Archives for February 2018

You know that there’s something a bit wrong with your roof, mostly because you have to put a bowl under that spot in your ceiling that leaks when it rains. But when you go outside you don’t see anything wrong. The shingles look fine to you, and they’re all there. So why is the roof leaking? You figure you could find out if you go up on the roof and take a good look, but there’s no way you’re going up there. How can you tell just where the roof damage is? (Remember you can always call a local roofer to help you out with figuring this all out!)

Look in Your Gutters
If you have a sturdy ladder, climb it and take a look at your gutters and downspouts. If there are dark granules in the gutters, that means that your asphalt shingles are starting to degrade. You can’t tell by looking at a distance, but this is a telltale sign. If you don’t have gutters, see if there are granules around your foundation plantings. Even if the shingles look healthy, the fact that they’re shedding granules means that their watertightness has been compromised.

After a while, so many granules will have fallen off the shingles that you will be able to see bald spots even from the ground. After that, you’ll see the edges of the shingles curl and dry up.Read More

Anyone who has experienced a hailstorm knows that those ice balls hurled from the sky can sound like hard-pelting gravel when they hit your home. Whether they’re as big as baseballs or as small as peas, they can do a lot of damage, as evidenced by dents, cracks or holes in your siding.

But does that hail-damaged siding need to be replaced?

Vinyl Siding
Fierce hail is not kind to vinyl siding, especially if that hail comes along with really strong winds that can whip debris along with the hail itself. You may notice that one side of your home has taken the brunt of the storm. That damage may be manifested as small chips in the surface or something more serious like cracks or even a peppering of small holes.

Aluminum siding
Aluminum siding is a lot more durable than vinyl siding when it comes to hail, but it’s certainly not immune. You’re more likely to see the damage as dents and scratches in the surface, probably similar to the damage you might see in any car that had been left outside. Depending on the strength of the wind and whether the edges of the siding had loosened over time, you may find entire sections of aluminum ripped off completely. Read More

For many homeowners, cleaning the gutters is no welcome task. It’s also an easy one to put off, since any gathered debris in those gutters are out-of-sight and thus easily put out-of-mind. Wait too long, however, and you risk clogging which can cause damage to the roof, pooling water around your foundation, and even basement flooding.

Check out these tips on how to clean your gutters safely and effectively.

Dive In During Dry Days
Soggy debris is heavy and tends to cling to the walls of the gutter. If possible, put off cleaning your gutters until you’ve had a couple of dry days in a row so that the debris is easier to remove.

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