Full Service Contracting Company

A Real Advantage Inc. is a full-range professional contracting company offering residential and commercial services for all your exterior needs. From single family homes to large business complexes, no job is too difficult.  We are experts in any type of exterior building products and services, including customized and historical projects.
A Real Advantage Inc. takes pride in quality workmanship and service. From the moment we receive your call for FREE Estimate, you and your property are placed in professional, caring hands. Our experienced, trained estimators and sales personnel will thoroughly examine your needs and provide you with a written proposal.
Our siding services include:
Residential and Commercial Services
Tear-Offs and New Construction Roofing
EPDM Rubber and Modified Bitumen Single Ply Roofing
Chimney Rebuild, Repoint, Chimney Hoods
Algae Resistant Shingles
Power Roof Fans and Vents
Vinyl and Aluminum Siding
Heavy. 032 Gauge Seamless Spouting
Leaf Relief Spouting Guard
Emergency Repairs
Our professional service helps property owners decide on the type of products and color enhancements they would like, while still keeping their budget in mind. By choosing A Real Advantage Inc. for your roofing and siding needs you are choosing experienced personnel who know the latest technology of the projects assigned to them.  

A Real Advantage Construction

Hi, My name is Michael Wesley and I am the proud owner of A Real Advantage, Inc.  Most consumers recognize that choosing a roofing contractor can be a confusing and sometimes a risky decision.   A Real Advantage Inc. is dedicated to helping every customer make the best and safest decisions possible in order to get the job done right the first time.   This is a family owned business specializing in exterior home improvements. 

Our services include roofing, siding, soffits, capping and leaders.  We can customize your home with our wide selection of colors and products.  We pride ourselves on being dedicated to providing superior workmanship and our outstanding customer service.  We’re a proud member of the Better Business Bureau and participate in the customer committed program.

We offer the highest quality work for some amazingly unbeatable rates.  We are a home improvement  contracting company that you can count on.   Along with our attentive customer service, we are also committed to providing superior workmanship using only top quality materials.  We take pride in the honest and dependable service that we offer.   

Solar Cell Roofing

 

Solar cell roofing made from solar shingles or solar panels is being increasingly incorporated into the construction of new residential and commercial buildings. In many areas, people are choosing to replace their conventional roof with a solar roof when it is time for maintenance. And most of these people would tell you that the long-term value, or short-term increase is resale interest, made it worthwhile.

A solar cell roof is called "building integrated", also known by the more complete name "building integrated photovoltaic" (BIPV). BIPV suggests that you would have needed that part of the structure built anyway, and you've chosen to use material that will also serve the purpose of generating power through solar energy. The first advantage of solar cell shingles or panels on the roof is obvious: some of the initial cost is paid by lowering the overall material and labor costs involved in the construction. The second advantage is that the BIPV does not stand out - it is a normal and expected part of the design and structure of the building. These two advantages often make bipv solar roofing the clear choice over rooftop wind turbines, raised solar panels, and backyard windmills which both stand out and cost a lot more to build and install.

In some parts of the world, often due to government subsidies, many new houses are built with solar roofs. Until recently, this was not the case in the U.S., UK, and much of Europe because the cost remained prohibitive. However, with the invention of what is called "thin film solar technology", solar roofing tiles, panels and shingles have become easier to fabricate and work with and are much more aesthetically pleasing. This technology is best for pitched roofs where shingles or small tiles are the norm. Large flat roofs, such as the tops of many commercial buildings, can have one giant layer of solar film, or large integrated panels.

Do you have a leak?

The Field of Shingles

If your roof is older, it is possible that the leak is within the roof field. This means the expanse of shingles, slate, shakes, whatever. If your roof is asphalt, then you can walk around with ease. Other materials such as slate, concrete tile or clay tile may not be so forgiving. You can crack roofing if you walk on it, so be careful. With regular shingles, look at the tops of the vertical knockouts. Look for missing colored granules. Look for cracks. Possibly a nail has backed itself out of the roof sheathing. Simply take your time and hunt.

Valleys

A valley is a line where two roof planes intersect. Here we use a metal flashing in the valleys. Some areas use rolled roofing. Other places simply lace the shingles together. Valleys can be big problems if you do not trim the shingles correctly. When you trim a shingle for a valley you end up with a chisel point on the end of the shingle. If a second cut is not made to make this point like an arrow point, then water can travel along the top of the shingle and find its way inside your house. The shingle wrapper tells you how to make this simple second cut.

Head Wall Flashings

Some roofs stop at a vertical wall. A metal flashing must be in place to direct water streaming down the wall away from the stopping point of the shingles. This flashing may be behind wood siding or in front of a brick wall. The flashing should extend over the shingles at least three inches. If the wall is brick or other masonry, the flashing must bend and extend one inch into a mortar joint. Tar, caulk or roofing cement should never be used in conjunction with these materials. If you see them, it is a sign that someone tried to patch a leak!

A Real Advantage Construction is your #1 source for repairing roof leaks on your home! The professional staff will work hard to find at fix the leaks they find! Choose A Real Advantage Constrution for all your roof leak repairing needs in New York, the Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn!

Why do Most Prefer Vinyl Siding

Vinyl siding has increased both in popularity and quality over the years and has grown to be a major competitor in the siding industry. Vinyl offers many advantages over other materials, despite being less expensive than most other options. It is a durable choice, one that homeowners can expect to enjoy for several decades. Wind, sun, rain and snow are no match for the durability of vinyl.

Siding contractors are familiar with the damage that the harsh winters can inflict on siding, and they have found that vinyl siding withstands the conditions. Even in northern states, the sun can beat down on a house in the summertime and fatigue other materials. However, vinyl siding will not fade even under the drastic conditions that the northern states have to contend with. This means that you will never again have to face the chore of painting your house.

Contractors recommend vinyl siding as an excellent choice for any homeowner looking to reduce the maintenance requirements of their home. Many roofing companies highly recommend vinyl siding. This new system locks tightly together to help make your home more weather tight. New York can face high damaging winds, and when you choose vinyl siding with this feature, you won't have to worry about the siding panels lifting or separating from each other.

Siding Installation

You've made an appointment to have siding installed on your property. While you're undoubtedly excited at the prospect of a fresh new look for your home, you're also probably wondering to what extend the installation process will affect your day to day routine.

Expect things to get messy: During siding installation, the outside of your house is bound to turn into one giant mess. Make sure to remove all planters, furniture, and miscellaneous items from your porch and patio before the work begins so that they don't get damaged. If you have a garden area to the side of your house and you don't want it trampled, mark off the area and let your contractor know where it is so that he and his crew can do their best to avoid ruining it.

Get ready for some noise: Siding installation is not always a quiet process, and the noise levels might get a bit unpleasant over the course of the project. Sure, some noise here and there is bearable But given the length of the installation from start to finish, those who tend to be home during the day might want to make other plans. Remember that while shorter siding jobs can take two or three days, longer jobs can take more than a week depending on the size of the house, the materials in question, and the circumstances at play.If you have babies or pets at home, then you should know that a moderate amount of ruckus might translate into a greater disturbance if sensitive ears are consistently exposed to the noise.

Spring is a Great time to Replace Gutter Guards

Purpose of a Gutter Guard:

There are many products that claim to be gutter guards. They can be anything from a piece of chicken wire to complete vinyl covers with a slit allowing water to go through. When attached to your gutter, the guard is supposed to keep leaves and debris out so you don't have to climb up a ladder, reach over and clean the gutter. Some claim to keep you from ever having to clean your gutter out again. But the truth is, while most do an excellent job of keeping out the big leaves, other debris does get in the gutter. You will have to take the guards off and clean the build-up inside the gutters once in a while.

How the Guard Works:

The guard is attached to, placed in or placed over the gutter, depending on the type. As leaves fall, the guard prevents them from getting into the gutter. Twigs and seed pods also fall from trees, and the debris may pile up on top of the guard. As it rains and the wind blows the debris blows off the top of the guard and the water runs into the gutter and out the downspout. If some roof gravel

A Real Advantage Construction is your #1 source for gutter cleaning in New York, Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx! The professional staff will work hard to make your gutters spotless. Choose A Real Advantage Construction for your next gutter cleaning needs!

Check your Skylights for Leaks

Winter can be rough on skylights, now is a great time to check your skylights for leaks.   There are a number of different factors that can lead to a leaky skylight but the most common factor is an improperly fitted or installed skylight. This inadequacy is usually brought about because having a skylight fitted by a professional roofing contractor can cost a lot of money, and people tend to revert to a handyman or, often worse still, doing it themselves.

Without proper knowledge of construction regarding the skylight fitting and the roof surrounding it, though, can lead to disastrous results. Even the inadequate fixing of an existing leaky skylight can make thing sworse. To charge quite a high cost to fit a skylight because they would rather work on better paid, roof installments. That doesn’t mean you can’t find a reputable and highly skilled roofing contractor who will complete the job at a reasonable price. However, because fitting a skylight is a skilled job, as is all roofing, you will need to pay more to have one fitted properly by an expert when compare to paying a handy man to fit it.

A leaky skylight causes relatively minimal damage in the short term, however over the long term this damage can become significant so you should make sure that the drops you saw coming off your skylight are actually condensation and not the first tell tale signs of a leak. You may end up having to replace wallpaper, carpets and worse still making structural repairs to the inside of your house (although only usually in extreme circumstances). A leaky skylight may also be indicative that you have bigger problems with your roof so you should get someone out to check it as soon as possible.

A Real Advantage Construction is your #1 source for repairing roof leaks in Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx in New York! They have the background and experience to make sure that you will receive total quality care! Choose A Real Advantage Construction for all your roof leak needs!

Effective Steps For Finding Best Roofing Contractors

Are you looking for the best roofing contractors in New York? Given are some ways in how you can get skilled and experienced roofing contractors:

Type of Roofing

You should first decide the type of roofing you want. For instance, you can choose between asphalt and wooden shingles. Both these varieties are immensely popular among the home owners. However, your decision will also depend on your budget and style of your home.

Roofing Contractor

You should contact several roofing contractors before arriving at a decision. Ask your builder or friends for recommendations on roofing contractors. You can also contact the local builders association if you are having difficulty in finding roofing contractors. This association can suggest someone who has been in this field for many years.

Quotes for the Project

You should ask the contractors to provide quotes for the project. Provide access to your property and ask them to inspect the condition of your roofing. Ensure that all the contractors are bidding for the same roofing type. For instance, all the contractors should bid for asphalt shingles.

Add-On Costs

Ensure that the firm also includes additional costs in their bid. Some of the add-on costs that can be added are as follows:

* Removal of old roofing and shingles

* Applying roofing felt

* Trimming down nearby branches

Ask the firms to state the additional costs in advance. Keep in mind that it is not necessary to remove the existing roofing for installing a new one.

New Year, New Roof

Are you planning to replace your roof. You can check the tiled effect roofs. They give you a stylish look and they can also withstand to any wind conditions or a rainy climate. But is the main factor when you consider these materials. The adhesives, hinges and all the new quality in roof building material are checked. The key asset of this roof is its durability. Be it any type of construction the cleaning is a mandatory aspect, the company sees to it that the entire place to ensure that there is no residue of nails, adhesive or particles of roof. If it is done properly there is no damage caused to your patio, plants or other facade of your house.

A good brand name is attached with the New York roofing company because they use a genuine material. It thereby extends the area of security to your house. You must check out the new schemes available in roofing if you are to build a new house or a villa. You can plan your roof to be in an artistic way especially if it is a farmhouse or a holiday home. Just flip the pages of the catalog to know the creative ideas in roof. You must select a roof which needs to be very neat in its concept and compressed in nature.

The imperative criteria of a home buyer is the roof and walls of a room. Consequently your part in investing a roof is indispensable as you're asking rate in case of sale that you can get a superior roof. If you are much bothered about your peace of mind then a good piece of roof can do that. In certain situation you might have urgent requirement for fixing a roof, then you may contact your nearest New York roofing company. If you see them since they are professionals time is never a constraint. The roofing company will serve you as an urgent requirement, if there is an emergency

Expect the Best

Siding experts have also found that longer panels create a more aesthetic and secure installation. When panels are 20' to 25' long, smaller houses can enjoy a seamless finish. Larger houses will have the fewest number of seams possible. This also makes the finished product tighter, more weather proof and stronger.

When you choose vinyl siding, you will have your choice of a wide range of colors and grains. You can choose something that resembles a traditional wood grain, or a completely smooth finish. Colors range from neutral earth tones, to slightly brighter reds and blues. You also are not limited to traditional, horizontal siding.

You can choose siding that has additional insulation on the back of it to make your home even warmer on those cold winter nights. You can select siding that installs in lines vertically or horizontally. Or you can go for a highly traditional look with siding that looks like cedar shakes or shingles. Vinyl siding can be installed by roofing contractors as well as siding contractors.

Is Vinyl Siding on your Holiday Wish List

If you want to enjoy the benefits of vinyl siding but want to have a more unique look, you might want to consider vertical siding. Horizontal siding is the more common method, but vertical may look even better given your style of house and preferences.

Vinyl siding can offer cost and feature benefits. The siding will handle severe weather without losing its quality and requires very little maintenance. Vertical siding is no different from the more traditional horizontal siding, meaning you can enjoy all the benefits of siding while adding a unique twist.

Your home can be given a new siding job with either complete vertical siding or vertical siding in addition to horizontal siding. Look at the shape of your home and see which option works the best in your situation. For example, some homes have vertical siding on the top half and horizontal siding on the bottom half.


If you do too much mixing with the vertical and horizontal siding, it may detract from you home's overall appearance. Also, too much detail can add to the cost if the installer has to keep switching from horizontal to vertical. Look for patterns and find certain features of the house that could benefit from the contrast.

Repairing a Cracking Sidewalk

A damaged sidewalk is one of the most visible parts of the exterior of a property and can easily hurt the curb appeal to your home. Fortunately, sidewalk repair is fairly simple and can be done in short order by our construction team or even by you. To repair a sidewalk you will need to follow these steps:

1. Determine the type of damage that’s on your sidewalk. Some damage is easy to repair but not all damage is. Big sections of sidewalk that have heaved and broken into pieces are not easy to fix and will most likely require a contractor to fix the problem

2. Determine why the damage occurred. It could have happened from  a lack of control joints, tree routes, or even seismic activity.

If your sidewalk is cracking you might want to consider installing a few extra control joints. You can install control joints by using a masonry blade to cut lines in the concrete. Cut about ½ inch into the sidewalk, not the whole way. The control joints allow the concrete to expand and contract in certain weather conditions. If a tree route seems to be the cause of the crack, clear around the tree roots and cut them away with pruning tools. Be very careful though, this can stunt the growth of the tree and sometimes even kill the tree.

The type of material you use to a repair a crack in the sidewalk depends on how large the crack is. For little cracks, you can use concrete grout. Larger cracks can be fixed with caulk and the largest cracks of all will need to be repaired with a concrete patching compound.

Keeping Safe while Making Repairs during Winter Months

Just because the weather turns cold in the winter doesn’t mean construction or repairs stop. Damage still happens and repairs still need to be made. Keeping safe through the cold, rain and snow is of paramount importance for construction workers and home owners making their own repairs. There are two main difficulties to overcome when it comes to staying safe during the winter: drastically reduced temperatures and much shorter daylight hours.

Staying safe in the cold is all about producing warmth in your body at every opportunity. Layering clothing is the primary defense against the cold, but it is also advantageous to have heating elements near the worksite to help the body stay warm. When working out in the cold it is important to know the signs of hypothermia so that you or any workmate can get the help necessary immediately.

Staying safe in winter is also about being able to deal with the increased amount of working hours taking place in darkness. The obvious solution to this problem is to create more light around the working environment. One of the best solutions for this is an LED light tower, which provides plenty of bright light for any environment. LED towers can be a bit heavy and bulky, however, so other options such as lighting balloons, work lamps, and flashlights might be enough for any particular situation. Either way, make sure to watch your step and be aware of your surroundings at all times.

Preparing Your Home for Winter

New York winters can be harsh. In order to survive through the rain, wind and snow without significant damage, it’s important to make preventative repairs to the roof, gutters and siding before the storms start. Proper drainage and insulation is essential for maintaining the quality of your home and ensuring that your family can stay comfortable during the winter. Even though it is October, it is not too late to get some repairs in before the bigger storms start to roll into the city.

Roofing – the roof is the most important part of protecting your home from weather. Leaks during storms can cause a significant amount of damage to the interior of the home and can end up costing a lot more money than replacing and repairing the roof would. A Real Advantage Inc. are experts at roofing and they specialize in asphalt shingles, slate and tile and metal roofs. There’s no reason to delay when it comes to protecting your home.

Gutters – a proper and clear gutter system is essential for drainage during storms. Backed up gutters and improper water management can cause significant damage to the home during storms, meaning big and unnecessary costs in the long run. Let A Real Advantage construction improve your drainage, remove leaks and debris, clean downspouts, install new gutters and make adjustments to old gutters. You’ll thank yourself on a rainy day when all the water is drained to safe areas that can’t cause damage to your valuable home.

The Importance of Roof Repair

The roof is one of the most important components of the structure of a home. Despite this fact, many people neglect to get their roofs repaired until it is too late for a variety of reasons. The roof is easy to ignore from the inside of the home unless there are leaks, and people rarely climb up on the top of their houses to examine if there are any problems. Roof repair can seem intimidating, but it’s important to get any problems fixed before leaks cause any significant damage to the rest of the home.

Roofs can get damaged for any number of reasons. Lack of maintenance is one of the main causes, as fixing problems early on is essential to preventing the spread damage and keeping the repair cheap and easy. Weather also significantly damages roofing, so this is especially important for homes in New York, as the winters here can be very harsh.  Wind can cause damage, especially winds that exceed 50 mph as they can carry debris that the roof is not designed to collide with.

Some roof problems come from improper design. Weak roof structures can deflect excessively under load, causing splitting of the roof membrane. Inadequate roof slope, sagging roof structure, or insufficient number of drains or clogged gutters can result in ponding water. Inadequate design for expansion and contraction at changes in deck material can cause membrane splits. Incompatible roof materials can also cause damage due to chemical conflicts.

Is Your Deck Safe?

Part of our job as affordable licensed building contractors in the Bronx and other Burroughs is making sure your home is safe. And one area that you might assume is safe and sound is your deck—but how can you be sure?

According to This Old House, decks are a common do-it-yourself construction project. If you want to tackle the project yourself that’s great, but read A Real Advantage Construction’s tips for making sure your deck doesn’t have dangerous structural defects.

Decks commonly collapse when they have been merely nailed on. Decks should be attached with bolts, rather than nails. While nails can stand up to the downward force of a crowd gathering on a deck, they can’t stand up to the outward force, which acts as a lever (forcing the deck away from the house). As a result, nails tend to loosen as wood swells and shrinks with moisture—making them offer less resistance to the prying forces.

A screwed-in connector, on the other hand, gains increased frictional strength courtesy of the wedging action of wood fivers along the shaft’s length. A lag bolt (think: a giant screw) has nearly nine times the pullout resistance of a nail (per inch of penetration). A true bolt, which is inserted into a drilled hole and fitted with a nut, boasts even more strength due to its metal-to-metal connection. With that said, these connectors may loosen over time, so look for signs like a widening gap against the house.

One tip to keep the connection between the house and deck dry is to add flashing to drain away, which will protect both entities. Of course, a freestanding deck eliminates this problem. 

How To: Powerwash Your Walkway

{Does your walkway look like this? We can help!}

As affordable residential contractors serving Brooklyn and beyond, we are full of tips to making your home truly shine. If your walkway is covered with dirt and grime, it’s time to powerwash it. Your walkway is one of the first things people see upon arriving at your home, after all.

First, attach a garden house to the inlet port on your powerwasher. Then, connect the spray-wand hose to the powerwasher and attached a low-pressure nozzle to the spray wand. Hold the nozzle a few inches away from your walkway and start the power washer. Squeeze the trigger and direct the water at an angle. If that doesn’t do the trick, replace the low-pressure nozzle with a stronger one and continue spraying. Mix a solution of nine parts water, one part chlorine bleach in a bucket and scrub your walkway using a brush with course bristles. Repeat once a month!

Check back for more tips from A Real Advantage Construction Inc.

{Photo Credit: Patrick Chondon}

In-Case-of-Emergency Tips

We may be best known for our affordable rain gutter services, but our expertise doesn’t just lie in exterior household repairs! Check out more in-case-of-emergency tips below!


Make a Plan

The best way to get through an emergency is to have a plan and stick to it:

• Choose a contact person—a family member or friend—who lives out of state. In the event of a disaster, it might be easier to call long distance than locally

• Choose not one but two meeting spots

Frozen Pipes

We know, we know, it’s summertime and frozen pipes are the last thing on your mind. Humor us anyway and read our trips for preventing frozen pipes:

• Before the cold weather arrives, cut off the water supply to outdoor faucets and leave the faucets turned on so the pipes are drained before the wintertime

• Regularly let a little bit of hot or cold water run through the pipes—even during freezing spells

• Insulate vulnerable pipes using heat tape or heat cable

Fire Extinguishers

What’s the use of having a fire extinguisher if you don’t know how to use it! Squeeze the lever and then sweep the nozzle from side to side at the flames until the fire appears to be extinguished. Other tips:

• Regularly inspect your extinguisher and if the gauge doesn’t read 100 percent, have it serviced (if rechargeable) or buy a new one if not

• Replace old extinguishers. Enough said!

More Home Safety Tips from A Real Advantage Construction

Did you read our latest post about emergency preparedness? Well, welcome to the next installation of A Real Advantage Construction’s guide to preparing for an emergency!


Power Outage

If anyone in your home relies on electrical medical equipment, make sure your power company knows so that your home will be priority when electricity is being restored in the event of an outage. Other tips:

• Make sure your microwave, toaster and coffee machine aren’t sharing the same outlet!

• Store a flashlight in each bedroom to avoid using candles—which can cause a fire—in case of an outage

• If you use a laptop, back up files regularly and purchase extra batteries and a DC-to-AC auto adapter so you can operate your computer from the cigarette lighter of your vehicle in case of an emergency

Escape Routes

Is your address visible? Make sure emergency-aid vehicles will be able to locate your home quickly in case of an emergency. Also take these precautions:

• Plan at least two escape routes out of every room and make sure that each family member is aware of them

• Place preassembled flame-resistant safety escape ladders near a window on each floor of your home

• Pick an outdoor meeting space located at a safe distance from your home

Stay tuned for more tips from A Real Advantage Construction Inc!