi

MN Snow and Ice is Hard to Avoid!

Even with contracted snow removal service, we still experience freeze/thaw cycles that can wreak havoc on our sidewalks and driveways. But there are steps you can take to avoid a fall.
1) Walk slowly and carefully.
2) Ever heard of the Minnesota shuffle? Take small steps.
3) Keep both hands free to allow for better balance or use of handrails.
4) Step out of vehicles, don’t jump.
5) Walk as flat-footed as possible.
6) Wear appropriate footwear for conditions.
If you do fall, you may be able to reduce any injury by;
1) Rolling with the fall. Relax as much as possible.
2) Don’t protect what you’re carrying! Protect yourself and toss anything if you need to break your fall.

Gaughan Associate Elected to Chamber Board

Dave Galleberg, Commercial Brokerage Associate at Gaughan Companies, was elected as a board member of the MetroNorth Chamber of Commerce on December 7, 2017 at the Merry & Bright Winter Gala. Dave and the Gaughan Companies are grateful to serve on the board and help the local business community on the north side of the Twin Cities metro area.

Governing Documents: Who Leads?

Each Association has Governing Documents, which layout the operations for the community and any restrictions. But did you know there are different levels of hierarchy?
– Federal, State, and local ordinances always lead.
– Recorded plat, map, or plan.
– Declaration of Covenants or CC&R’s and any supplements to this document
– Articles of Incorporation
– Bylaws
– Rules and regulations
– General Resolutions
When creating rules and regulations or general resolutions, keep in mind they cannot conflict with any document that is higher on the pyramid!

Gaughan Tech Talk: Air Conditioner Care

Now that warm weather is approaching, it’ll soon be time to turn on the air conditioner. Here are a few tips on air conditioner care so you can keep your A/C in top working condition.

  1. Replace the pleated air filter every 3 months.
  2. Remove any sticks, leaves, grass, etc. from the condenser unit located outside. Debris on the outside of the unit will drastically affect performance. (I recommend an annual cleaning by an HVAC technician.)
  3. To clean the outside of the unit, use a little car polish on the box; that will shine it up. On the inside of the unit, a water hose and coil cleaner are used to clean the condenser coil.
  4. Do not cover the condenser with a cover or tarp in the off season. This will hold in moisture.
  5. Indoors, check the evaporator drain line to make sure it isn’t plugged. This removes condensation from the air handler, and it must be kept clear.
  6. It is a good idea to change the thermostat batteries at the start of every cooling season.

These are just a few things you can do to help your air conditioner run efficiently this season.