Posted on By Julie Swartz Categories Company News

Time to Winterize Your Home

We have enjoyed warmer-than-average temperatures this Fall, but we know winter is coming. The experts at Prairie Construction recommend homeowners take advantage of the last few days of mild temps to get their home ready for the long, cold winter.

  • Drain Your Sprinkler System. If you have an underground sprinkler system, and you have not yet had it drained, it’s time to get that done. It’s also time to disconnect hoses from outdoor water faucets. Water left in pipes can freeze and thaw throughout the winter, causing them to crack or burst, and can potentially cause major damage in your home.
  • Empty Your Gutters. The winds and rain last week brought many of the leaves down from the trees, but chances are good several of them got caught in your home’s gutters before falling to the ground. Get your gutters cleaned out now before the leaves prevent rain and snow from properly draining, leading to freezing. The weight of frozen gutters can cause damage to your roof and siding.
  • Check for Cracks and Gaps. Looks for cracks in the siding and foundation, as well as around windows and doors. Either seal them up or consider looking for services such as Siding Installation in Raleigh, NC, or house repair in your home town, to prevent cold air from coming in and warm air from going out!
  • Weatherproof Doors and Windows. You can lose a lot of energy from door and window, particularly if you live in an older home. Weatherstripping doors and windows, installing
  • Service your Furnace. If you haven’t yet, have your furnace serviced and cleaned by hiring companies such as Hollenbach Home Comfort Services (hollenbachoil.com) to ensure it functions properly throughout the winter. As part of their normal operation, furnaces emit carbon monoxide. In order to ventilate the carbon monoxide outside of your house, it is important to install an exhaust pipe. Professionals from the likes of Air Makers or similar companies can check the exhaust pipe for leaks to make sure all carbon monoxide is leaving your home and your family is not being exposed to it. And if they see anything malfunctioning, they can repair it immediately. This will also give you a chance to see if you need to get anything else in your HVAC unit repaired, or if it might be time for a new furnace soon. And don’t forget about having the chimney cleaned – especially if you plan to use a fireplace this season.

Taking the time now to get your home ready for winter before the cold and snow arrive will go a long way in helping you stay warm, conserve energy and avoid damage to your home.

Posted on By Julie Swartz Categories Company News

Westside Golf Project in the News!

It’s not every day your work is featured in a national publication, and we have to admit – it is pretty cool when it happens!

The Swede Center is an indoor golf practice facility located in Westside High School which was recently featured in Golfweek, part of USA Today.  Add to that, it was a really fun project for the Prairie Construction team!

The simulator sits in what was formerly an unusable space behind the gym. It includes putting, chipping and hitting bays, as well as a locker area and players’ lounge. It is used by District 66 students of all ages.

No other high school in the state – and possibly the country – can boast having a nicer, more state-of-the-art indoor golf practice facility like The Swede Canter. And it appears to be paying off as Westside is producing state champion golfers!

The facility was just one of several recent projects that Prairie Construction has collaborated on with Westside Schools, and we look forward to many more!

 

Posted on By Julie Swartz Categories Company News

Welcome Nighthawks to Elkhorn North Ridge Middle School

Elkhorn North Ridge Middle School welcomed students for the first time when the school year started a few weeks ago.

Prairie Construction has built many schools in the Omaha metro area, and each one is unique. North Ridge, located at 183rd & Ida St. in Elkhorn, was constructed with state-of-the-art safety features and design, and is proving to be fully functional for students.

Here is an inside look at some of our favorite spots in the school.

Have a great school year Nighthawks!

Posted on By Julie Swartz Categories Current Projects, Uncategorized

Update on Elkhorn Middle School Project

We continue to make progress on the construction of the new middle school for the Elkhorn Public Schools.

Elkhorn North Ridge Middle School will welcome its first students through its doors in less than a month. Here’s a unique look at the progress!

Elkhorn North Ridge is located at 183rd & Ida St. and will accommodate the continued growth in the fifth largest school district in the state.

Posted on By Julie Swartz Categories Company News

Skyrocketing Lumber Costs are Starting to Ease

We have good news for those of you planning a construction project……the cost of lumber is starting to fall!

Since the pandemic began, we’ve heard a lot about high demand and low supply for everything from toilet paper and Clorox wipes to groceries and vehicles. We saw a huge increase in the demand for things like lumber, and an even bigger increase in the costs for lumber and building supplies.

According to the Labor Department’s producer price index, lumber prices more than doubled from May 2020 to May 2021. The National Association of Home Builders says the price tripled in just 12 months.

Americans spent more time at home over the last year, contributing to an increase in home improvement and new construction projects. Adding to that, restrictions due to COVID-19 slowed production at sawmills. This increased demand and reduced supply resulted in skyrocketing prices for lumber.

We are finally starting to see an easing of high lumber prices. Americans are going back to work and things are slowly returning to “normal”. While we may not see a return to pre-pandemic pricing for some time, we are seeing improvements in lumber and building supplies pricing.

If you put off your construction project because of the increased pricing, now might be a good time to put the plans back on the books. The team at Prairie Construction is ready to help!

Posted on By Julie Swartz Categories Company News

Welcome to Omaha, CWS fans!

We are big baseball fans at Prairie Construction – This is one of our favorite times of year in Omaha, and we are so happy to see the series back in full swing this year!

If you are new to Omaha, or you haven’t been back for a few years, things might look a little different to you. There has been a construction boom in Omaha in recent years and Prairie Construction has played a big role in development near the stadium.

If you take a stroll just west of TD America on Cuming St., you’ll see Prairie Construction’s mark throughout Creighton University’s campus, notably the new Facilities Management Building on 18th & Burt St. We’ve also been busy with work in the Medical School and Health Sciences Library on campus as well.

If you head southeast from the stadium, take a trip over the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge to Council Bluffs, IA. It’s a beautiful bridge with a spectacular view of the Missouri River, and it’s fun to be able to say you were in 2 states at the same time – you’ll see the state line marking about halfway across the bridge.

For a little extra fun, make a stop under the pedestrian bridge – yes, that is a giant blue troll! Helping the city transport and install the troll to his new home under the bridge was a fun project for the Prairie Construction team, definitely different from our typical projects.

Enjoy your stay in Omaha, or just your visit downtown, good luck to all the teams, and we hope to see you back in Omaha soon – you never know what will be new by the next time you visit!

Posted on By Julie Swartz Categories Current Projects

A Catered Affair

Prairie Construction so excited to be involved with the construction of the new headquarters for A Catered Affair, located at 134th & State St.

The local catering company specializes in events of all sizes from office lunches and trainings to cocktail parties, weddings, corporate events, and banquets. A Catered Affair also creates a weekly seasonal menu of meals-to-go – delicious, prepared meals perfect for anyone who wants a break from cooking or restaurants.

Since opening in 2008, A Catered Affair has built a solid reputation for providing delicious food with excellent customer service. Their reliable, high-quality service has led to rapid growth and the need to expand their headquarters.

The new headquarters will be located at 134th & State St. near the Deer Creek neighborhood and golf course, and adjacent to the A View Event Center. The larger building will accommodate prep space for additional, larger events. It will also offer an in-house option with a coffee shop and café for customers to dine-in.

We are on track to complete this project by mid-summer. Watch for additional updates on this project or follow along on A Catered Affair’s Facebook page.

Posted on By Julie Swartz Categories Current Projects

Bennington Elementary School

The U.S. Census Bureau recently released official numbers from the 2020 census, and Nebraska experienced a 7.4% increase in population growth in the last decade. Nebraska’s population growth ranked 20th in all 50 states.

With population growth comes families and children, and with more children comes the increased need for more schools.

Prairie Construction can attest to this population growth. In the last decade, we have been busy building new schools – elementary, middle and high schools – across the metro area. We’ve done recent projects for the Elkhorn,  District 66, and Papillion/LaVista school districts, and most recently we have been busy with the newest elementary school in Bennington.

The elementary school is located at 168th and Military Ave. and will be a K-5 school with a capacity of 480-520 students. Our deep experience with school projects has helped us navigate the stages of this project and remain on schedule.

Prairie Construction is prepared to help business expand and school districts accommodate the continued population growth in Nebraska!

Posted on By Julie Swartz Categories Company News

Take Time to Appreciate

The Prairie Construction team is looking ahead to a busy spring and summer, we paused recently to share our appreciation for our customers, vendors, partners, subcontractors, and most importantly, our team! Our annual Fish Fry Friday brought everyone together for great food and good conversation.

We are proud that throughout the fall and winter, the Prairie Construction team stayed busy and completed projects on deadline. Our team is skilled and dedicated to bringing excellent, quality craftsmanship to every project.

We are geared up for the busy spring and summer season  – warmer temperatures and longer days are the perfect recipe for productivity.

We didn’t want to miss the opportunity to recognize and thank our amazing team and partners for their dedication to Prairie Construction!

Posted on By Julie Swartz Categories Current Projects

Athletico at Westwood Plaza

Athletico Physical Therapy has expanded in the Omaha metro area, and Prairie Construction was happy to help with a tenant build-out for the physical therapy clinic.

Athletico Omaha West Center is in Westwood Plaza, located at 120th & Center. The business development area has been a mainstay at the busy Omaha intersection for many years. The bays came available and offered an ideal location for the growing physical therapy clinic.

Prairie Construction helped Athletico transform the existing retail space to meet the specific needs for the physical therapy clinic. The plans for the renovation included specifications for additional safety measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our team worked closely with the Athletico team to ensure deadlines were met and safety protocols were prioritized.

Prairie Construction is a locally owned construction company. We have experience helping businesses open multiple locations, including new builds and buildouts of existing spaces.

If your business is moving to Omaha or expanding to add new locations in the metro area, call the Prairie Construction team.