Month: December 2020

In the winter, you may see heating cables for roofs while strolling through the home improvement store, or you might hear about them on the TV or radio. There are many terms used to describe this type of product: heat tracing cables, roof deicing cables, heat tape, gutter heating cables, self-regulating cables and more. When installed properly, these devices can minimize the likelihood that an ice dam will form along your roofline, causing water to build up behind it and leading to leaks.

What Causes Ice Dams?

The presence of ice dams doesn’t mean there’s a problem with the roof or gutters. Most often, warm air that causes snow to melt on the roof is the result of inadequate attic insulation, poor attic ventilation, gaps that allow heat to escape into the attic space or a combination of these issues. To permanently stop ice damming, you’ll need to take steps to deal with the root causes. 

However, for some homeowners, it’s far too expensive and invasive to air seal, insulate and ventilate their home’s attic space. In this situation, gutter heating systems are an effective and economical solution that will minimize the conditions necessary for ice dams to form and prevent damage.

How the Gutter Helmet® System Works

The Gutter Helmet system gives you a two-step method for keeping ice dams at bay. It starts with Gutter Helmet’s patented nose-forward design that allows water to flow smoothly and naturally into the gutter system while keeping out the leaves and debris that clog gutters and contribute to the formation of ice dams. 

Helmet Heat® is the companion to Gutter Helmet. It’s a self-regulating deicing cable that fits inside the patented Gutter Helmet bracket system and gently warms the panels to prevent snow and ice from accumulating along the eaves and in the gutters and downspouts. With Helmet Heat, the snow melts before it hits the edge of your roof and flows easily through your unobstructed rain gutters and downspouts.

Request a Free Quote Today

For more information about the cost of Gutter Helmet® and heated gutter systems, contact Gutter Helmet today at (800) 824-3772 to find the nearest dealer that installs Helmet Heat. Our certified crews can help protect your home from ice buildup on the roof and in your gutters year-round.

The post Helmet Heat®: The Effective & Economical Solution to Ice Damming appeared first on Gutter Helmet.

Everyone likes to find ways of saving money, especially now-a-days. There are some things that you do not want to cut corners on when it comes to money because it can cost you in the end. However, when it comes to cleaning your gutters, there are ways you can save money without worrying about causing even more damage. Do It Yourself Cleaning the gutters yourself will ultimately save you money…

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

Part of being a gutter contractor in Oklahoma City is fixing DIY gutter nightmares. Homeowners make the unfortunate assumption that installing gutters is easy and fail to consider the subtleties that help them work properly. Unless you are a qualified gutter installer, our best advice is, “Don’t install your own gutters!” Here are five reasons to hire a reputable contractor for this job:

• Correct gutter shape: Gutters are never one size fits all. All homes are unique, and the system that works well for your neighbor may fail miserably on your house. Gutter profiles include half-round, K-style and fascia, and your choice depends on your home design. Half-round is the most common, but some homes do better with K-style. Rather than hope you guess correctly, consult with a contractor who asks the right questions and explains why a system is a good match for your roof.
• Building codes: The city code contains requirements for gutters, including materials and water diversion. When you assume all gutters are equal, you may create a gutter system that does not stand up to code. Also, materials allowed for commercial buildings may not be permitted on your residence. Choices for gutter materials are vast, and it can be challenging to determine which one complies with your local ordinances. A contractor already has this knowledge and will only present the options allowed on your home.
• Determine the right gutter size: DIY-enthusiast homeowners frequently choose the wrong gutter size. Gutters that are too small fail to divert enough precipitation off your roof, and you eventually suffer water damage. Larger gutters are difficult to maintain, and a waste of money. Contractors regularly determine the gutter size for clients with their knowledge of local weather and a home’s conditions. The wrong guess leads to expensive repairs, so you are more likely to secure a functional gutter system by hiring a contractor.
• Securing the correct slope: Gutters cannot function fully without a slope. The gutters’ angle helps rainwater flow toward the downspouts. If the angle is sharp, water flushes the downspouts and flows over. If it’s too low, water pools in the gutters and grows pockets of mildew and mold. These pockets also attract pests and accumulate debris, which can eventually bring down gutters. Contractors spend years perfecting the science of gutter installation and giving gutters correct slopes.
• Water damage: Downspouts also require the correct slope and appropriate distance from your home. Otherwise, water accumulates too close to your foundation. When that occurs, you sustain water damage to your foundation and landscaping—plants die from being flooded, and your basement gains puddles and the mold and mildew that love them. Contractors install downspouts so they send water eight to 10 feet away from your foundation. Also, the correct downspouts make ecological practices like rainwater collection easier.

Don’t install your own gutters—hire us instead! L & S Seamless Guttering promises that it costs more to fix DIY gutter nightmares than to engage us in the first place. If your home in Oklahoma City requires new gutters or gutter repair, call us today to schedule an estimate.

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

Winter poses many challenges. Among those are ice dams. Damaging to your gutters and your home, homeowners should take every step possible to prevent ice dams from developing. Here’s how to get started:

What causes ice dams?

When the snow melts off your roof, meltwater accumulates and freezes along the overhang, creating an ice dam. The only way to prevent ice dams is to prevent snowmelt. This means keeping your roof cold while the rest of your home is kept toasty warm. How is this accomplished? By using these three methods: insulation, ventilation, and waterproofing.

Insulation

A properly insulated attic will prevent warm air from escaping and warming your roof. Most modern homes have proper insulation, but this is not the case with older homes. If your house was built before 1980, you should check your attic to see how much (or how little) insulation you have.

Ventilation

The next piece in the puzzle is ventilation. How the warm air moves in your attic can impact how it escapes to your roof. No matter how much insulation you have, there will always be some amount of heat loss. As such, you want the air to move up, out, and away from the roof rather than alongside it.

Waterproofing

Underneath the shingles of your roof is an underlayment—a water-resistant barrier between the shingles and the roof deck. By installing a waterproof underlayment, you can prevent water from seeping in under your shingled and getting into your home. While this won’t prevent ice dams, it will protect your home if ice dams eventually form.

To learn more about protecting your home and gutters from ice dams, read through our blog, or contact Bell Seamless Gutters today.

The post How to Prevent Ice Dams in Your Gutters appeared first on Bell Seamless Gutters.

Commercial building owners and operators – you know how vital your exterior look is for attracting (and retaining) the customers that boost your bottom line. In business, first impressions are everything; there’s nothing that can torpedo a relationship right from the start than a downtrodden exterior. For commercial enterprises, concrete surfaces are some of the places most affected by the elements, dirt, and grime. Getting them in the best shape possible is key to success – and that’s where Superior Pressure Washing comes in.

Superior Pressure Washing’s trademark hot water pressure washing delivers an unparalleled level of cleanliness to your concrete surfaces. With our state-of-the-art power washing equipment, Superior Wash brings a comprehensive clean that revives your hardscapes. This deep-penetrating approach:

• Removes stains caused by dirt, spills, and everything in between
• Lifts away grease and other buildups
• Removes chewing gum and stubborn debris
• Washes away discoloration caused by runoff

At Superior Wash, we take your property seriously. Our hot water pressure washing represents the best technology in the industry. When you’re a Superior Pressure Washing client, you can expect superior results and a superior exterior for your business.

All set to get started with the top-rated pressure washing company in the area? Superior Pressure Washing provides both residential pressure washing and commercial pressure washing services for the areas of Olney, Rockville, Frederick, Gaithersburg, Bethesda, and Potomac in Maryland (and elsewhere), Looking for a list of our services? Want to know more about us? Want a free estimate? Visit our website at https://www.superiorwash.net.

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

Snow and ice can damage many areas of the home. Repairing the damage can be expensive and aggravating, which makes warding off such issues a much more sensible solution than paying for repairs. Here are two ways you can keep problems caused by Old Man Winter at bay.

Keep Your Roof Clear of Ice & Snow

Did you know that one inch of ice weighs an estimated five pounds? This means a foot of snow will add five pounds of weight to your roof per square foot, and possibly more, depending on the snow’s water content. That’s a lot of added weight for your roof to bear, which is why large amounts of snow on the roof are a concern. Even just a foot or two of snow puts an extreme amount of stress on the roof’s structure.

In areas that see a lot of snow, most professional roofing contractors have a specialized tool called a roof rake that can be used to carefully remove snow by rolling it down the roof’s slope. Snow should never be pulled across the roof, however, as this could cause damage to the shingles.

Clean Roofs Help Prevent Ice Dams

Another benefit of removing snow from the roof is the prevention of ice dams. On certain homes, ice dams develop after significant snowstorms and an extended period of below-freezing temperatures. As warm air from the interior rises into the attic, it warms the underside of the roof deck and causes snow to melt. Snowmelt then drains down to the cold eaves, where it refreezes and forms icicles and a dam of ice.

A reputable local roofer can again come to your rescue if you suspect your home is having problems with ice damming by creating a path through the ice dam to allow water to drain off the roof. They may also use a roof rake to remove snow from the roof and address the problem at its source.

Contact Us to Invest in Helmet Heat®

To prevent these winter headaches from recurring, call Gutter Helmet for a no-obligation estimate on the installation of the best gutter guard that includes the Helmet Heat® deicing system. Helmet Heat is a self-regulating heating cable that gently warms the Gutter Helmet® system to stop snow and ice from accumulating along the eaves and in the gutters and downspouts. Homeowners throughout the United States are using this brand of heated gutters to effectively keep their homes trouble-free through the long winter months. For more information, contact Gutter Helmet today at (800) 824-3772!

The post Stop Old Man Winter From Taking a Toll With Heated Gutters appeared first on Gutter Helmet.