Roofing Repair Advice

Got a leak in your roof? Let's talk about what you should do.

Many overhead leaks are from minor issues that can usually be fixed with a little work. Small things such as a torn shingle or a tiny hole in the flashing can cause a leak. Sometimes it is a larger problem though, and for that you should consult a roofing professional. Here is when you should take the time to call a professional.

- When there are multiple leaks.
- When the leak is spreading across framing member or along walls and you cannot trace where the source is.
- When the repair you made is not holding.
- When the leak entails significant damage.
- When the repair of the roofing surface is beyond your abilities.

Ok, so what about if it's just a small damage to your roof that is causing the leak? What should you do?
Well, if it's a damaged shingle gather a tube of roofing cement and a piece of aluminum flashing. Cut the flashing about 1 inch narrower than the ripped tab and about 4 inches longer so that it extends under the tabs on either side. Carefully loosen the damaged tab and the tabs to the left and right using a flat pry bar. Now, apply two or three thick globs of roofing cement beneath the shingle. Put the flashing underneath and apply more roofing cement on top of the flashing. Next, press down the tab to adhere the flashing to the roof.

Gutter Protection Devices

Cleaning out your gutters can be a lengthy and annoying process. At A Real Advantage Construction, we can help you with this and complete the process for you. There are a few things you can do, however, that will make this process occur a lot less often. Gutters need to be sheltered from leaves and other debris that can clog them up and prevent them from draining correctly. Here are a few options for gutter protection that you should invest in.

Solid covers - They work well. A solid gutter cover fits inside the gutter itself, allowing only water to flow into the gutter from the sides. Leaves and other types of debris will not be able to enter the gutter and will fall off the sides of it. We really recommend this type of protection.

Mesh or Screen covers - These covers are caulked inside of the gutter. Anything small enough to fit through the mesh will fall through into the gutter. This should keep leaves and large debris out. This is probably one of the most cost-efficient ways to protect your gutter.

Gutter filters - Similar to foam, this type of protections allows only water to enter the gutter while leaves and debris flow over the top or blow away once dried. They are installed directly on top of the gutter.

Shingle Gutter Guards - There are two types:
1. Beneath-shingle gutter guards - These handy little additions are installed right underneath your home's shingles. They are a little more expensive than the previous two options, but they are very durable. There is a little maintenance involved with them, but other than that, they are very effective at keeping debris and leaves out of your gutters.

2. Shingle guards that attach to the top of the shingle - These lay flat on top of the gutter and shingle. They can either be hinged or locked on so that they do not shift. They are probably the most difficult to install out of all the options, but they are very effective and make clean up very easy. You just flip the cover open and clean out the gutter when necessary.

So that's it, a little installation and gutter cleaning is now a lot easier for you!

Quick Fixes For Damages to a Roof

Storms can wreak a lot of havoc on a home. Especially to one’s roof. Sometimes so much so, that a significant roof repair is required. But what do you do if something happens to your roof and a repairman can’t work on it in the middle of the storm? You very well can’t let rainwater pour into your exposed house. You should do some emergency patchwork if you can, at least to hold it over until some professional work can be done. Here’s what to do:

The thing to realize about roof repairs in the wake of a storm is that they don’t have to be pretty or permanent. They just have to work long enough to secure your home until a professional repairman can come.

For a small hole – Tuck a piece of aluminum flashing under the nearest intact shingle above the damage. Use one or two nails to keep the aluminum flashing in place. This is a quick fix though so don’t wait too long to repair it with a real shingle. This should only be used to hold your roof over until the storm breaks and you can get it professionally repaired.

For any larger damage – If the storms are bad and you’ve got to cover up a large area quick, drape a tarp over the ridge and fasten every grommet to the roof sheathing with a 2 inch screw and 1.5 inch fender washer. If you have a tile roof that can’t be screwed into, fasten the edges of the tarp to the roof’s rakes and eaves. This should keep rain out temporarily.

For longer-term patching: Although you really need to get a professional roof repairman there immediately after the storm, if you can’t then here’s how to tarp for longer periods of time. First, cover the hole with 5/8 inch exterior grade plywood and fasten to the undamaged areas with 2 inch deck screws. This should prevent water from pooling up on the tarp. Now, pull the tarp so one edge goes over the roof peak and a few feet down the other side. Secure the tarp’s edges with 1x3 strapping and screw to the roof sheathing or fasten to the roof’s rakes and eaves. This should hold intact, until you can get a repairman out.

Asbestos - Be In The Know

Many of us have heard of it and know its dangers. It’s not in all homes, but it is in quite a few and there is no specific geographic region that it is isolated to. You need to know the facts about asbestos and be prepared. Keeping your home and your family safe from asbestos poisoning is all about prevention and early recognition. Here is what you need to know.

Used extensively in home construction from the early 1940s through the 1970s, asbestos is a highly-effective and inexpensive fire-retardant material and thermal and acoustic insulator. It is no longer used, because we know now that prolonged exposure to its fibers can lead to lung disease and cause cancer. If your home was built prior to 1975, listen up to some of the places it may have been used in your home:

• thermal insulation on basement boilers and pipes
• blown-in attic insulation
• vinyl floor tilesglue that attaches floor tiles to concrete or wood
• some forms of linoleum
• window caulking
• roofing material (usually on flat roofs but occasionally on shingles)
• HVAC duct insulation
• siding material
• plaster
• fiber cement siding
• corrugated heavy duty 8’x4’ panels
• some forms of paint

Having asbestos in your home is not dangerous unless it is tampered with or damaged, which would then release fibers into the air. You need to check periodically for any tears, abrasions or water damage in your home. If you detect damage anywhere, limit access to that part of your home and seek a home improvement professional’s help.

Home Improvement Tools Go Mobile

“There’s an app for that.” Words that now have become well known throughout the somewhat tech-savvy world. For those of us in the home improvement industry though, it’s not so much something we’re in the know about. But after talking with some of my younger relatives, I have come to discover that this whole smartphone, app-thing might be breeching into areas other than just games and music. I did a search for home improvement iPhone apps the other day and came across the most interesting article. Check this out:

So there are now apparently a few iPhone applications that you can download that help you with your home improvement projects. Now I don’t know if you’ll ever get me to go over to the tech-centric dark side, but I found these interesting to point out to my readers.

Sherwin Williams has a “ColorSnap” app that may come of some use to some of you out there. It allows you to take a photo of anything you may come across and then it finds an exact paint color match for you. You can also take that color and create an entire custom color palette from it. I think it even shows you a map of the closest Sherwin Williams providers to you.

Now this next app, just about knocked me onto the floor in a ball of what could either be explained as laughter or utter confusion. The “Real Tools” app has 18 different tools that you might find in a tool set. But how could a cell phone take the place of a hammer you say? Well, fear not, there is no hammer in the set. But there are things like a flashlight, a ruler, a various digital angle gauges, a virtual tape measure and a level. Now I’m just as stumped as the rest of you as to how these actually might be feasible, but testers have claimed each work accurately. Weird, huh?

There are a few more apps that you can get that have to do with home improvement, but I thought these were the most interesting. Each cost no more than $2.00. As a home improvement contractor myself, I think I’ll stick to the basics.

You can check out the apps I found in this article:
http://mashable.com/2010/07/06/iphone-apps-home-improvement/

How to Fix Cracks in Concrete

So your concrete walkway has cracks or pits in it and seems to be crumbling and you would like to fix it on your own. It can be somewhat easily done. The project should take about six to 10 hours and should only cost you around $30. With a little practice, you should be able to resurface your walkway in no time.

The technical term for the pits you see forming in concrete is called spalling. Spalling occurs when too much water is used in a concrete mix and weakens it. Here’s the deal. As long as the area you want to fix isn’t cracked all the way through, you can resurface it using a concrete resurfacer, which is basically a blend of Portland cement, sand and polymer additives. The blend should fill any pits or cracks and make a nice, clean finish. The natural color of it is a dark grey, so you will want to buy enough to cover the entire area. You can buy a 40 pound bag for about $22 and it should provide enough coverage to last 35 square feet. You can also add a concrete tint if you want to help it blend with the surrounding area better.  Now, here are the steps:

1. Clean the concrete thoroughly with a high powered pressure washer that can reach at least 3.500 psi. While the concrete is still damp, patch the spalled areas with the resurfacer. 
2. Spread the resurfacer over the entire area. But first, make sure to fill any walkway joints with peel and stick foam weatherstripping.
3. Trowel the resurfacer until it’s between 1/8 and ¼ inch thick. Remove the weatherstripping after 20 minutes and then sweep a nylon-bristle broom across it, 90 degrees to the foot traffic. 
4. Wait 6 hours before walking on it and make sure to cover if rain threatens in the meantime.

You should now have a nice, clean, resurfaced concrete walkway that should last for years to come.