Month: November 2019

Gutter cover installers provide a service just like an HVAC company, roofer and other service technicians. You wouldn’t allow a non-licensed HVAC repairperson or an uninsured roofer to work on your home – so why even consider a gutter guard installer that isn’t licensed, bonded and insured? Yes, you may pay a bit more for installation of an identical product from an unlicensed or insured company, but is it really worth it? Understanding how insurance, licensing and bonding protects you, the homeowner, may make you think twice before hiring a company that does not offer these protections.

Licensing

Although qualifications and regulations vary from state to state, licensing helps you know that the contractor has, at the very least, the minimum experience and knowledge required to pass the state contractor’s exam. The state licensing board will also run a background check on the individual applying for the license and usually check for financial stability. Some states require proof of insurance and bonding as part of their licensing process. Sometimes hiring an unlicensed contractor can result in having to remove newly installed equipment or getting a permit after the fact, which often comes with fines.

Insurance

Not all states require gutter guard installers be licensed – although many gutter contractors do more than install gutter covers on a house so they have a license because of their other service offerings. If you are in one of those states or come across a company that installs house gutter covers without licensing, they still should carry insurance.

Licensed or not, there are three types of insurance you should confirm your contractor has to protect you financially:

• Liability insurance. This protects you against personal injury or property damage during the course of the gutter cover installation.
• Workers’ compensation insurance. This covers medical bills and other associated expenses of an employee should they be injured while working on your property.
• Commercial vehicle insurance. If the contractor’s truck or van backs into your vehicle or home, you want the damage covered.

Many contractors purchase one policy with all three types of insurance since it is often less expensive than three separate policies.

Bonding

There are two categories of bonding. Some contractors have only a surety bond; others have a fidelity bond and some have both. A contractor with a surety bond has the backing of a fund to compensate you financially if they don’t fulfill the terms of their contract. Fidelity bonding means that you’re protected in the event their employee steals from you. Because a gutter cover installer doesn’t need access to the interior of your home, you may find that most exterior contractors only have a surety bond.

Talk to Our Professionals

If you’re considering the installation of gutter covers on your house, be sure to contact Gutter Helmet. Not only are our products time-tested and patented, if we authorize a contractor as a Gutter Helmet® gutter guard installer, you can be assured that the company is licensed, bonded and insured. Call (800) 824-3772 or contact us to learn more about our products and be connected to your nearest installer.

The post Why Your Gutter Guard Installer Should Be Licensed, Bonded & Insured appeared first on Gutter Helmet.

Homes come in a variety of different architectural styles, both traditional and modern. But which gutter style is right for your home? Here are five of the most common gutter styles, and their usage.

K-Style Gutters

Available in virtually any material, K-Style gutters are a classic look that blends well with many traditional housing styles.

K-Style gutters are the most common (and arguably versatile) gutter style in the US. Their styling appears similar to crown molding. They hold a large amount of water and are available in a wide variety of materials. K-style gutters are best suited for homes where a flat fascia has been installed.

Half-Round Gutters

Copper half-round gutters are often chosen for their compatibility with traditional aesthetics.

Largely self-cleaning due to its shape, the half-round gutter can carry a lot of water due to it’s wide diameter of 150mm. Due to its practical shape, these style of gutters work well with virtually any style of architecture — they are most commonly used in Southern California, or on Spanish-style homes.

Box Gutters

Box gutters are often chosen for modern architecture and industrial applications

A perfect fit for modern architecture, box gutters feature a minimalist style. These can be made flat on all sides, or with a small box trim at the top. These gutters are often made in steel or copper, so that they can be soldered together with the downspouts. Box gutters with a fascia profile are made to look like fascia boards, visually integrating the gutter system with a house’s roof lines.

The post What Kind of Rain Gutters are Right for My Home? appeared first on Rain Gutter Pros Inc.

You tell yourself the same thing every year, “this is the last time I’m climbing up this ladder.” You’ve been dreaming about the day when your roof is leaf-free, you can put the blower and ladder away and get your mind off cleaning out the gutters and onto important things like family, fun and friends.

Even though you’ve been toying with the idea of leaf-free gutters for awhile now, you may be holding back because you still have questions about how these leaf-free systems work, and which system would be the right one for your situation. 

No more leaves, twigs, debris or clogs!

You’ve got better things to do with your time than cleaning out the gutters. Not only that, but it’s just not safe!  If you have an inefficient gutter system like your current one, it can wreak havoc with your home’s foundation and roof, causing all kinds of problems from water stains to rotting fascia boards. 

Traditional, open-top gutters notoriously collect leaves, pine needles and other debris that cause gutters to clog, thus preventing effective water drainage.  The result of that bad drainage can lead to a whole host of issues that aren’t obvious until you’re left to deal with the results, like wall and ceiling damage due to water leaks or seepage.

A good leaf-free gutter system can offer peace of mind and never requires climbing ladders to keep gutters clean. And because they look as good as they protect, a leaf-free system is a smart investment that blends in beautifully with your home and can ultimately boost your property value.

How the K-Guard leaf-free system works

A leaf-free gutter system is designed to do one thing — to channel rainwater and debris down and away from your property’s foundation and surrounding areas for maximum efficiency and protection.  

That’s why the K-Guard leaf-free gutter system is built to exacting standards using innovative patented, high-strength hanger design of all-weather high-impact polymers for optimum durability and performance.  And because our gutters are a full 5 inches wide, they’re able to drain water more efficiently than smaller leaf-free gutters or gutter covers.

K-Guard system offers unbridled durability and protection:

• No gutter sag, no maintenance – high-strength hanger design keeps its form no matter what the external conditions. No need to tend to gutters ever again!
• Better capacity for better drainage – K-Guard gutters are a full 5-inches wide and can accommodate larger, 3×4-inch downspouts for more water/debris drainage than other, smaller systems.  
• Long lifespan, no more clogs – both gutter and hood are made of heavy-duty aluminum that is non-corrosive and practically invincible against extreme weather conditions. No clogs ever!
• Blends right in with your home – most gutter systems have sharp corners and vertical faces, whereas K-Guard gutters’ smooth, curved appearance blends in effortlessly with your home. With a wide variety of colors available, you can find the perfect solution. 

Other systems just can’t compare

We may be a tooting our own horn, but we think we’ve got the best gutter system around. The competition is tough, but our K-Guard system is tougher, so when you compare apples to apples, other systems just don’t measure up.

• Larger 5” size – K-Guard 5-inch gutters are a full inch larger than traditional gutters and can hold 70 gallons per foot
• High performance, patented design – K-Guard gutter systems replace your gutters as a whole and are engineered to work together for optimum performance and durability. 
• No hindrance to shingles – unlike most gutter systems, K-Guard attaches to fascia boards and rafter tails instead of roof shingles, so if any other unrelated issues arise you can rest assured your roof warranty won’t be affected. 
• Two drainage channels instead of one – regular gutters only have a single drainage channel, which sometimes can’t prevent windblown water from going up under roof shingles. K-Guard gutter systems have two drainage channels that flush away water quickly and efficiently.
• No cleaning or declogging needed – K-Guard Gutter Guards are designed and patented to never need any cleaning inside the gutter, unlike other systems that require seasonal declogging.
• Good looking, custom-fit – while competitors’ gutter guards are designed to fit onto existing gutters, K-Guard gutter systems are engineered to attach to your home without obstructing the roof or roofline.  In contrast to the sharp corners and vertical faces of other gutters on the market, they also feature a smooth, curved design in a variety of colors to complement your home. 
• Lifetime no-clog warranty – non-corrodible, heavy-duty aluminum K-Guard gutter systems never sag and are built to withstand adverse weather conditions. Innovative, patented, high-strength hanger design ensures optimum performance and durability.
• Free professional installation in just one day – to make sure you’re getting the very best of your new gutter system, K-Guard contractors will come to your property with specialized equipment and install it for you in just one day.
• K-Guard quality and experience – with an unprecedented reputation for quality and excellence in home drainage systems since 1998, K-Guard has been field-tested with over 35 million feet of gutter guard systems installed across 37 states. You can trust your property is in good hands!

So what do you say? Are you ready to put down the ladder and pick up the phone?

Call us today at 614-568-7777 and let’s get started.

This post first appeared on https://www.kguard.com

Most people make a significant effort to prepare their gutters for fall and even more so to clean out their gutters after fall is over. Have you ever considered taking care of your gutters during fall? Keeping an eye on your gutters during the fall is a great way to ensure the protection of your gutters and your home. Follow our fall checklist this season to keep your home in tip top shape.

1. Clean gutters throughout the season

Fall causes many debris to fall right into your gutters. Ensuring that your gutters are clean before fall is essential and cleaning them out when fall is over is necessary, but what about cleaning your gutters routinely during the fall? This helps to eliminate the possibility of heavy debris harming your gutters and ensures that your gutters will continue to keep the water away from your home during those months. Routine cleaning helps to keep your gutters protected from potential damage as well as your home.

2. Leaf removal / raking

Clearing the leaves from the gutters is important, but so is clearing the leaves out of your yard. Ensuring that leaves are not causing water to gather in your yard is essential to ensuring that your home is protected from water damage. Raking your yard regularly throughout fall is important and should be done routinely.

3. Check downspouts and drainage to be sure gutters are functioning properly

Checking to make sure that water is able to flow through your gutters and downspouts is good practice to be sure that your gutters are not clogged or causing any major issues to your home. Pouring water down your gutters and monitoring to see if it flows through is a great way to see if your gutters are functioning as they should or if they may be clogged.

4. Ensure Gutters are sturdy and aligned properly

As debris gathers in your gutters, your gutters may begin to get weighed down and could become loose or unaligned. This can cause leaks in when the rain comes or even broken gutters. Checking routinely while cleaning to make sure your gutters are attached firmly and aligned properly will save you from a lot of bigger and more costly problems in the long run.

This fall checklist helps to ensure that you won’t have to do an intense amount of damage control once the fall is over. Routinely taking care of your gutters during the fall season can save you from repairs or serious damage to your home or gutters. The Gutter Pros are a highly skilled company and would love to help with all your gutter needs this fall.

Call The Gutter Pros today! 443-880-4813

This post first appeared on http://www.thegutterpros.net

Most homeowners agree that the idea of rain gutter guards is appealing. After all, the best gutter guard products are designed to ensure you never have to spend money on a gutter cleaning company or waste your own time cleaning your gutters. The right product, installed professionally, can and will provide you with a positive return on your investment.

The Cost of Professional Gutter Cleaning

Although the cost varies based on the size of your home and where you live, the nationwide average cost of gutter cleaning, according to HomeAdvisor, is $157 – but may go as high as $225. To make the math a bit easier, we’ll estimate the cost at $150. If you have your gutters cleaned twice a year as recommended, you’re spending $300 per year. In 10 years, if your gutter cleaning company never raises their rates, at the very least, you’ve spent $3,000!

Time Spent

If you’re an avid do-it-yourselfer and take care of your gutters yourself, you need to find the time to do it. Most homeowners spend several hours on the task. That’s because there’s a lot of up and down and moving of a ladder around the home. You’ll also need to dispose of the muck you remove.

Time isn’t the only thing you’ll need if you do this job yourself. You’ll also need to invest in the tools the first time you do it. You’ll need a ladder high enough to safely reach the top gutter on your home, a tarp, bucket and cleaning tools. The tools may cost $200-250 but what is your time worth? And is the frustration worth cleaning them, season after season?

Investment in Rain Gutter Guards

Just as the cost of gutter cleanings varies, so does the cost of rain gutter guards. As you get quotes from different gutter cover installers, you should look at three things:

• Material
• Installation
• Warranty or guarantee

Not all rain gutter guards are the same. What they’re made of and whether you install them or have them professionally installed will greatly influence the price. Of course, the warranty also matters. A gutter cover product with a one-year warranty will likely cost less than one with a lifetime guarantee.

Go With the Best in Gutter Protection

Gutter Helmet® products are rated the best gutter guard products on the market. Not only are they professionally installed, they’re made of heavy-gauge aluminum and come with a Lifetime Performance Warranty plus a Lifetime Materials Warranty. For most homeowners, it takes about 10 years to recoup a gutter cover investment; however, with Gutter Helmet, you’ll never have to worry about paying for gutter cleaning or new gutter covers again! To learn more about our superior product and exceptional warranties, call (800) 824-3772 or chat with one of our online agents to be connected to your local Gutter Helmet installer.

The post Comparing Costs: Are Rain Gutter Guards a Good Investment? appeared first on Gutter Helmet.

Just because gutters are used on your home primarily for practical reasons doesn’t mean they can’t also become an aesthetic feature. There are plenty of options available for you to either make the gutters stand out with some accent colors or make them fade back against the existing colors you have on your home’s exterior.

The biggest tip we can give is to never let the color of your gutter influence the colors you use for your trim. The popularity of white gutters isn’t because they make a better design option or because they give the best curb appeal—it’s simply because that’s what’s most widely available, and it’s not likely to clash with existing colors.

But you don’t need to let gutter manufacturers determine how you’ll choose the rest of the colors for your home. You do have some choices when it comes to your gutters and downspouts, even if it feels like those choices are a bit more limited compared to other types of exterior design elements.

Here are a few examples of some of the options available to you to better customize the appearance of your gutters and to stay up to date with modern gutter trends in Oklahoma City:

• Matching to siding: One of the safest choices you can make with your gutters is to match the colors to your siding. This is the best step to take if your goal is to make the gutters as unnoticeable as possible. Contrary to popular misconception, you should be able to paint your gutters—you just need to be sure you use the correct kind of paint and follow the proper processes to ensure that the paint does not wear off over time.
• Matching to trim: If you wish, you can match your gutters or downspouts to the color of the trim on your house. This is still a process that’s used to blend the gutters into their surroundings, but it’s just a bit less subtle than it would be if you matched them to the siding. Your gutters are likely to run up along the trim at some point, which means the matching colors will blend with each other.
• Metallic finishes: You’d be amazed at how many different types of finishes there are for gutters if you’re willing to do some extra investigation into your options. Some copper or aged bronze gutters can be used on certain architectural styles to create a stately, luxurious appearance. Again, though, this is really only a viable option for certain types of facades.
• Matching to roof: Gutters can essentially disappear if you decide to match them to the roof. The main challenge here is making sure the downspouts aren’t completely obvious, because you’re always going to want to have matching gutters and downspouts.

For more information about the options you have with regard to gutter colors, we encourage you to contact L & S Seamless Guttering today. We’d be happy to keep you abreast of the latest gutter trends in Oklahoma City.

This post first appeared on https://lsseamlessgutter.com/

Winter is nearly here and that means if you haven’t prepared for the cold winter weather, it’s time to get moving.  Getting ready for winter is more than waxing your skis! Winter storms mean heavy snow and ice and if you’re not prepared, you could have some cold nights or sustain some costly damage to your home.   

Ice Dams

When a snowstorm hits, people get out their roof rakes to pull snow off their roofs, fearing the dreaded ice dam.  Ice dams can occur when snow collects on a roof and then begins to thaw and refreeze. Normally, the water from the snow would flow into the gutters and away from your house.  However, if your attic is poorly insulated, it can cause the snow to begin to melt even on below-freezing days and it begins to refreeze before it can flow through the gutters at the edge of the roof.  Here, the dam will continue to grow, backing up the melting snow until it finds a weak spot in your roof where it can get in, creating an expensive leak. Homes with cathedral ceilings often experience heat loss through the roof.

Ice dams can also originate in gutters, not from gutter guards causing buildup but by clogs due to unprotected gutters.  Leaves build up in the fall and cause clogs that will trap water and ice in the winter. In this case, there is often damage to the gutters, fascia, and soffits along with the leaky roof.

Some people believe that gutter guards are the reason for most ice dams but ice dams can form on the cold edge of your roof, even if you don’t have gutters.  Reverse-curve guards may cause water to freeze on top contributing to ice dams so if you live in an area where you get a lot of snow accumulating on your roof, sturdy microscreen aluminum gutter guard covers are a better choice.  They keep out leaves and debris and are sturdy enough to withstand heavy ice without buckling. Heated gutter guards are also available that melt snow and ice immediately to keep ice dams from starting.

The best way to fight ice dams is to make sure your roof is properly insulated and to have your gutters cleaned and inspected for any issues before winter.  It would also be a good time to have leaf protection installed so you don’t have to worry about clogs in the future.    

Other Worries

Other areas of your home should get some attention as part of your winter prep to avoid problems in the middle of winter.  

Inspect your roof.

Most roofs should last 20-25 years but that doesn’t mean you won’t have to replace a shingle or two along the way.  Before winter storms start rolling in, have your roof inspected for any loose shingles that might be further damaged by snow and ice and let moisture in.  

Have your furnace serviced.

Your furnace will be working overtime to keep you warm during the frigid nights.  Make sure filters are changed and your furnace is in good working order to avoid inconvenient breakdowns.  

Have Your Chimney Cleaned.

If you have a chimney, be sure to have it cleaned before use.  Creosote is highly flammable and should be removed along with any nests that may have been built in there since the last time you used it.  

Check Your Doors and Windows.

Your doors and windows are the main ways that cold air gets into your home in the winter.  Check to make sure they’re properly sealed and if they still feel drafty, consider plastic insulation for the windows and a door sweep on the door.

At Gutter Pros, we’d be happy to be part of your winterization process.   We can clean and inspect your gutters so when the snow begins to melt, your gutters do their job and keep ice dams from forming. We can also help you choose the right leaf protection to keep those clogs away.  At Gutter Pros, our trusted technicians are skilled in the installation and maintenance of copper gutters, as well as other types of gutters, leaf protection, and commercial gutters.  Call Gutter Pros today at (314) 656-7195 to make an appointment.

This post first appeared on https://gutterpros.com/

If you’re looking for the best gutter covers, you want metal gutter shields. Plastic gutter covers are less expensive initially and easy to self-install, but you’ll find that they need to be replaced sooner than metal. As you evaluate your options for gutter covers, you should only consider those made of a high-quality, rust-resistant metal for several reasons.

Plastic Shouldn’t Be Part of a Roofing System

Although there was a time when some parts of a roofing system, like the soffits, were plastic, this is now rare. There’s a very good reason for that. The majority of the homes in the U.S. have asphalt shingles. The asphalt used in the manufacture of shingles can break down plastic products. In fact, the National Roofing Contractors Association recommends that all flashing (and roofing components) be metal whenever possible.

As rainwater runs down your roof over your asphalt shingles, small amounts of the chemicals in your roofing material go into the gutters. If you have vinyl or another type of plastic gutter guard, they become less effective in two ways. First, the oil-based asphalt cannot be washed off the gutter covers. It instead attaches to the gutter cover and acts as a magnet for dirt, pollen, leaf particles and all the other debris that reduces the effectiveness of the cover itself. Second, the plastic will break down sooner than metal gutter shields.

Weather & UV Rays Damage Plastic

Have you every had a plastic yard chair that you left out in the yard all winter? If you tried to sit on it in the spring, did it crack or break? That’s because plastic has a greater coefficient of expansion and contraction than other materials, which means that as the temperature fluctuates, it changes in size. Apply this same principle to your plastic gutter covers and you’ll understand that over time, they will bend, buckle or break due to this process.

UV rays can be just as damaging. The sun dries out plastic even when a manufacturer adds chemicals to vinyl to counter the weathering process. Plastic naturally hardens over time and becomes brittle and prone to cracking.

Quality Metal Gutter Shields Are Superior

Metal gutter shields don’t break down from the chemicals in asphalt or from UV exposure. Because it’s likely that your gutters are also made from metal, the gutter covers and gutters themselves will expand and contract at the same rate, resulting in fewer gaps and fewer opportunities for debris to get in.

The best gutter covers come from Gutter Helmet®. Manufactured from high-quality aluminum, Gutter Helmet’s patented design forces debris over the top of the covers while allowing only water into them. The PermaLife finish and Triple Lifetime Warranty mean you’ll never have to paint your gutter covers or replace them. Plus, you can pass your warranty along to a new homeowner if you sell your home!

Contact a Gutter Helmet® Dealer Today

Your home deserves the best gutter covers, so call (800) 824-3772 or chat with an online agent now and we’ll connect you with your local authorized Gutter Helmet installer. Whether you have old and failing gutter covers or none at all, we can help ensure you never need to clean your gutters again!

The post The Best Gutters Covers Aren’t Made of Plastic appeared first on Gutter Helmet.

Ensuring gutters are clean is vital to maintaining a home’s beauty and curb appeal. However, there are more important reasons for keeping gutters clean.

Leaves and other debris that prevent gutters from properly draining can lead to roof damage and rot that can be expensive to repair.

Clogged gutters are also a perfect place for pests to live, causing further damage to your home.

The end of fall and beginning of winter is the best time to clean your gutters as, by this time, any leaves that will have fallen off of trees will have already fallen, so the gutters will stay clean longer.

Cleaning gutters in the late fall will also ensure that when winter snow and storms come, the water will drain away properly and minimize the risk of damage to the home.

Clean gutters will also wow your family and friends around the holidays, especially if you put decorations on your home’s trim.

Our team knows how important the gutter cleaning process is, so we pride ourselves on using superior methods to provide the best cleaning service possible.

We start with a complimentary inspection and tightening of your gutters.

Then we ensure that all sticks, leaves, and other debris are properly removed from your gutters. We use a hot water cleaning system to authentically and safely clean your gutters without causing any damage to them or other parts of your home.

You also have the option of safe and efficient ice dam removal.

Keep your house safe and beautiful this season with professional gutter cleaning from Superior Wash, your experts in home maintenance.

This post first appeared on https://www.superiorwash.net/

Depending on where you live, winter may have already arrived or it could be just around the corner. Ideally, you’ve already cleaned your gutters so that they’ll flow freely through the winter, but have you had them professionally inspected? Whether you have rain gutter guards or not, your gutters should be inspected at least once a year – either as part of your annual roofing inspection or by a gutter and gutter guard installer. Here are three reasons why.

Your Gutter System Needs Maintenance

As with many other elements of your home, your gutter system needs maintenance from time to time. As your home ages, fascia – the part of your home your gutters attach to – can decay. If this happens, you need fascia repair and then you’ll need your gutters reaffixed.

Another reason is that gutters can leak, even seamless gutters. Leaks lead to icicles which put added weight and strain on gutters. When gutters must support additional weight for extended periods, they can pull away from the fascia. A professional gutter inspection can identify issues and propose repair to keep your gutter system functioning as it should.

Ice Dams Can Cause a Loose Gutter to Fail

Icicles from leaking gutters are one thing, but ice dams are a whole other problem. If you don’t have proper insulation and ventilation in your attic, you may end up with ice dams on your roof. If this happens, your gutters will have significantly more weight on them than intended. This leads to gutter failure, from sagging and bending to splitting to falling, potentially causing damage or injury below.

Although proper insulation and ventilation can help prevent ice dams, clean gutters are also necessary. That means you should consider rain gutter guards if you’re tired of cleaning your gutters. If you already have rain gutter guards and have experienced ice dams in the past, ask your gutter guard installer about gutter heating products. Although nothing can completely prevent ice dams in some weather conditions, these are some ways to reduce their size and frequency.

Gutters Don’t Last Forever

Because your gutter system protects your home from the basement or foundation to the roof, it should be in good condition. Vinyl gutters may only last 10 years, depending on the climate. Aluminum gutters can last twice as long. If your gutters have rust, cracks or leaks, a gutter company can advise you if you’d be better off replacing your gutters or if repair is an option. If you need new gutters, consider adding rain gutter guards to help prevent clogged gutters and ice dams.

Schedule Service With a Gutter Helmet® Dealer

Gutter Helmet has dealers nationwide who install the leading rain gutter guards and Helmet Heat® to further reduce ice dam build-up. If you know it’s time to consider new gutters or don’t want to clean your gutters again, call (800) 824-3772 or contact us online and we’ll connect you with one of our authorized installers. They can provide you with an inspection of your current gutter system and a free estimate for Gutter Helmet and Helmet Heat for your home.

The post 3 Reasons to Have a Professional Inspect Your Gutters Before Winter appeared first on Gutter Helmet.