The 2018 Hurricane Season

May 28, 2018 by gibson Leave a Comment

The 2018 Hurricane Season: When is it? What should I expect?

The 2018 hurricane season is upon us. Arm yourself with information in preparation for the 2018 hurricane season.

When is the 2018 Hurricane Season in Florida?

Hurricane season in Florida officially begins on June 1st and runs through November 30th. But most storms typically hit during peak season, between August and October.

Alberto attempted to kick the hurricane season off early, making landfall over the Florida Panhandle on Memorial Day weekend, but luckily Alberto didn’t gain enough strength and only made it into the subtropical storm category.

2018 Hurricane Season Predictions

Forecastors at the Colorado State University Tropical Meteorology Project (CSU), a leading authority on the topic are predicting another busy hurricane season. They predict the 2018 hurricane season to be slightly above historical averages. Here are the numbers:

The average number of hurricanes each season (averaged out over 30 years):

12 named storms
6 hurricanes
2 major hurricanes.

CSU is predicting the 2018 hurricane season to have:

14 named storms
7 hurricanes
3 major hurricanes.

How the 2018 Hurricane Season Compares to 2017

Although CSU predicts an above average hurricane season, they are predicting less activity than the previous year.

Here are the numbers from 2017:

18 named storms
10 hurricanes
6 major hurricanes

How to Prepare for the 2018 Hurricane Season

Being prepared for the 2018 hurricane season can make a big impact on how you spend your summer in Florida. Proper preparedness upfront can make clean up and repairs a lot easier down the line.

Review Your Florida Homeowners Insurance Policy

Take some time to sit down and review the details of your Florida Homeowners Insurance Policy. You may need to consider increasing your level of coverage if:

You made any improvements to your home or property since you last reviewed the policy.
You’ve made any expensive purchases, such as jewelry, antiques or art. Make sure all documents have been submitted to ensure these items are specifically listed and covered.

Also keep in mind that certain types of flood damage is often not covered by your homeowners insurance policy. If you live on or near a body of water, you may want to consider adding a flood insurance policy to make sure you have protection from all the types of water damage hurricanes can cause.

If You Have an Existing Seawall, Have it Inspected

Seawalls are a great way to help protect your property from some of the damage a hurricane can cause. But a seawall is only as strong as its weakest part.

Regular seawall inspections by seawall service professionals, such as the experts at Gibson Marine Construction, can identify areas in need of repair. Having these areas repaired and/or replaced will help stave off the misfortune of the more costly damage a busy hurricane season could bring.

Install a Seawall to Protect from Hurricane Damage

If you live on the waterfront and don’t have a seawall, you may want to consider having one installed to help protect your property from hurricane or other water damage. Call Gibson Marine Construction to learn how a seawall can help protect you and your property this hurricane season.

Types of Landscape Lights

April 28, 2018 by gibson Leave a Comment

Commonly Used Types of Landscaping Lights

Landscape lighting is a great way to enhance your property. Different types of landscape lights can be used to create different landscape lighting effects throughout your property.

The most commonly used types of landscaping lights include:

Area Lights

Area lights are used to illuminate larger areas and are often mounted high up on poles, buildings, or in tall trees.

Deck Lights

Deck lights are most commonly used to illuminate deck or patio areas, hence the name. Most decks have posts, usually used to support some sort of railing, therefore most deck lights are designed to be mounted on posts. Other uses for deck lights may include lighting up walkways or stairs as they can be mounted to the sides of nearby structures or stairs.

Flood Lights

Flood lights are a type of area light. You would commonly see them being used to light an outdoor sports field to enhance viewing capabilities during or after dusk.

Hardscape Lights

Hardscapes refer to the man-made features of a landscape. These can be any built structures such as patios, decks, walkways, walls, arbors, etc. Most hardscape lights attach to the underside or an overhang area of a hardscape structure. These light fixtures are often hidden in the design of the hardscape making the hardscape appear as if it is glowing from underneath.

Path Lights / Bollards

A bollard is defined as a short, thick post. Since most path lights are attached to bollards, they can sometimes be referred to as a bollard light.

Path lights are used to aim light downward, and most illuminate a 360 degree area around the path light itself. Since this downward pointing light helps light up areas below it, a.k.a. the ground, they are most commonly used along walkways, driveways, or stairs to help a person better navigate their path.

And since these path lights or bollards are usually out in the open, along a frequently travelled area, the design aesthetics of these fixtures is often important and should fit in with the overall landscape design.

Spotlights

A spotlight can be a type of area light, but it is usually used to focus a more intense light on a smaller area. Most are used to draw attention toward and highlight a very specific object or area within the larger design. Spotlight shapes and intensities can vary, so you may need to test a few different ones to get the ideal lighting effect you are looking for.

Step Lights

Steps are typically comprised of two main parts:

Treads – The horizontal part of the step you actually step on.
Risers – The vertical part of the stair often referred to as the back of the stair.

Most step lights are mounted to the risers or along the walls of the stairway. The fronts of step lights should be installed so they are flush with the riser or the wall as to not cause a tripping (safety) hazard.

String Lights / Rope Lights

String lights, also referred to as rope lights are just that – lights that run along a cable, appearing as if they are attached to a rope or string. Most string lights are placed evenly along the cable and most commonly used for decoration.

Christmas tree lights are the most common form of string lights purchased in the U.S., however other string light forms and designs have become more popular in recent years as a relatively inexpensive way to put a personal touch on a space.

Submersible Water Lights

Also often referred to as underwater lights or pool lights, these lights are waterproof and specially designed to be fully submerged in water. They are most commonly used in pools, ponds, fountains, waterfalls and other water features to create a unique affect illuminating the water and what’s behind or underneath it.

Wall Lights

Wall lights are lighting fixtures affixed to a wall and using only the wall for support. Most wall lights direct lighting either upwards or downwards, but in recent years wall lights directing beams in both directions simultaneously have become more popular.

Wall light fixtures come in a variety of shapes, colors, intensities, etc. They should be chosen carefully so that they enhance the overall design aesthetic of the area.

Wall light fixtures can also be more difficult to install than other types of fixtures since they usually need to be connected to an electrical box by running wires behind the wall.

Well Lights

Well lights, also sometimes called ground lights or in-grade lights are used for uplighting, basically lighting an object(s) from below.

In many instances well lights are built into hardscapes to keep the surface of the well light flush with or beneath the surface of the surrounding hardscape. This makes them ideal for use in driveways or walkways where traffic can move right over them without damaging the lights.

Get a Custom Landscape Lighting Design from Gibson Marine Construction

There are so many different types of lights to choose from and even more ways to use these lights. The landscape design experts at Gibson Marine Construction can create a custom design, using these different types of lights to highlight the best features of your property. And the best part about hiring Gibson Marine – they offer turnkey landscaping services. They find the perfect fixtures for you – so you don’t have to lift a finger until the work is done.

Call today to learn more.

Landscape Lighting

April 23, 2018 by gibson Leave a Comment

Shine a Light on Your Waterfront Property with Landscape Lighting

Professional outdoor landscape lighting can enhance the beauty of your waterfront property. And a custom landscape lighting design may help to increase the value of your property by:

Highlighting the beauty of your home and property
Offering additional functionality options
Adding a safety element

Landscape Lighting Helps to Highlight the Beauty of Your Property

A custom landscape lighting design can be used to draw attention to specific features of your home or property that you would like to highlight. Some of these features may include:

Softscape Elements of Your Landscape Design

Shrubbery
Trees
Flowers or flower beds
Grassy areas
Gardens

Hardscape Elements of Your Landscape Design

Access points such as walkways, driveways, docking areas, doorways, or gates
Seating areas such as patios, decks, porch swings, or benches
Design features such as fountains, arbors, or walls

Landscape Lighting Can Add Additional Functionality to Outdoor Areas

Landscape lighting may help you enjoy certain aspects of your property more. It can help you to see better when swimming in your pool after dark or shine some light in the areas around your hot tub allowing you to see your surroundings while relaxing in the hot water.

Landscape Lighting Adds an Element of Safety

It can be as simple as highlighting a walkway for guests arriving or leaving after dark. Or it can be part of a more complex calculation, as part of the equation used to deter crime.

Landscape Lights Along Walkways and Driveways Help Visitors Navigate Better

Illuminated paths help to prevent injuries caused by people stumbling in areas where they aren’t able to see well. Some home insurance policies may even give you a discount, saving you money for adding safety features, like outdoor lighting to your property. Check with your insurance company to find out what discounts they offer and what requirements must be met.

Outdoor Lighting May Help Deter Criminals

One of the more popular recommendations for preventing home burglaries is implementing a strategy called Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). Studies show that when implementing a CPTED strategy effectively, which includes the strategic placement of outdoor lighting, these practices can reduce crime by 30 to 84 percent.

Call the Landscape Lighting Experts at Gibson Marine Construction

Keep your beautifully landscaped yard from disappearing into the darkness when the sun falls below the horizon. The landscape lighting experts at Gibson Marine Construction can design a custom lighting plan that highlights the beauty of your waterfront property and gives you the added peace of mind that comes from illuminating the area around your home.

Fixed Boat Dock

March 29, 2018 by gibson Leave a Comment

The Advantages of Owning a Fixed Boat Dock

Just as there are a lot of advantages to owning a floating dock, there are also a lot of great advantages to owning a fixed boat dock.This post will focus on the advantages of owning a fixed dock.

Stability

Since floating docks sit on top of the water, they are affected by the movement of the water. Waves can impact floating docks and cause them to bounce up and down on the water, just as a boat or other watercraft would. Therefore, fixed docks are usually the better choice for areas that have strong tides or currents and/or a lot of wave action, such as high traffic areas.

Professional Installation

Since a fixed dock is almost always considered a structure, certain building protocols need to be followed. These may include (but are not limited to):

Pulling proper building permits
Following state and local building guidelines, such as hiring a state certified contractor
Using specialty equipment for work when required
Using only approved marine-grade materials on the project

Hiring professional dock builders can be more costly than doing it yourself, but it will likely take less time to complete the project. You can also rest assured knowing it was built properly and will safely support your friends and family.

The state certified contractors at Gibson Marine Construction are the ideal experts to build your fixed dock for you. They offer turnkey services, handling every aspect of the project for you from start to finish. You can sit back and relax while they do all the heavy lifting.

Custom Designs and Quality Materials

Hiring the experts to build your fixed dock also comes with another great perk. There’s a wide variety of dock designs and building materials to choose from. You can flip through pictures of docks to find one you like, or work with the design experts at Gibson Marine to create a custom design just for you.

An Extension of Your Living Space

Fixed docks can support more weight than a floating dock, and with stability not being an issue, there are a lot more options for adding your own touch to the space. Here are just a few options:

Add outdoor furniture for a comfortable seating place by the water
Add a kitchen and/or grilling area to easily clean-up and/or cook up the fresh catch of the day
Install a bar area to easily enjoy boat drinks down by the water
Add railings and/or lighting to enhance the ambiance
Add useful accessories such as power pedestals, benches with built-in storage space, or ones that are more fun like dock swings or swim benches.

Withstand a Storm

Fixed docks are made with high quality materials and sturdy construction allowing them to remain in place during a severe weather event such as a hurricane. With a fixed dock, there is no need to rush around and worry about getting it into storage, unlike its counterpart, the floating dock that should be removed from the water before a storm. This time saved can be especially beneficial if you are ordered to evacuate the area quickly due to an impending weather event.

But no matter what type of dock you have, following evacuation orders and getting your loved ones out of the area quickly and safely should always be your top priority.

The Fixed Boat Dock Experts: Gibson Marine Construction

If you would like to add a fixed boat dock to your property, call Gibson Marine Construction. They are experts at designing and constructing docks. They will ensure you get the fixed boat dock that best suits your wants and needs.

Floating Boat Dock

March 26, 2018 by gibson Leave a Comment

The Advantages of Owning a Floating Boat Dock

Deciding to add a dock to your property can be a fairly easy decision. Yes, I want a dock! But deciding what type of dock to get, and figuring out which type of dock best suits your needs – that decision can be a lot more difficult. There are so many choices!

One of the biggest choices is to decide between a floating dock and a fixed dock. This post will focus on the advantages of owning a floating dock.

Basic, Less Expensive and Easy to Install

Many floating docks are pretty basic. Some of these basic floating docks can be purchased and delivered fully assembled while others are designed for easy assembly by a handy do-it-yourselfer.

Installing a basic floating dock is not typically considered a true marine construction project, so installation does not require:

the expertise of a marine contractor
the use of speciality equipment
obtaining the proper building permits (although you should always verify this with your local governing agency)

For these reasons (and more) installing a basic floating boat dock is usually much less expensive than other types of boat docks.

Easy to Maintain

Most floating boat docks are made of low-maintenance materials, such as polyethylene. This type of material doesn’t need to be painted or stained, so you can set up your floating dock and start enjoying it right away. And it’s also pretty easy to clean; usually soap and water will do the trick.

Many Floating Docks are Modular

Modular floating docks are easy to expand and are often sold in sections. Using connectors, sections can be assembled like building blocks allowing you to configure and reconfigure your floating boat dock to best suit your needs at any given time.

Marinas love to take advantage of this feature. Slips can easily be reconfigured to accommodate boats of varying sizes. This means not having to turn any potential customers away because of boat size.

Adjusts to High and Low Water Conditions

Because it floats on top of the water, a floating boat dock is always at the same height as your boat or watercraft allowing you to embark or disembark with ease. You will have use of your dock no matter how high the water rises or how low the water levels drop. Unfortunately, the same can not be said for your boat – low water levels can leave you high and dry, unable to move your boat without scraping the bottom.

Easy Removal

You don’t have to worry about your floating dock getting damaged during a hurricane or severe weather event. Floating docks are easy to remove from the water and should be placed in a safe storage area before a big storm.

Call the Dock Experts at Gibson Marine Construction

Sometimes even the most basic dock installations can give the best do-it-yourself guys a hard time. If so, Gibson Marine Construction is standing by ready to assist with the install.

Or if you want a floating boat dock with more than just the basics, the experts at Gibson Marine Construction can handle that too. They can create a custom design incorporating a floating boat dock that will best suit your needs.

Marine Construction Structures: Seawalls and Revetments

February 28, 2018 by gibson Leave a Comment

More Marine Construction Structures: Seawalls and Revetments

The previous post focused on the differences between retaining walls and bulkheads. To refresh your memory on the topic, please click here.

In this post, we will expand the discussion to include two more types of marine construction structures and learn what differences set them apart.

Seawalls

A seawall is the most common type of marine construction structure, and people often refer to all marine construction structures as seawalls. However, like each structure type, it is slightly different.

To the naked eye, a seawall and a bulkhead can look almost identical. And, just like a bulkhead, a seawall retains earth on one side of the wall and has water on the other side. But what sets the seawall apart from a bulkhead is it’s functional capabilities. In addition to holding soil in place, a seawall also performs the function of protecting the property from wave action. Seawalls are designed to withstand the constant impact of waves crashing into them and periodic occasions of significant pressure caused by larger storm surges often attributed to hurricanes.

Revetments

The general appearance of a revetment differs from that of retaining walls, bulkheads, and seawalls. A revetment typically has a sloped appearance instead of the more common perpendicular appearance of the other structures. But the biggest difference is the primary function it serves, to slow or help prevent erosion.

Protect Your Property with a Seawall or Revetment

The type of protection your property needs will be the determining factor when deciding between a seawall and a revetment. The marine construction experts at Gibson Marine Construction can guide you to ensure you get the right type of structure in place to properly protect your property. Call today to learn more.

Marine Construction Structures: Retaining Walls and Bulkheads

February 28, 2018 by gibson Leave a Comment

Protect Your Waterfront Property by Building a Marine Construction Structure

Most marine construction structures are built to protect or prevent damage to shoreline or waterfront property. The four most common marine construction structures are:

Retaining Walls
Bulkheads
Seawalls
Revetments

Although the names of the most common types of marine construction structures are often used interchangeably, they are all actually a little different. Knowing these differences can help you determine which type of marine construction structure would best protect your property.

What is the Difference? Retaining Walls vs. Bulkheads

This post will focus on the primary difference between retaining walls and bulkheads. To learn more about the difference between seawalls and revetments, please continue on to the next post.

Retaining Walls

Retaining walls are often considered the most basic out of these four common types of marine construction structures. Wikipedia defines a retaining wall as a relatively rigid wall used to support soil mass laterally so that the soil can be retained at different levels on the two sides. The primary function of a retaining wall is to prevent land movement, such as sliding.

Bulkheads

A bulkhead is very similar to a retaining wall as they have the same functionality. The primary difference between the two comes down to what element is being retained on each side of the wall. A retaining wall has soil (earth) on both sides of the wall, whereas a bulkhead retains earth on one side of the wall and has water on the other side.

Why Build a Retaining Wall or a Bulkhead?

Both retaining walls and bulkheads are a common form of engineered stabilization that prevent land movement, and are often used in areas that have undesirable sloped terrain. Building one or both allows sloped land to be shaped in a way that better suits it for specific uses.

Stabilize Your Property with a Retaining Wall, Bulkhead, or Both

Since every property is unique, the specific factors of your property will determine if you should build a retaining wall, a bulkhead, or a combination of both to provide the best form of stabilization for your needs.

Call Gibson Marine Construction. Their experts can design a beautiful solution to best stabilize your land.

Marine Construction Structures

January 30, 2018 by gibson Leave a Comment

What is a Marine Construction Structure?

A marine construction structure is something that is built or constructed in a marine environment, most commonly along the shoreline. Most marine construction structures are built to protect or prevent damage to shoreline or waterfront property.

What are the Most Common Marine Construction Structures?

The four most common marine construction structures are:

Bulkheads
Retaining Walls
Seawalls
Revetments

Why Hire a Marine Contractor to Build Your Marine Construction Structure?

Building a marine construction structure, such as a seawall, requires a unique skill set and additional resources beyond those required of a general contractor. A few of these additional requirements include:

Specialized Marine Construction Knowledge
Specialized Ocean Marine Insurance Coverage
Specialized Equipment
Marine Construction Experience

Gibson Marine Construction: Tampa Bay’s Marine Construction Specialists

The specialists at Gibson Marine Construction understand the unique challenges associated with building a marine construction structure and do more than just meet the special requirements listed above. They have the specialized knowledge, coverage, and equipment to meet the needs of any marine construction project – large or small. And with over 30 years in the industry, you know they have the experience too.

Call Gibson Marine Construction today to discuss your marine construction structure needs.

Enhance Your Property by Adding a Boat Dock

January 24, 2018 by gibson Leave a Comment

The Top Three Reasons to Add a Boat Dock to Your Waterfront Property

Even if you do not own a boat (yet), there are still plenty of advantages to adding a boat dock to your waterfront property. Here are the top three:

Easy Access to the Water

Boat docks make it easy to access the water along your waterfront property. Even if you don’t own a boat (yet), it doesn’t mean you won’t use the dock.

The dock can be used as a launching point for other water activities such as getting in an early morning kayaking session or a place the kids can learn how to paddleboard. Plus, if you have lived along the Florida waterfront for some time, you likely have accumulated some friends with a boat or jet skis. It makes it easy for them to drop by and invite you out for an afternoon on the water.

Additional Outdoor Living Space

A dock is also a great way to expand your outdoor living space. Set up a few outdoor chairs on the dock where you can go to enjoy a cup of joe before starting the day. Or deck it out with a living room style seating area, a small tiki bar and outdoor lighting for an evening of drinks on the dock at dusk.

The best part about creating the dock space is being able to design it around your vision, making it into whatever type of space your heart desires.

Add to Your Property Value

Enhancing your property by adding desirable features, such as a dock, will almost always add to your property value if the work is done right. And if you ever decide to sell your home, a private dock is a great feature to help entice potential buyers and in some cases increase the sale price. After all, isn’t direct access to the water part of the waterfront lifestyle every Florida waterfront home buyer wants?

Make Your Dock Dreams into Memories. Call Gibson Marine Construction

From fishing to entertaining friends, let the expert dock builders at Gibson Marine Construction help you build the dock of your dreams – so you can turn your dreams into memories.

Seawall Failure Series: Part IV

December 28, 2017 by gibson Leave a Comment

Preventing Seawall Failure Due to a Seawall Pressure Imbalance

This installment, part four, of the seawall failure series focuses on the most common causes of seawall pressure imbalances, what you should keep an eye out for, and what you can do to prevent seawall failure due to a pressure imbalance.

Common Causes of Seawall Pressure Imbalances

The most common causes of seawall pressure imbalances include:

Changes to Water Flow Patterns
Changes to Your Living Space
Landscaping Modifications

Changes to Water Flow Patterns

When a seawall is built, seawall construction experts analyze the water flow patterns of all nearby waterways. This analysis is just one of the many factors that influence a seawall construction project and must be accounted for. If a water flow pattern changes, it could negatively affect your seawall’s pressure balance.

Some items that can affect nearby water flow patterns include:

Changes to Water Drainage Systems

There are a plethora of water drainage solutions on the market and just as many ways a water drainage solution could affect your seawall. When a water drainage issue occurs, or when considering any changes to a system, consult an expert to find out if and how it could affect the pressure balance of your seawall.

Changes to Water Levels

A change to the water level can impact the amount of pressure being exerted onto a seawall. A higher water level can increase the amount of pressure pushing toward your property, while a lower water level can increase the amount of pressure pushing away from your property. Without a proper balance, this pressure can cause damage to your seawall, and over time make it more likely to fail. A seawall construction expert can put a solution in place to compensate for a pressure change.

Keep an eye out for these common things that could indicate a change to the water level has occurred:

New dams, waterways, or retention ponds being built nearby
Canal dredging nearby
Significant increases or decreases to nearby water traffic
Significant increases or decreases to nearby controlled waterways

Many of these water level changes are controlled by the Army Corps of Engineers and any planned changes are usually announced to the public well in advance. By watching out for changes, you can proactively address potential imbalance problems.

Changes to Your Living Space

Making changes to your living space can have an impact on your seawall. When you are planning a renovation to your home, adding living space, or making an upgrade, you might not immediately think about how those changes could affect your seawall, but you should. Consulting a marine construction specialist about your upcoming plans can prevent a seawall impressure balance that could lead to seawall failure and possible damage to your new addition.

Examples of some property changes that could cause a seawall pressure imbalance include:

Expanding Your Living Space with an Addition to Your Home

Additional living space adds additional weight to the land side of your seawall, which could cause a pressure imbalance. A seawall construction specialist can make adjustments to your seawall to compensate for the additional pressure.

Adding New or More Outdoor Structures

Adding a barn, a shed, a garage, or even just a new parking area could lead to a pressure imbalance. Smaller structures may only cause a slight imbalance but over time that imbalance could lead to cracks in the wall, destabilizing it.

Adding or Expanding Outdoor Living Space and/or Amenities

Many people enjoy spending time outdoors, and adding new outdoor features are a great way to be able to increase the enjoyment you can get from your yard. Adding a new patio, a deck, or an outdoor kitchen are all great ideas. So are water features like a fountain, a pond, a waterfall, a hot tub, and a pool. All of these improvements can lead to you being able to enjoy your property more, but just run the plans by a seawall expert first to ensure a pressure imbalance doesn’t cut your enjoyment time short.

Water features, especially those that disrupt the land or soil have the potential to cause a lot of damage, quickly. Not only can they cause a pressure imbalance, they are notorious for destabilizing a seawall unless appropriate measures are taken during the building process. Consulting a seawall construction expert about your plans for an outdoor living area can ensure you are able to enjoy the space safely and for a longer time.

Landscaping Modifications

Changing up the landscaping is a great way to keep your property feeling fresh and updated too and can add value to your property. But before you begin digging, you should run your plans by a marine construction specialist to ensure your fresh new look won’t put any additional pressure on your seawall.

And always consult a seawall construction expert before planting trees. Different trees have different types of root systems. As a tree grows, so does its root system. Seawall construction experts can help you select the best types of trees and guide you on how close those trees can be planted to your seawall without causing damage.

Follow this simple rule. Stand in the exact spot where you would like to plant your tree. If you can see your seawall, then call an expert of a consultation. For the best results, call Gibson Marine Construction. They not only build and maintain seawalls, they have a team of knowledgeable landscaping experts that can create an amazing, fresh, new landscape design that integrates with and protects the stability of your seawall.

Prevent Seawall Failure by Preventing a Pressure Imbalance

If you notice something that could impact the pressure being exerted onto your seawall, or are starting a project that could potentially impact it, call in an expert to consult. Taking a little extra time up front could save you a lot more time and money down the road.

Call Gibson Marine Construction for help. Gibson Marine Construction will send a marine construction specialist out to take a look and advise you on how to prevent your seawall from failing due to a pressure imbalance.