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The post K-Style vs. Half-Round Gutters: A Quick Comparison appeared first on Gutter Helmet.

Pest infestations can still strike even the cleanest of homes. Pests are inventive and determined, and the best way to deal with them is to check areas in and around your home where they could be hiding. 

Gutter Helmet® of Cookeville, the local provider to turn to when you want to learn about Gutter Helmet cost, discusses more below.

1. Stuffed Animals and Toys

Bites from bed bugs can be annoying—they cause rashes and infections. These insects thrive on soft fabric, including mattresses, sheets and even your kids’ plush toys. If you spot bed bugs anywhere in your home, you’ll need to call a professional exterminator as soon as possible.

2. Electrical Outlet Covers

Insects such as ants and beetles can find a comfortable home behind electrical outlet covers. A telltale sign is powdery residue seeping through the cracks around the outlet. Call pest control—the pests may be in multiple locations around your home.

3. Garage

Pests thrive in larger areas of your home, including the garage. Since it is usually dark inside and filled with many items, bugs and rodents love taking shelter there. Your garage is an easy waypoint between your indoors and outdoors and can provide food sources like garbage and cardboard boxes.

4. Gutters

Clogged gutters don’t just block water runoff; organic matter such as dried leaves, twigs and other debris can become a shelter or breeding place for bugs, rodents and even some birds. Be sure to clean your gutter system regularly and trim branches from trees near your home.

At Gutter Helmet of Cookeville, we specialize in improving your gutter systems. We can install seamless gutters to replace your old, worn down gutters, as well as Gutter Helmet, the product you need to help prevent leaves and other debris from clogging your new gutters.

To learn more about the Gutter Helmet cost, call us at (866) 985-9982. You may also fill out our contact form to request an estimate. We serve residents of Cookeville, TN, and the surrounding communities.

The post 4 Areas in and Around Your Home Where Pests Are Hiding appeared first on Gutter Helmet.

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

Commercial properties can vary greatly in building size and style but the vast majority of them have roofs that are flat. When it comes to flat roofs, stormwater drainage can be a challenge as there is no slope from a pitched roof to direct it to the gutters where it can be drained away from the building. Flat-roofed buildings do have a protective membrane to prevent leaks but it doesn’t mean they…

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

The phrase “saving for a rainy day” was obviously coined by someone who knew the expenses associated with the fixing of home drainage problems.

With spring showers in the forecast, it’s especially important to understand the connection between overflowing gutters and downspouts with damage to your home.

With a K-Guard Leaf Free Gutter System installed on your home, though, spring showers will be just one less thing to worry about.

How can overflowing gutters damage my home?

Even though overflowing gutters may not catch your immediate attention – they should. Frankly, the damage potentially being done to your home should cause alarm bells to ring.

Beyond the initial discoloration, rot, and warping of your gutters and roofline, the spillover rainwater will find its way to your home’s foundation. This is where the real damage begins. As it overflows the soil, a shift can be created around your foundation, opening the floodgates to cracks and instability. 

Costs associated with fixing water damage from overflowing gutters can easily run into thousands of dollars – and that’s figuring conservatively. 

What can cause my gutter system to overflow?

Several factors can cause water from spring showers to overpower your gutter system.

Debris build-up in the gutters and downspouts. This can include everything from leaves and broken tree limbs, to granules from the shingles and debris carried by the wind. You’d be surprised at what can find its way into an uncovered gutter system.

The pitch and tilt of your gutter system is off. This occurs more frequently than you may imagine. If your gutter system isn’t installed correctly, water from heavy showers can gather in one spot, rather than being guided to a downspout for safe exit.

Your gutters simply aren’t big enough to handle the load. The power of rushing water is incredible. If your gutter systems are too small, the onslaught of water will simply gush right over it and mercilessly pound the ground soil as it finds its way to your home’s foundation. Once the foundation is compromised, water leaks begin to show in your home.

Beyond the damage to your home’s foundation, the overflow and pooling of rainwater can cause huge negative impacts to your landscaping, including trees, shrubbery and plants. They often simply cannot handle being literally drowned by torrential rainwater.

How can a K-Guard Leaf Free Gutter System stop my gutters from overflowing?

We’ve designed the K-Guard system for one purpose: to channel rainwater and debris away from your home’s foundation – it’s as simple as that.

• No more leaves and other debris in your gutters. As you can see from reading the above information, a clogged or inefficient gutter system can wreak havoc on your home, which for most people is their largest investment. With a K-Guard Leaf Free Gutter System, you’re protecting that investment.

With each K-Guard system, there’s a small opening between the gutter and the hood. This opening is so small, only water is permitted to pass through into the gutter, where it’s channeled to the downspouts. There’s simply no way possible for leaves, pine needles, shingle granules, etc. to find their way into your K-Guard Leaf Free Gutter System.

• K-Guard gutters can handle more rainwater. Even if a traditional gutter system is installed properly, most are only 3-4 inches wide. This makes it virtually impossible for them to handle a torrential rain from Mother Nature. 

Our K-Guard gutters, however, are 5-inches wide. Additionally, there are two ways for rainwater to flow into a K-Guard gutter, which is key to preventing windblown water from shooting back underneath your shingles. 

Additionally, we provide you with a 3-1/4-inch wide gutter bottom and 3×4-inch downspout. This enables a large amount of rainwater to flow seamlessly from your gutter system and safely away from your home’s foundation.

• No repair costs or ongoing maintenance required from you. Because excessive rainwater is channeled away from the foundation of your home, you won’t have to worry about the potentially thousands of dollars in costs for structural repairs.

Also, you’ll no longer have a need to routinely clean your gutters of debris clogs. In fact, if your K-Guard Leaf Free Gutter System does experience a clog – for any reason – the installer will clean and correct the problem absolutely free of charge. 

In addition to all the functionality provided by K-Guard Leaf Free Gutter Systems is the fact that they’re guaranteed to last, they’re designed to add aesthetic value, and they literally strengthen your house’s roof. 

To discover more about how a K-Guard Leaf Free Gutter System can save you time and money while protecting your home investment, we’d like to offer you a free estimate from your closest K-Guard dealer. 

You can also get in touch by completing our online contact form or by calling (614) 568-7777.

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

As the weather gets warmer, and spring cleaning is underway, many people turn to selling household items they no longer find useful at garage sales. Spring garage sales can be a great way to find items to decorate your home and stay within your budget. Read more to find out how to make the most out of your  outings and what information you need to know to feel confident in your garage sale hunt. Armed with these tips, you’ll be sure to stretch your dollar further and make your home uniquely yours.

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare!

Perhaps the most important tip to garage sale hunting is to plan ahead! You may be on the lookout for a new coffee table on a budget and think you don’t need anything else, only to wind up bringing home mismatched tchotchkes, paintings, dishes and no table. Not only is it a good idea to take an inventory of the things you already have so you know what you need, what you need more of and what you don’t need, it’s a good idea to have a grasp on your personal interior decorating style so that you’re not making purchases you will later regret. Remember, if an item is only one dollar but it is something you do not need or can’t find a place for—it’s a waste of money.

Measure areas where you might want to add furniture or art work. You don’t want to spend money on a great find only to bring it home only and discover it is too big for the intended space or worse, won’t fit through the door or hallway.

Be sure to inspect the items you are interested in closely. Don’t overlook pieces that may only need a little cosmetic work, but make sure that each piece works (check electronics to make sure they are still in functioning order) and doesn’t need any costly repairs.

Plan Your Route

Planning ahead doesn’t just include knowing what you are looking for and how much you are willing to spend. It’s also important to do some online research and plan your sale hunting route. Several websites like Garage Sales Tracker, Yard Sale Search, and Craigslist are great places to find out where garage sales are being held in your neighborhood and at what times. Some listings will even tell you what items will be for sale so you won’t waste precious hunting time driving to a yard sale that isn’t offering what you are looking for. Local newspapers, apps like Nextdoor, and coffee shop bulletin boards are other good bets to find sales in your area.

Don’t Forget About You

Planning your trip involves making sure you’ve covered all your personal needs while you are out for the day as well. Make sure you bring a tote bag, backpack or small boxes to hold your small finds whether you are walking around or to store properly in your car. Pack a water bottle, tissues for any spring allergy or bathroom emergencies, hand sanitizer and baby wipes. Items stored in garages or sheds for a long period of time can be covered in dust, grime or cobwebs. Baby wipes are useful in wiping clean your newfound treasures before packing them into your car or bringing them into your house. Lastly, don’t forget to bring a snack so you don’t accidentally make a purchase (or miss a great find) due to low blood sugar. And always bring a tape measure.

Enjoy the Experience

Go into the experience with an open and creative mind! Instead of looking at something for what it is, try to picture it for what it could be. You can paint pretty much anything and you can always turn kitchen tables into coffee tables or plates into wall art. Use your imagination and you can turn someone else’s trash into the statement piece that brings your whole house together.

However you choose to make your home your own, Ned Stevens is here to help you keep it looking and functioning at its best. You take care of decorating the inside and our team of professionals will make sure the outside is protected with proper gutter and deck care. Call us today to set up an appointment!

Get $50 Off Your First Diamond Plan!

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

With summer just around the corner, we start to dream of weekends spent at the pool, afternoons working in the garden, and long evenings grilling dinner with the family on the deck. Start making your dreams a reality by designing your perfect deck! Get inspired to turn your backyard into a garden escape by reading below for ideal deck tips whether you want to build a deck from scratch or are just looking for innovative deck decorating tips.

Create The Deck of Your Dreams

Decks are traditionally built out of wood, composite wood material or vinyl. Decks can be attached to a house or freestanding and are often built to take advantage of a view or to build a peaceful or inviting outdoor space. When maintained properly, decks made of wood (or composite wood material) offer beauty and inviting warmth unlike any other space in your home.

Not all decks must be attached to the home. Creating an island deck is an easy way to have a maintenance-free deck and peaceful getaway that can go anywhere in your yard. This deck, built with composite decking and hidden fasteners, is a great way to set up a nice spot for a table and chairs under some trees or surrounded by your beautiful garden.

You can achieve this same kind of oasis-like space in your backyard with a raised deck as well. Similar in concept, raised platforms allow for container gardens strategically around the deck so that you can relax and enjoy company surrounded by beautiful flora, while not completely enveloped by it. Adding a water feature that runs alongside your deck makes a great oasis addition by softening the noise of a busy street or creating a calming background sound.

Or combine these two ideas by building a deck with different levels. These different levels not only create nuance and aesthetic appeal, they can separate space on the deck making a small space seem larger. No tall deck or multiple stories necessary! Even a foot or two in height difference is all it takes. Enhance these differences even more by partitioning for privacy through the use of lighting or strategic gardening.

Boost Your Deck’s Appeal

If you already have a ground-level deck or patio and are looking for ways to make it more private, a vertical garden might be the project for you. Turn your small porch into a secluded party space by placing pocket gardens around the perimeter of your deck. Added bonus: by turning your living wall into an herb garden, you will have fresh, fragrant additions to your deck-grilled meals all summer long.

Looking for ways to make your patio or deck blend in more to your backyard or looking to add privacy? Adding perennials, shrubs or small trees around the edge of your deck can add a sense of charm and beauty to any backyard escape.

Add personality to your deck space by creating different designs on the deck flooring. Using different materials, colors of paint or even placing the boards themselves in an interesting pattern can help create space, partitioning or framing in an otherwise plain deck.

Whether you are dreaming of building your own deck or just decorating your existing one to make it the hangout spot you’ve always wanted, Ned Stevens has you covered. Our seasoned team of professionals can help keep your backyard oasis clean and protected year round through our personalized gutter service plans. Call today to schedule an appointment.

Get $50 Off Your First Diamond Plan!

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

Part of planting a spectacular garden is figuring out what part of the garden gets the most sun and what part tends to stay in the shade. In the highest heat of the summer it’s important to know which plants can handle the heat and which can’t. Read on to learn about heat tolerant flowers that will fill your yard with show-stopping color and bloom.

Angelonia

Angelonia is a great flowering plant for your outdoor containers. It produces colorful spikes flowers in purple, pink, mauve, blue or white and can bloom all summer long. Angelonia is considered an annual, but if you live in a frost-free area they will come bloom another year. This flower grows best in full sun and well-drained soil. It also tolerates drought-like conditions and takes heat and humidity well. For these reasons, angelonia is perfect for beginning gardeners.

Begonias

Found in tropical and subtropical areas, this beautiful flowering plant produces asymmetrical, patterned and variegated foliage that does well in hot, humid weather. Begonias can be either grown indoors or outdoors, producing plants that differ in height from 6- to 12-inch houseplants to bushes reaching 5 feet tall or more. Begonias can begin to bloom in early summer and will continue to produce bright, colorful flowers until frost.

Cosmos

One of the best reasons to grow cosmos flowers in your garden is that they attract beneficial insects like bees and butterflies. Cosmos flowers, which resemble daisies with their evenly placed, open petals, provide easy access to nectar and pollen, attract lacewings, tachinid flies and hoverflies which feed on pest insects you don’t want in your garden. They thrive in hot conditions with little water and seem to do best in poor soils. The cosmos’ blooms can last for  many months and their petals are even edible!

Lantana

Bring tropical color into your garden with these heat-loving plants whose cluster of blooms come in many shades of pink, orange, red, yellow and white. Lantana thrives in full sun and should only be watered when the soil is dry. Lantana is drought tolerant and beloved by butterflies!

Portulaca

Portulaca, often called moss rose plants, are popular plants in the spring. Known for their drought tolerance, this low-growing annual flower can, depending on the variety, have semi-double to fully double flowers that resemble miniature roses. Portulaca have succulent leaves and come in colors as varied as yellow, orange, red, bright pink, cream and white. They hold up to strong winds and serve as ground cover, making them perfect for a small garden or a rock garden.

Canna Lilies

Canna Lily is a perennial plant that blooms tropical-like foliage with large, colorful flowers that look a bit like irises. Plant canna lilies in the spring to give them time to get established in your garden which will lead to beautifully intense blooms in the summer. Canna lilies are low maintenance and like plenty of heat and full sun. The canna lily’s flower color can vary from red to orange to yellow.

Impatiens SunPatiens

SunPatiens were developed specifically to thrive in the heat and direct sunlight. With blooms in coral, red, pink, orange, lilac, lavender or white depending on the variety, SunPatiens can be incorporated anywhere, but thrive particularly well as a bedding plant or in a container. If you are a hummingbird lover, this is the flower for you, as SunPatiens tend to be one of the birds’ favorites.

Gardening can be a labor of love, all of which can be damaged by strong summer storms. Call Ned Stevens today to make sure your gutters are working properly for the summer. Gutters not only protect your home, by diverting any rain runoff away from your lawn and garden, they protect your hard work too!

Get $25 Off Your First Gutter Cleaning!

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

Those of us that live in the South know that staying comfortable in the heat and humidity can make your electric bill skyrocket. But staying cool in the summer doesn’t have to equal shelling out lots of money and wasting electricity. Read on to learn some important tips to keep your air conditioning costs down all through the summer.

Windows Are Key

During the summer when air conditioning becomes a necessity, you may only think about your windows to make sure they are shut. But windows can be the key to saving money in the long term when it comes to air conditioning costs.

If your home has windows that haven’t been upgraded, installing new energy-efficient windows can dramatically help to keep your house cooler for less.

Making sure that your windows are properly sealed also helps. If your windows are insufficiently sealed they can leak air, making your air conditioning system work harder.

Sunbeams coming directly through the window can heat up a room as much as 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep heat and sun out of your rooms, especially rooms whose windows are east-facing in the morning and west-facing in the late afternoon, by using blackout curtains. These curtains made with white linings reflect the sun’s rays away from the room’s interior and can reduce solar heat gain by up to 33 percent.

Invest in Upgrades

While upgrades to the equipment in your home may mean more costs upfront, they will save you money in the long run. Upgrading to a programmable thermostat can easily decrease your air conditioning bill by up to 10 percent if you use it to set your A/C as high as you can comfortably go and program it to increase the temperature while you are not at home or asleep. Setting your thermostat to 78°F instead of 72°F  can save up to 18 percent of your summer air conditioning costs.

If you are able, upgrading your air conditioning unit might save you the most money. Modernizing your air conditioning unit can be an expensive immediate solution that can save you a ton of money in the long run. Since cooling your air in the summer can easily account for up to 50 percent of your summer energy bill, installing an energy efficient unit can lower this cost dramatically. Newer air conditioners can also increase the quality of the air inside your home while doing a better job of controlling your home’s humidity levels.

Circulate The Air

Using fans in your house to circulate air can make you feel six or seven degrees cooler due to the wind-chill effect. While fans do not actually cool the air, they do blow air around making easier for the sweat to evaporate from your skin. Since we eliminate body heat by sweating (even when it isn’t noticeable to you), the more evaporation, the cooler you feel. The great thing about fans is that since they don’t cool the room, you can turn them off as soon as you leave any area, saving you money on electricity. Portable fans can be an inexpensive way to keep your cooling costs down. Ceiling fans also help circulate cool air from your air conditioner which can allow you to raise your thermostat by as much as four degrees.

Enjoy the Outdoors

Another important way to keep your air conditioning costs down is to make sure that you don’t heat up the interior of your home during peak heat hours. This can be tough as temperatures typically reach their height in the afternoon when it is time to cook dinner. One of the best ways to keep costs down is to cook dinner using your microwave, serve dishes that don’t require heat, or make use of your deck or patio by grilling your dinner outdoors.

Spending warm summer nights grilling dinner and eating it out on your patio requires some maintenance and love. Luckily, Ned Stevens can help you with your summer preparation needs and deck care needs. Ned Stevens provides soft wash services that clean your deck so you can have amazing summer dinners with your family outside and help keep air conditioning costs down.

Get $25 Off Your First Gutter Cleaning!

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

Gutters are arguably one of the most important tools that a house can have to keep its integrity. Without them, water has nowhere to drain but down. Down the sides of the structure, seeping in where it can, and over time, just as the Colorado River wore away the Grand Canyon, water running down the side of a building can cause deterioration of siding, wood casings, and even cement where it causes…

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