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Gutter & Downspout Maintenance

2011-01-02T13:37:00Z

Many people neglect the simplicity of proper maintenance of their gutters & downspout. While the main purpose of the gutters is to collect water off a roof area of your house & or building, it is most often neglected. When a gutter is working properly, it takes water that runs off a roof line into it & redirects water to a downspout which is usually diverted away from your house/building. Sometimes the downspout run into a leader drain that is in the ground & meant to divert water even farther away from a house that daylights well away from the foundation of the structure. If the pitch of the earth around the house is properly pitched away from the house, then the water that comes off the downspout usually will run away from the house due to the landscaping pitch. If there are low spots or spots where the earth is pitched level or towards the house, then you might experience the issues of water that comes back into your house, usually the basement area. While the gutter is not the cure all of the water issues of a wet basement, it is the first line of defense against the water coming back towards the house. A clogged gutter or downspout will make the water pool or puddle in the area of the house where the water has the least resistance to enter it. Also in the Northeast where the weather is colder in the winter, the water in the gutters that clogs, will eventually freeze, backup or even expand & cause damage. Water has a greater force when frozen due to it's expanding properties. The most common is water finding it's way back in the house through the windows, the soffits & or the foundation. By simply cleaning & maintaining the gutters & downspout, you can increase the level of defense your house has to not letting water in & causing damage. The most common issues of damage are mold, rotting/water damaged wood, water stains, water in basement areas, siding damage fascia/under hang damage, etc. The simple advice is to clean & maintain the gutters 2 times/year in the spring & in the late fall after the leaves have fallen. Even with "gutter covers" you will eventually need to clean the gutters.

Wood Floor Issues To Consider

2010-10-28T02:56:00Z

In redoing a wood floor, preparation is the key to a to a good looking floor. I have run across some wood floors that have been previously treated incorrectly & thus creating problems for the next person to treat the floors as well as lessening the life expectancy. I have seen floors treated with a chemical stripper & then the residue is left in the wood. When you try to refinish the wood, the new poly will not adhere as the base coat is still being chemically attacked. Then there is the mop the stuff on your floor & restore it to its natural beauty without refinishing the floor products they sell the public on. The bottom line is that wood floors are a very basic maintenance & procedural floor to take care of. If maintained properly with a real wood cleaner, a real poly type sealer & kept clean, they should last you many years in your application. Remember wood floors are an expensive initial cost to install, but can pay for themselves over the 25-40 years of service they will give if correctly taken care of.

Paint-Latex

2010-07-12T00:29:00Z

Latex paint is used primarily today instead of the oil based paints of the past. They are more eco/envro-friendly than the old oil based products. Though the oil based products lasted longer on the surfaces, they could only be removed by chemical or aggressive agitation to remove from the surface. While the latex paints of yesterday were not as long lasting as the oil based products, today the labs have made a lot of improvements in the quality, consistency & durability of the latex paints of today. There are still oil based products, but becoming less & more expensive. There are more acrylics, alkaline & urethane that enhance the latex products of today.

LUMBER

2010-06-28T14:12:28Z

Lumber comes in all types of shapes, sizes, dimension, etc. The use is specific for each style of lumber being used. There is Doug Fir which is lumber that is cut from the trees & basically it is still "wet" due to there being some moisture still in the wood. This type of wood is primarily used for framing, studding a wall, fire blocking, etc. The other style of wood is Kiln dried which means it is like Doug Fir but it is dried out at the mill to minimize shrinking or any moisture causing movement when in place. The other is Pressure treated wood which is dipped or coated to preserve the wood in the exterior applications of it. Usually used for decking or wet conditions when used for framing.

WOOD FLOOR MAINTENANCE

2010-06-24T23:06:16Z

Wood floors generally come in many widths & style of wood while predominantly being 3/4" in thickness. The usual materials are oak white or red, pine, bamboo & many others. The favorite is oak due to it's long wearability & availability. Most wood floors are stained & coated with a poly coating. There is usually 3 coats of poly to a finished floor. The wood floors usually are easiest to maintain with a dustcloth, wiper & or a damp mop(not exceedingly wet). Sweeping is not recommended as the bristles start to scratch the poly surface & thus a tack cloth, treated wiper cloth with a pole (like a dustmop) work best. The soap if used at all should be a neutral & not a harsh detergent/abrasive or degreaser cleaner type as this will sure damage the finish & the wood itself. Treat your wood floor like furniture on the floor with care & it will give you many years of hassle free service.

GUTTERS

2010-06-23T00:00:00Z

There are many styles of gutters & materials they are made of. There is the old style of wooden, copper, aluminum, galvanized & plastic. They all have their uses their own circumstances. The wooden style of gutter was the trough style system built on homes before there was the affordability & conformability of a true gutter for homes & building. The copper gutter style was & is still more elegant & durable than most gutters, but it is very costly due to the materials cost as well as the labor cost to manufacture them on site. The copper tends to gray/green when oxidized & exposed to the elements over the years. The joints were usually lead filled & either heated/meleted soldered or malleted in place with a master metallurgist. The plastic is more modern due to the more evolved plastics/composites of the labs that are able to use an mold/extrusion process to create a uniform mold & an ability to mass produce the product very in-expensively. The only draw back is that some plastic gutters when exposed to the elements over many years will discolor, become brittle and lose their tensile strength. The aluminum is much like the plastic gutters but is made from a lightweight metal & is either in brown or white in color & can be painted according to your house color scheme. The old cast iron ones were the predecessor to aluminum due to the cost & relative use of the metal even in drainage piping in most homes(Though cast is still available today). There are basically three types of shapes of gutters, 1/2 circle, 4'-5"-6" ogee style & fascia style. The most common is the aluminum 4" style & can be painted or ordered in a color. The down spouts are the same but all they do is connect to the main gutter at either end or where the downspout funnels thru. It's main use is to divert the water away from your house foundation or entries in to your house. the last thing you want is water entering your house due to poor drainage of the gutters. The gutters are usually attached to the house roof or fascia with either screws or straps. the leader drains are attached to the side of the house with straps & screws into the siding or the corner board of the house.

Siding Exterior-Vinyl

2010-06-21T23:38:00Z

Vinyl siding is a good value for the money spent on the exterior of your house siding needs. It is readily available in many color shades, styles/profiles, as well as durable. While the color is set in the manufacturing process when made from the mill, it may after many years of service still slightly fade in the elements. It usually holds up to the elements well if properly installed & maintained. What we mean in properly installed is using the right length galvanized nails when installing in the nail groove as well as overall spacing of nails across usually in the 16-24 inch spacing pattern thru the exterior wall insulation & sheathing of the house exterior. Maintaining is with a hose using with a neutral cleaner that is not harsh (acidic or alkaline-may burn the vinyl) & soft/middle bristle brush on the surface for nay mold dirt build up. While the saying "vinyl is final" goes, it's a good thing when you don't have to replace, paint, touch up or putty the same as other materials. Though the look is not as true a look as wood shingle, clapboard siding, brickface or stucco, the cost efficiency far outweighs the initial cost of the other methods.

Welcome To Our Site!

2010-06-21T22:20:24Z

Welcome to Home Improvements Of Ct, LLC site where we provide information from some of our construction jobs in progress, already done & upcoming. We will try to with this site explain the benefits of use of the right techniques, materials & circumstances of the work done.