Clogged gutters have many destructive effects on your home. The immediate effects are damage to your house’s various components, including the roof, walls, windows, foundation, and landscaping. Fortunately, there are two ways to prevent the negative effects of gutter clogging: cleaning your gutters regularly and taking measures to prevent gutter clogging in the first place. [...]
How long does fiber cement siding last? Will it outlast vinyl, wood, or metal siding? Will it need constant attention, cleaning, and repainting? As you consider new siding for your Des Moines-area home, many questions naturally arise. Let’s focus first on fiber cement siding’s astounding longevity. […]
So much of life seems driven by choices: plastic versus paper; regular vs. high octane; roof replacement vs. repair. Many municipalities ban plastic bags, taking that decision out of your hands. Most cars can operate well on regular (and less expensive!) gasoline. But with roof repair versus complete roof replacement, you need an expert’s input. […]
When you bought your Des Moines-area home, you did not receive a little owner’s manual with a chapter called “Why Roof Maintenance is Important.” Pity, because your roof’s health is key to your home’s health. We can think of at least five reasons roof maintenance matters. […]
Your roofer’s written estimate for roof replacement costs may seem like a flimsy piece of paper, but the document requires a lot of building. Today, you can get a sense of how to estimate roof replacement cost for yourself, with these eight features. […]
Houses go together with the talents and tools of many trades, from framing carpenters to trim and finish carpenters to plumbers and roofers. New homes, built stick by stick or from prebuilt sections, go together fast — a matter of days for all the framing. Then trim and finish carpenters start adding details like doors, moldings, and cabinets. When the time is right to replace those original doors, are they easily installed? Are doors easy to fit? […]
Our ancestors knew a lot more about the sky than most of us today. However, a little ancient knowledge can save you some money and literally brighten your home. When you consider replacement windows, which windows should you prioritize? […]
What makes the sky blue? That’s a simple, two-word answer: Rayleigh scattering. What makes skylights a good investment? That’s a much more involved answer, with at least three great answers! […]
The day you bought your home was a day of mixed emotions: joy, fear, anticipation, worry. You face similar emotions on the day you sign off on a roof replacement. A little knowledge goes a long way toward soothing frayed nerves. After the bids and accepting one roofer’s estimate and signing a contract, what’s next? […]
What is the best recipe for Red Velvet Cake? A question like that is unanswerable because your “best” may not match our “best.” Similarly, asking, “What is the best residential roofing shingle” is just about unanswerable until you know what you mean by “best.” Three factors may help guide your choice of the best residential shingle. […]
