ERS Roofing, Siding and Trim & Gutter Tips
Signs It's Time to Repair Your Siding
Your house may be gorgeous on the inside, but if you don't keep your siding in good repair, who will ever look past your front door? To keep your house from becoming a source of embarrassment instead of a cause for pride, be on the lookout for signs that your siding needs to be repaired or replaced. These signs differ depending on what material is used, so be sure that you know what your siding consists of.
General Guidelines
This advice applies to every home, regardless of the kind of siding used. A structure is always weakest at the joints, so siding is most likely to be water-damaged near doors, windows, and corner moldings. Routinely check these areas for cracked and peeling caulk.
Wood Siding
The most common problem with wood siding is an aging paint job: Painting should be redone at least once every five years. Wood has a tendency to crack, warp, or rot through, so regularly inspect your siding for any signs of damage.
Aluminum Siding
Not surprisingly, the most frequent issue with aluminum siding is denting. But if a piece comes loose, you'll want to get it replaced immediately: Aluminum makes an awful racket when it's stirred by even the gentlest of breezes.
Vinyl Siding
Vinyl siding stands up well over time, but it is not impervious to an errant basketball during a neighborhood pickup game. The good news is that when your vinyl siding needs to be repaired, you'll know it, because you'll see it immediately. The bad news is that vinyl siding is more likely to break during cold weather, so you need to be more than usually vigilant during the winter and be on the lookout for storm and hail damage.
Fiber-Cement
Like vinyl siding, fiber-cement siding usually takes damage through obvious, immediate causes (like a stray baseball). But like wood siding, it also needs to be periodically repainted—although fiber-cement siding can go a full decade between touch-ups.
Stucco
Stucco suffers from many of the same afflictions as wood siding: It cracks and will eventually need to be repainted. Watch for fading or for any lines that are more deep than artistic.
If it's time for your siding to be repaired or replaced, then talk to the Exterior Renovation Specialists. We can assist you not only with your siding, but also with your roofing, trim, and gutter repair needs. If an exterior renovation is needed, then we're ready for the job—and we're especially good with storm and hail damage, too. Contact us today for a free estimate.
What Makes a Roof Safe?
As this informative video demonstrates, not all roofs are created equal. A so-called hip roof—that is, one that is composed of many different slopes—is able to withstand serious windstorms. A gable roof, on the other hand, isn't nearly as sturdy, which is unfortunate, because "gable roof" is just a fancy name for a roof with two sides that come to a point in the middle like a giant letter "A." And that's exactly the kind of roof the vast majority of buildings have!
Fortunately, there are things that you can do to reinforce a gable roof, and although the narrator explains them in a calm voice, they aren't exactly the sorts of repairs homeowners are qualified to undertake by themselves. So, if you have a gable roof that needs exterior renovations after storm and hail damage (or preferably before it), then you should get in contact with the Exterior Renovation Specialists. Contact us today for a free estimate.
Dealing with Snow and Ice Damage on Your Roof
Every region of the country has its own weather-related cross to bear. In much of the South, children are taught from an early age how to properly board up windows and drag anything that weighs under a ton inside the garage when a hurricane approaches. In Tornado Alley, the Tornado Siren is no joke, and taking shelter inside the family cellar isn't something you only witness while re-watching The Wizard of Oz. Here in Minnesota, snow is our burden—or rather, our roof's burden. Heavy accumulations of snow can mean a serious strain on your roof, and a damaged roof is no joke during the frigid winter months. Be leery of the following winter-weather problems:
Snow Accumulation
The biggest threat that snow poses to your roof may be a simple issue of weight. Even if you don't receive any one large snowfall, allowing multiple storms' worth of snow to collect on your roof can create enough strain to make your roof cave in—destroying the rest of your house in the process. Clearing your walkway may be all you feel up to after it snows, but in order to avoid serious storm and hail damage, it's vitally important that you keep your roofing clear, too.
Ice Dams
If you don't keep your roof clear, then you're almost certain to develop ice dams. Ice dams are rims of ice that form on your roof when snow melts and then refreezes. Why are they such a big problem? Well, when more snow melts, that water is trapped between the snow behind it and the ice in front of it, and this water has nowhere to go but down into your roof—and from there, your house. Suddenly, you've sprung a leak. Right in the middle of winter!
Ice dams are thoroughly preventable and treatable, though, if you take the following measures:
- Force yourself to get up there and sweep the snow off as soon as it lands. Be careful not to damage your shingles, though.
- Invest in more insulation. Part of what causes ice dams to form in the first place are the warm patches in the roofing created by a poorly-insulated house.
- If an ice dam has already formed, then wait until a relatively warm day and then melt holes through the dam using hot water. This will relieve some of the pressure, but it's only a temporary situation: When the temperature drops again, the ice dam will refreeze.
Frankly, though, maintaining your roof throughout the winter may be too much for the ordinary householder. In addition to requiring a lot of strenuous physical labor, it's dangerous to climb up on an icy roof, and you may hurt yourself or damage your roofing through improper cleaning techniques. Instead of risking your own safety and causing possible damage to your home, rely on the Exterior Renovation Specialists for all your roofing and storm and hail damage needs.
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