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Home Window Replacement: Questions To Ask Your Contractors

Replacing your windows is a significant investment to make for your home and one that shouldn’t be done by the homeowners themselves. With that in mind, you’ll have to call your trusted window contractors to do the job for you. Before you sign the dotted line on the contract that they give you, however, there are a few questions you should ask to better understand the process and avoid any misunderstandings.

In this post, we will discuss the important questions every homeowner should ask their window replacement contractors.

Can I get An Itemized Estimate?

One of the first things you should do as you have a window contractor examine your home is to ask for an itemized estimate. This will allow you to see what expenses you can expect for your window replacement project such as the parts, labor, and even clean up. If your contractor is as reputable as they claim they are, they should have no issue with giving you this breakdown.

Do You Have License and Insurance?

This is one of the most important things you should ask a contractor that you plan to hire. Most states require contractors to have licenses to give homeowners a degree of protection should any issues arise. This is the same for liability or workers’ compensation insurance. With these two things, both the homeowner and contractor are protected from any problems.

Do You Offer Finishing As Part of The Installation Package?

Not all window installation contractors offer finishing services so make sure to ask your contractor what services they include. Check the itemized estimate if the services they perform are listed there as well to prevent any misunderstandings in terms of costs.

What Type of Warranty Do You Offer?

Even if your windows are well installed, it’s still possible for various kinds of issues to eventually rear their heads such as moisture damage or wood rot. Before you sign the contract, get the details of the warranty policy in writing in case you ever need it and keep the contractor’s contact information nearby just in case.

How Long Will The Project Take?

Depending on the window you order, the project can take a few months to complete so knowing how long your windows will be out of commission will work in your favor. By having a general timeline on hand, you can be at ease as the project is underway.

Is Disposal of The Old Windows Included In The Estimate?

Like finishing services, not all window companies offer disposal of your old windows so make sure to ask this question upfront. If your chosen contractor doesn’t include disposal services, ask if they will consider adding it for an additional fee and if not, ask for a recommendation for services that can haul away the old windows.

Make your search for the windows and doors company easier by turning to us. We are your leading provider of window replacement and installation services. Give us a call or fill out our contact form to request a quote.

Why Choose Metal Roofing?

Posted by : Anthony Mcdonalid Metal Roofing Metal Roofing, Why Choose Metal Roofing?

We are always asked what the benefits of metal roofing are. Due to this, we have compiled a list of five important and beneficial factors that metal roofing will provide to your home or business.

1) Save on Lifecycle Costs

A study that analyzed the overall life expectancy of metal roofs found that they had an expected service life of 40 years vs. 23 years for asphalt and 20 for single-ply. Another study placed the lifecycle cost of metal roofs at 30 cents per square foot per year, compared with 37 cents for asphalt and 57 cents for single-ply based on expected service life. Owners recorded spending 3.5% of total installed costs on maintenance for metal roofs vs. 28.5% for asphalt and 19% for single-ply over the expected service life.

Inherent qualities of metal roofs help account for these differences. Today’s standing-seam metal roof systems are proven to supply weathertight performance for 40 years or more. The roof acts as a monolithic steel surface covering the entire building.

Attributes of these roofs can include:

Roof clips that securely hold the roof panels to the structural members, with the flexibility for the panels to move with expansion and contraction caused by daily and seasonal temperature changes
Weathertight sealing, with 180 degrees of the roof panel seam field-rolled to complete a 360-degree Pittsburgh double-lock seam, also impregnated with sealant
Factory punching to ensure proper alignment of the roof panels, paired with heavy-duty fasteners
Splices staggered to prevent exposed seams and leak points that are located directly over supporting steel to withstand foot traffic and snow loads
Steel-rod bracing that will not stretch or sag, allowing the roof to retain its original strength and tightness
Roof curbs and openings engineered at the factory and fasteners concealed inside the curbs to eliminate leak.

These metal roofs in many cases can be applied directly over aging asphalt, single-ply, or metal roofs to restore weathertight conditions and provide long-term building protection.

2) Conserve Energy

Although durability and low maintenance help keep long-term costs down, a sound roof design also helps save energy and generate substantial savings over a building’s life. As part of a tested assembly, a standing-seam roof system can result in energy savings of up to 40%.

The roof is often the least energy efficient part of a building. Heating and cooling typically consume about 30% of a building’s energy, and half of that results from heated or cooled air lost through the roof. A well-designed and properly installed roof helps reduce those losses and maintain more consistent interior temperatures.

3) Reduce Air Conditioning

Metal roof systems can also function as cool roofs, assisting owners to save money by repelling, rather than absorbing, the sun’s heat during summer. This can ultimately cut down air conditioning costs.

Roofs painted in light colors reflect more solar radiation and reduce the roof temperature. Infrared reflective pigments allow roofs to reflect significant sunlight even when darker paints are used. In addition, on over cast days or after sunset, metal roofs give up their heat faster than other roofing materials.

Cool metal roofs perform well even when compared with white membrane roofing. Studies show that a metal roof system is more effective than conventional roofs in reflecting the sun’s rays and in preventing solar heat transfer into a building.

4) Add Sustainability

Renewable energy plays a growing role in buildings, and the potential for rooftop renewables is great. A Renewable Energy Laboratory has estimated that some 67 percent of commercial buildings have rooftops available for solar water heating. Whether for thermal energy or electricity, quality metal roofs accommodate solar panels without requiring penetrations that could compromise roof integrity.

Steel roofing is also 100% recyclable, and the steel in a new or retrofit roof will contain 25-28% recycled content. Conventional roofing materials, on the other hand, are frequently disposed of in landfills and sometimes classified as hazardous waste.

5) Improve Property Value

Roofs that improve energy performance not only save on monthly utility bills, but they can also help buildings command higher rents and selling prices. Markets are taking notice that energy-efficient buildings carry economic advantages.

Metal roofing systems can add value to buildings and renovations on many levels, from proven longevity and reliable weather protection to energy code compliance, operational savings, carbon emission reduction, enhanced occupant comfort, and higher property values.

Consider Installing Seamless Gutters In Your Home

Posted by : Anthony Mcdonalid Seamless Gutters Consider Installing Seamless Gutters In Your Home, Seamless Gutters

Gutters are important to protect the architecture of your home. This is because they drain away water that may leak through into your attic, harm your roof, or weaken the foundation of your home. In this article, find out why seamless gutter can make for a great choice to protect your home together with your peace of mind.

Appearance

Depending on the style you want to achieve with your home, you may prefer the seamless look of seamless gutters. This feature can add to the exterior aesthetic of your property. Take a look or research at images of seamless gutters to get a better idea of what you can expect and if you feel they’re a good fit for the look you want to achieve for your home.

Cost

Another great thing about seamless gutter installation is that it’s not an expensive endeavor. One of the main reasons for this is the fact that the gutters can be made with vinyl, copper, aluminum, and which are all on hand. Even better is that these affordable materials are known for lasting a long time and their overall durability.

Safe

Seamless gutters are installed according to your individual specifications. That means there’s less chance of experiencing a poor fit, which can cause a lot of issues after your gutters have been installed. The custom-fit lends itself to the seamless nature of the gutters.

Pest Prevention

You may have heard of pests such as rodents and bugs infiltrating a home through the roof. There’s less chance of this happening with seamless gutters because they lack demarcations and sections. Yes, that’s no guarantee you’ll never have pest problems, just that there’s less of a chance of that problem originating from your roof.

Now that you know a bit more about the advantages of seamless gutter, you may feel it’s a great fit for you and your home. Reach out to a local roofing company or professional remodeler if you’re interested in learning more.

How Regular Gutters Compare to Seamless Gutters

If you are like most homeowners, you probably don’t think about your gutters all the time. Well, you should. Your roof’s drainage system is essential to supporting the overall health of your roof and home. If you are debating regular gutters vs. seamless gutters for your gutter installation, here are some things you should know about:

The Pros of Regular Gutters

Manufacturers of regular gutters design them for a piece by piece installation. As a result, they possibly are easier to install than seamless systems. With the ease of installation, regular gutters often are affordable. Similarly, these systems come apart, making repairs easier.

The Cons of Regular Gutters

While regular gutter systems commonly appear in new and older homes, they do have some issues. First, they are prone to corrosion at the seams. Often leaves collect where gutter pieces come together. If those leaves stay wet, rust can begin to eat away at the gutter system. Similarly, during the gutter installation, painters must paint each piece of gutter. If you must replace a piece later, the replacement section will require painting. Often, it will not match since paint fades over time.

The Pros of Seamless Gutters

Seamless gutters have notable advantages over regular gutters because they have no seams. In that case, they resist rusting, as no individual area is particularly susceptible to rust. Even better, since these systems are complete units instead of individual pieces, they will give your home an aesthetic and trendy look. Finally, these gutter systems do better in colder climates where ice expansion and contraction can be likely to destroy regular gutters.

The Cons of Seamless Gutters

The biggest issue of a seamless gutter system is that you probably can’t do it yourself. Fortunately, experts are available to give you a great-looking, durable, and long-lasting gutter system.

While both regular gutters and seamless gutters do the same job, they each have pros and cons. By studying each system before you schedule a gutter installation, you will get the best gutters for your home.

Warning Signs for A Sewer Line Repair

Posted by : Anthony Mcdonalid Sewer Line Repair Sewer Line Repair, Warning Signs for A Sewer Line Repair

When plumbing problems arise in your home, it’s not always easy to pinpoint exactly where the problem exists. Some plumbing issues have obvious signs, while others do not.

The need for a sewer line repair usually makes itself readily apparent. Slow drains, gurgling noises coming from your bathtub, sewage smells, and sewer water backing up into the tub when flushing the toilet are all warning signs that you have a clog or serious problem in the main drain line for your home. When this happens, it’s best to take care of the problem immediately, as sewage can spread illness, disease, and in some cases, even death.

Sewage line backups can cause many problems in your home and cost a lot of money in repairs for the damages. A sewer backup is certainly no fun, but it can easily happen to anyone because it’s common for plumbing fixtures in a bathroom to empty or feed into the same main sewer line. Therefore, if there’s a blockage, sewer water can emerge from these main drains.

How do you know when there is a problem with the sewer line? The most common red flags are:

Rising Water Costs

We may use more water for a wide variety of reasons from time to time, but if the situation is getting very bad, there may be a sewer leak. A single sewer line leak can waste huge quantities of water and significantly raise your water bills. It’s a good idea to contact your plumber to carry out a leak detection to make sure and then fix the problem.

Multiple Clogged Fixtures

Every now and again a fixture may clog and require a clog removal. This should only happen as an isolated incident, and if multiple fixtures, such as toilets, showers, and sinks, are all clogging at the same time there may be a sewer line leak. This may seem trivial, but you will soon get tired of clearing clogs throughout the home constantly using your plunger. The sewer leak will also be causing problems in other parts of the home so take this as a timely warning a call a plumber.

Fluctuating Toilet Water Levels

If you notice that the water levels in your toilets are fluctuating when they are not in use this is a good indication of a sewer line clog. There may also be air bubble released into your toilet water from trapped air in the sewer line. Eventually, the clog may get bad enough to block the sewer line entirely, and dirty water will be pushed into the home. This is unsanitary and very messy to clean up.

Insects and Vermin

When a sewer line has broken or cracked, it will create room for insects and/or vermin to nest inside. Eventually, you may notice that there are mice or bugs crawling around inside your home as they worked their way up to sewer line. This can be very disconcerting and unpleasant, but a plumber will be able to fix the break and correct the problem for you.

If you’re experiencing one or more of these signs, call in a professional plumber to check and service your mainline. It is rare that an entire system would need to be replaced by excavating.

It’s very important to call in a professional for cleanup if you think sewage has come in contact with your home’s forced or central air-conditioning system. It is also vital to maintain adequate homeowner’s insurance, including sewer backup coverage in the event of damage from a sewer backup. For most insurers, sewer backup coverage is affordable.

A mainline helps transport wastewater from the home to underground sewer mains. A clog can lead to a raw sewage backup coming out of the drains, causing significant damage and resulting in sewer line repair or replacement. Water damage and health conditions can occur if the issue is not addressed. Understanding how to respond to the warning signs can save you time and money.

How To Choose A Local Landscaping Services Near Me

Posted by : Anthony Mcdonalid Landscaping Services Near Me How To Choose A Local Landscaping Services Near Me, Landscaping Services Near Me

You have spent a lot of time planning out your dream landscape design. Between Pinterest or Google searches and you have thought out every square inch of your transformation.

Now you have a big decision to make: Which landscape company will help turn your creative vision into a reality?

To save you endless hours of search, in this article, we’ve provided some helpful guidance on how to find local landscaping companies in your area.

How Can I Find Local Landscaping Services Near Me?

Talk to Neighbors and Friends

Have a neighbor or friend with an outdoor space that you admire. Ask them if they currently work with a local landscape provider or have in the past. The added benefits of this approach are that you have a chance to see the provider’s work firsthand and can hear about the client’s experience directly from the source.

Browse Landscape Design Communities

When it comes to discovering fresh ideas for your outdoor space, landscape design communities are a valued resource. But what many homeowners don’t realize is that these communities can also connect you with local landscapers for your project.

5 Important Questions To Ask Before Hiring A Landscaper

Hiring a qualified, professional landscaping service for your residential property is a good investment. But beware, not all landscape contractors are the same. It’s vital to choose a company that can take care of all your needs. Here are some important questions to ask when interviewing landscape contractors for your project to help you determine which company is right for your home.

1. Are you a full-service or maintenance landscaping company?

Not all landscaping companies have the same services. Full-service landscaping companies do design and installation work, and general landscaping services. Maintenance landscaping companies take care of your landscaping but do not design or plant. If you want more than simply cutting your grass or trimming your hedges periodically, then you will need full-service landscaping who can then provide maintenance on the work that they do in your yard.

2. How long have you been in business?

It all goes back to reliability. Experience matters a great deal with landscape companies. More than just how long they’ve been in business, consider the caliber of projects they’ve completed and who they’ve worked within the past and who they work for today.

3. Do you have a specialist on staff?

Your landscaping company should have a specialist on staff for your project. Sometimes that means special licensing and sometimes it is just experience. A professional company will have just what you need.

4. How long will the project take?

It is important to know a timeline so that you know when you will have workers at your home and what to expect. Most landscape turnarounds are 3-10 days. That varies based on the size of the project.

5. Do you maintain what you install?

If you’re going to hire a professional landscaper to install a new landscape or improve some special feature areas in your landscape, you will probably need someone to provide maintenance services after the installation is complete. The top landscape contractors offer customized maintenance programs to follow their installation work. Thus, you get the benefit of continuous service from installation to your maintenance team, who should be very familiar with all the unique details of your landscape.

Deciding Between Landscaping Services Near Me

As you do your research, you may find many options for landscaping services in your area. Before you make a decision, you’ll want to compare options and ensure that the company you choose provides the exact results you need. This will ensure that your home looks its best while offering the greatest return on investment.

6 Factors That Affect Your Septic Tank Pumping Schedule

Posted by : Anthony Mcdonalid Septic Tank Pumping 6 Factors That Affect Your Septic Tank Pumping Schedule, Septic Tank Pumping

Septic tank pumping is one of the most important parts of septic system maintenance. Your septic tank collects sediment, filtering out liquids to be passed into the drain field and treated to be released as clean groundwater. To do its job correctly, your tank needs to be periodically emptied of its solid. Most homeowners with septic tanks know that they need to pump their tank roughly every 3-5 years, but there are many different factors that will affect your recommended pumping schedule.

What’s septic tank pumping?

Basically, one of the processes to maintain your septic system is through septic tank pumping. Your septic tanks need to be pumped at least every three to five years, depending on a great number of factors including the amount of wastewater that gets out of your home every day and the number of people in your household. The septic system generally deals with human waste and wastewater, which means that you have to be extra adamant when it comes to system effectivity and efficiency. Without septic tank pumping, substances inside may solidify and could stay intact for years. With their increased buildup, you’ll most likely experience backing up and clogging, and it’s not only dirty and disgusting, but it’s also very delicate, too.

Household size

One of the main factors in determining your pumping schedule is the size of your household. The more people that are in your home, the greater the waste will be produced. As a result, larger households will need their septic tanks pumped more frequently to address this extra waste.

Guest Usage

Everybody has guests in their home, but if you have regular guests it could affect your pumping schedule. If you frequently rent out a room in your home as an Airbnb or another rental, expect that your tank will collect more waste. If you always have guests staying with you for one reason or another, you will have more waste collecting in your septic tank and require more frequent pumping.

Water Usage

The water usage in your home will affect the frequency at which you need to pump your septic tank since the more water you use; the more wastewater will be created that your septic system will have to work on. The size of your household will impact water usage, but it’s not the only factor. If you make attempts to save water in your home, you will need to pump your tank less often.

Tank Size

The size of your tank can impact your septic tank pumping schedule because of the smaller the tank, the quicker it will fill up, meaning it will need to be pumped more frequently. For the most part, the septic tank is determined by the size of the home and the household it will hold. However, your home may have had an addition to allow for extra bedrooms, increasing the household size your tank was originally designed to hold. For this reason, the size of your septic tank can impact your suggested pumping schedule.

General Use

If you use your septic system properly, you will need to pump it less frequently than if you don’t. If you flush things you shouldn’t down the toilet, such as cat poo or feminine products, you will need to pump your tank more frequently to get rid of these items that can damage your tank. If you dump food and grease down your kitchen sink, these items will also cause more frequent pumping. If you generally take care of your septic system, you’ll need to pump it less often.

Garbage Disposal

If you have a garbage disposal, it will greatly affect your septic tank pumping schedule. Septic system companies advise against having a garbage disposal if you have a septic tank because allowing food into your septic tank will disrupt the tank’s bacteria balance. This balance of bacteria is responsible for properly breaking down the solids in the tank. However, if you choose to have a garbage disposal, you will need to pump your tank much more frequently because waste in your tank will not break down as easily.

Local Marketing & Ways to Increase Your Organic Traffic

Posted by : Anthony Mcdonalid Local Marketing Local Marketing, Local Marketing & Ways to Increase Your Organic Traffic

Lead generation for your business depends upon the number of visitors you have on your website. How many visitors can your website attract organically every month? Are you happy with the results or want it to increase so that your business can have more leads? It is a challenge for many business owners that how can they boost their organic website traffic. Your internet marketing company or Local Marketing company will help you in generating organic traffic for your website but still, you can check out the fowling with them. It is amazing the difference that a marketing company can do to bring quality leads in. No more wondering if the phone will ring or if you will generate enough money to pay your staff.

Check Your Website Speed

The speed of the website plays an important role in optimizing your website. You want to be sure the pictures you load on the website, for example, aren’t the largest size possible. That definitely will slow down your computer. It is important not only for getting a good ranking but also is important to provide a good user experience. Now the focus is much more on U like never before. When websites load fast and search results are found easily google ranks those websites better.

In order to speed up your website speed, you need not do much. Just visit the Google page speed insight tool and diagnose the speed of your website. There can be other tricks you can try that your marketing gurus can help you with. You can also find there the elements that will help in improving the speed. Discuss those with the internet marketing company and they will take care of the rest.

Remove any low-quality pages

Most websites have pages that have little or almost no content. What is their use and how will the visitors react to that? Even Google crawlers will not able to crawl such pages. Thus, check out if you have any of the following in your pages

Old blog articles or news that is outdated
Content that is not relevant at this moment or is seasonal.
Any page which does not has importance at this moment
Pages with very few contents

By locating such pages and removing them from your website your organic traffic efforts will improve fast. Also, consider the content of each page as it is King and when you do not have engaging content you cannot expect to excel.

Review your URLs

The URL structure is most important for SEO and fetching organic traffic to your website. If you have a flat URL structure your website is outdated. It should be logical as it helps visitors and search engines to understand your business better.

By the term, logical structure means there will be a hierarchy. Like any service page related to HVAC must have domain/services/HVAC. Further, if it’s related to repair then it will be domain/services/HVAC/AC repairing

When the website is structured in this way it becomes easier to navigate and more organic traffic is attracted.

Sod Installation & Maintenance Tips

Posted by : Anthony Mcdonalid Sod Installation Sod Installation, Sod Installation & Maintenance Tips

Sod Installation

Tacoma Landscapings pros have a couple of tips and continue with one realization: laying sod is hard work. You will want to put on suntan lotion out on a hot day. They suggest:

Wear clothes that are casual, relaxed and surrender to getting dirty.
Drink lots of fluids.
Don’t think about a hat or sunscreen.

Lay down your sod lawn in narrow strips, starting with the longest continuous straight edge (whether it’s your house, the driveway or the sidewalk). Lay in straight lines as you continue, but stagger the short ends in a brick-like pattern so that you don’t have a long seam. It is more aesthetically pleasing and having long seams facilitates the channeling of water and lets seams come apart and reveal themselves.

As you lay sod all over the area, tightly assembled in pieces, leaving no gaps. To fill in the gaps created by your brick pattern, take a sharp knife to cut bits of sod. The knife will also slice heads and odd forms around the sprinkler. Clear all pockets of air. Use a one-third water-filled lawn roller. Or there’s a low-tech alternative: walk with your feet close together cautiously yet methodically across the grass. You want to allow the fresh sod to make good contact with the topsoil that underlies it.

When sloped areas are included in the grass, they must be staked. Sod staples are cheap and available at most garden centers for this reason.

Common laying mistakes with sod:

Buying sod too early
Overlapping sod
Leaving gaps between the sod that was planted
On cliffs, not staking grass
Allowing the soil to be too deep by sidewalks and driveways, there revealing the edges
Too little or too much watering

Water and fertilize your sod

Unless you keep a close eye on the water needs of your new sod, all this hard work will go for nothing. You must water shortly after laying sod to ensure your sod does what it’s supposed too.

Expect watering slightly but frequently during the establishment period. Check to make sure that the water is in the ground beneath the sod pieces through the sod pieces and an inch or two to encourage a deeply rooted, lush lawn.

Nor do you want it to dry out or stay moist. Note, dry is poor, mud is better, moist is good to build a green lawn.

Sod with roots

After a few days of steady watering, this is what you want to see: roots are growing. At this stage, you can change to deep watering from regular, shallow watering.

Check by lifting sod corners during this period and resume watering when the sod starts drying out. You will soon see the roots bursting through the sod pieces ‘ edge. The sod will begin resisting your gentle pull at the corners soon after that. You can then return from the watering and go to a watering schedule regularly, but deeply to a depth of about 6 inches of water, so the roots are encouraged to expand. Ice early in the day to prevent disease and evaporation.

Once the new lawn reaches a height of 3-4 inches, you can mow the yard, but do so gently. Those still-tender roots should not be pulled out, but either you or your lawn care specialist should turn the mower on the pavement rather than on grass. Mow tall to promote a root system that is solid and strong.

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