Author: admin

Gutters aren’t usually the first thing people think about when they think about their homes. When it comes to protecting your home, however, few other features of your house are as important. Most people know that gutters are designed to collect rainwater as it drains off the roof of your home and disperses it away from your home. But did you know that gutter systems are designed to protect your home in other ways too? Read on to find out about 5 surprising ways your gutters protect your home.

It Protects The Walls of Your Home

An efficiently functioning gutter system will allow any precipitation that falls on your roof to flow through your gutter system and into the ground away from the home. As the rainwater flows through your gutters it takes any organic material with it through your gutter system. This organic material, typically consisting of leaves, sticks, dirt, small branches, and other debris can get trapped or stuck, which can then create clogs in your home’s gutter system. If a clog in your gutter is overlooked for too long and grows large enough, water can leak over the gutter and down the side of the house, possibly seeping through the walls and even into your basement.  

Gutters Keep Your Foundation Dry

It’s clear that water on and around your house can do serious damage and that gutters are there to mitigate the injury to your home that comes from rain and snowstorms. Not only do gutters keep water off the walls of your home, but they protect your home’s foundation as well. If your home’s gutter system separates from the side of the roof it can allow rainwater to fall off the edge of your roof instead of collecting in the gutters. If this occurs, rain can run down the side of your home and pool in your foundation, a serious and potentially very expensive complication. Gutters are particularly necessary for protecting your foundation if your home is at the bottom of a slope on any side where water will pool along the foundation, or if your home has little to no overhang.

Gutters Help Prevent Mold Damage

Gutters help keep the walls and foundation of your home safe from water damage, which means they also help prevent mold growth as well. Any water damage or part of your home that is damp for a prolonged period of time is susceptible to mold growth. Mold can not only cause deterioration of the walls and siding of your home but can present a serious health hazard to your family as well. Making sure your gutters are properly maintained so they can effectively keep water away from your home is one of the best preventive solutions to warding off mold growth.

Gutters Help Keep Your Yard Safe

If your home had no gutters or your gutters weren’t kept in good working order, water would not only spill down your walls but would go wherever it wanted into your yard. Properly working gutter systems not only divert rainwater and snowmelt away from your home but also away from your yard. If water is not corralled away from your yard it can erode soil, ruin landscaping and create small, standing pools of water that can quickly become mosquito breeding grounds.

Keeps Away Infestations

Alongside keeping your home clear of standing pools of water, gutters can protect your home from other kinds of pest and animal infestations. Anytime debris accumulates on and around your house, it creates the perfect spaces for pests and small animals to build nests. Having your home’s gutter system regularly cleaned and maintained will guarantee that there is no build-up of leaves, needles and other debris in which pests or other small animals might congregate.

Get $50 Off Your First Diamond Plan!

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

There are so many things to like about spring. It’s a time of renewal. Temperatures are just right: no longer bitter cold and not yet the scorching hot temperatures of summer. Daylight Saving Time, which moves the clock forward beginning in March, makes for longer, light-filled days. Baby animals fill yards and trees along with the return of many migrating birds and their accompanying songs. Spring is also the best time to spend time in your yard planting your garden!

Did you know that gardening doesn’t just bring beauty to your yard and food to your table, but it also has many health benefits as well? Gardening can improve your self-esteem, reduce stress, strengthen your heart, save you money and even help you sleep better. Whether you are new to the world of gardening or are a seasoned pro, Ned Stevens has you covered with the best gardening hacks to make sure your garden looks and grows its best. Read on to learn all about inexpensive and easy gardening hacks you can do items you can easily find in your house.

Hydrogen Peroxide is a Gardener’s Secret Weapon

Hydrogen Peroxide can be used for many things for both your indoor plants as well as your outdoor garden. Looking to improve your plants’ root system? Mix 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 32 parts water in a container and pour into pots or flower beds and let soak overnight. Make sure to concentrate on the roots and avoid leaves and flowers. To help seedlings grow healthier and stronger, mix 1 ounce of hydrogen peroxide with two cups of water and soak your seeds in a container for at least a day before planting in soil.

A New Way to Recycle Plastic Bottles

Reuse your old plastic bottles to keep your plants hydrated. Take an old plastic soda bottle, a 12-16oz size will do, puncture holes around the sides and then stuff it with a sock you no longer use and bury it in your garden between several plants. Unscrew the cap and fill it with water as needed. The fabric in the sock will absorb the water working to release the water slowly, mimicking a drip irrigation system.

You can use 2-liter soda bottles or gallon water bottles as mini-greenhouses. Just cut off the bottom, leave the cap off and place the bottle over a seedling to trap water and moisture as well as protect seedlings from frost, wind and strong rain.

Reuse Household Items As Seed Starters

Plastic bottles aren’t the only thing that can be repurposed for use in the garden! Eggshells, citrus rinds, egg cartons and even ice cream cones can be used as a way to grow seedlings.

Use Coffee Filters or Old Sponges to Line Pots

Tired of losing soil through the bottom of the pot when you water? Just potted a new plant and don’t have that bottom tray thing? You can easily block soil seepage by lining the bottom of your pots using a basic coffee filter. These filters will allow water to still easily drain out of the pot while holding the soil in. Alternatively, you can use old kitchen sponges at the bottom of your pots. Sponges perform the same filtering function as coffee filters with the added bonus of fighting off root rot by allowing for more air at the bottom of the plant pot.

Find More Space for Your Gardening Habit

Don’t have a yard to plant in? Use your walls and doors as a vertical gardening space. Hang an over-door shoe organizer for an easy way to grow herbs and lettuces without needing the ground-space with which to do it.

You put the time in to make your house a home and to beautify it with your new spring garden. Now trust Ned Stevens and our team of professionals to help protect your home and lawn and keep it as beautiful as you’ve made it.

Get $25 Off Your First Gutter Cleaning!

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

The Many Benefits of Decorating with Flowers

Decorating any space with flowers helps bring color and warmth to your life. Flowers as an indoor decorating accessory are incredibly versatile in that they come in a range of colors, textures and sizes. You can easily add small arrangements to small spaces or enliven a whole room with an arrangement placed in the middle of the space.

You can easily spruce up your outdoor space with flowers as well by adding flower-filled planters to your porch or to exterior window sills. Planting flower gardens in your lawn is another great way to add personality and color to your home and create an inviting exterior.

The best part about decorating your space with flowers is that they not only add aesthetic value but can enhance your life through their many health benefits. Bringing plant life into your home has been proven to lower blood pressure, energize the mind, lower stress levels and can even help you sleep. And, depending on the flower, many have aromatherapy benefits as well. No matter what your end goal is, Ned Stevens has you covered with several tips on how to decorate your home with spring flowers.

Bring Spring Flowers Into Your Space

Buying Local Flowers

When we think of decorating our interior space with flowers we often think about buying fresh cut flowers from the market or local florist. Buying pre-cut arrangements is a lovely way of adding color and fragrance to any space in your home. Because florists have been trained on the art of arrangement, your space is also enhanced by an arrangement’s sculptural silhouette and conscious color choices.

Blooming Plants

Buying cut flowers isn’t the only way you can add the charm of flowers in your home: blooming plants also provide the same benefits. Wherever you choose to place blooming plants around your home you can be sure they will make a statement that enhances your interior decor, and with proper care can enhance your space for a long time.

Arranging Flowers from Your Garden

If you grow your own spring flowers in your yard or garden, clipping a few and arranging them yourself not only has all of the above benefits but also gives you the added benefit of saving some cash while lowering stress as you use your creative or artistic abilities to craft your flowers into a beautiful aesthetic addition to your home. And every time you look at your work you can feel pride at not only arranging the flowers but knowing that you grew them as well.

Growing Spring Flowers Around Your Home

If you wish to spruce up the exterior of your home by planting flowers in your front yard, Ned Stevens has tips for that too! The most important rule of creating a successful outdoor garden is to make sure you plant the right flower in the right place. If a flowering plant is in the best place for it to get the right amount of sun and shade, most outdoor plants will practically care for themselves. Make sure you take note of the conditions in your front yard: how much direct sunlight each spot gets and at which time of the day. Take these notes with you when shopping for your plants.

You must also figure out what kind of flower garden you want: annuals, perennials or some of each? Annuals (those plants that complete their entire life cycle in one growing season) make great outdoor plants because they typically stay in bloom from spring or summer all the way through fall. You do have to replant them every year, which is something to take into consideration. Perennials (plants that continue to grow year after year) often have a shorter bloom season but don’t have to be replanted every year. Selecting a color scheme and picturing what your garden will look like in bloom will help you figure out exactly what flowering plants to buy and what kind of a mix of annuals and perennials you might like.

What’s your favorite way to use flowers to make your space fresh for spring?

Get $50 Off Your First Diamond Plan!

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

Get $25 Off Your First Gutter Cleaning!

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

Since spring has begun, now is a great time to head outside to evaluate your home’s curb appeal. There are many ways to change your home’s exterior to improve the overall look and feel.

Here are a few ways to improve your home’s curb appeal: 

Change Your Mailbox

This is a simple and inexpensive improvement that can aid in improving your home’s curb appeal. You can swap out your old mailbox for a new one or improve your old one by giving it a new coat of paint. 

Plant a Tree/ Shrubs

Greenery can go a long way in improving your home’s curb appeal. It can also add value to your home. Try installing a few bushes or trees around the perimeter of your home. This will also help create privacy.  Evergreen foliage is a popular option because the bushes grow long and look great with most homes. 

Redesign Your Walkway

Whether you have a long walkway or just a few steps leading up to your front door, you can create a beautiful scenery for entering guests. Use landscape rocks to help create a more established walkway design. You can also add small plants around the perimeter and garden lights to illuminate your walkway during the night. 

Add Furniture

Outdoor furniture is another simple way to improve your home’s curb appeal. Be sure to check the measurements of your furniture and your front/back porch to ensure that it will fit. A small table and a couple of
chairs can help provide a place to relax and enjoy your home while getting some fresh air! 

Install New Gutters

Imagine your home is a picture and the gutters are the frame. Gutters can either add to your home’s curb appeal or take away from it. Gutters also help guard your home from flooding by guiding water, snow, and other precipitation away from your home. 

Bell Seamless Gutters provides quality seamless gutters, maintenance services, and rainwater collection in New Jersey. To learn more, feel free to give the team at Bell Seamless Gutters a call at our toll-free number or contact us online today!

The post Enhancing Your Home’s Curb Appeal appeared first on Bell Seamless Gutters.

As a savvy homeowner, you’re undoubtedly aware of the importance of proper drainage on your property. Making sure that water is being properly directed away from your home and the surrounding areas is crucial to the health and safety of the people living there. When you think about the drainage in your home, your mind undoubtedly goes to the gutters and downspouts that occupy the roofline of your home.

There’s more to proper home drainage than just your gutters. If you’ve ever wondered what are the different types of residential drainage systems in Oklahoma City, then here is your answer.

Surface drainage

In an urban area, surface drainage is controlled by your city’s or town’s sewer system. If you live in a rural area, you could have a shallow trench running in front of or beside your home. Either way, these methods are meant to provide moisture with a channel to run away from your house.

Subsurface drainage

For a lot of homes, the soil is dense enough to allow rainwater and other moisture to be controlled easily by a surface drainage system. For others, however, the ground around their house retains moisture too well, at the expense of both the plants and your home. In these cases, a deep ditch can be dug to allow the installation of underground pipes and a large collector drain that will help your soil rid itself of excess moisture.

Gutters

Think about the gutters as the superstar of your residential drainage system. Even though you were curious as to what are the different types of residential drainage systems in Oklahoma City, you still likely factored in your house’s system of gutters and downspouts. These integral components of your home help funnel rainwater away from your roof and away from your home’s foundation.

Slope drainage

As the name would imply, slope drainage harnesses the power of gravity to whisk water away from your home. A series of pipes is installed in a strategic spot on your property. The pipes are then built on an incline so the water can flow through the channel and away from your home.

What’s the right drainage for me?

Now that you know what are the different types of residential drainage systems in Oklahoma City, it’s time to determine which type of drainage system is right for you. For the answer, come to L & S Seamless Guttering. For nearly 40 years, we have provided a one-of-a-kind service to a growing number of satisfied customers living throughout the Oklahoma City area.

We’re proud to offer the area’s best fabrication, installation, cleaning and repair of gutters of every shape and size. In addition to our premier drainage work for commercial and residential customers alike, L & S Seamless Guttering also offers patio and carport covering services and so much more. Regardless of what brings you to us, you will be greeted with courtesy and then treated to the unparalleled craftsmanship for which we’ve built a reputation. That’s our promise to you.

Pick up the phone and give L & S Seamless Guttering a call. We can’t wait to hear from you.

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

Hacks or quick fixes don’t always work and sometimes, the results don’t last. Taking shortcuts isn’t always a good idea when it comes to home maintenance. Often, these temporary fixes cost more in the long run than just doing them right the first time. 

Discover shortcuts that don’t really work from a company with the best gutter guards reviews. 

Waiting for Paint to Crack and Peel Before Repainting

To reduce the frequency of having to repaint, some people wait until the existing paint peels or cracks. Paint isn’t only there for cosmetic reasons; it also acts as a protection against harsh elements and pests. It also prevents moisture from damaging the wood. Delaying repainting can result in rot, cracks and other costly issues. 

Not Replacing HVAC Filters

Air filters help in maintaining good indoor air quality. They also trap dust, pollen and other allergens that can trigger allergies and asthma attacks. Clogged filters can encourage mold growth can cause your HVAC system to work harder than they should. Keep in mind that it’s less expensive to regularly replace air filters than to pay for HVAC repairs or replacement. 

Delaying Roof Repairs

Even the smallest leaks can cause significant damage to your roof, which can spread to other parts of your home. Delaying repairs can make the problem worse. Make sure to have your roof professionally inspected regularly to catch and fix issues while they are small. 

A Shortcut That Actually Works

One shortcut that really works is investing in gutter guards. A gutter protection system will keep debris from getting into the gutters, meaning you won’t have to clean the system as much. It won’t only save you on maintenance costs but also costly home repairs. Before purchasing, read gutter guard reviews and look for an experienced installer. 

Turn to Gutter Helmet of Eastern Shore for quality gutter protection system installation. Call us at (800) 824-3772 or fill out our contact form to get a free quote. We work with clients in Salisbury, Maryland. 

The post Home Maintenance Shortcuts That You Should Never Take appeared first on Gutter Helmet.

Whether you’re looking to sell your home at some point in the near future or you just think it’s time for an update, there are many upgrades that you can do that will increase your home’s value and give it the refresh it needs without completely breaking the bank. A bathroom remodel can be as simple as fresh paint, new fixtures, and new cabinet doors or a whole new bathroom with a 6-jet jacuzzi…

Source

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

The sound of rain can be soothing. But if your gutters or downspouts are clogged, the sounds you’ll be hearing during a rainstorm will be more like a flood, which can be disruptive and anxiety-inducing.

ABC Seamless Siding, a highly rated company based on gutter guard reviews, lists some of the common reasons for gutter and downspout noise. We also share a few tips on how to deal with this problem.

Clogs

With clog-free gutters, water flows quietly from piece to piece until it arrives at a safe spot in your front yard or garden. However, when there are leaves, twigs and other debris stuck in your gutters, the flow of water might not be as gentle and quiet as you wish. Before the next storm, have your gutters checked for any leaves or dirt buildup, which may block your drainage system. If there are overhanging branches near your gutters, trim them.

Additionally, you might want to consider adding gutter protection to prevent dirt from getting inside your gutter system. Consult with experts and check gutter guard reviews to determine the best options.

Loose Brackets or Appendages

Gutters are secured in place using brackets or appendages. However, due to age and exposure to elements, your gutters’ hold on your roof can loosen over time. Changes in temperature can trigger expansion and contraction, pulling the brackets out of place. If you notice loose or hanging brackets on your gutters, call a professional immediately. Have them tighten the connections or replace the sections that have already been damaged.

Incorrectly Placed Downspouts

Gutters are supposed to be installed at a slight angle, which enables them to drain water and prevent pooling on or near your roof. Downspouts should also be slightly tilted so as to propel water away from your home. If your downspout is too rigid, water won’t be able to slide along the edges. Every drop of water will likely fall on the corner of your downspout, creating a dripping sound. Have your contractor check these things if you hear this kind of sound.

Check gutter guard reviews and you’ll find that ABC Seamless Siding is one of the top providers of gutter protection services. Our team consists of trustworthy and skilled professionals who will ensure top-notch results. Call us at (800) 824-3772 or fill out our contact form to request a free estimate. We serve customers in Anchorage, AK.

The post What to Do With Noisy Gutters and Downspouts appeared first on Gutter Helmet.

In areas where trees shed their leaves, gutters can quickly become clogged with a buildup of blossoms in the spring and fallen leaves and tree pods in the autumn. This type of tree debris can do more than just clog gutters: it can also clog downspouts and underground drain systems. At times, nests built by birds, squirrels and other animals can clog the gutters as well.

The Effects of Clogged Gutters

Clogged gutters prevent water from making its way to the downspouts, which means it can’t drain as it should. Instead, it follows the path of least resistance, which means it usually leaks behind the gutters or flows over the lip of even the best gutter systems. Water that overflows gutters is easy to see, as are the problems it causes: eroded soil, stained masonry and concrete, and sometimes even cracks in the foundation. When water spills over the back of the gutter, on the other hand, it can cause the soffit and fascia to rot and stain the siding. This water can even find its way into the house at times, where it can potentially cause mold growth.

Signs That Your Gutters Are Clogged

The following are signs that you should look out for which indicate clogged gutters. Don’t worry, you won’t need to get out the ladder, as these signs can be seen clearly from the ground or from inside the house itself.

• Visible leaves & debris in the gutter trough
• Stained, discolored gutters, the result of water running over the edge
• Discoloration on other areas near the gutters, such as the walkway, driveway & siding
• Soil erosion around the foundation
• Water dripping from the gutters, even when it hasn’t rained recently
• Standing water in the basement

Contact Us Today for Professional Assistance

The easiest, most effective way to prevent water damage and stop gutter clogs in their tracks is to take advantage of the Gutter Helmet®️ gutter protection service. For more than three decades, our gutter covers have been rated the best on the market by homeowners around the country. For a FREE, no-pressure estimate on the best gutter guards, just give us a call at (800) 624-3772 or complete our online form.

The post How Do I Know If My Gutters Are Clogged? appeared first on Gutter Helmet.