Monday, February 15, 2010

Cathedral Ceilings

Classic cathedral ceilings are beautiful and timeless. They give the home and open, airy feel but they are also more prone to moisture damage than a traditional ceiling. The design of a cathedral ceiling creates isolated air spaces, which are more difficult to treat. There has been an ongoing debate, for years, among experts who feel that ventilation is necessary for cathedral ceilings.say that it is required to help eliminate the moisture buildup, while others say that a simpler method will suffice. The question that may are asking is, “What is best?” The real answer, however, lies with only one question. “What is best for my home?” You, and only you, can make a well-informed decision about how to properly care for and protect your ceiling.

Say ‘Yes’ To Ventilation For Cathedral Ceiling

We believe that a ridge vent is, in fact, highly recommended for a cathedral ceiling. It will allow warm and moist damaging air to be released between the rafters. This moist air, which can cause a lot of damage if left alone, would otherwise be trapped between the rafters and would soon begin to cause the wood decking to rot. In addition, many other problems could begin to occur.

It is necessary to provide ventilation to cathedral ceilings in order to release the moisture and prevent it from worsening. The presence of moisture can cause a lot of damage to the roof’s structure, including rotting, weakening and a possible need for replacement. If left untreated, moisture can damage the ceiling, but also cause problems throughout the structure of the home itself.

Improper Ventilation For Cathedral Ceiling

Roof vents or a power fan would not be recommended for a cathedral ceiling home. The reasoning lies in that either of these types of vents will only ventilate the space between the rafters, but are not sufficient for completely eliminating moisture damage. These types of ventilation are most widely used for homes with wide open attic space, but not a cathedral ceiling. A ridge vent, on the other hand, will be able to properly handle ventilation for a cathedral ceiling.

Find A Local Contractor In Your Area

Unless you are certain about installing the proper ventilation for your cathedral ceiling, you should call a professional roofing contractor. They are trained and work daily with all types of roofing problems, including ventilation for cathedral ceilings and will be able to better inform you of your options to better protect your home. It is often recommended that you speak with several before making a final decision. Ask questions, get quotes and ask about warranties.

A Real Advantage Construction is your #1 source for roof repair in Queens, Bronx, and Brooklyn in New York! Choose them for all your roofing needs!

Black Mold

You may have heard about black mold on the news, a passing story about a baby who got sick or a family that discovered their house was overrun with the stuff. But do you know what black mold is and how it could affect your family?

Toxic molds such as the infamous black mold are a form of fungus, one of the most common forms, in fact. It spreads easily under the right conditions and unfortunately, the right conditions can be found in many homes these days. While an extreme quantity of any kind of mold can cause problems in humans, some people are more sensitive than others and black mold tends to trigger health problems in most of the population

What are the health problems caused by black mold? They are numerous and include difficulties breathing and allergic reactions. According to a study done by the Mayo Clinic back in 1999, 37 million Americans suffer from mold-related sinus infections which are chronic in nature. Also, asthma has risen at an alarming rate the past few years and experts claim that this is due to mold exposure.

Small children, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems (such as pregnant women and those suffering from HIV) are most at risk for problems related to black mold, although it can affect anyone exposed to it for long periods of time. Most of the time, the symptoms are fairly mild, simply allergic reactions. However, they can actually be deadly to some individuals and for this reason it is important to identify and remove any toxic mold from the home.

Black mold tends to grow in moist, dark places. Bathroom showers and in the cabinets under a sink are two very common places to find this mold. While these are areas that would normally be fairly damp and dark, leaking pipes or faucets and floods can also trigger the growth of this noxious fungus in areas such as the basement and inside the walls. If you have a leaking roof, you might also notice black mold growing on your ceiling and down the walls.

Once black mold has become established in one area, it can quickly spread. Unfortunately, this usually means that extensive renovations will need to be done in order to get rid of the mold entirely. That could mean replacing drywall, floor boards and baseboards, among other things. For the safety of your family, though, it is well worth the expense and the hassle.

Any leaks or flooding should be cleaned up immediately and the area dried thoroughly before any mold gets a chance to start growing. You should repair a leaking roof as soon as possible and keep your home well ventilated so that mold doesn’t have a chance to get a foothold.

A Real Advantage Construction is your #1 souce for fixing and preventing roof leaks in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx in New York! They have the background and experience to make sure that your home is perfectly fitted with a nice roof! Choose A Real Advantage Construction for all your roof repair needs!

A Leaky Skylight

A skylight is an excellent source of both warmth and light for your home and they can enhance the overall appearance of your house as well as giving you a little extra air when required. 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!

Roofing Repair and Contractors

The primary concern of any house owner when he or she goes in for roof repairs is whether the contractor to whom they have awarded the contract is capable.

Is the contractor worthy of being given the responsibility for repairing the roof and other structures in the house? Does the claims which he makes as regards past repair and projects actually relate to his expertise in the field of repair. Can he be trusted? Is he qualified enough to suggest the replacement or repair of the roof? If you are plagued by these questions, then read on.

Whatever be your roofing repair or roof replacement needs, you need a qualified professional roofing contractor whom you can trust. This translates to finding a roofing contractor who knows good roofing practices. He must be aware of roof flashing details, on how to handle problem spots on building roofs and alternative roof covering products like shingle types,

grades, colors, low slope roofing, flat roofing materials, etc. A competent roofer will provide the client with sound advice on products, reasonable explanation of procedures, and, most importantly dependable results in the form of a strong and a durable roof.

It's difficult to determine the capabilities and reliability of a contractor just on face value or when he or she approaches you with a printed brochure. In order to select a qualified contractor there are few steps which are advised to be taken so that the client who is getting the repairs done gets a fair deal. These include doing a market survey of available contractors and their market credentials, meeting members of the local councils to get their suggestions and then homing on to a manageable list of contractors whom you think can do the job for you. Based on referrals and your meetings, you need to make a checklist of people who qualify for your job.

A Real Advantage Construction is your #1 source for roofing repair in Bronx, Queens, and the Bronx in New York! They have the experience and background to make sure that your roof is repaired promptly and affordably. Choose A Real Advantage Construction for all your roof repair needs!

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Vinyl Siding


As the search for low cost, low maintenance siding continued, the next evolution after aluminum siding was the advent of vinyl siding.

Vinyl siding, like aluminum siding, comes in strips and has perforated holes at the top for fastening into the exterior wall and interlocking flanges top and bottom to seal against weather. A special tool called a zip tool is used to join and separate the siding strips.

Like aluminum siding, vinyl siding also comes in a range of styles including horizontal and vertical panels and a range of prefinished colors. Available in a variety of textures including wood shake/shingle style.

A Real Advantage Construction is your #1 source for all your vinyl siding needs in New York, Brooklyn, Bronx, and Queens! Their professional craftsmen make sure your house is treated right! Choose A Real Advantage Construction for all your vinyl siding needs!


Aluminum Siding

With the maintenance associated with wood siding came the desire for an alternative. Aluminum siding fit the bill and has evolved over the years into a very low maintenance and popular siding choice for newer homes.

Aluminum siding comes in strips and has perforated holes at the top for fastening into the exterior wall and interlocking flanges top and bottom to seal against weather.

Common retrofit siding and has often, unfortunately, been applied over wood siding in many home "improvement" projects where maintenance won out over aesthetics or the wood siding was severely damaged. Durable material but prefinished painted finishes have been known to fade, chalk and runoff onto brick walls often below the siding. Newer vinyl coated finishes are available and alleviate past paint problems. Prone to denting and being noisy. Aluminum lacks the ability for detailed trim work.

A Real Advantage Construction is your #1 source for aluminum siding in The Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn! They offer all ranges of siding for your home and are dedicated to making your home your dream home! Choose A Real Advantage Construction for all your aluminum siding needs!

Wood Plank and Beveled Wood Siding

Wood clapboard siding is among the oldest types of house siding. You can see its beauty on older and historic homes. Its disadvantage is that it is not low maintenance, requiring painting and caulking and is often replaced with aluminum or vinyl siding. Frequently when that happens, a lot of the charm and detail of the wood home is lost.

So if you own a wood clapboard home you probably own a beautiful home, and as you know keeping it looking good requires taking care of paint problems and regular exterior paint maintenance. And there are often special considerations for painting historic homes.

A Real Advantage Construction is your #1 source for wood plank and beveled wood siding in New York: Brooklyn, Bronx, and Queens! Their siding professionals are there for you and ready to take on any job! Choose A Real Advantage Construction for all your siding needs!