Month: June 2022

While there’s no way to avoid bad and unpredictable weather, that doesn’t mean it’s pointless to take precautions for your home. Adequate preparation is essential to keep your home safe even if it suffers significant weather damage. If you’re not sure where to start, you can always make sure that you have a well-maintained roof above your head and have gutter guards installed to rid yourself of any clogging issues. Here are more tips on how to prepare your home:

Have a Generator Installed

Be it strong winds or heavy rain, you’ll need electricity to run your essential appliances and HVAC system. In case the weather takes out the local power grid, a standby generator can be handy to have in times of crisis. You can choose to install it either in the basement or outside your home depending on the size. Different models are available for your preference and wattage needed, but most are fueled by liquid propane or natural gas. Even a portable generator can be useful if you only need to keep a few appliances and some lights running.

Inspect Your Home Thoroughly

This means you should check your home inside and out before each season to ensure everything is in order. Check your roof and gutters for any sign of potential nesting, and if you see overhanging branches over your roof, we recommend trimming them so that they won’t cause roof damage and affect nearby power lines. Check your windows and doors as well if they’re intact, and consider upgrading to wind-resistant garage doors and shutters to prevent projectiles from smashing into your home in case of extreme weather.

Clean and Manage Your Gutters

Your gutters are crucial in preventing water leaks into your home. To ensure that they work properly, they need to be cleaned and maintained regularly by trusted contractors. They can also inspect your gutters closely and see if the downspouts are positioned to take water away from your home and into the drain. Otherwise, the water runoff may end up puddling around your home’s base and saturate the foundation, landscaping, and walkways. 

When it comes to quality gutter guards, you can’t go wrong with Gutter Helmet® of Northern Minnesota! Call us at (866) 937-3508, or fill out our online contact form. We serve our customers in Minnesota, including Duluth and the neighboring areas.

Are you planning to renovate your home this summer? This can be a great way to improve your comfort and quality of life, and there are many home improvement projects that you can do to help you save time and money. If you are making improvements to your roof and gutter system, you’ll need to work with an expert in roofing and gutter guards so you can be sure that problems are resolved properly.

Some of the most popular home improvement projects that save time and money include:

Overdue Repairs & Replacements

Whether it’s a lighting fixture, appliance, siding or roofing, it’s good practice to replace old and inefficient components whenever possible. Light bulbs and fixtures need to be replaced right away if they’re not working properly, and if you have an outdated appliance, remember that it can consume more energy than necessary — which will increase your monthly utility bills. As for your siding and roof, if you see signs of damage and deterioration, they need to be inspected by a professional to determine their condition. A pro can make necessary repairs and may suggest a full replacement if it’s a more cost-effective option for your home.

Gutter Guards

While it’s necessary to clean your gutters regularly, this can be tiring and time-consuming, especially if you’re physically challenged or lacking the time for gutter maintenance. One way to solve this problem is to have a professional install a reliable gutter protection system to prevent debris accumulation in your gutters. This significantly reduces or even eliminates the need to clean them frequently and saves you time and money!

Solar Panels

Installing solar panels lets you harness the sun’s energy and turn it into electricity that your home can benefit from. This is also a great way to increase your home’s energy efficiency and reduce its dependency on the local power grid. Not only will you enjoy lower monthly utility bills, you’ll also reduce your environmental impact. You get to save time and energy while also helping the planet! 

If you want to install a reliable gutter topper on your gutter system, you can count on the products and services offered by Gutter Helmet! Call us at (800) 824-3772 or fill out our online contact form today and let’s get started!

Your gutters catch the rainwater coming down your roof, and it’s the downspouts’ job to drain and channel it safely away from your home. But if you want to get better results, you should consider adding downspout extensions.

1. Downspout extensions help prevent basement flooding. Unless there’s a rain barrel directly below it, the opening of your downspouts should not be positioned too close to your home. Otherwise, the rainwater coming out of them will end up pooling around the exterior, and if there’s a storm, the runoff may very well end up flooding your basement. Downspout extensions can help prevent this. By directing rainwater further away from your home, you can keep your home exterior-and your basement-clear of any possible water damage.

2. Downspout extensions help keep your home’s foundation intact. Without an extension, the rainwater running out of the downspouts can seep into your home’s foundation, creating cracks and other damage that may compromise it. But if there are downspout extensions to your gutter system, you’ll be able to avoid this problem easily, ensuring that your home will remain safe and structurally sound against significant water exposure.

3. Downspout extensions help maintain your landscaping. When runoff isn’t channeled a proper distance away from your home, it can end up accumulating on your lawn. This not only hampers its growth, but also creates muddy areas that detract from your landscape’s appearance. Standing water can wreak havoc on plants and flowerbeds, and when left unattended, it can cause the soil around your home to erode as well. Simply add downspout extensions to your gutter system, and this will no longer be much of a problem. 

Give Us a Call

Have you decided to add downspout extensions to your gutters? Just turn to Gutter Helmet® of Minnesota, and let us do the rest. We’ll help you choose the right downspout extension size and type for your system, and make sure the addition is installed properly and efficiently. If you want extra protection against water damage for your home, we also install exceptional Gutter Helmet gutter covers. With their patented nose-forward design, they help significantly with your gutters’ draining performance, ensuring it will always stay clean and clog-free for longer.

Schedule a consultation by calling us today at (866) 984-6166 or filling out this contact form. We proudly serve Monticello, MN, and the surrounding areas.

Raccoons, as with other critters, look for a safe place and a consistent food supply. As such, they may break into your home and make a den in your attic. They are not only a nuisance, but can also damage your home and create health risks. Depending on their weight, they may even break your gutters and downspouts while climbing to your roof.

Here are a few ways how you can keep raccoons off your downspouts. 

Trim Back Nearby Trees

If raccoons can get onto your gutters and downspouts, it’s likely because there are overhanging tree branches. Raccoons will climb the trees and use the branches to reach your gutters. To keep your property free of raccoons, make sure that the tree limbs are at least three feet away from the roof and keep shrubbery from growing near downspouts. You should also cover chimneys, vents or other openings along the walls or roof with metal mesh or fencing to eliminate the raccoons’ access points. 

Grease Your Downspouts

Raccoons have to hug your downspouts to climb them. For this reason, consider applying automotive grease or similar non-food grease to a 24-inch section of your downspout to cause them to slide downwards. For effectiveness, make sure the grease is applied to a high point on the downspout. This also prevents you from accidentally putting your hand on a greased downspout. 

Eliminate Food Sources

One of the things that attract raccoons to your property is food. If you have pets, you may tend to leave food and water outdoors for them. At night, however, be sure to bring them inside your home. Raccoons are nocturnal animals; come night, the smell of these items may attract them to your yard. Additionally, if you have a garden or fruit trees, you may want to block their access and pick up fallen fruits. 

Install Pest Guards

Many pest guards are designed to wrap around downspouts and trees. Some of these systems use nails, spikes or wires to poke raccoons should they try to climb over them. Pest guards can be spaced on the gutter spouts at one-inch intervals, which makes the surface impossible to climb. Keep in mind that the ideal pest guards create sharp points that protrude off of the surface by at least two inches. This prevents raccoons from using their legs to climb over the rough surface. 

Are you looking for the best rain gutter system? Turn to the experts at Gutter Helmet® of Cookeville! Our gutters contractors are more than glad to assist you with your project. Give us a call at (866) 985-9982, or fill out our online contact form to set an appointment. We proudly serve homeowners in Cookeville, TN.

A well-designed and properly installed roof is able to withstand severe weather elements like scorching heat and fast-hitting winds. However, it is also important to keep your roof regularly maintained in order to prolong its serviceable life. Otherwise, it will not be long before you have to spend thousands of dollars on a replacement.

Today, we talk about three mistakes that can shorten the lifespan of your roof.

1. Poor Installation
   Ultimately, a roof that is not expertly installed will not last as long as intended. It is crucial that you hire a reputable contractor to install your roof according to the manufacturer’s specifications. With the correct placement of nails and fasteners, for example, your roofing system will become more resilient against the elements.

2. Inadequate Insulation and Ventilation
   Insulation in the attic is vital because it keeps heat outside. Sufficient ventilation, on the other hand, makes sure that there is free, uninterrupted flow of air within the attic space, reducing the risk of moisture buildup and other problems it entails, such as mold growth and rot.

3. Clogged Gutters
   When your gutters are clogged, rainwater or snowmelt from the roof is not able to drain away from the foundation of your home. Instead, water will likely spill over the side of your gutters, potentially causing several issues, such as basement flooding and soil erosion. This is why it is essential to clean your gutters at least twice a year: once in spring and once in fall. Investing in gutter guards is also a smart way to reduce the amount of leaves, twigs and other debris that collect in your gutters over time.

Gutter Helmet® of Minnesota is a top-rated installer of gutters and gutter protection systems in and around Monticello, MN. Check our gutter guard reviews to learn more about our products and services. Give us a call at (866) 984-6166, or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment or get a no-obligation estimate.

A well-built gutter system should safely redirect water runoff toward the drains. But to ensure that it stays effective, it needs to be regularly inspected and maintained. Without proper gutter protection, small debris like fallen fruit, leaves and twigs can accumulate and cause clogs in your system. Even if you don’t have any overhanging branches or nearby trees, you can still have problems if you have asphalt shingles installed. 

How Shingles Are Made

As one of the most popular roofing materials in the market, asphalt shingles provide excellent protection for your home at an affordable price. And compared to more expensive materials such as tile and slate, they’re easy to install because they’re practically lightweight while providing durability. This is thanks to what they’re made of, which is an organic or fiberglass core coated with a few layers of asphalt. The top layer is then embedded with mineral granules, which help protect your home against the harsh elements.

How Shingle Granules Affect Your Gutters

Asphalt shingles tend to shed off excess granules while they’re being manufactured, shipped and installed. If you’ve recently replaced your roof with new shingles, it’s normal to find a few granules on the gutters on a windy or rainy day. This can also happen occasionally over time as a sign of natural wear and tear.

However, if you find sediment and granules on your gutters with a thickness of 0.5 to two inches, it can impact its ability to redirect water runoff. Even if this isn’t a sign of premature roof deterioration, it can still indicate that the gutters are either misaligned, or they’re not being cleaned regularly. This can easily cause sludge and clogs especially when mixed with other small debris, so if it isn’t maintained, it may cause damage to your gutters and the rest of your roof!

Gutter Helmet® of Cookeville provides superior gutter protection products and installation services to ensure you won’t have to worry about any shingle sediment clogging your gutters! Give us a call today at (866) 985-9982, or fill out our online contact form. We serve our customers in Tennessee, including Cookeville and surrounding areas.

Gutters play a significant role in your home’s protection against water damage. They divert water safely away from your property, helping avoid early roof deterioration, landscaping erosion, foundation issues and basement flooding. An efficient gutter system can also help maintain your property’s curb appeal.  

Here are some reasons to add downspout extensions to your gutter system. 

Prevent Basement Flooding

If your water tends to pool around your home’s foundation, you will benefit from adding downspout extensions to your gutters. It’s the same for people living on sloping properties and bottoms of hills. Downspout extensions will give your home better protection against basement flooding. They will bring water at a safe distance from your home, especially during heavy rains. 

Keep Water From Building Up Around Your Home

When your gutters fail to bring water away from your home, water will accumulate around it and place hydrostatic pressure against the foundation. Hydrostatic pressure refers to the force of water attempting to shift through the foundation. Over time, it will cause cracks in the foundation, allowing water to reach your basement. It can also saturate the soil, softening the ground and causing the foundation to settle. 

Avoid Moisture-Related Issues

Excessive moisture can lead to issues like rot and poor indoor air quality. It can also encourage mold growth, putting your family’s health at risk. Mold releases spores that can trigger allergic reactions and asthma attacks. It can also create dark, unsightly stains on surfaces around your home. Fortunately, you can protect your house from structural damage and your loved ones by investing in high-quality downspout extensions. 

Maintain Your Home’s Appeal

Your curb appeal can suffer if your landscaping has areas with puddles and standing water. With downspout extensions, rainwater will no longer reach places where it shouldn’t be. They can also keep rain from destroying your plants and flowerbeds, so your garden continues to flourish. 

At Gutter Helmet® Systems of Alabama, we’re here to assist with your gutter protection system installations and home improvement projects. We are one of the area’s most trusted gutter guard companies. Call us at (866) 598-7525, or fill out our contact form to get a free quote. We work with clients in Chelsea, AL, and nearby communities.