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Author Alloy Gutter Categories Alloy Gutter, Contractors, Roofing, Uncategorized Posted on

Small Roof Leaks – Major Damage

A small roof leak can cause great headache and be quite costly if not fix promptly. Finding where the leak is can be hard and you might need to find a reliable roofer that will get it right the first time. Minor leaks can cause major damage. Listen to a 60 seconds home improvement radio tip and avoid roofers that give you a list of bullet points with important details missing. Ensure that you know exactly what materials the contractor plans to use. Second-rate supplies maybe cheaper, but at the end you might need additional repair that will cost you a lot of money. KEY TAKEAWAYS
  • Make sure you’re dealing with a reputable contractor.
  • Take a closer look at the estimates you’ve already received. How comprehensive are they?
  • A careful review takes time, but it can save you thousands of dollars—and loads of grief.
"Don’t let your roofer talk you into nailing new shingles over the old ones. You’re better off inspecting the sheathing below and correcting any issues before moving forward. Finally, before you sign the contract, read it over so you understand any liabilities and warranties. If anything goes wrong on the job—or after the crew leaves—you’ll know exactly where you stand." Original Source: http://www.bobvila.com/articles/bob-vila-radio-replacing-your-roof-2/?
Author Alloy Gutter Categories Alloy Gutter Posted on

Rain Run Freely – Performing Gutters Maintenance

The gutters play an essential role in protecting the outside of a house, allowing the drain water from the ceiling to the floor. When clogged with leaves, twigs, branches and other dirt or debris, the water does not drain properly and this will eventually cause damage if the problem is not resolved. Gutters need to be cleaned once or twice a year and more if the house is surrounded by trees. If you notice that the water is not flowing in the gutters when it rains, it indicates that they are full of debris or clogged. Whether you try to perform gutter maintenance manually, others rely on instruments like scoops or tongs, it might not be worth risking your life and limbs scaling a full-size extension ladder. Although, in theory, it can be cheaper to clean and maintain your own gutter, there are numerous reasons why hiring a professional service may be the best choice.
  • gutter guard option
  • reduce the amount you spend cleaning and maintaining gutters
  • weight of clogged section pulls down gutters
Continue Reading ... "When you consider the nature of gutter cleaning, and when you think about the very real physical dangers associated with working high up on a ladder, it’s easy to see why so many dread the task."
Author Alloy Gutter Categories Homeowner Posted on

Quick Tips on Building Your House From Scratch

aadads Owning a house is every persons dream. This is one of the reasons why people wake up each day and work their tails off the rest of it. "Building your own house is a primal urge, one of those universal genetic drives like the need to provide for your family." -Kevin McCloud. Today, millions of families have decided that it is better to build their houses from scratch. Building the house of your dream has the potential to be easier than ever, particularly with so many developers offering a predefined set of floor plans and options. Building your own home gives you the flexibility to have things just the way you would like. Key Takeaways:
  • Plan ahead and execute thoroughly to avoid wasting your time, labor and skill.
  • Building a house from scratch can be dependent on your own skill level. Then it can be exhausting or satisfying or a little bit of both.
  • Research ahead. Learn from the experience of others.
You must honestly assess your skill level if you are to be successful.  Some things can be learned on the fly while others cannot. It’s also been a great cure for perfectionism. It’s impossible to hit every nail squarely, and it’s okay. It’s impossible to get every decision right, let alone control the decisions of inspectors and electricians and vendors, and it’s okay. It’s definitely not for everyone. There are a TON of aspects to building a house that are really not much fun at all, and that range from the simple pain of installing itchy insulation in the sticky summer heat to the equally painful task of navigating senseless bureaucracies.
Original Source: https://www.quora.com/What-is-it-like-to-design-and-or-build-your-own-house-from-scratch
Author Alloy Gutter Categories Home Improvement, Home Maintenance Posted on

How to Properly Set Up a Fence Post

For years, it has become a tradition to set up or fix old fence posts by millions of families worldwide. Today, it has become easier to set up fence post. And no, it does not require expensive tools and very uncommon skills. However, before starting your fence post, it is important to think of long term goals to avoid wasting your time in doing such. KEY TAKEAWAYS:
  • Select the best type of wood to make more sturdy.
  • Don't make post holes too small.
  • Employ a base gravel layer to delay wood deterioration.
  • Apply caulk to fence post to safeguard your fence wood.
It’s a bona fide do-it-yourself classic: Every summer without fail, legions of homeowners grab their toolbox and head outdoors to erect a wood fence. The good news? Setting a fence post doesn’t require uncommon skills or expensive tools, and doing it right doesn’t really take much longer than doing it the slapdash way.
A well- constructed fence can protect your family's privacy and provide a curb appeal to your property. Whether the purpose for setting it up is  the former or the latter, it is important to do it in the best possible way. Original Source: http://www.bobvila.com/articles/setting-fence-posts/#.V3IldPl97Dc
Author Alloy Gutter Categories Home Improvement Posted on

7 Handy Tools for Refinishing Furniture

.l,bnm,While some furniture withstood the test of time, others may have just lost its regal presence. However, it's such a waste to throw furniture away when it can be easily restored - good as new. You may need more than just a simple scraper and paint to properly execute this though. But no worries, we are here to give you some quick tips. Add more tools to your kit with a few life hacks and you'll be able to transition worn out furniture to its former self. These are 7 tools that come in handy when you are trying to refinish your furniture: Carbide Scraper Contour Scraper 3-in-1 Wire Brush Painter's Pyramid Painter's Assistant Dust Free Sponge Sander Tack Cloth KEY TAKEAWAYS:
  • Refinishing a wooden table, chair, or dresser with paint is an economical way to breathe new life into old yet still functional furnishings.
  • The process of refinishing may expend all your energy without proper tools to use for it.
  • You can achieve an elegant finish to your favorite furniture after refinishing it.
Gone are the days of having to juggle painting tools while you teeter on a ladder in quest of a perfect paint finish. This compact carpentry companion can outmaneuver traditional hand sanders, even in small spaces, narrow channels, or tight corners, without leaving any gritty evidence behind.
Whether you simply want to refinish your furniture or transform it to a regal piece of wood, you can put an elegant finish to it with a little help from these tools. Original Source: http://www.bobvila.com/slideshow/beyond-the-brush-7-other-tools-you-need-to-refinish-furniture-50172  
Author Alloy Gutter Categories Gutters Posted on

6 Reason to Choose Alloy Gutter for Your Gutter Needs

1. Alloy Gutter has been in business since 1976 – We install residential & commercial seamless aluminum “K” style gutters. 2. Alloy Gutter services a very wide expanded are in Michigan – We service from Port Huron to Grand Rapids, and we service from Toledo to Flint. 3. Alloy Gutter offers same day/next day scheduling – We are able to get to jobs in a very short timeline. 4. Alloy Gutter represents your company on the job site – Alloy gutter services homes and contractors. 5. Alloy’s gutters and leaf protection come with an 18 month warranty on our labor – This means if you have any leaks or issues associated with the work we’ve done on your home, we will come out and fix it free of charge within 18 months of original install. 6. Alloy Gutter has office and installer professionals that are available to you YEAR ROUND. Alloy Gutter has been proven through the test of time. Our services are available to all of our customers. Please give us a call if you need any gutter work done!
Author Alloy Gutter Categories Gutters, Seamless Gutters Posted on

Top 5 Reasons To Keep Gutters Clean

Gutters are a significant part of your roofing system and it is crucial that you perform regular gutter maintenance. Your gutter system is designed to redirect the flow of water off the roof and away from your home. However, it is very common for leaves, branches, and other debris to obstruct water flow and cause the gutters not to perform to their full potential. Gutters When your gutters are full of junk they fail to do their job properly. To reiterate, the job of your gutters is to drain water away from the house. If water is not properly drained away from your home, an array of issues can arise. Listed below are 5 top reasons we think you should clean your gutters out regularly. Sagging Gutters – The number one issue we get repair calls for is sagging gutters. If you have the weight of debris in your gutters along with the weight of water you have a recipe for disaster. If you don’t take care of this issue by winter the water will freeze causing the gutters to become extremely heavy. Over time the screw in brackets will loosen and pull away from the fascia board (or rotted fascia board) causing them to sag and eventually fall of the home, resulting in you having to shell out money to get them fixed. Rotting Wood – What happens when water has cannot drain properly off the roof? The water will back up on the fascia board. Water seeping into your fascia board will cause that board to rot. Rotting wood does not look good on any house. And if that rotted wood isn’t taken care of you can expect it to cause substantial damage to the structure of your house, which meaning big money to repair. Mold – Nobody likes the word mold. In fact you tell any potential home buyer that your house has mold you won’t be selling it anytime soon. Again, when water has nowhere to go and sits for a long period of time mildew and mold will begin to form. After a while that mold will spread and mold is difficult to remove causing you to spend your hard earned money on something that could have been avoided. Water Staining – When there are leaves, dirt, grime and filth clogging your gutters there is nowhere for water to drain. Water will drain over the gutters and down the gutters themselves leaving stains. The water will, in time, stain the walls underneath the gutters. Eventually you’ll end up with gutters and walls that look dirty. Pests – I have not met one person in this world who has told me they don’t mind mosquitoes. Mosquitoes absolutely love standing water. If you haven’t cleaned your gutters in awhile I can guarantee you will have created the breeding grounds for hundreds of mosquitoes. Mosquitoes aren’t the only pest that likes standing water, ants, termites and other vermin will find their way to your roof line and maybe even into your home. Save yourself the frustration from all these issues and clean your gutters regularly. If you don’t have the time to do this job yourself, give us a call at Alloy Gutter. We will be happy to assist you.
Author Alloy Gutter Categories Leaf Protection Posted on

Leaf Protection: A Great Idea For a Housewarming Gift

My daughter and her husband will be house shopping this spring. After several years of saving up for a down payment, they are now ready to start looking for their first place. No matter what size or style of home they pick, I have the perfect house warming gift for them! These new homeowners will not be rookies when it comes to maintaining a home. They have been renting a house for 4 years and they are well aware of the yard work and other exterior chores that it takes to keep up a house. This means that they will really appreciate any gift that puts an end to the not so fun chore of gutter cleaning. Leaf-Protection Leaf protection for your gutters may seem like an unusual gift choice. However, I know it will be much appreciated. Every spring and fall they will no longer be climbing a ladder to scoop out piles of wet leaves. A bonus for me is that I won’t even have to go shopping for this great gift. All I have to do is give Alloy Gutter Company a call and they will take care of everything. Once Alloy has finished the installation, the new homeowners will be thanking me for years to come!
Author Alloy Gutter Categories Gutters, Spring Posted on

5 Signs You Should Invest in Gutters

Gutters may seem like one of those miscellaneous items that gets ignored when it comes to house repairs but trust us, it is an item that when ignored can lead to some serious expenditures. If you are on the fence about getting your gutters done, below are 5 signs that you should invest in getting the work done. 1. Leaking – If you notice that when it rains that water is dripping from the seams or corners it is sign that your gutters need some TLC. Leaks can lead to serious problems in the future. 2. Pulling Away – The gutters will start to pull away from the fascia board if there is too much weight in them, they will also pull away if water has been getting behind the gutter causing the fascia board to rot and the screws to pull out. When this happens you will want to call us to correct the issue before more damage is done 3. Trees in the Eaves – Gutters need to be cleaned annually at the very least. When you fail to maintain your gutter, you will eventually start to notice little plants growing in them. Your gutters were definitely not intended to become flower pots. 4. Holes – If you notice that your gutters have developed holes, this is the most obvious sign that the gutters are no longer doing their intended job. Gutters with holes will eventually cause mayhem to your landscaping and foundation. 5. Holding Water – Gutters should have a slight pitch. When gutters have had debris in them for a while the weight of the debris can cause the pitch to be off. This leads to having standing water left in the gutters. If this happens, the water can be a breeding ground for bugs and mold. We are happy to come out and assess any issues you have with your gutters. We are committed to solving your gutter problems. Give us a call at 734-374- 2100.
Author Alloy Gutter Categories Gutters, Rain, Water Management Posted on

Water Always Wins – Unless You Give Alloy Gutter Company A Call

Keeping your gutters clean and in good repair is not a task many of us enjoy. However, ignoring leaking or overflowing gutters can end up costing you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. Let’s take a look at some of the many problems that occur from deferred gutter maintenance. Soil erosion is usually the first thing you will notice. This happens when gutters overflow and create a waterfall. The waterfall will soon leave you with a divot in your lawn. It can also turn into a muddy mess after a rainfall. A less noticeable issue is rotting fascia board. This happens when water flows behind the gutters and the fascia board becomes saturated. It doesn’t take long for the wood to rot and the gutters can actually pull away from or fall off of the house. Shortly after the soil erosion and rotting fascia board comes the wet basement. The water-saturated soil will eventually result in a swimming pool in your basement. This is the end result of deferred gutter maintenance or replacement. It really is quite simple to avoid all of the above issues. Keep your gutters clean and watch for eroded soil or water overflowing during rainstorms. Also, check your gutters to be sure they are securely attached to the house. If you notice any of these issues, give Alloy Gutter a call. We want to take care of any problems before you have water in your basement.
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