Forty-two years in the irrigation business will teach you a lot. Some of those lessons come easy — like learning that watering early in the morning saves water. Others come hard — like the time we trenched too close to… Read More
Posts Tagged ‘lawn sprinklers’
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How a Broken Head at 7 A.M. Became One of Our Best Days
Sometimes, the best days in this business start out looking like the worst. This story begins at 7:03 a.m. on a Wednesday morning, with a phone call from a homeowner in Crofton: “Bob, there’s water shooting in the air like… Read More
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The Time I Walked Away From a Big Job — And Slept Better That Night
Not every job is the right job. That’s something I had to learn — and not the easy way. Years ago, we were bidding on a large property in Prince George’s County. Big yard. Big budget. On paper, it looked… Read More
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The “Fix” That Nearly Ruined a Lawn — And the Follow-Up That Saved It
There’s a moment in every homeowner’s life when you realize: not all “fixes” are created equal. A few summers back, I got a call from a homeowner in Rockville who said their lawn had gone from bad to worse —… Read More
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The Best Compliment I Ever Got From a Customer (And What It Taught Me)
After 42 years in this business, I’ve heard my fair share of kind words from customers all across Maryland, D.C., and Northern Virginia. But one compliment stands out — not just because of what it said, but because of what… Read More
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Why “Bob, You Changed Our Summer” Is My Favorite Kind of Feedback
Every so often, I’ll wrap up a sprinkler or lighting project and get a call, a note, or an email that stops me in my tracks. One of my favorites came from a family in Severna Park. They’d just had… Read More
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DIY Sprinklers vs. Professional Install — What I’d Do Differently If I Was Just Starting Out
If I were just starting out again — maybe 30 or 40 years younger, standing in the aisle of a big box store looking at those DIY sprinkler kits — I can see why I might think, “How hard could… Read More
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The Cheap Timer That Cost Me $900 — Why Smart Controllers Are Worth It
If you’ve ever been tempted to save a few bucks on your irrigation controller — I get it. I’ve been there too. Years ago, before smart tech became standard, I installed a budget controller on a test system at our… Read More
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Hunter vs. Rain Bird vs. Toro: Here’s What I’d Choose If It Was My Lawn
If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me, “Bob, what’s the best sprinkler brand — Hunter, Rain Bird, or Toro?” — I could probably retire (again). Here’s the short answer: They’re all good — but they’re not… Read More
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When a Competitor Cuts Corners, Homeowners Pay the Price — Here’s How I Know
After four decades in the lawn sprinkler business, there’s one truth I’ve seen play out more times than I care to count: when another contractor cuts corners, it’s the homeowner who pays for it. I’ve spent my career fixing systems… Read More