Selecting a Remodeling Contractor – Hedge Your Bets
Get your search for a remodeling contractor off to a fast, reliable start with a detailed planning guide.
Whether you’ve planned for changes or they come as a result of unforeseen events, selecting a remodeling contractor for your Madison WI home is a major decision. Contractors bring many skills to the table and when you’re in the market for a home renovation you want a professional you can count on. Before your remodeling or repair project is completed you’re likely to have holes in the walls or roof – or have pieces missing on purpose or as the result of the weather. In each case, you want to be sure the remodeling contractor you hire will be around the complete the task. And that company do it right and stand behind it every step today and into the future. Continue reading
Roofing Materials Add Color, Style and Function
“Basic Black” now comes in many colors, shades and shapes so a new roof can make stylish statement while protecting your greatest investment at the same time.
Shingles aren’t just black, brown or gray any more as roofing materials keep pace with design trends and technology. In 2018 your Madison WI home can have a trendy new roof to compliment your overall style and color scheme.
The basics for a residential roof have changed, too. There are more choices when it comes to what covers your home. Each option comes with its good points. The choice of roofing materials includes:
- Asphalt shingles – Still the most common choice for replacements or a new roof. Top-end choices come with long-term warranties and will last decades.
- Shakes and Wood Shingles – This is the choice for a rustic look but they require much more skill to install.
- Composite Tiles/Shingle – If clay tiles fit your home’s architecture composites are easier to work with and better suited to some areas that real clay tile.
- Slate – A true slate roof is special, and expensive. It fits only a few architectural motifs.
- Metal – A roofing material that’s making strides in Wisconsin because it stands up to snow and ice but has yet to become popular for residential buildings.
Efficient Attic Ventilation Protects Roof, Reduces Energy Costs
Clues to potential roof problems – both inside and out – may show up as minor changes like these loose shingles, or major damage from ice or heavy snow.
For insulation to do its job and attic has to have free-flowing air, making attic ventilation a critical element in the efficient use of energy. After protecting your family home in Madison WI through the harsh temperatures of winter, it’s time to offer the same protection against the baking heat of the summer sun. Efficient attic ventilation will keep your cooling costs down and reduce the risk of costly roof repairs.
Attic Ventilation Saves Energy and Money
“Up in the attic” is the one place, especially in older homes, where there is an opportunity to make improvements to save on energy cost. And, cost savings are attained in several ways, not by adding insulation alone. Maintaining an even air flow all year long is the key to insulation doing its job. Keeping the attic cold in winter and cool in summer reduces the threat of ice dams, condensation and overheating roofing materials from the inside. Continue reading
Rain Gutters Need Springtime Attention
The weight of ice and snow can cause structural damage to a roof as well as gutters if downspouts are clogged. Fasteners pull away from the structure, metal gutters sag, crack and leak and the roof is needs repair.
Rain gutters are often overlooked and under-appreciated. Broken, loose and leaking gutters and downspouts are not only unattractive they represent a risk to the roof of your Madison WI home. To avoid costly repairs, roof maintenance inspections including gutters should be a regular springtime task.
Check Rain Gutters for Winter Stress
Most people consider maintenance for rain gutters to be a fall or early winter concern – removing fallen leaves and debris. That is a critical element in good roof maintenance. Checking again in the spring for damage from ice, snow and winter stress is also critical.
A springtime checklist includes surveying the whole roof: Continue reading
Siding Replacement Choices Add Curb Appeal – Protection
Today’s siding options include more colors, shapes and textures than ever before. Siding replacement can create a new home on the block.
“Curb appeal” is the goal of homeowners and nothing boosts that image faster than siding replacement. Changing a home’s siding not only increases its attraction to passersby, it increases its energy efficiency and overall value. There are many siding options available in Madison WI and the surrounding area.
Siding protects a home from all the harshest elements and in doing so often takes a beating. Finding a siding replacement is a common challenge, especially after decades of exposure to sun, wind, rain, snow and ice.
There are several siding options seen most often in Madison WI, each with its own advantages. Some perform better in the Wisconsin climate than others while some offer more variety in architectural style, color and resale value. Continue reading
Timely Roof Inspection Helps Avoid Costly Roof Repair
Icicles are indicators of extra stress on gutters and a heavy buildup leads to ice dams and potentially serious roof repair.
Snow and ice, freezing and thawing apply pressure to every roof in Madison WI and the surrounding area. Left unchecked, these whims of nature can lead to costly roof repair. A timely roof inspection can catch a potential problem while fixing it is easier and cheaper.
The buildup of heavy ice on gutters is an obvious problem that gets plenty of attention. As is a heavy load of snow, especially on flat roofs. But there are less obvious, but equally serious concerns:
• Condensation — When warm air from under the roof meets a cold surface, there’s condensation. A poorly insulated attic promotes condensation which can lead to mold, mildew and damage to the interior structures and underside of the roof. A roof inspection can catch roof vents that are blocked by snow or ice dams. Continue reading
Roof Insulation and Attic Ventilation Protect Roofing and Enhance Indoor Comfort
When it’s time to evaluate your home’s roof insulation and attic ventilation, it’s time to tap the skills of a Sims professional.
Roof insulation and attic ventilation work in tandem to protect the roof and the home from extremes of heat and cold. The heat of a Madison WI summer can literally bake shingles from the inside out. Free air flow is critical in allowing radiant heat from inside melt snow that can cause ice dams and similar problems. Each element, structural insulation and roof ventilation, provide positive benefits on their own and each contributes to improving energy efficiency and protecting the roof from premature wear. Continue reading
Schedule Roof Repair and Window Replacements After Fall Inspections
Correct small issues before winter comes
Winter’s extremes are guaranteed to stress roofs and windows in Madison WI. Before the weather gets worse, an autumn inspection will highlight the need of roof repair and window replacements. Reliable shingles and weather-tight windows protect your home from the elements and put a dent in your annual energy bills, too. Continue reading
Roof Insulation Plus Attic Ventilation Extends Roof Life
The reliable, even flow of air through insulation is critical to a comfortable, efficient home.
Proper roof insulation plus sufficient attic ventilation is the formula to extend the life of your roof and avoid a costly roof repair. Adequate attic insulation and ventilation work together to lessen the impact of the extreme heat and cold characteristic of Madison WI.
The primary job of your roof is to protect what’s beneath it. The job of the roof insulation and ventilation is to help protect the roof. Consistent airflow through the house is critical to keep the summer heat from “cooking” shingles from the inside and keep radiant heat from melting winter snow – reducing the risk of ice dams. Continue reading
Wintertime Window Replacement In Madison WI
Window replacement can be done year round except in the most extreme cold conditions in Madison WI
Window replacement in wintertime is often thought to be taboo by homeowners.
In reality, replacement windows can be installed at nearly anytime during the year. The windows will perform effectively and efficiently in all but the most extreme circumstances. In fact, it is more likely the installation crew will be held back so as not to be exposed to extremely cold weather.
When Needed Window Replacement Becomes More Noticeable
Winter is a time you can more often notice your old windows are failing. You can feel drafts, notice heat loss and the harsh conditions highlight signs of aging or rot.
If you notice problems with drafty windows or feel you are paying too much for the heat in your home to let it escape through your windows, don’t wait to get replacement windows. Continue reading
When Hail Damage Leads To A Roof Replacement
Bruising and mat breakage sometimes occur simultaneously
Hail damage extensive enough to require a roof replacement can happen in a blink of an eye. And, it can happen on one side of the street and not the other.
The most pressing question most homeowners have after a hail storm is ‘‘How do tell if I have hail damage on my roof?”.
Our answer is simple – we have to inspect your roof. Just as importantly, you have to have your insurance company claims adjuster inspect the roof too. After all, the insurance company wants to be sure there is legitimate hail damage before paying off insurance claim. Below are guidelines to help you assess if you may have hail damage and need a roof replacement. Continue reading
Siding Contractors Hall Of Shame – Installation Without Proper Prep & Skill
Siding Contractors will be looking for leaks when they see discolored paint on walls or ceilings in Madison WI
Experienced siding contractors know the protection for your home should be more than skin deep.
Your siding protects against the elements and if it’s doing its job, makes your home look great and gives it appeal. However, professional siding contractors know to protect your home as completely as possible from moisture and pests, more than siding has to be in place.
Under your home’s siding should be Tyvek type wrap or covering. If it isn’t installed over wood in exterior walls, it makes them more susceptible to water, which can cause rotting, leaking and large amounts of property damage. Do not hesitate to ask the siding contractors you are dealing with about this. Continue reading
Know When To Replace Your Roofing – Just Look
Stains on interior ceilings and walls or mold and mildew growth are often caused by inadequate or faulty shingle underlayment allowing leakage or inadequate ventilation
Traditionally, a good roof, depending on type of shingles and the craftsmanship in the installation, lasted between twenty to forty years. Now your roof can last a lifetime with the new style GAF shingles.
But the roof most homeowners have on their homes has a much shorter lifetime. Environmental issues can have a significant affect on the performance and longevity of existing roofs. Weather issues in Madison WI such as hail, heavy winters with ‘melt & freeze’ cycles, larger trees surrounding your home or unknown issues with the manufacturer of your shingles can all play a role in diminishing shingle function or shortening shingle life. Continue reading
Roofing Contractor Mistakes To Avoid
Secure a Lifetime Warranty with an installation by a GAF Master Elite roofing contractor
Roofing can last a lifetime. A good roof has the proper type of shingles, superior craftsmanship and correct and complete installation.
It’s possible to get shingles to last the life of your home if they are installed as part of a well-designed roofing system. In climates such as we have in Madison, WI, the system must be designed for weather issues such as hail, heavy winters with ‘melt & freeze’ cycles and even larger trees surrounding a home and so on. These are conditions to be considered if you really expect to protect your home. A complete roofing system for your roof is the best way to battle the elements. Continue reading
New Windows Madison WI – Preventing Condensation
Windows can be a key indicator of how much humidity is inside your Madison WI home.
The new technology gained with window replacement can reduce energy costs and stop condensation
Condensation on windows occurs when water vapor, which is a gas, turns into water droplets as it comes into contact with a cold surface. The point at which this happens is called the “dew point”. The warmer the indoor air, the more water vapor it can “hold,” and moisture can better remain in the vapor state. When air moves next to a cold window, the temperature drops and it can’t “hold” as much vapor. That’s when you start to see fogging or condensation forming.
The problem is, over time, excessive condensation on windows will lead to stained woodwork and possibly damaged plaster or wall paper. The reason it is important to be aware of condensation on your windows is it shows excess moisture may be in your home. In addition to condensation on your window, excess moisture may also be freezing in the insulation in your attic where in warmer weather it can melt and damage plaster. Too much moisture in your home can even force its way out of your house through siding causing blisters to exterior paint. Continue reading
