Do you have a traditional fireplace? Are you interested in improving your home’s energy efficiency? A fireplace insert may be the answer.

You may have noticed that it feels colder in your house when you build a fire in your traditional fireplace unless you have a good blaze going. This is because 90% of that heat escapes through the chimney rather than heating the room. 

Do you know what else happens when you light a fire? It can hurt your energy bills on the coldest days as the convection pulls the heated air from the room up the chimney as well.

Unless you have a well-insulated chimney and flue, some warm air is escaping up your chimney all the time. 

Cold Solution

Nothing beats the beauty and charm of a traditional masonry fireplace. Still, a fireplace insert can not only stop cold air from coming in and warm air from going out.

However, certain fireplace inserts can also supplement or even completely replace your furnace power by warming up to 3,000 square feet of space. 

According the Energy.gov, “High-efficiency fireplace inserts have proven effective in increasing the heating efficiency of older fireplaces.”

What is a Fireplace Insert?

A fireplace insert is an extra, closed firebox connected to an insulated flue that fits up your chimney. It has a door that allows the heat from your fire to stay inside the firebox and a fan to help force out and circulate the hot air around your house. Inserts are made to fit into your existing fireplace. 

However, not all fireplace inserts burn wood. Some of them can burn wood or biofuel pellets, which are even more energy-efficient, or gas.

Wood Burning Inserts

Firewood burning inserts may be the easiest to find and most likely to work with a standard masonry chimney, as they require a 6″ vent pipe. They are also the most like a wood-burning fireplace if the ambiance and cheer is something you would like to keep while making your fireplace more efficient.

If you have access to free or cheap firewood, the insert will pay for itself in no time, as you decrease your heating costs. 

Even if you don’t have access to free firewood, an insert will make the act of building a fire energy-efficient, cutting down on heat loss. It won’t save you as much money, but it will still save you some.

As with a traditional fireplace, you will have to clean out the wood ash and find something to do with it. 

Wood Pellet Inserts

If you are looking for efficiency, an insert that burns wood pellets is much better than one than burns firewood. It’s a mess-free wood burning stove that feeds itself pellets as they burn.

Wood pellet inserts require electricity to keep the mechanism going but can operate with battery backup power during a power outage. If you want good heat with virtually no ash and high efficiency, this is your insert. 

However, they are harder to find, and although the fuel is usually available at big hardware stores, it is expensive, and you may use up to 40 lbs. of fuel in a day. Other pellets available include biofuels made from corn, sunflower seeds, and wheat.

Gas Inserts

One of the great things about a gas insert is its ability to be put, in some cases, where there is no ventilation. You could have a fireplace overnight without having any masonry.

You still get the advantage of heat, efficiency, and a dancing flame to watch, but without any cleanup. There are sleek and ultra-modern designs and models made to look like the “real thing.” 

The only drawbacks are that you need a gas line to be run or already present and that your gas bill will go up as you use the insert.

Bringing it Home

If you need to take control of your home’s heat efficiency, and have a traditional wood-burning fireplace, you should consider a fireplace insert. In many cases, these inserts will pay for themselves in savings, and they will turn your winter fires from heat-sucking to heat-producing. 

You may also like to read Top Energy Efficient Home Improvements to Ultimately Save Money

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How often do you think about your attic? Do you know how it works and how it affects the rest of your house?

Whether you want to finish an unfinished attic space, safely use it for storage, or update your home’s energy efficiency, there are some things you need to look for.

Use this guide to help you pinpoint trouble spots or answer basic questions before you call a contractor.

Attic Anatomy

There are two basic types of roof construction: rafters or roof trusses. The type of roof framing drastically impacts your attic’s space, whether it can bear any load – like storage containers – or whether it can be finished into a livable space.

Rafters

Rafters are typically constructed from engineered lumber. They extend from the ridge board at the roof’s peak to the top plate of the exterior wall.

Rafters naturally “hang over” the eaves of the house. They are cut and installed one at a time – or one “stick” at a time – so a roof framed this way can be referred to as a ‘stick framed” roof.

The joists which make up the attic’s floor are placed first with this construction method, and they can bear weight like a standard floor.

Roof Trusses

Trusses are constructed using angled “webs” of lumber extending from the top chords to the bottom chord, similar to rafters. However, they aren’t the same.

Trusses do not leave large areas of open space in your attic. The bottom chords aren’t made to support heavy loads.

Your Home’s Envelope

Houses are made to contain either heated or cooled air in an “envelope” of insulation.

Depending on the type of roof framing you have and whether your attic is meant to be finished, your insulation may rest on your attic’s floor, or it may be installed between attic rafters.

Insulation on your attic floor means your home’s envelope doesn’t include your attic. If you want to finish your attic, you will need to move the insulation up to the rafters if it’s not already there.

Ventilation

Attic ventilation is important for a functioning roof system. If you have an unconditioned attic, adequate ventilation is essential to keeping moisture, mold, and rot from ruining your roof decking. In addition, you don’t want them getting down into your house.

You may consider installing an attic fan to aid in proper ventilation. If you are planning to finish your attic, the space will be enclosed in the house’s envelope. It doesn’t need the same type of ventilation, although building codes require ventilation for habitable space. 

Attic Energy Efficiency

Sealing air leakage in the central part of your house is critical for energy efficiency. For example, windows, doors, and vents are easy areas to close.

However, did you know there are many ways your attic can be inefficient?

Here are some places your attic could be contributing to your home’s inefficiency:

Heat escapes through these cracks into your attic – which doesn’t need the warmth and which can contribute to ice dams on your roof. However, when heated air goes up, it creates a suction effect inside the house that can draw cold air from leakage points inside the lower part of your home.

It’s called the “stack effect.”  In a cold climate like Michigan, the stack effect can significantly negatively impact your energy bills. 

How to Combat the Stack Effect

To combat the stack effect, start by air-sealing your attic. Then, increase the attic’s insulation. It’s cost-effective and it will save you money in the short and long term. Moreover, it is the number one return-on-investment improvement when you go to sell your house. 

Here’s what else you can do to minimize the stack effect:

Bringing it Home

In conclusion, attics are dynamic and vital spaces for the overall health of your house. Do you live in Southeast Michigan? Please call with questions regarding your attic, insulation, or roof. Remember, we’re here whenever you need us!

Call Now

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Are you thinking about painting your home’s exterior?

Many Americans are using this time to improve their homes environment inside and out. By many reports, companies that sell patio furniture and home goods are doing a booming business right now.

Construction crews are swamped with more work than they can take. Televisions, pools, trampolines, and swings are sold out in stores everywhere because there are relatively few places to go and things to do.

Now that summer is in full swing; maybe you are looking at your home exterior and making plans for how to make it better than it is now. Or maybe the paint job is peeling and ready to be redone.

In any case, painting your house is a big job. It’s a job you don’t want to have to do again any time soon because it looks terrible or was poorly done.

Let’s take a look at some of the most important aspects of painting your home exterior.

Painting a House is a Lot of Work

Almost anyone will say they feel confident in their ability to paint. It doesn’t look that hard, and slapping some paint on a wall isn’t very hard at all.

However, you would be surprised by how many amateur painters do a terrible job on even one room because they failed to prepare or think about details.

Home exterior painting is even more crucial to get right because paint is still expensive. A bad paint job will peel and have to be repeated in a couple of years.

You need the right tools – ladders, scaffolding, tarps – and you have to do the proper prep work. Old paint must be painstakingly scraped until you can’t scrape off any more chips, and then sanded to make a smooth surface for the new color.

Prepping is hard, tedious work, and it takes a long time. If you fail to properly prep the surface, you might as well throw your money down the toilet because the new paint won’t last.

For these reasons, we always recommend hiring professionals. Yes, it’s more expensive, however, pros know how to do the job right, and they have the right tools.

If you plan to do it yourself, be prepared for it to take a long time and to be dangerous and difficult.

The Right Paint is Essential

Do you know how many types of paint there are, and which areas of your house need what kind of paint? It’s more than just indoor paint versus outdoor paint.

Standard outdoor paint might work well on siding or wood without any texture. However, there are climate factors to consider.

Does your home get pounded by sunlight? Or do you have high winds and many storms? Are there vast temperature changes in your region?

Here in Michigan, it varies by the year and by how your house is situated. Right now, we are in the middle of a scorching and dry summer, but we have almost all of the other factors.

How do you pick a paint that will stand up to your house’s individual needs?

Oil-based paint

Not all exterior paint has to be oil-based anymore. It is much more challenging to work with, stinky, and hard to remove where unwanted.

Oil-based paint stands up to rain, wind, and temperature changes. However, it tends to be more easily degraded by sunlight. The main thing about oil-based or alkyd paint is that it creates a lovely, hard, and durable high-gloss finish that latex paint can’t fully match. It sheds chalky layers as it ages.

Latex paint

If your house is in the sun almost all the time, latex paint may be a better option, as it is more durable in the sun. Sunnier climates also tend to be very dry, which is more suitable for latex paint, as it’s water-soluble.

Make sure you buy paint that has acrylic resin rather than a high vinyl content. Acrylic resin is much more durable for outdoor use than vinyl.

Mold resistant paint

For areas of your house that will remain in close contact with water, like the skirting, use mold-resistant paint. It is an outdoor paint with fungicide added.

Elastomeric paint

For textured surfaces like stucco or brick, you need paint that is made to stretch a bit more between small hills and valleys. This paint will go on smoothly and make the finished product look smoother.

Flame-resistant paint

Do you live in an area prone to wildfires? It might save your life to use paint that can resist flames rather than combusting.

Colors and Techniques Are Everything

Do you know how to use color and shade to make the most of your house or hide its flaws? Do you know how to avoid making those awkward gutters or slightly off-kilter windows an eyesore?

Most people know what colors they like. However, it doesn’t mean they are going to be able to translate that into the best possible update to their homes.

If you do all that work and go to that expense, it should be an improvement.

Here are some ideas and tips:

Bringing it Home

Hiring a painting contractor for your home exterior gives you the advantage of their experience, tools, and safety equipment.

Some contractors also have virtual makeover software resources to help you picture your new colors. Many of them will have a good eye for what your house needs to shine after painting so many of them.

Whatever your question about your home exterior, if you live in Southeast Michigan, give us a call any time. We’re honored to help.

Call Now

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There is no doubt that anyone living now will forget the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020. Everyone in the world is affected by this virus somehow, and many countries are on complete quarantine.

Schools, businesses, churches, and all non-essential services have been suspended to try to decelerate the spread of COVID-19.

Are you stuck at home with a leaking roof or pipes? Were you in the middle of a kitchen renovation when the virus made its way to the United States?

In Michigan this week, Governor Whitmer issued a shelter in place order, closing most businesses, and restraining all citizens from non-essential travel or activities “not necessary to sustain or protect life.”

As you can imagine, this order puts many businesses and workers temporarily out of work. As necessary as it is, this comes at a high cost.

However, fortunately, homeowners do not have to put themselves in danger to follow this law if their homes need repair.

Which Home Repairs Are Necessary to Protect Life?

Thankfully, for many businesses and industries, the governor’s order allows them to operate at a minimum level without entirely shutting down.

Critical home and roofing repairs fall into the category of necessary to protect life. We are here to serve you during this time if you have one of these needs.

Here are some general home and roof repairs you need to get fixed immediately.

Leaking Roof

It may seem like the worst time to have to shell out money or have a crew at your house. However, if your roof is leaking and there is water coming into your home, you need to have it fixed.

If you wait too long to get it fixed, it will become a much bigger and more expensive mess. The shelter in place order requires everyone to have working shelter, so make yours a top priority.

Damaged Roof

Roofing can be damaged by high winds, branches, animals, and general wear and tear. You don’t have to postpone a roofing job that needs to be done to safeguard the structure of your home. A roof inspection can be done without anyone having to step foot inside your home.

Leaking Pipes

While we aren’t plumbers, if you have a significant leak in your house from a burst or leaking pipe, your safety dictates that you have it fixed.

Often, with an extensive leak, there is repair work that needs to be done. Wood, drywall, and flooring may need to be ripped out and replaced.

Without that critical work, mold may develop in your house, which can be toxic to people and weaken your immune system.

Water in Your Basement

Likewise, if your finished basement has flooded, you may need emergency services to repair or mitigate the potential for mold.

Structural Repairs

It should go without saying that any major structural repairs should be done, even on quarantine.

From your outdoor structures to your stairs to your roof and everything in between: if it’s not up to code, that means it’s not safe and therefore, could cause an accident.

More accidents mean that hospitals are overly burdened during the Coronavirus outbreak. Staying safe at home is a high priority for those of us not affected by the virus.

Unfinished Renovations

No major renovation should be left undone in a house that is inhabited during the quarantine.

For the health and safety of you and your family, you should work with a construction company to make your space livable and safe – even if you have to shelter in a nearby hotel.

Bringing it Home

Stay safe out there. Take care of yourself and your family. If you have an emergency during this quarantine, let us take care of that for you.

Remember, it’s never safe for you to go on your roof yourself! If you live in Southeast Michigan, call us right away if you need help.

Call Now

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We’ve all seen it: the Smurf blue house in the middle of a block of tan or white houses.

If that is not your house, you immediately wonder how they landed on such a bold color, and why.

Did they paint the whole house before they realized how it would look and then it was too late to go back?

Most of us could avoid making that mistake, even if we live in places where local codes don’t dictate our color choices.

However, let’s face it. It is much easier to make a mistake choosing your home exterior color than it is to choose a color scheme that will make your neighbors say, “Wow, that looks amazing! How did you do that?”

Often, homeowners stay on the safe side with a palette of browns and tans, but some may say that’s boring.

It might take the eye of a professional designer to bring out all that your house has to offer and make it shine. However, here are a few tips to help you get started.

Look at What You Can’t Change

The next time you drive home, look closely at the houses on your block.

Consider how many trees are around your house, and how tall they are. How do they interact with your view of your home?

Look at more permanent architectural elements: roofing shingles, sidewalks, driveways, brick or stone features, and more.

Unless you plan to do a whole renovation, or you are re-roofing your house at the same time, your new house color will need to consider these things.

Is your roof tan or brown, or is it gray or charcoal? A brown roof has warm undertones, but a gray one has cool undertones. Your new color palette should be chosen accordingly.

Take a close look at the other houses on your block. Are they safe beige, tan, and brown?

If so, consider how much you want your home to stand out. Remember: it can stand out in a good way or a bad way.

Maybe you would like to keep to a more neutral palette for the sake of your neighbors, or perhaps you want your house to pop. It’s possible to do both!

Such things as trees, or how far back from the road, your house sits will affect the color as well.

If your house is in deep shade, you might want a brighter color to make it stand out in the shadow.

If your house is close to the street, you might not want something as bold and imposing.

Architectural Style Matters

Many types of houses support a wide variety of color choices. However, some styles look better with the colors meant to go with them.

Do you live in a Queen Anne Victorian? How about an American Foursquare, Colonial, Midcentury Modern Ranch or Cape Cod?

Paint companies offer historically accurate paint palettes many architectural styles, and that’s an excellent place to start.

It’s not always bad to think outside the box for a new color. However, it is also a good way to bring down the value of your home if you get it wrong.

Think of a Palette Rather Than a Color

There is a reason I say palette rather than color, and it’s also the reason it’s often worth the investment to hire a designer.

To make your home pop, you need more than just one new color on every surface.

A home’s exterior has many elements to it:

Often, houses have challenging elements to work around – like a chunky split level or a garage that sticks out.

Basic Design Principles: Best Color for Your Home Exterior

Here are some basic design principles:

Contrast 

Home exteriors often benefit from some sharp contrast in color. Contrast is fashionable right now with the modern influence in design, which is why muted palettes are looking dated.

The contrast could be achieved as easily as having white trim with a grey exterior. However, there is a wrong way to contrast, such as painting your front door, trim, and shutters all the same bright yellow.

Harmonious Whole

A neutral or natural palette can still look contemporary and beautiful. If staying conservative is your thing, look for softer colors and creamier whites to complete this look rather than stark white and black.

Update your tan exterior with a shade between grey and tan, often called “greige.”

Three Parts

Think of your paint job as three separate areas:

The most significant contrast should be between the trim color and one of the other primary colors. If you are opting for a neutral field color and a white trim, it’s okay to go a bit darker for the accent color.

Or let’s say you have a white house or a brick house. Let the trim color frame your home and choose one other color for the front door or shutters.

Bringing it Home

Hopefully, this little guide helped inspire you in your search for the right house color. If you have any questions about new siding, roofing or windows and live in Southeast Michigan, we will be happy to help!

Call Now

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Are you thinking about going for a different look on your home exterior?

Do you want an update that will stand the test of time and still be what all your neighbors are dreaming of?

The following are the eight most popular home exterior design trends for this year. However, we are confident these trends will continue well into the future.

2019 Most Popular Home Exterior Trends

Some of these home exterior trends are more significant home renovations. Some of them are quick fixes you could do yourself over the weekend.

Let’s look at the more expensive, lasting options first.

Modern Farmhouse Style

If you want to follow one of the biggest trends right now and re-do your whole exterior, consider the modern farmhouse style.

This style consists of board and batten siding and high contrast colors, such as white painted siding and black window frames.

Modern farmhouse style incorporates some of the traditional farmhouse elements, like gabled rooflines and standing seam metal roofing with modern lighting fixtures and open floor plans.

Mixed Natural Materials

Mixing materials on your home exterior – such as brick, stone, siding, wood, and metal – is a prevalent trend right now and it’s here to stay.

There are many ways to do this well, such as installing stone footings, vinyl or wood siding, wooden corbels, and wrought iron light fixtures.

Stone continues to be the most popular natural element to add, and it receives a high return on investment.

Front Porches & Inviting Entrances

A front porch feels welcoming. It’s a place to dress up the front of your house, and it can make a serious style impact.

By combining this trend with mixed natural materials, you can add a brick or stone front porch, or beef up the columns with timber beams for a more natural look.

Hidden entrances are one of those design trends that are definitely out. In years past, it was cool to hide your front door, but no longer.

Copper Gutters

In keeping with the natural elements theme, copper gutters have continued to rise in popularity.

Copper gutters are beautiful both before and after they acquire their natural green patina, and they have a long lifespan.

If you want to take your home’s look up a notch, consider installing new copper gutters, or painting your old ones a copper color.

Home Exterior Trends – Quick Fixes

If you are not into spending a fortune on changing the style of your home exterior, here are a few ways to up your curb appeal with 2019’s biggest trends.

Front Door

It’s time to ditch the red front door. Although it gives your house a nice punch of color, there are many other colors to choose from, and red is now looking dated.

If you are painting your door, opt for something classic like black or an unusual blue color to be on trend.

If you are getting a new door, consider something weighty but light-bringing: a glass and iron front door.

New front doors are always a high return on investment, so you can’t go wrong. In fact, a new steel door has a national recoup value of 74.9% according to the Remodeling’s Cost vs. Value Report.

In addition, glass panels can go a long way toward opening up the whole front of your house.

Exterior Color

Choosing the best color for your house can be tough. We have all seen that Smurf blue house and wondered what they could have been thinking. One thing is for sure: “painted ladies” are out.

If you have a Victorian house, unless you are on the beach, it’s time to rethink the bright color scheme.

The same thing goes for just about any other bright color out there for your home exterior. If you still want to go bold, opt for a bold, dark blue color.

Landscaping

Maybe your lush garden is your thing. However, if you have been yearning to tear out those big bushes in the front, do it.

Simple landscaping is and will continue to be on trend. A few small bushes, maybe some hostas, and a lovely window box or planter is all you need to complete your exterior look these days. Opt for dark mulch.

Address Numbers

This is a favorite weekend project because it has the potential to make a significant impact with so little.

Big house numbers are in, and not just big, but sleek and simple. Look for large, black numerals and install them in a place where they are likely to stand out. It’s that simple.

Bringing it Home

There are many ways, big and small, to improve your home exterior.

If you have any questions about new siding, doors, windows or roofing, please give us a call! We would be happy to walk you through all of the different options.

Call Today

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Is it time to replace your sliding door? Are you tired of working around a slider that stopped working years ago?

When it comes to patio doors, nothing can create the instant feeling of summer and relaxation quite like them.

Sometimes, nothing could be more frustrating than an old or cheap sliding glass door that doesn’t work anymore.

You want to step out onto your back deck or patio easily or bring some more fresh air inside.

However, you have to get the door replaced first. If it’s time to replace that door, you are probably thinking about what kind of door you would like to choose, and which doors are in your budget.

Any style of door can be called a patio door these days. Generally, patio doors are built to be more like windows to let in light when they are closed.

However, in the past, patio doors were synonymous with sliding doors.

Choosing a New Door: French Doors or Sliding Doors

Should you stay with a sliding door, or opt for French doors?

French doors have had resurgence in popularity lately. However, they are not for everyone. There are different benefits and drawbacks of each type.

Sliding Doors

There is a good reason sliding doors have remained popular. Sliding glass doors can span much greater openings in their standard widths than French doors.

In addition, sliding doors are great for use in restricted space when there is no room to open a door either inward or outward.

One drawback is that only 50% of the opening can be open to the outside at a time.

Sliding doors are at the lowest price point if you choose vinyl or aluminum.

However, with the lower price point comes the frustration of this type of door beginning to stick or not run smoothly along its track after only a few years.

Sliding doors tend to expand and contract more with the heat and cold. And cheaper materials do tend to look cheaper too.

The style itself can be a good one for midcentury modern homes with clean lines. There is no reason you shouldn’t choose a slider just because it’s a slider if you like the style otherwise.

Several manufacturers make a high-quality gliding door that will last as long as the house itself.

And don’t be fooled by those big box prices! Often the price you see advertised is for the door without hardware, additional treatments to the glass, or installation.

Once you price all that out, that good deal doesn’t seem so good, especially if the door isn’t going to last very long.

French Doors

Traditionally, French doors are hinged double doors that open outward. They can be designed to open inward according to the homeowner’s desires.

The great thing about French doors is that they allow you to use the entire opening.

The drawback is that they are limited by their maximum leaf size, which isn’t as large in the standard range of sizes as the sliding doors.

This can be perfect for smaller homes with smaller openings where you want to maximize the opening you have. They are also popular for more traditional style homes, and they can accommodate several different styles of window.

One factor to consider is cost.

French doors are more expensive than sliding doors, especially the bigger the size you are getting. If you are ready to make a more significant purchase for a home you plan to stay in forever; French doors are a good option.

For a quick upgrade before you sell your house, a sliding glass door is probably a better option.

Installation

It’s always a good idea to get a quote from a professional contractor for things like a new patio door.

Contractors can get wholesale pricing on patio doors, and their quotes will include hardware and installation.

Unless you have a lot of experience, it’s not a good idea to try to replace one of these yourself, as there are many ways to mess up and only a small margin for errors.

Bringing it Home

There are great options for both sliding glass doors and French doors for every style and price point.

Is your home located in Southeast Michigan? If you need any help finding what fits your needs, please give us a call! We would be happy to help with your new patio door.

Let’s get started

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When was the last time you stepped back and took a good look at the outside of your house?

Even though we all know by now that curb appeal increases the value of a home; sometimes the house exterior is the last place we want to spend money.

So, if your house needs updating, is there anything you can do to make a difference?

The good news is, yes!

Read on to find out how you can have an updated home exterior with a few simple steps.

How to Have an Updated Home Exterior in 5 Easy Steps

Step One: Clean Up

The first thing to do if the entire exterior of your house looks unattractive and you don’t know where to start is to clean up.

Use our home exterior spring cleaning guide and get started. You would be surprised by how much more you will like your house when it’s clean.

Here are some simple ideas:

Step Two: Replace the Small Things

You might not think to replace or repaint your front porch light or to do the same for your front door, but those are the things that actually can make the most significant impact on your house’s value.

Other ideas for updates include hardware like your doorknob, house numbers, and door knocker, and your mailbox.

In addition, you could consider planting a flowering bush or two in the right place. All the details add up!

Step Three: Update the “Trim”

If you can’t replace your siding right now, why not paint everything around it?

You can make a house look new by adding or replacing old shutters or repainting or replacing the trim around your windows and the soffits and fascia.

Just make sure you prep it correctly to avoid having to repaint in a year.

Swap out a dated color for bright white, and it looks like a new house. Window boxes are another way to add value and interest without spending much money.

Another way to update the trim on your house is by replacing your gutters and downspouts.

Are they old and falling apart? Then you need to do it anyway.

Do they blend in with your house? Sometimes this is desirable. However, sometimes you can make your home look top notch by adding new gutters.

Step Four: Windows

Dated aluminum windows aren’t just inefficient. They are not aesthetically pleasing. In addition, they are the surest way to keep your house exterior looking dated.

If you are thinking about improving your energy bills, replacing your windows may be just the thing you need to give your curb appeal the boost it needs.

Talk to one of our professionals today about styles and pricing and how to qualify for rebates!

Step Five: Consider Adding Value

Are you in the market for new siding? Perhaps you are tired of repainting your house every year. You may also want to change the entire look of your home. There are many options out there for every budget.

Vinyl and composite siding comes in many different colors, shapes, and styles so that you are less limited than ever before.

Do you want to add value as you replace your siding? Consider adding some stone elements to the front of your house. Stone is timeless and also popular right now. Adding stone will help you get a high return on your investment.

Bringing it Home

With some cleaning and a few new elements in the right places, it’s a good bet you will be a lot happier with your home’s exterior for years to come.

If you are interested in new siding, windows or gutters and downspouts and live in Southeast Michigan, please call. We would be honored to help!

Call today

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At Renovations Roofing & Remodeling, Inc., we pride ourselves in offering and providing quality home exterior services. With over 20 years of experience, our continued goal is to be number one in service and customer satisfaction.

Our services range from shingles to a whole new roofline; from new windows and new siding, to wood decks, masonry services and repairs. 

That is why we say there are some things you can confidently learn to do yourself as a homeowner. There are also things you shouldn’t try on your own.

Read on to see our list of top home exterior DIY do’s and don’ts.

Home Exterior – Do It Yourself

Maintaining Your Wood Deck

Having a deck is a perk. The summer months don’t feel complete without an outdoor meal every once-in-awhile. A deck makes an excellent place to store your grill.

However, a wood deck is a perk that comes with maintenance. Wood decks need plenty of maintenance over the years. They are prone to:

Fortunately, these fixes are within the skill of an average homeowner.

Maintaining Your Doors

Replacing, fixing or repainting a dated or broken front door is something you can do yourself. Your front door can lose its weatherstripping, sag, stick or become faded over time, and refreshing it is one of the best ways to update the look of your house.

Most homeowners should be able to hang a new door with a partner easily, replace the weatherstripping for drafts, or replace the hardware.

Adding a coat of paint in a bright color is within the skill level of almost anyone.

Landscaping

From planting a window box or arranging a planter to moving big loads of soil, mulch or landscaping stone, most landscaping is grunt work.

If you have a good eye and a sense of what makes a garden look balanced, you can save big money by doing this exterior job yourself.

Cleaning Gutters

Not only can you clean your gutters yourself, but you should also clean them twice a year.

Once in the spring and once in the fall is the cleaning schedule you need to stick to. Cleaning gutters makes sure your roof doesn’t suffer.

Make sure to lean your ladder against your house and not the gutters themselves. Use your hands or a hose attachment made for the job and remove the accumulated debris. Use the hose to check for blocked downspouts.

If you suspect a blockage, remove that section and clear it out before reattaching. Now is an excellent time to have any parts of gutter or downspout that have come disjoined or loose from your house repaired.

Pro Tip: If you are unsure how to repair your gutters or downspouts, call a professional.

Washing the Exterior of Your Home

Wood, vinyl, brick, stone, and composite siding materials can all benefit from a power wash in the spring.

Make sure you follow instructions for your power washer and be careful not to remove paint unless you’re planning to repaint your house.

Pro Tip: Never power wash your roof.

What to Leave to the Pros

Masonry Repairs

Unless you know what you’re doing, and I mean really know what you’re doing, you could do irreversible damage to your bricks by attempting to repoint your masonry yourself.

This is especially true if you have an old house. If your chimney or other exterior masonry needs repair, it’s best to call in the pros. You may not enjoy the expense, but it is best to have it done right.

Replacing Siding

Replacing your siding isn’t advised for the average homeowner.

For the professionals, it may take several weeks working full-time depending on the size of the house. It would take you a lot longer.

It’s not a task for a beginner DIYer either. It may look easy enough to slap siding on an exterior wall. However, the hard parts come when you have to fit those siding panels around your house’s soffits and fascia and make it all look effortless.

The last thing you want is a home exterior that looks like an amateur did it.

Roofing

As we always recommend, it’s not safe for homeowners to get up on their roofs. However, this isn’t the only reason we would say to leave the roofing to us.

Much like applying siding, applying a new roof requires special tools, skill, and a whole crew to get it done in a timely fashion. It also takes an experienced eye to catch any problems before they arise and to install everything correctly so as not to void the product warranties.

Bringing it Home

There are a number of home exterior projects you can do yourself and be proud about how well they turned out.

A few of these – like masonry, siding, windows, and roofing are better left to professionals. It will ensure that you do no damage to your home and that it looks great when it’s finished!

Do you live in Southeast Michigan and need a professional? Please give us a call. We are here whenever you need us!

Call today

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It’s that time of year again. The trees are starting to put out their buds here in Southeast Michigan, the sun is coming out, and the temperatures are rising.

It’s time many homeowners begin to think about home exterior spring cleaning.

Spring is a traditional time for cleaning. This is because you can see the dirt and grime that has built up after the long winter.

However, not all spring cleaning is equal. See the tips below for how to clean the exterior of your house to prolong its life without doing any damage.

Home Exterior Spring Cleaning Tips

Don’t Go In Without a Plan

If you are a new homeowner or you have never attempted a spring clean of your entire house exterior,

Improper cleaning can damage valuable property. Additionally, if you attempt something unsafe, you could end up with a severe injury.

Gutters

Don’t attempt to clean your gutters from on top of your roof, and don’t lean your ladder against them. They are most likely made of material that isn’t made to withstand this pressure. You could end up bending or breaking them.

We encourage homeowners not to go up on their roofs themselves.

Do lean your ladder against the side of your house and use your hands or tools made for the purpose of cleaning out your gutters.

Disconnect the downspouts if you suspect them to be clogged with debris. Garden hose attachments made for blowing debris out of your gutters can be found at a home and garden store.

Pro Tip #1: The Importance of Gutter Cleaning: What You Need to Know

Pro Tip #2: Warning Signs Your Home’s Gutters Need to be Replaced

Siding

Don’t do your chores out of order. Cleaning your gutters may end up making your siding dirtier. It is best to work from the top down.

Don’t use a power washer on the wrong setting. The same nozzle and pressure applied for every job could end up damaging loose siding.

Don’t just use any detergent for washing your siding before checking with the manufacturer. When in doubt, only use plain water!

Do consult with a professional before using a power washer on your siding. Find out which water pressure can safely be used on which surfaces. Otherwise, you may have to prepare yourself to repaint your house!

Do use sponges and brushes designed to remove dirt and mold build-up to make your house sparkle and prolong the life of your siding.

Pro Tip: How to Deep Clean Your Vinyl Siding

Windows

This one might be a no-brainer, but don’t wash your exterior windows without washing everything else first. You will end up undoing your work.

As with siding, make sure you know how much water pressure your window frames can withstand and don’t go beyond it. You may have to use a sponge or a brush to remove stubborn grime.

Do remove each window and clean inside the window frames, then using a solution of vinegar and water, spray each window and wipe with newspaper.

This will not only make your whole house feel new. In addition, it will significantly prolong the life of your windows.

Pro Tip: 12 Warning Signs You Need New Windows [Homeowners Guide]

Roof

Don’t get up on your roof! You can prevent doing damage to your roof and hurting yourself by following this one simple rule.

Don’t ever use a power washer on your roof! Algae may make dark stains on shingles sometimes. However, this can be cleaned by a professional company with an appropriate cleaning solution.

A power washer will take off your shingles’ protective granules and significantly reduce the life of your roof.

Do take a moment to check out your roof from the ground with a pair of binoculars.

Do call a professional roofing company for an inspection if you suspect damaged flashing, missing shingles, a leak or any other problem while it’s still a small problem.

It is much cheaper, in the long run, to fix those problems while they are small.

Pro Tip: 3 Reasons You Should Have a Regular Professional Roof Inspection

Bringing it Home

The main thing to do this spring, to take care of your house and reduce significant expenses in the future, is to put this maintenance plan on your yearly to-do list.

A simple twice-yearly cleaning of your gutters will go a long way toward preventing problems with your roof in the future.

Do you live in Southeast Michigan? Are you interested in having your gutters, siding, windows or roof replaced? Please give us a call. We would be honored to help!

Call today

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