At A Real Advantage Construction, one of our great services we provide is that of siding installation and repair. We always provide the highest quality of workmanship, yet at some really great, unbeatable rates. We know you may be wondering what the best siding is for your home and we would like to take a minute or two to give you some advice. There are literally so many options when it comes to siding, so we thought we’d focus right now on two different types, vinyl and aluminum.
Vinyl siding is a plastic material that ranges in thickness from .040 – .046 inches and is typically more durable than aluminum. During the winter time, it can become slightly brittle. It also expands and contracts in greater fluctuation than aluminum siding. It’s color is solid all the way through. There is no top coat of color. This means that if it is scratched, the color won’t change.
Aluminum siding is a formed material and is typically .019 inches thick. It has a baked on enamel paint finish. Thus, if it becomes scratched, the paint will become removed and the bare metal below will be revealed. Aluminum siding does however take paint better than vinyl. Unlike vinyl siding’s tendency to become brittle in the winter, aluminum siding maintains the same properties year round despite the temperature.
It seems that aluminum siding has lost tremendous market share since the release of vinyl siding. Some statistics report that almost 80 percent of all sidings installed are vinyl. Whichever you choose, we are sure it will be a good choice. We hope these tips help!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
How to Care for Your Vinyl Siding
Unlike wood siding, vinyl siding may not rot or wear in the same way, however it can still crack or puncture, so it is important that you care for it properly. Here are a few of our tips on how to keep it looking great:
- Make sure to trim back any trees or shrubbery that come close to your house. They can easily mar the siding, leaving marks that are difficult to get rid of.
- Although heavy winds from hurricanes are uncommon in the New York area, you still should make sure your vinyl siding is securely attached, as it can easily be pulled off in the case of a strong windstorm.
- To keep the siding looking great, make sure to clean it once a year or so, using a hose, sponge and a mild detergent, like laundry soap of TSP. You may need a brush, like a car-wash brush, or a pressure washer to get all the grit off, especially if you live in an area that gets a lot of pollution from exhaust and smog. If you do use a pressure washer, please be sure to cover any plants nearby with a tarp!
- One thing to keep in mind about vinyl siding color, is that it permeates the entire material. It is not a surface coat. If you want to paint the siding to change the color, make sure to apply two coats of 100% acrylic latex paint. You will still need to re-paint it every so often to keep the color.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
How To Prevent Cracks in a Concrete Driveway
So you are thinking about having a new concrete driveway put in and you are concerned with finding the best methods to go about it so that you can prevent any cracks in the future. The first thing you should know is that concrete work done by a seasoned professional is the best way to ensure your concrete driveway will last for years. If you do so, your driveway should last for at least 30 years, sometimes even 50.
Cracks are to be expected in concrete. While it is a very strong substance, it can lose it’s strength if not applied properly. If the new concrete is poured over soft, uncompacted soil, your car or heavy delivery truck will bend and crack the concrete as it passes over the spot. For this reason, concrete needs to be poured on solid, compacted soils.
Professionals take care to install crisp, tooled lines in the slabs when installing the concrete. These lines act as pre-weakened stress points that encourage the concrete to crack only at these locations. The minimum depth of these lines should be 1/4 the thickness of the slab. These lines should also be spaced at intervals of 15 feet or less.
The thicker the concrete for your driveway, the better. A lot of professionals will recommend a 4 inch thickness to be suffice, however it is better to pay a little more for the 5 inch thickness, as it will pay off in the long run. Lastly, you must use reinforcing steel when installing a new concrete driveway. Steel will strengthen the concrete and hold the cracked slabs together. Without it, the cracks will continue to grow in size.
So, with the help of these few suggestions and a seasoned professional, your concrete driveway should last for 30 to 50 years.
Cracks are to be expected in concrete. While it is a very strong substance, it can lose it’s strength if not applied properly. If the new concrete is poured over soft, uncompacted soil, your car or heavy delivery truck will bend and crack the concrete as it passes over the spot. For this reason, concrete needs to be poured on solid, compacted soils.
Professionals take care to install crisp, tooled lines in the slabs when installing the concrete. These lines act as pre-weakened stress points that encourage the concrete to crack only at these locations. The minimum depth of these lines should be 1/4 the thickness of the slab. These lines should also be spaced at intervals of 15 feet or less.
The thicker the concrete for your driveway, the better. A lot of professionals will recommend a 4 inch thickness to be suffice, however it is better to pay a little more for the 5 inch thickness, as it will pay off in the long run. Lastly, you must use reinforcing steel when installing a new concrete driveway. Steel will strengthen the concrete and hold the cracked slabs together. Without it, the cracks will continue to grow in size.
So, with the help of these few suggestions and a seasoned professional, your concrete driveway should last for 30 to 50 years.
Friday, January 7, 2011
How to Know When to Consider Re-roofing Your Home
It may be time for you to install a new roof, but you’re not entirely sure. How do you know when it needs to be done? Here are some tidbits of great advice.
Spring is right around the corner and that means it’s an excellent time to inspect your roof for any damages. Start your inspection with a visual check from outside. Be on the lookout for any obvious damage first, such as missing shingles, cracked tiles, or warped or gapping wood shakes. Follow the roof line with your eyes. It should look perfectly horizontal. If instead, you notice a sag, it is possible there may be a structural problem created by a prolonged roof leak. If you do see a sag, you should consult a roofing repair professional immediately.
If you have an asphalt roof, look for thin, weather-worn shingles. If these shingles are brittle, it is possible that they have lost their protective inner oils, and a re-roof might be necessary. Over time, traditional wood shakes and shingles can warp, split, thin and be torn off, leaving the roof structure exposed to the elements. If you only notice a few spots that need work, a quick and simple roof repair may be in order.
To be thorough, roof inspection also needs to occur inside the house. Look for dark water stains on the ceilings of the attic or top floor of your home. If you notice anything, contact a professional for a complete consultation. We hope these few tips help! And if you notice anything suspicious, please contact our roofing professionals at A Real Advantage Construction right away.
Spring is right around the corner and that means it’s an excellent time to inspect your roof for any damages. Start your inspection with a visual check from outside. Be on the lookout for any obvious damage first, such as missing shingles, cracked tiles, or warped or gapping wood shakes. Follow the roof line with your eyes. It should look perfectly horizontal. If instead, you notice a sag, it is possible there may be a structural problem created by a prolonged roof leak. If you do see a sag, you should consult a roofing repair professional immediately.
If you have an asphalt roof, look for thin, weather-worn shingles. If these shingles are brittle, it is possible that they have lost their protective inner oils, and a re-roof might be necessary. Over time, traditional wood shakes and shingles can warp, split, thin and be torn off, leaving the roof structure exposed to the elements. If you only notice a few spots that need work, a quick and simple roof repair may be in order.
To be thorough, roof inspection also needs to occur inside the house. Look for dark water stains on the ceilings of the attic or top floor of your home. If you notice anything, contact a professional for a complete consultation. We hope these few tips help! And if you notice anything suspicious, please contact our roofing professionals at A Real Advantage Construction right away.
What is Concrete Made of?
At A Real Advantage Construction, we handle all kinds of concrete projects. From concrete construction of walkways and stoops to all types of masonry work, we guarantee excellent results every time. We thought we’d take a few minutes to talk about that most beautiful of all building mediums, concrete. What exactly is concrete made of?
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cement-like materials, such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate (generally a coarse aggregate made of gravels or crushed rocks such as limestone or granite, plus a fine aggregate such as sand), water and chemical admixtures. This fascinating material gets it’s name from the Latin word “concretus” (meaning compact or condensed).
So how does concrete work, you say? Well, concrete solidifies and hardens after mixing with water and placement due to a chemical process known as hydration. The water reacts with the cement, bonding the other components together, eventually creating a robust, stone-like material. This is how we get such beautiful concrete work done, like sidewalks, stoops and curbs.
In fact, concrete is used more than any other man-made material in the world. As of 2006, around 7.5 cubic kilometers of concrete are made each year, equaling more than one cubic meter for every person on Earth. For those of you who enjoy masonry work like us, this is pretty cool.
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cement-like materials, such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate (generally a coarse aggregate made of gravels or crushed rocks such as limestone or granite, plus a fine aggregate such as sand), water and chemical admixtures. This fascinating material gets it’s name from the Latin word “concretus” (meaning compact or condensed).
So how does concrete work, you say? Well, concrete solidifies and hardens after mixing with water and placement due to a chemical process known as hydration. The water reacts with the cement, bonding the other components together, eventually creating a robust, stone-like material. This is how we get such beautiful concrete work done, like sidewalks, stoops and curbs.
In fact, concrete is used more than any other man-made material in the world. As of 2006, around 7.5 cubic kilometers of concrete are made each year, equaling more than one cubic meter for every person on Earth. For those of you who enjoy masonry work like us, this is pretty cool.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Time to Start Thinking About New Gutter Installations
Yes we know. It is still the middle of the winter and on the East Coast, the only thing that is currently coming to mind, is frozen pipes. But it may be time to start planning for the rainy spring because it will be here before you know it. And you know what rain means right? Clean out those gutters. But for those of you who may need some gutter repairs done or simply just to install new gutters in general, it’s best to plan ahead.So, why would you consider getting new gutters or repairing the ones you already have? Because an excess in uncontrolled water can cause significant damage to your home’s walls or foundation. Gutters are an important aspect to any home and while they may not be the most fun things to install and then clean out, they must be used. It’s best not to wait till the last minute to get new gutters or to repair the ones you’ve already got. This may be a very stormy spring season and most companies will be very busy by the time the snow melts away and the rain starts falling. A Real Advantage Construction offers gutter repair and new gutter installations in the New York area. We promise that if you call us for help, we will not only repair or install your gutters, we will also give you tons of tips on how to keep the rain from damaging your home.
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