Month: October 2020

5 Home Improvements For Fall

Fall Is A Great Time For Many Home Improvement Projects

We often think about fall as a good time to change over our closets into our winter wardrobe, carving pumpkins, and putting warmer bedding on our beds. Fall should also be a time when you think about embarking on some home improvement tasks, as it is a great time to tackle projects that may be a bit tougher in summer or winter.  Read on to find out about 5 home improvement projects to take on in fall.

Paint Your Home’s Exterior

One of the best home improvement projects you can tackle in the fall is to paint the exterior of your home. A fresh coat of paint can boost your home’s curb appeal and value.

Fall is typically the optimal timing for painting because of the temperate climate of the season. Winter temperatures can be too cold, which can slow down paint drying time. Summer temperatures can be too hot which can either cause paint to dry too fast, causing the paint to bubble or crack, or can even cause the paint to melt. When the temperatures during the day are drastically different then they are at night, paint can prematurely warp. Fall temperatures lie typically in that middle area, and tend to remain around the same day and night creating just the right circumstances to paint the exterior of your home.

Clear Out Gutters and Downspouts

Gutters perhaps have the most important job of any fixture on your house. They direct water away from the sides and foundation of your home to protect the siding, landscaping, foundation and landscaping of your home. If your gutters are clogged or aren’t working properly your siding can quickly rot, basements can flood and those flower beds you spend hours working on can erode without warning.

It can be hard to remember to clean your gutters: they are out of the way and out of sight, but having your gutters cleaned, preferably by a professional gutter cleaning service like Ned Stevens, can save you thousands on expensive repairs.

Clean Your Siding, Patio and Driveway

Ever notice that your siding, patio, deck or driveway just isn’t the same color that it used to be? Dirt, grime, mold or fungus can prevent your home from showing its true color. A soft wash cleaning can make an immediate difference in the appearance of all of these surfaces and can be the only real option when it comes to getting rid of stains. Mold and fungus, if left alone, can not only stain, but can also contribute to the deterioration of your property.

Some types of siding, synthetic materials for decking, and stone can be tricky when power washing, ruining finishes, or moving stones or tiles out of their place. Some siding isn’t strong enough to withhold the pressurized water used in power washing. To avoid any unintentional damage, it’s always best to call on a professional like Ned Stevens to take care of your siding, deck or driveway for you.

Upgrade Your Windows

Making the decision to install new windows is a great choice for fall, especially if your current windows are warped, discolored or cracking, or if your windows are single-paned or misaligned. Replacing your windows with properly fitting, energy-efficient panes can save you up to 25-percent on your heating bill in the winter.

Have a Pro Repair or Replace Your Roof

Winter and summer are not the ideal times to have roof work done. Cold weather can make shingles brittle and easily breakable. Additionally, any ice and snow can cause slipping hazards. If you need any roof work done, fall is the best time to take care of it.

Ned Stevens Is Here For All Your Home Improvement Needs

Whether you’re choosing to put a fresh coat of paint on your home and need your gutters, siding, deck and driveway cleaned, Ned Stevens is here to help. While we don’t do house painting, our knowledgeable, courteous team of professionals will come clean your house to match the beauty of your newly painted home. Additionally, our exceptional gutter cleaners will make sure that any rain or debris will flow away from your home keeping your newly improved fall home clean all through the winter months. Give us a call today!

 

Get $25 Off Your First Gutter Cleaning!

The post 5 Home Improvements For Fall first appeared on Gutter Talk.

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

Why Fall Gutter Cleaning Is Important

Now that fall is here and the leaves have begun to change, there are many projects around the house that you should be working on in preparation for winter. The one that most often gets overlooked is gutter cleaning. For busy homeowners, this inconvenient task is often pushed to the bottom of the to-do list, but routine gutter cleaning is a vital part of good home maintenance.

Don’t Delay!

The problem is many homeowners put off this task until their gutters are either overflowing or so much debris has collected in them that they start pulling away from the roof. To put it bluntly, for a home, this method of maintenance is the equivalent of waiting until you have a heart attack to lower your cholesterol!

How Clogged Gutters Can Damage Your Home 

Gutters clogged with leaves, twigs and other tree debris can cause significant damage by preventing water from draining away from your home. This can result in water damage to multiple areas, including the soffit, fascia, roof decking, siding, landscaping, other plants and trees, and the foundation. When temperatures reach the freezing point, any water that isn’t able to drain freely will turn to ice, which could potentially cause the gutters to pull away from the eaves, or even contribute to ice dams that can cause water to back up and leak into the walls.

Ask yourself, “When was the last time my gutters were checked?” If it’s been a year or more, now is the time to call on a local expert to help you, because there’s a good chance that debris has built up in the system. By cleaning out your gutter system so water can flow freely without resistance, you’ll avoid a lot of unnecessary damage.

Contact Gutter Helmet® Today to Learn More 

For more information about a permanent solution to the threat of water damage to your home, contact the experts at Gutter Helmet® today. Our tough gutter covers are the best gutter guard system available. Gutter Helmet comes in a variety of colors to enhance your roofline, so it beautifies as it protects!

The post Why Fall Gutter Cleaning Is Important appeared first on Gutter Helmet.

The Gibraltar Team in Challenging Times

At Gibraltar, we recognize the collective strength of our employees drives our success, in good times and in more challenging times. 

Our team came together in an extraordinary way over the last several months and created a new level of community, culture and family. Across our diverse set of companies, our team of over 2,500 employees stepped up to help each other, our families, and our communities.

Gibraltar companies supplied more than 3.3 million meals to local food banks and created and distributed 200,000 masks and 5,600 face shields to our employees, their families, first responders and those in need on our communities.

This is what sets us apart.  This is what makes us stronger. This is what makes us all #GibraltarProud

The post The Gibraltar Team in Challenging Times appeared first on Gutter Helmet.

Superior Residential Pressure Washing

As a homeowner, the exterior of your residence is its face to the world. It’s the part of your property that the rest of the world sees. As such, it’s essential to keep that face looking as great as possible.

That’s where the professionals of Superior Pressure Washing come in! At Superior Pressure Washing, we recognize the importance of your home’s exterior – and we provide the top-notch service that your dream home deserves. Here’s why you need our exterior cleaning services:

  • For the safety of your home. Our residential pressure washing services helps to remove any harmful materials that could endanger your lives – or the lives of others.
  • To keep it in the best condition. This is a massive investment in your life. Our residential pressure washing helps to make sure that you get your money’s worth.
  • To increase the curb appeal of your household. It’s always great to impress the neighbors with the condition of your house, right?

Ready to get your residence ready for the new season? Don’t wait – schedule your appointment with Superior Pressure Washing today! Superior Pressure Washing has over ten year’s worth of specialized experience in pressure washing homes and restoring wood. Nothing makes us happier than making a family or an individual even prouder of the residence they live in.

At Superior Pressure Washing, we’re proud to serve the Olney, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Bethesda, Frederick, Columbia, and Potomac areas of Maryland. Give us a call or visit our website at superiorwash.net to learn about our services, make an appointment, or get a free estimate!

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

Preparing Your Gutters for Fall

Fall has officially begun in St. Louis, Missouri, which means it is time to prepare your home for the fall and winter seasons. This preparation includes gutter maintenance and gutter cleaning. It is very important to make sure your gutter system is up to par and your gutters are free from any debris such as leaves and limbs. Gutters that are not cleaned out can only cause problems down the road.

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

Take Action Now to Defend Your Home Against Ice Dams

If you’re still having trouble finding the motivation to get your home ready for winter, you’re not alone; many busy homeowners have problems checking tasks such as gutter cleaning, roof inspection and window caulking off their fall maintenance list. However, there’s no better time than today to prepare your home for upcoming winter weather. The longer you wait, the colder it will get, and cold temperatures tend to make these jobs even more unpleasant.

What Causes Ice Dams? 

In the winter, a common problem that afflicts many homes around the country is ice damming. Ice dams form along the edges of a roof near the gutters and soffit. This formation occurs when snow on the roof melts due to the heat coming from the attic below. The melted snow then drains downward and enters the gutters, where it refreezes because the surface of the eaves is colder. As this process continues, a dam of ice forms and traps further snowmelt on top of the shingles behind the dam. If this trapped water penetrates the shingles, the moisture can cause leaks, rot and other expensive damage.

How Can Ice Dams Be Prevented?

The good news is that ice dams can be prevented. Ask a reputable local roofer to conduct a careful, thorough inspection of your roof and attic, after which he or she can advise you on whether your attic needs better insulation and ventilation, which are crucial steps in ice dam prevention. Another precaution to prevent the formation of ice dams is installing Gutter Helmet®, the nation’s best gutter guard system, to cover your gutters. Gutter Helmet prevents leaves and debris from clogging the gutters and contributing to the formation of ice dams.

It’s crucial to defend your home against winter weather, and a major player in this defense is your rain gutter system. For more information about how Gutter Helmet can protect your system as well as your home, contact Gutter Helmet today at (800) 824-3772 or via our online form to be connected with a dealer in your area. We also invite you to take a moment to check out our many positive Gutter Helmet reviews!

The post Take Action Now to Defend Your Home Against Ice Dams appeared first on Gutter Helmet.

Do NOT Wait for Winter to Prepare Your Gutters

Winter is rapidly approaching, along with all the severe weather that can make it a challenging season. You probably already know that you should clean out your gutters at least twice per year, but you might not realize that winter is a bad time to start gutter maintenance in Oklahoma City, OK.

We get plenty of rain and snow in the wintertime, and if your gutters are clogged, the water will have no place to safely run off. Instead, you could see foundation issues and structural damage when the water invades your home. If that water freezes, it could crack and damage your gutters.

Preparing your gutters prior to winter in Oklahoma City, OK is important for avoiding as much hassle and damage as possible. Here are some tips to get you started:

  • Get rid of leaves and other debris first: Unless you have a leaf guard installed on your gutters, you’ll probably collect quite a bit of plant matter in your gutters during the fall. Leaves are not just responsible for clogs, but they can also mold over and cause additional health issues for your family. Scoop out all of the debris that could cause clogs, and consider rinsing with a hose to ensure there aren’t any hidden blockages.
  • Look for structural damage: During and after your cleaning, look carefully at your gutters. Do you see any structural damage like cracks and holes? If so, you’ll need to get that section of gutter patched or replaced before the winter weather sets in. You should also look at your home itself, including the foundation, fascia and exterior walls. Are there signs of water damage present? If so, you’ll need to get them repaired before ice and heavy rain become a concern. Don’t wait on this—the longer you let the damage sit, the more expensive and time-consuming it will be to repair.
  • Go over the seams and anchors: Gutters should be firmly attached to the fascia using gutter spikes. Look around the entire perimeter of your home for gaps and holes which could allow water intrusion. Try tightening screws first, and if that doesn’t solve the problem, talk to the pros. Your local gutter company should be able to fix or advise you on fixing your gutters before winter in Oklahoma City, OK.
  • Inspect the downspouts and diverters: Finally, inspect the downspouts and diverters to make sure that the water is being sent at least 10 feet away from the house, and isn’t pooling on the ground or around your foundation. Standing water can wreak havoc on foundations, basements and more. If you have a rain barrel, consider detaching it until the warmer months are here again.

Keeping your gutters clean and free of obstructions will prepare you for winter ice in Oklahoma City, OK. If your gutters are aging and need to be replaced, call the team at L & S Seamless Guttering to get high-quality gutters custom-fitted to your home. We look forward to working with you soon!

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

Why Homes With a Slab Foundation Still Need Gutters

In certain parts of the country, many homes are built on concrete slab foundations. These houses are almost in direct contact with the ground because there is no basement or even a crawl space underneath. For this reason, many homeowners believe this type of home doesn’t need gutters due to the fact that there’s no basement to keep dry. This isn’t true, however, as gutters have other important purposes beyond just preventing basement flooding.

Slab Foundations Can Experience Water Damage Too

A cracked foundation can compromise the structural soundness of your home. Slab foundations are susceptible to cracking just like other types of foundations, and a lack of gutters can be a big contributor to this problem. Below, learn how not having gutters can cause cracks and water damage to slab foundations.

  • If you don’t have gutters to move water away from your house, rainwater will just pool at the base of your foundation when it rains. Pooling and continued exposure to water causes concrete to wear down, which can lead to cracks. In addition, the buildup of moisture in the soil surrounding the slab will soften the ground, which can negatively impact your home’s structural integrity.
  • All materials expand and contract in response to temperature variations, and concrete is no different. The less water there is in the ground around your foundation, the more stable the moisture levels in the soil will be, as well as its temperature. Not having gutters will cause greater inconsistencies between these factors, which will increase the occurrence and severity of cracks.
  • Once cracks appear, additional water will have easy access to your home’s foundation, which can lead to further problems.

In addition to foundation problems, water accumulating on the ground around your home can also damage your lawn and landscaping and exacerbate soil erosion.

Request a Free Gutter Helmet® Estimate Today

It’s crucial to have a good system of gutters to protect your slab foundation from these problems. It’s also a smart idea to have a high-quality rain gutter guard installed to prevent clogs in your gutters, which can also lead to water damage. To find out what makes Gutter Helmet® an excellent option to protect your gutters, call us today at (800) 824-3772 or contact us online.

The post Why Homes With a Slab Foundation Still Need Gutters appeared first on Gutter Helmet.

The Snowbird’s Guide to Winterizing a Home

Before flying south for the winter, all “snowbirds” must take the time to ensure their homes are properly winterized. If you’re new to this migrating lifestyle, you should know that it will be much easier to enjoy your time in the sun knowing that your home will be safe while you’re away. As such, it’s essential to take the following steps to protect your home.

How to Protect Your Home When Going Away for the Winter

  • Keep your house warm. You may choose to keep your furnace at a low setting or turn it off completely. If you leave it on and don’t turn off the water, turn your thermostat down, but make sure not to go lower than 55 degrees to ensure the water pipes don’t freeze. Leaving room and cabinet doors open also helps heat to circulate and warm the walls where the pipes are located. Don’t forget to turn off the water heater as well.
  • Winterize the plumbing. If you choose to turn off the water, avoid damage due to freezing by opening all of the taps and leaving them open in order to drain out any water remaining in them. Flush toilets, shut off the water supply to the dishwasher and washing machine, and be sure to drain the exterior taps.
  • Dispose of uneaten food. Avoid attracting pests and other unwelcome visitors by emptying, cleaning and unplugging your refrigerator and freezer. Leave them propped open slightly to prevent mildew.
  • Unplug appliances. Unplug all appliances and electronics before you leave to reduce energy consumption and protect them from power surges during storms.
  • Make your home look occupied. Discourage burglars by making your home look like it’s occupied. You should arrange to have snow removed and, depending on when you head out of town, you may need to hire someone to cut the grass as well. Forward your mail, stop newspaper deliveries and ask a friend or neighbor to keep an eye out for suspicious activity. Just make sure they have your contact information!
  • Clean your gutters. Clogged gutters can lead to damaging ice dams and roof leaks in the winter. Hire a professional gutter cleaning service to clean and tune up your gutter system. Consider installing Gutter Helmet®, the best gutter protection system for preventing clogs.
  • Have a plan for emergencies. Have a trusted local contact available who can handle emergency situations for you, and be sure they have your contact information. Grant them access to your home so they can routinely check for heating problems, water leaks and other issues. Ask your contact to keep an eye out for ice damming when the temperature dips below freezing.

Get Peace of Mind With Gutter Helmet®

If ice damming is a concern, learn more about Helmet Heat®, a self-regulating heating cable that melts snow and ice before they can cause problems for your roof. Helmet Heat is the perfect match for a Gutter Helmet gutter guard installation in the winter. And be sure to check out our gutter cover reviews! Find a local Gutter Helmet and Helmet Heat dealer by calling (800) 824-3772 or contacting us online today.

The post The Snowbird’s Guide to Winterizing a Home appeared first on Gutter Helmet.

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