The roofing is an important part of a house. Without it, living in the house will be an uncomfortable experience and the structure will be exposed to all sorts of hazards and damage. 

Since the roof itself is an exterior structure, it’s exposed to wear and tear. However, regular maintenance can help enhance the durability of your roofing materials, prevent leaks and costly repairs or an unplanned, costly roof replacement.

Below are five simple maintenance tips to extend the life of your roof. 

Check Your Shingles for Damages

Inspect your roof shingles yearly especially after the harsh weather months. Perform a meticulous check for any damaged or missing shingles and/or roof sealant. Clean them and keep them free from dirt, algae, moss, fungal, and lichen growth that can weaken your roofing. If you find any damaged or missing shingle, you can replace it yourself or consult a professional roofing contractor.

Trim Overhanging Branches

Trees are good, but they can also wreak havoc on roofing structures if they go unchecked. Any tree branch hanging too close to or directly above your roof should be trimmed. Why? When leaves fall and collect on the roof, they rot and weaken your tiles. If this remains unchecked over time, it spells doom and damage to your entire roofing structure.

Clear Debris from Gutters

Clogged gutters are detrimental to roofing structures. They can cause drainage issues, and the water can damage the roof and the support beams. You can imagine the kind of problems that will cause: the expensive kind. Clean your gutters by removing all kinds of debris – twigs, sticks, leaves, bugs, etc. – twice per year in the late fall and early spring. 

Inspect for Corrosion/Rust

Roofing containing metallic parts should be checked regularly for corrosion/rust. If you observe rusting or corrosion on your roofing, you can use a wire brush to remove the rust or call a roofing specialist to fix this issue.

Check Your Chimney

Any cracked or missing mortar on or in your chimney needs to be replaced without delay. Since the mortar holds the chimney bricks in one piece, any damage to it should be fixed on the spot. Remember: should any brick fall out, it could cause serious damage to your roof that would be quite costly to fix. 

Finally, it’s good to have your roof installed properly, adequately insulated and well ventilated. This will prevent the buildup of moisture that can damage and hamper the longevity of your roof.

Roofing your commercial building involves lots of challenges that can take your time, money, and other resources. However, you can make things easier for yourself by choosing a good commercial roofing contractor that understands the rudiments of roofing your building.

Considering the importance of a good commercial roofing contractor to your building, here are the things you need to do to choose the right professional.

• Look for recommendations

To ensure that you put your commercial roofing needs in the hands of a trusted and reliable contractor, start your search by looking for recommendations. You can ask your family members, friends, or even colleagues about any good contractor they hired recently. Any recommended commercial roofing contractor can be easily trusted to do a good job.

• Make your search local

Without a doubt, there are lots of experienced and well-versed commercial roofing contractors in the country. However, many of them may not be within your reach due to their geographical locations. Therefore, you should localize your search. In other words, search for roofing contractors that are based in your city or even neighborhood. This applies whether you are searching for a contractor online or getting recommendations from a trusted person.

• Check the roofer’s license and permits

In most places, a roofer is required to have permits and licenses before roofing any commercial building. Therefore, you should not shy away from checking out the license and permits of every contractor before doing any business with them.

• Ask for references

Regardless of how you have come across a commercial roofing contractor, you shouldn’t judge their competence until you have checked their previous works. Therefore, ask for references to the previous works they did. A good and trustworthy contractor will give you references of people you can get in touch with to learn more about the quality of their services. After getting the references, don’t hesitate to ask the previous customers about their experience with the contractor.

• Check online testimonials and reviews

References from a contractor can be doctored to portray the contractor as being good. However, reviews and testimonials on independent review platforms can be difficult to manipulate. So, you should take the time to look up the online testimonials and reviews of the contractor to get a clear idea of the kind of services that they can deliver. Google reviews and BBB are just a few of the best platforms to get reviews from different customers.

• Choose a contractor that provides extended warranties

Roofing a commercial building can be quite expensive. Therefore, you should not take risks by hiring a contractor that does not provide extended warranties that can cover the replacement or repair of your roof for a long while. Generally, the extended warranty should be for about 20 to 25 years.

With the tips above, you should be able to make a good choice when selecting the right commercial roofing contractor for your building. Remember that you need to cooperate with the roofer to get the best results for the roofing project.

Windows and doors replacement can seem like an extensive renovation project that is both time-consuming and expensive. But did you know that if you don’t replace those key elements when they get damaged, you risk compromising your home’s security and comfort? Well, our expert windows and doors contractors encourage you to think about this as a long-term investment. It can raise the curb appeal of your property, increasing its value and comfort. Read this article to discover how to tell it’s time to replace windows!

Do a draft test

The first thing you can do to discover whether it’s time to consider window replacement in the draft test. It is a simple method every homeowner can perform with little to no hassle. You’ll need a candle or a lighter, which you’ll have to move slowly around the edges of your window. If the flame flickers, chances are your windows don’t insulate your home correctly. Keep in mind that drafts can occur due to poor installation and hardware issues. So, requesting a professional assessment from a windows and doors contractor is more than necessary!

Check the exterior of your window.

Inspecting the caulking on the exterior can reveal valuable insights concerning the status of your windows. A broken seal can lead to heat loss and high energy bills. So, if you notice something off about energy consumption in your home, check the outer area around your windows. The caulking should run continuously all around the perimeter of your window. It is the first item that deteriorates when it comes to windows, and you might need a replacement for it. Still, if your windows show additional signs of damage, an experienced windows expert will suggest opting for installing new windows.

Check the status of the frames.

After inspecting the caulking, you should observe your window frames’ status both from the interior and the exterior. Temperature and weather fluctuations can take a toll on frames, making them inefficient in insulating your home. So, if window frames have noticeable damage, it might be time for you to replace them. Opting for a repair won’t do wonders, and it can even pose a safety risk for your family.

Assess the status of the glass

Many homeowners overlook the importance of the glass. But in case you didn’t know already, a telltale sign it’s time to replace windows is whether the glass is see-through. In time, it can lose its quality and get faded. As such, you’ll quickly notice there is hardly any natural light entering your home.

Final word

Every homeowner should think seriously about the importance of windows in any home. And, of course, when it’s time to replace those, opting for windows and doors replacement done by a professional is a must. Replacing both windows and doors can save you a lot of trouble, including water damage. So, make sure you perform regular maintenance and replace those key elements in your home as soon as you notice any damage.

Apart from being a part of the home facade, windows and doors serve functional purposes to keep the house safe and protected from the harsh weather. However, except they are in bad shape, many homeowners do not care for their windows and doors. Meanwhile, this article aims to show you the signs that you need to replace your windows to avoid exposing your home to hazards and retain your home’s exterior aesthetics. Here are the signs to look out for.

1. High Energy Bills

Windows and doors contribute immensely to the energy efficiency of a home in addition to the home’s insulation. However, one of the signs that you need to replace your window is that your energy bills will skyrocket. This is because the windows and doors have become so worn down that they let the cold or warm air outdoor filter into the house, making the HVAC work aggressively to maintain the temperature indoors. As a result, the HVAC uses mute energy than necessary, causing the energy bills to increase.

2. Difficult Window Operation

One of the signs that you need to replace your window is that it becomes too difficult to operate. To identify affected windows and doors, walk around the house and open and close each window to check how smoothly they open and close. Do not exert force to open or close your windows and doors. Those that are too difficult to operate need to be replaced as soon as possible.

3. Physical Damage

Check the physical condition of your windows and doors to see if they are in top shape. Decaying frames, warped windows, and doors, leaky windows, damaged mechanisms, etc. indicate that you should replace your windows and doors very soon to improve the level of comfort in the house.

4. Condensation

If you notice fog build up on your windows, especially between window panes, you unavoidably need to replace your windows. Condensation is an indication of compromised windows – they have lost their energy efficiency and should be replaced.

5. High Noise Level

One of the functions of windows and doors is to reduce the level of noise outdoor. However, if you now get disturbed by passing vehicles, the chances are high that your windows and doors have lost their soundproofing qualities, leaving your home to be disturbed by outdoor noise. Replacing your windows and doors will make your home quieter and peaceful.

Takeaway

The above are signs that you need to replace your window. Do not delay to ask a professional installer to install replacement windows and doors for you after noticing the signs above. You deserve to have peace and comfort in your home.

Landscape lighting is important in varying degrees, hence the upsurge of lightings in many houses in the country. If you want to join the trend, then you must do it right. Below are 3 tips on how to use lighting on your landscape. 

1. Conclude the purpose of your landscape lighting

Before you illuminate you outdoors, ask yourself why you want it. Numerous reasons exist for why homeowners install landscape lighting and these reasons determine what type of lighting they use. If you’re concerned only about security, then using bright lighting would be appropriate. You should prioritize motion-sensing flood Lights that are powered by a 120-volt current. You can get fancy but not too fancy. You want lighting that would easily spot out an intruder or burglar. Also, security lighting should be placed in high places to brighten larger areas of your landscape. 

On the other hand, you can be flexible with Aesthetic lighting. Softer lights with varying colors can be used to evoke specific tastes. 

2. Plan the layout

After you must have concluded on the purpose of your landscape lighting, it is time to plan the landscape layout. At this stage, you could draw a sketch and highlight the important and vital areas or focal points that need lighting. For example, if your lighting is for accessibility, you could plan your layout around the pathways and deck. Lighting in these areas provides illumination for walks. 

3. Installing your lighting

A good plan can be ruined by the wrong installation. Hence, the need to install right. Make sure the lighting is facing the right directions and not disturbing your eyes or bothering your neighbors. Therefore, do not use bright lights in areas that are not needed. For example, avoid dimensional bright lighting on your fences and pathways. If you’re being security conscious, then use casings for your light bulbs.

Also, you do not want to pay just too much for your light bills. To make sure you don’t, patronize energy-efficient lighting. An example is the motion-sensing lights which only light up when someone is around. With this, you never have to worry about switches or forgetting to turn off your landscape lighting during the day. 

Whatever you choose to do with your landscape, make sure you follow health and safety guidelines. Misplaced wires could harm someone unfamiliar with your landscape layout. So, make sure you in all your planning, keep your safety and that of others in mind.