Your gutters can take a lot. They deal with heavy rains, feet of snow, strong winds, and all types of debris coming from all directions. One thing they cannot take, however, is a pressure washer. Some homeowners attempt to wash out their clogged gutters with...
While the majority of Americans have been sheltering at home for the past few seasons, many industries have been blighted by the change. Restaurants, bars, and live music venues have struggled to keep from going under. But what about siding work? What has happened to...
In Tim Carter’s recent column in the Seattle Times, he receives a question about gutters. A reader asks about the necessity of gutters and downspouts regarding a metal-roofed barn. Carter, an expert in home improvement and home maintenance, proceeds to talk about his childhood in...
Siding is such a commonplace part of our lives now that it difficult to imagine a time without it. How long has siding been applied to homes? And where did it come from? The first vinyl siding was developed in the great state of Ohio....
We were delighted to see a story in the October 2020 news about a home getting remodeled in New Orleans. Unlike most renovation jobs, however, this one was being done entirely by volunteers. Peggy Williams, a longtime New Orleans homeowner, needed work on her Big...
As with every part of your home, your roof has a limited life span. No matter how well you maintain your roof, with annual inspections and adjustments, your roof takes a beating throughout the year. The weather conditions wear your roof down. In general terms,...
Companies that work on exteriors often handle many different kinds of work – that is how our company operates here in Cincinnati. We install and repair home siding, work on roofs and chimneys (and install new ones), and renovate and replace gutter systems. All of...
New Windows Save You Money on Your Heating and Cooling Bills You might not realize how much money energy-efficient new windows can save you on energy bills. Indoor air that you have warmed or cooled to the perfect temperature can leak out around old windows,...
Here in the great Midwest, we work with vinyl siding more than any other material. It is ideal for wrapping our homes through chilling snowstorms and sun-scorching heatwaves alike. The advantages of vinyl siding are manifold. Prices have decreased for vinyl siding as production techniques...
In some cases, homeowners use their homeowners insurance to pay for their new roof, especially if it was damaged by a storm or a fire. If your roof is simply getting old and worn out, however, insurance will not cover it. How else do people finance the replacement of their home’s roof? Some opt for a Title I loan from the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). Since the government insures these loans, they are very low-risk for lenders. For a single-family home, you usually have up to 20 years to pay off the loan, and you can borrow up to $25,000. Larger loans require using your mortgage to secure the loan, however. If you have built up equity in your property, it may be more cost-effective to take out a home equity loan. On these loans, you use the equity in your home as the collateral. Homeowners can usually borrow up to 85% of their homes’ equity in such a loan.