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The type of roof you have will impact your entire house, and not just by keeping the rain off your head and out of your home. There are many different types of roofing materials to choose from, each with its own pros and cons. But how do you know which will work best for your home in particular? 

Common Options for Roofing Materials

Here’s a look at the materials you can use to cover your roof, along with some pros and cons of each.

Composition Shingles

Composition asphalt shingles are one of the most popular choices for two simple reasons: they’re cheap and they’re durable. There are dozens of brands available to choose from, and they come in a huge variety of colors and styles. Composition shingles are made by soaking felt or fiberglass mat in asphalt and adding crushed rock or ceramic on top to protect the mat. You can walk on composition shingles without damaging them, and they’re also fire-resistant and easy to install. On the downside, they tend to blow off more easily than other roofing options.

Metal

If you want something that’s low-maintenance, durable and can be installed over your existing roofing material, a metal roof might be for you. Metal is also a wise choice for environmental reasons, as metal roofs reflect heat away from your home, reducing energy use and driving down  cooling bills by up to 20% during the summer. This isn’t  something you can install yourself, however, and even before labor costs are figured into the amount, metal roofing is considerably more expensive than asphalt shingles. On the other hand, it’s probably the lowest-maintenance roof you can install and can last 50 years or more!

Slate

Natural slate has a big advantage: if treated properly, a slate roof will outlast the house it’s sitting on! It’s also fireproof and will never rot. On the downside, it’s heavy by nature and not all roofs can support the weight of slate shingles. Slate is also very expensive.

Clay Tile

Mainly popular in the Southwest, clay tiles have the same benefits as slate: they’re long-lasting, fireproof, rotproof and low-maintenance once installed. Unfortunately, they do share some of the same drawbacks, as they’re heavy and easy to break. Clay tiles are more expensive than asphalt shingles but less expensive than slate shingles. Clay tiles can be expected to last 100 years – twice as long as concrete tiles.

Concrete Tile

Concrete tiles are a more affordable alternative to clay tiles. They can even be coated with metals, enamels or other materials for additional benefits. Concrete tile roofs cost more than asphalt shingle roofs but add value and increase longevity. Concrete might be a good choice if you don’t want composite shingles and you don’t want to pay for slate.

Wood Shakes

Cedar naturally resists insects and UV damage, and can last for up to 35 years. The traditional, upscale appearance of a wood shake roof is appealing to many homeowners. Compared to asphalt shingles, shakes are more expensive to install and require regular maintenance.

Learn More About Gutter Helmet®

For information about the various types of gutters we carry and the installation of gutter protection products for a new roofing installation, contact Gutter Helmet to find Gutter Helmet® dealers near you.

The post The Pros & Cons of Common Roofing Materials appeared first on Gutter Helmet.

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

Protect Yourself From Gutter Guard Issues

If you live in a place with a lot of tree coverage and foliage you’ve probably thought about installing a gutter guard. Each home’s gutter needs may be different depending on the type of roof your home has and where your home is located. Some homes are surrounded by lots of trees and foliage while others may not have trees for miles around. The climate in which you live, including how many days of rain and sun you experience each year also makes a difference when it comes to your home’s gutter needs. If you live in a densely forested area where your home is surrounded by a lot of trees and foliage, you may be thinking about installing gutter guards as an easy solution for your gutter needs. Learn all about the top 3 reasons why gutter guards fail, and why your time and money is better spent making sure you have a top-tier gutter plan with an expert gutter cleaning service.

1. Gutter Guards Can’t Keep Out Debris

Any system that is advertised to you as a way to prevent gutter cleaning is sure to sound attractive, but despite what any guard system claims, there is no way to keep debris out of your gutters.  What’s the point of investing a lot of money and time on an expensive system and custom installation when the gutter guard will never save you from having to clean your gutters. In addition to this headache, gutter guards can make it more difficult to clean the debris that has still collected in your gutters as well!

2. Gutter Guards Make It Harder To Clean Your Gutters

Gutter guards may keep out large debris such as sticks, rocks and leaves, but no gutter guard can keep out dirt and silt buildup. Debris made up of small pieces of dried leaves or needles are still easily washed into the gutters leaving a build up of thick muck at the bottom of the gutter. Cleaning dried pine needles and leaves out of your gutter is one thing, but it is much harder to clean wet, black gunk out of your gutters making cleaning your gutters more labor intensive and dangerous. While it’s always best to have your gutters regularly maintained by professionals, you’ve now ensured that you won’t be able to do the job yourself and that it will be harder for your gutter service to do the job as well. If you do the math you may begin to realize that you can have a service regularly clean your gutters for several years for the same price of installing gutter guards.

3. Heavy Rains And Gutter Guards Are A Disaster

During heavy rainfalls, the water may simply pour right over the top of your gutter guard system now rendering your gutters themselves useless. The point of your gutters is to make sure that no matter what the weather, rain water will be diverted away from your home’s walls, siding, basement and foundation, all parts of the house that crucially need to remain dry. Regular gutter maintenance performed by an expert service like Ned Stevens whose team of professionals will make sure your gutters are free of obstruction and in good working order will always eclipse the performance of any gutter guard whose results may turn out like this.

Trust Ned Stevens

Clearly, gutters are important and the decision of whether or not to add a gutter guard can seem difficult. Trust the highly trained, knowledgeable professionals at Ned Stevens Gutter Cleaning to know what is right for your home. We know that gutters are so important to the health of your home and understand that choosing the right team to maintain them can feel overwhelming. Call us today to schedule an appointment!

Get $50 Off Your First Diamond Plan!

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

Summer Home Maintenance Tips

Every change of season brings with it a new list of home maintenance tasks to tackle. When we think about summer and our homes, we often think about all the fun things we can do outside: grilling, gardening, laying in our lush summer lawns. And with these great summer activities we think about the maintenance tasks that go with them: cleaning the deck, tending the garden and mowing the grass. In the hot summer months, we don’t often think about the indoor maintenance tasks that need our attention, but they can be just as important in the summer as the responsibilities we have outside. Your summer home maintenance list doesn’t have to be overwhelming or taxing, just follow these tips and pointers.

Indoor Summer Home Maintenance

Summer is a great time to check some things off your list that should be done regularly throughout the year. Testing your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors is a necessity in every season, but with our heaters off, we tend to be less worried about smoke and carbon monoxide during the summer. Carbon monoxide leaks should still be monitored closely in the summer due to the continued use of gas powered water heaters, refrigerators, ovens, and any wood burning or gas grills.

Inspect and clean your ceiling fans. Ceiling fans are great to have during the summer months because they help with air circulation and save you money. Whether you’ve used your fans over the winter or they have sat idle, ceiling fan blades easily collect dust and should be properly wiped down. A great trick for dusting your ceiling fan blades is to attach a dryer sheet to a paint roller allowing you to both easily reach the blades and to catch and trap all the accumulated dust. Did you know that most ceiling fans can be set to spin in different directions depending on the time of year? If your ceiling fan has been spinning clockwise over the winter months helping to bring cool air up from the floor, now is the time to find and flip the switch to make the blades rotate counter-clockwise. This pushes cool air down which can make a room feel up to 8 degrees cooler.

Exterior Home Maintenance

If you’ve followed our spring tips for home maintenance, you’ve already washed your home’s interior windows. Now that temperatures are rising and there are less spring showers to worry about, it’s time to wash the exterior windows of your home as well. While at your windows, you can inspect and clean your window screens. Fall, winter and spring can inflict serious damage on your screens with whipping tree branches and other storm destruction. Damaged screens can be easily replaced and all other screens should be cleaned.

Along with cleaning your exterior windows, you should inspect the rest of the exterior of your home. Check for any damage to your home’s siding and assess how dirty your siding may be. If your home’s siding has taken a beating over the winter and spring months, call a professional like Ned Stevens to soft wash your siding. Using this low-pressure system, Ned Stevens’ team of courteous and knowledgeable professionals can remove any dirt, stains, and moss or mildew that may have accumulated on the sides of your home. What’s more, Ned Stevens’ soft wash cleaning works great for your patio as well! Have the exterior of your home summer ready with our quick, easy and professional service.

Contact Ned Stevens Today

Whatever your summer home maintenance needs are, Ned Stevens can help make the exterior of your home look clean and fresh for summer. With just one call, we can set you up with our services for the summer or year round to get your home summer ready and keep it ready for every other season.

Get $25 Off Your First Gutter Cleaning!

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

Summer is all about Barbecuing

Summer is the time of hot days and warm nights spent on our back patios. With temperatures warming up during the day, it seems as though it’s already possible to smell the charcoal aroma filling the air. Barbecuing is a summer staple for many reasons: friends, family, good food, and enjoying the great outdoors (of our backyards, at least). But barbecuing isn’t just a great way to spend summer nights, it also helps save on air conditioning costs. By not cooking with hot ovens and stoves inside the home, the air conditioner doesn’t have to work harder to keep the inside of the home at a cooler temperature. While that may be incentive enough to make your outdoor barbecue space inviting enough to grill every night, with the following tips, your backyard will be the perfect space for a barbecue. Whether you’re planning a large holiday get together or just enjoying a nice dinner with the family, here are some tips on how to set your backyard up for the perfect barbecue.

Cooking

When we think about barbecuing, of course the first thing that comes to mind is the food. You don’t have to be a grill master to have the perfect summer barbecue. First things first, make sure you prep your food before the guests arrive. This will allow you to have a more stress-free environment as your guests arrive and as the grilling begins. Side dishes should be prepared the day before, and all vegetables can be chopped and arranged on platters just before your guests are set to show up. And you want to make sure you have enough fuel to properly cook your burgers and hotdogs—don’t forget to double check that you have enough propane or charcoal to make it through the meal.

Avoid making your guests go inside your home for refreshments or snacks. Set out snacks on a table away from the grill so peckish participants have something to nibble on as the main meal is being cooked. The same goes for drinks: stock a cooler or steel tubs with ice and bottled beverages for your guests to serve themselves. You can have one filled with water bottles, juice, sodas and other kid-friendly drinks and set aside another for beer, wine and other adult beverages.

Setting

A perfect barbecue isn’t only about the food. To make your barbecue truly special, you have to make sure that all the right trimmings are in place. The decorations, the seating, and the garden all add to the atmosphere of a great backyard barbecue.

Add light features to your dining space to help create and maintain an intimate feel as you transition from a day barbecue into evening drinks. An easy alternative to electric lighting in your yard is to pick up a few tiki torches or even solar powered string lights! Cosy, well-lit settings can make for great evenings no matter if you’re with many friends or just your family.

Backyards and backyard gardens have become home havens in recent years. Putting some well-placed potted plants or planters in your yard can help add color to your backyard as well as create more secluded areas for friends to catch up. Set up some backyard games like corn hole, horseshoes or lawn bowling before your barbecue for kids to play and adults to join in later.

Count on Ned Stevens

Now is the perfect time to make sure that your backyard is completely set up for your perfect night of grilling and chilling. Call Ned Stevens today to set up an appointment to have your patio cleaned and your home exteriors and gutters checked. Let Ned Stevens take care of your home exterior so that for your next backyard barbecue all you’ll have to think about is the event itself.

Get $50 Off Your First Diamond Plan!

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

Why Summer Matters When It Comes to Gutter Maintenance

Gutters manage the flow of rain water away from your house every time it rains. If your gutters are clogged or obstructed in any way, rainwater can get trapped in the wrong place, overflow over the sides of the gutter and cause potential damage to the inside and outside of your home. While we tend to think of fall and spring as key times to check on our gutters, summer is also an important time of year to make sure your gutters are in top working condition. Having your gutters maintained during the summer helps your home by making sure that rainwater falling from your roof is being correctly diverted away from your home instead of pooling at the base of your home or flooding your gardens. Read on to learn about other ways that summer gutter maintenance helps your home.

Birds and Pests

Since spring is the rainiest season, it’s important to clear the dirt, debris, leaves or tree limbs that have fallen on your roof and to make sure that your gutters can handle whatever summer storms may send your way. For your gutters, springtime can also bring the possibility of nests. Some birds find gutters to be the perfect homes in which to build their homes. If you haven’t had your gutters checked in the late spring, it is possible that your gutters were home to a nest of baby birds that have since moved on, but left the nest behind. These nests can become quite a serious issue as they may turn into large obstructions leading to drainage issues. Having your gutters inspected for nests is an important part of any summer gutter maintenance.

Gutter Cleaning Protects You From Bugs

If you have a gutter clog, there are chances that stagnant water is pooling in areas of your gutter drainage system. Stagnant water is a great breeding ground for many insects. Keeping your gutters clean can keep these pests away from your home and prevent uncomfortable bug bites. Protect your home and your family from the frustration and hazard of dealing with insects by making sure your home has properly maintained gutters.

Stop Mold and Mold Spores

There has been an increased interest in checking for mold in the home over the past few years, and for good reason: mold in the home is one of the primary contributors of poor indoor air quality and exposure can lead to serious medical conditions. Mild exposure can lead to headache, dizziness, respiratory issues and eye irritation. Serious exposure to certain forms of mold can cause immune system, respiratory and nerve issues. Protecting your family from mold exposure means protecting your home from humidity and leakage problems. Proper gutter maintenance can help stop mold growth from forming so make sure your gutters are in top working order for the summer and beyond.

Contact Ned Stevens For Your Gutter Cleaning Needs

It’s always a good idea to call on experts when dealing with risky and difficult tasks like gutter cleaning, especially when there is a ladder involved. Our professional service members at Ned Stevens Gutter Cleaning take all the risk out of gutter cleaning and leave you with the reward! Call Ned Stevens today to schedule your summer cleaning and maintenance. We can set you up with a plan to make sure your gutters are performing at their best year round. Our team has such consistently great service that we’ve been awarded an A+ through the BBB for 10 years running. Call us and let us show you why!

Get $25 Off Your First Gutter Cleaning!

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

With weather patterns rapidly changing around the world, winters in many parts of America are becoming bitter. Hurricanes visit more often, and storms stay for longer. With the abuse that your home may have taken in the spring, sleet, and snow, it’s essential to give it a good refresh for the summer.

Summer is a time of social gatherings and vacations. Unlike in the winter, when your visitors are in a hurry to curl up by the fire, summer is when they will see your house in full and without distractions. It’s essential to keep your roof spotless, your windows clear, and your driveway stain-free.

The most cost-effective way to do this is by pressure washing. We at Propel Pressure Cleaning are experts in utilizing engines with variable pressures and specially designed nozzles combined with different cleaning techniques to give your home a perfect clean.

Here are some of the reasons our many satisfied clients at Propel Pressure Cleaning in Warner Robins pressure wash their homes in the summer.

Ideal Conditions

In the summer, the days are longer, and the nights are shorter. The longer daytime allows our crews to accomplish more in a single day, eliminating the need for them to come back most of the time. Many of our commercial clients want acres of grocery and car shop exteriors cleaned, and this is the most efficient time to do it.

Longer Lasting Results

The summer weather is your home’s best friend. There are fewer rains and strong winds that would bring sediments and dirt onto your walls. Plus, there’s no ice to freeze animal droppings and insects, and no leaves that would accumulate in your drains and chimneys.

Social Gatherings

Social gatherings like pool parties, barbecues, and graduation parties frequently happen in the summertime. Pressure washing is the most effective way to get your deck, patio, and pool floors looking brand new. Your guests wouldn’t want to spend a lot of time in a home that looks dingy, and summer is always the best time to prepare.

Keep Mold and Mildew Growth at Bay

The spring season is a time of rain, dew, and endless precipitation. When you combine this weather with the humidity and high temperatures of summer, you get the perfect environment for mold, mildew, and other destructive fungi. By pressure washing your home in the summer, you prevent these lifeforms from growing. You’ll also destroy any that might already be living in your exterior.

Hire Professional Pressure Washers in [target city] Today

A clean home is essential to keeping your guests happy and keeping unwanted visitors at bay. Pressure washing is the hassle-free way to accomplish that goal, as long as you get help from licensed professionals. We at Propel Pressure Cleaning are the most highly recommended company for pressure washing in Warner Robins GA, and we’re known for our excellent customer service and expertise.

For professional pressure washing and power washing in Warner Robins, remember to call Propel Pressure Cleaning. Contact us today for a free quote.

The post 4 Reasons to Pressure Wash Your Home in the Summer appeared first on Propel Pressure Cleaning.

Among the biggest benefits of installing a K-Guard Leaf Free Gutter System is its ability to withstand leaking. This one K-Guard advantage can save you thousands by not having to repair water damage to your home and hours of worrying about whether your gutters will hold-up.

Because of their revolutionary design, each K-Guard Leaf Free Gutter System has fewer joints than seamed models. This seemingly simple design feature makes gutter leaks far less likely for K-Guard gutter systems.

Why Do Other Gutter Models Tend to Leak so Much?

• Fewer points of entry. Unlike the K-Guard gutter system, most other gutters have numerous joints and points of entry for practically anything to penetrate. K-Guard Leaf Free Gutter Systems have much fewer joints.
• K-Guard is not attached to your shingles. Most gutter systems are attached directly to your home’s shingles, which can easily weaken their integrity. K-Guard Leaf Free Gutter Systems are attached to the fascia board or rafters of your home. These sturdy anchor points ensure your K-Guard Leaf Free Gutter System is secured snugly to your home but presents no risk of damage to the structure itself.
• Less clogging. Most gutter systems become easily clogged with leaves and other debris. This added weight weakens the gutters, makes them bow, and becomes easier to leak in various spaces at the same time. K-Guard Leaf Free Gutter Systems are designed with only a small opening between the gutter and the hood portion. Only water is able to get through to the gutter, where it’s then channeled to the downspouts and away from the foundation of your home.
• The pitch is true. If your regular gutter system isn’t installed as it should, its pitch will be off. This makes it easier for water to pool in a central area of the gutter, weighing it down and preventing the water from being channeled to the downspouts. Each K-Guard Leaf Free Gutter System is installed to precise requirements. This means your K-Guard’s gutter pitch is true and level. As a result, rainwater is easily channeled to the downspouts.

How Much Damage Can Really Be Done If My Gutters Are Leaking?

Plenty! If your gutters are leaking and you don’t either fix them or switch to K-Guard, you’re risking significant damage to your home.

Here are some of the most commonly reported home damage reports caused by leaking gutters.

• A weakening of your home’s foundation as the leaked water pounds down from the gutters directly to the base of your home.
• Erosion of the soil surrounding your home because the water has not been channeled to the downspouts. As the soil around your home erodes, the foundation itself is also easily compromised.
• Significant staining of the siding and concrete around your home caused by the pooling water.
• Damage to your landscaping. If water is not sent through the downspouts and away from key areas of your yard, huge sections of it can be flooded and significantly damaged…perhaps permanently.
• Mosquito infestations. Nothing is more inviting to these pesky pests than a standing pool of water. If your gutters aren’t allowing rainwater to flow through them, your gutters may become a literal breeding ground for mosquitoes and other pests.

How Can I Tell If My Gutters Are Leaking?

There are several effective ways for checking on the health of your gutter system.

• A visual inspection. Take a walk around your home, and make note of water falling from an area of your roofline that should not have water dripping from it. This is a classic sign that your gutters are filled and clogged…and weakened.
• See how the water flows. Make sure you clean your gutters of any debris and clutter. Then, safely climb a ladder and place a garden hose in the gutter. After safely climbing down, turn the water on for the hose and see if you notice any water leaking out from the gutters.

K-Guard pro tip: with a K-Guard Leaf Free Gutter System, you’ll no longer need your ladder to check on your closed gutter system.

If you’ve had to repair your gutter for leaks numerous times, it’s probably the right time to change over to a K-Guard K-Guard Leaf Free Gutter System.

Beyond the minimal risks of leaking, you’ll have far less maintenance with your K-Guard system. In fact, there’s no maintenance required at all by you once your K-Guard Leaf Free Gutter System has been installed…this also means there’s no more regular gutter cleaning to worry about.

In addition to protecting your home from water damage, a K-Guard Leaf Free Gutter System will be visually appealing as well. With a smooth finish like crown molding and a wide variety of available colors, your new gutter system will have a more uniform appearance. Other gutter systems tend to look clunky and out of place.

We’d love to talk with you about our K-Guard Leaf Free Gutter System. In fact, we encourage you to take advantage of our free estimate offer by contacting your nearest K-Guard dealer. You can also get in touch through our online contact form or by calling us at (614) 964-5644.

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

Most homeowners understand the importance of installing gutters, but some may be unsure about what exactly they need to do. Don’t worry: here we provide a complete overview of gutter solutions, from figuring out how to install the gutters, how much material you need and how to keep them clean once they’re up.

Design

There are two considerations to think about when designing the best gutter system possible on paper: the length of the gutters and how wide they need to be. The first part is fairly straightforward: you and a friend can simply use a measuring tape to figure out the length of the roof along each slope.

But what about the width? Determining the correct width is a little more involved. First, check local zoning laws: it’s very possible a local  official has already determined the gutter size you need. You’ll have to figure out the square footage of your roof – which is easy to do using basic math – and note the average rainfall of the area in which you live. The bigger your roof and the more rain you get, the bigger your gutters will need to be. The most common residential gutter size is five inches. For downspouts, a good rule of thumb is one for every 40 feet of guttering.

Next, you’ll need to choose your material. All materials have individual benefits and drawbacks; as a general rule, choose the most durable material you can afford in the thickest size it comes in.

Installation

If you’re installing the gutters yourself, first lay them out in front of the part of the house where you’ll be installing them. Weld on any end caps and cut out any holes for downspouts you may need, then go up and install the hangers, keeping safety in mind.

Install the hangers on architectural supports, such as rafters, and space them closely together. This keeps the gutters from sagging, which can lead to stagnant water or to them being ripped off your house during high winds. Hang the gutters so there’s a slight pitch towards the downspout; one to two inches every 40 feet should work just fine. Weld together any corners and attach the downspouts with welding or zip screws.

Maintenance

Maintaining gutters is simple: every three months or so, go up and take a look at them. If you don’t have a gutter protection system, clean out any debris that may have accumulated. There are dozens of tools on the market to help with this. Keep an eye on your gutters, looking for signs that they’re not draining, such as icicles or water dripping over the sides of the gutters. Patch any holes as soon as possible.

For a permanent solution to gutter cleaning, call us for the professional installation of Gutter Helmet® gutter shield, along with Helmet Heat® heated gutters. Do all this and you’ll have long-lasting gutters that keep you dry even in the worst weather!

The post Gutters 101: Everything You Need To Know appeared first on Gutter Helmet.

Everyone loves the timeless beauty of copper gutters on a home. They add charm and character, giving it uniqueness while showing off the architectural features of the house. Having copper gutters installed is a great way to make your house stand out above the rest. The decision to go with copper for your gutter material may not be an easy one. There is a much higher initial cost than with its…

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