Safety Begins Here

Whether you hire a professional or perform work yourself, it is extremely important to work safely and know the dangers when working on your house. Almost all accidents that occur on job sites are preventable. Taking time to dress appropriately, prepare materials, setup equipment, use tools and materials correctly, [...]]]>

Safety Begins Here

Whether you hire a professional or perform work yourself, it is extremely important to work safely and know the dangers when working on your house. Almost all accidents that occur on job sites are preventable. Taking time to dress appropriately, prepare materials, setup equipment, use tools and materials correctly, and clean up are all crucial.  If you are a homeowner who choose to hire a professional to perform work on your house, these tips will help make sure you know what to look for in terms of safety to ensure no accidents occur at your job site.

•Proper Work Attire
Many accidents can be prevented by wearing the proper work attire.  It is always recommended to wear long pants, long sleeves, work boots, safety glasses, and even a hard hat when working overhead.  Be sure you are comfortable in your attire. If you are not comfortable when working, you may use different body movements that you are not used to and cause an accident. When working on possible lead or asbestos exposure jobs, be sure you follow all safety requirements that require you to wear Tyvek suits, booties, and hats.

•Material Preparation
No matter what trade, there are materials to be used to perform work.  Setting up materials on the job site should be out of the way of the work area and should always be organized.  Choose a dedicated area that is out of the way of foot traffic, gives you plenty of room to setup material, and is easy to clean up.  This will also help prevent accidents that may damage your materials from inadvertent actions that may occur from others.

•Setup Equipment and Tools Safely
Setting up equipment incorrectly and using tools carelessly are where most accidents happen.  Take the extra time to put up your ladder safely, making sure the legs correctly set.  Read and follow all safety warnings on your equipment and tools; they are there for a reason! If you are using power tools, always use caution for yourself and surroundings.  Make sure you are using power cords that are in correct working condition without any exposed wires. Be courteous of the job site and be sure not to damage the property.  This is achieved by simply taking your time to perform any work. When working, make sure there are not any bystanders that may be injured by being to close to your work area.  It may be necessary to post signs, place cones, and verbally alert anyone that may be near the job site.

•Job Site Cleanup
Do not forget that even though the job may be complete, you still need to clean up safely.  This includes taking down ladders, scaffolds, equipment, and tools.  Take your time to inspect the job site for dropped materials, tools, and debris.  It is obvious when someone takes the extra time to clean up the job site thoroughly.  Not only is it safer, but makes the job look that much better. You should always leave the job site cleaner than when you started.

If you have any questions, comments, or would like to receive a free estimate on any home improvements, please call Classic Gutter Co., Inc. at (708) 450-9666 today!

•When will insurance pay to fix the hail damage on your home? Getting your insurance to pay for hail damage on your home is very important to save you money.  Getting the most out of your claim requires some strategic planning.  Contacting your insurance agent, getting quotes from local, reputable contractors, and [...]]]>

Hail Damage

•When will insurance pay to fix the hail damage on your home?
Getting your insurance to pay for hail damage on your home is very important to save you money.  Getting the most out of your claim requires some strategic planning.  Contacting your insurance agent, getting quotes from local, reputable contractors, and being persistent will ensure your home gets repaired under your policy. The insurance adjuster will be the person to determine if and how much of the hail damage will be repaired under insurance.

•First, inspect your home.
If you feel your home’s siding, roof, or gutters and downspouts, have been damaged by hail, then you need to thoroughly inspect your home.  First, take a look at where the downspouts dump rain water onto the ground. If you notice a large amount of shingle material that looks like sand but is the color of your roof, then you may have some hail damage on your roof.  Take a visual of your roof and look for broken off shingles.  Next check your gutters for golf ball size dents and dings.  Be sure the downspouts are all fastened securely still.  Look on the front side of your gutters as well as inside at the bottom of the gutters for dents. Check your siding for dents and dings also.  Aluminum siding will show the most signs of hail damage.  You will notice the same size dents and dings on your siding as on your gutters and downspouts.  These are all signs that your house has been a victim of hail damage.

•Call a local, professional contractor.
The best thing to do if you suspect hail damage is to contact your local, professional contractor, such as Classic Gutter Company, Inc. at (708) 450-9666.  A professional will go over your entire house to determine what has been damaged by hail, and what needs to be replaced.  They can provide a formal estimate on how much it will cost to repair and replace the damaged items.

•Contact your home owner’s insurance agent.
After you have inspected your home, had a professional inspect your home and provide a written estimate, contact your insurance agent to start a claim.  Most claims will cover the full amount for the hail damage on your home whether it is roofing, siding, gutters, and downspouts.  The insurance adjuster may require to see your home in person to also give an estimate on how much of the damage will be covered and for how much.

•Get a few estimates.
It is always best, no matter what type of project or trade, to get multiple estimates on the repairs for your home.  This helps you get a fair price, allows you to choose the best, most qualified professional, and saves you money in the end.  We always recommend contacting a locally owned and operated company to conduct work.  The “storm chasers” or “fly by night” companies are in it ONLY for the money.  Those types of people usually do a poor job, collect the money, and are never heard from again.  If you ever have a warranty claim on your recent work, then you may be out of luck.  Check to see how long a company has been in business.  If they have been in business only a few years, there is a good chance they probably won’t be in business in another few years.

Classic Gutter Company, Inc. has been in business for 33 years.  Call us at (708) 450-9666 for more information regarding roof hail damage, hail damage repair, hail damaged shingles, or general hail storm damage.

Cleaning Vinyl Siding Cleaning the vinyl siding on your house is a task that should be completed once or twice a year. It typically only requires a few hours of your day to complete.  It can be simply cleaned with just the garden house and maybe a brush to scrub off [...]]]>

Cleaning Vinyl Siding

Cleaning Vinyl Siding
Cleaning the vinyl siding on your house is a task that should be completed once or twice a year. It typically only requires a few hours of your day to complete.  It can be simply cleaned with just the garden house and maybe a brush to scrub off some stubborn dirt.  If you put off cleaning your siding year after year, it may eventually stain.  Keeping your siding looking like new may be easier than you think.

How can I tell if I need to clean my siding?
Real simple, does your siding look dirty?  If so, then its time to clean it. If it doesn’t look dirty, then go up to it and inspect for dirt and grime that you may not be able to see from a distance.  Your siding typically gets the dirtiest towards ground level because rain can splash back up onto it.  Other areas that might get dirty are sides of your house that are subject to high winds or near large bushes and trees.

How do I clean my vinyl siding?
Most commonly the easiest way to clean your siding is with a garden hose and a telescoping brush. First make sure all of our windows and doors are closed before washing your siding.  Next make sure any landscaping items that you don’t want damaged are moved out of the way to give yourself plenty of room to work.  Then just spray down a section of the siding, scrub, then rinse!  It’s best to work from the top to bottom.  If you encounter stubborn dirt, it may require some glass cleaner or multi-surface cleaner.  Vinegar is also a nice alternative as it is not harmful to the siding.  You do not want to use any harsh chemicals on the siding because it can damage and discolor the siding.  Then you would be replacing siding instead of just washing it!  Make sure you work in only small sections at a time.  This allows you to keep track of what you have cleaned, and prevents dirt from re-drying back onto the siding. Thoroughly rinsing the washed sections is key.

Can I power wash my vinyl siding?
Absolutely you can power wash your vinyl siding.  In fact, this seems to do the best job.  There are some things to keep in mind when power washing your vinyl siding though.  Use the broadest nozzle tip you can to prevent “etching” in the vinyl.  Keep the wand a safe enough distance away from the siding to prevent damage.  Try not to power wash aiming the wand up vertically against the siding as water can sneak back behind the siding.  This may cause some water leaks in your house that you do not need. Working your way from the top to the bottom, aiming the wand downwards, is the best technique when power washing siding.

Can I use chemicals to clean my siding?
The only “chemicals” we recommend using on your siding are traditional glass cleaners, multi-surface cleaners, vinegar, laundry detergent, and bleach. Mix about 1/3 cup of laundry detergent with 32 ounces of bleach in with 1 gallon of water to tackle the dirtiest of your siding.  Be sure to rinse the areas you are working on immediately to prevent further staining.  Remember the more chemicals you use, the more of a chance you have of damaging your siding.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact us!

For any additonal comments or questions, please call Classic Gutter Co. at (708) 450-9666, your complete home improvement specialists.

5" K Style Gutter

This is the most common size gutter used on residential homes. Of course seamless 5″ gutters are ideal for both appearance and performance.  There are several different styles of 5″ gutters, but the 5″ K style looks the best, is easy to install, and is durable.  They [...]]]> •5″ Seamless Gutters

5" K Style Gutter

This is the most common size gutter used on residential homes. Of course seamless 5″ gutters are ideal for both appearance and performance.  There are several different styles of 5″ gutters, but the 5″ K style looks the best, is easy to install, and is durable.  They are secured to the house using hidden brackets that fastens to the fascia for added strength. There are 2 common sizes for gutter material thickness, standard .027″ gauge and heavy duty .032″ gauge.  Be sure to select a contractor that only uses heavy .032″ gauge aluminum because they are stronger and will hold up much longer. Standard 2″X3″ downspouts can be used with the 5″ gutters.  Oversized 3″X4″ downspouts can also be used with 5″ gutters for certain applications to flow more water.  Be sure to ask your contractor what they recommend for your house!

•6″ Seamless Gutters
6″ seamless gutters are becoming ever so popular today because homeowners are realizing the importance of properly working rain carrier systems. 6″ gutters are commonly found on commercial applications and are ideal for homes with large surface area roofs.  The 6″ seamless gutters are the same style as the 5″, K Style, but flow much more water.  They are larger in appearance, but not truly noticeable to the average person viewing from the street.  The performance however is very noticeable! The oversized 3″X4″ downspouts must be used with the 6″ gutters.

•Do you need 5″ Gutters or 6″ Gutters?
Most homes can be satisfied with 5″ gutters.  Houses with larger roofs may require 6″ gutters because they flow more water.  5″ gutters and 6″ gutters can both be used together for different areas.  Certain roof sections with different slopes, peaks, and valleys may require the 6″ gutters, and the rest of the house can utilize only 5″ gutters.  Using both 5″ gutters and 6″ gutters together does take design planning to make sure everything visually flows well and works well together. Using 6″ gutters with oversized 3″X4″ downspouts will flow twice as much water as a 5″ gutter system! Your gutter contractor can help you design the perfect rain carrying system.

•Do you need standard downspouts or oversized downspouts?
Standard 2″X3″ downspouts are the most common, however oversized 3″X4″ downspouts are becoming the new standard. The difference, other than the larger appearance, is that oversized 3″X4″ downspouts flow more water.  If you experience water overflowing with your current gutter and downspout system, then you need to reevaluate and possibly upgrade to a larger system.

•What you should look for when getting estimates on gutters and downspouts.
If you are in the market for a new rain carrier system, then there are a few things you should look for when receiving estimates.  Make sure they are specifying seamless aluminum gutters with heavy duty .032″ gauge aluminum.  Look for heavy duty hidden gutter brackets that are spaced closer together.  The more brackets used, the stronger the gutter system will be secured to your home. Does the contractor offer you the full list of colors? Make sure you discuss which colors will look best on your home.  How are they strapping the downspouts? It is important to know that the downspouts will be securely fastened with hidden mount straps for both appearance and durability.

•For more information on which size gutters and downspouts would best suit your needs, call Classic Gutter Co. at (708) 450-9666, your complete home improvement experts.

•Why do I need to vent my attic? Venting your attic is very important for [...]]]> Attic Ventilation has never been more important. Over the past decades, construction technologies and practices have improved greatly resulting in more air tight homes which saves energy.  But this has created new issues with the importance of adequate attic ventilation.

•Why do I need to vent my attic?
Venting your attic is very important for several reasons.  Not venting your attic properly can result in moisture damage, mold buildup, and poor air quality. Without consistent air flow in your attic, moisture will linger and begin to rot the wood which can result in roof damage. Check inside your attic for mold stains and rusty nails.  If you find this, then you need to look further into improving your attic ventilation performance.

•Did you know that proper attic ventilation will reduce your energy costs dramatically?
In the summer time, it is obvious that the highest level of your house is the warmest and requires more effort to keep cool.  The first thing you should look at to improve cooling performance is the efficiency of your attic ventilation.  When the sun heats up your roof, the attic heats up just as quickly, unless you have adequate air flow to exhaust all of that hot air out of your attic.  The insulation between your attic and living quarters will provide enough barrier to keep things cool.  That is if you are flowing enough air through your attic.

•How do I know if I have proper attic ventilation?
Ventilation is a system of intake and exhaust. Air follows the path of least resistance.  Make sure your home has one consistent type of ventilation system.  If there are multiple systems, then the strongest system will rob the performance of the others, making the system not work properly.  The easiest way to check if you have proper attic ventilation is to first check to see how many vents you have in your soffit.  Ideally you want a 2 to 1 Ratio of intake to exhaust.  This means you want the intake to be able to flow twice as much air as the exhaust.  This allows for best performance in any weather situation.

•How do I tell if my soffit and roof vents are weather tight?
Some ridge vents without external baffles have been known to leak.  The wind blows up your roof into the ridge, forcing the water down the vent.  That is the opposite of how you want your roofing system to work.  Take a visual on all of your roof vents whether they are ridge vents or mushroom or static vents to see if it looks like they may be allowing precipitation in your attic.  Look for deformed vents, missing shingles, or missing baffles.  Check your soffits for leaks by making sure that they are securely fastened.  They should not sag or be easily moved.  Remember they can endure some strong wind driven rain and you don’t want them to allow rain in!

•What types of roof vents are the best for attic ventilation?
They are 2 basic types of roof vents.  The most common which is typically cheaper, but doesn’t look as ideal and doesn’t perform as well are mushroom, or static, vents.  However, for large roofs, they may be required for added ventilation capabilities.  Another vent type is ridge vents. They span all they way across the peak of your roof, allowing for maximum air flow.  They are almost invisible from the street as they blend right in with your roofing system. Ridge vents may not always be feasible so be sure to ask your professional. Powered attic vents may also be required.

•Did you know that the snow on your roof should not melt during the winter?
So many people don’t realize that when it snows, you want the snow to stay on your roof!  If it melts, then you have attic ventilation or insulation problems.  With a properly vented attic that flows a lot of air, you will have snow on your roof all winter long.  This is because the attic is the same temperature as the outside. If your attic isn’t insulated properly, then you can lose heat from your home, which in turn heats up the attic, melting the snow.  This is the #1 reason why so many people have ice build up on their roofs and gutters!

•For any additional question about attic ventilation and insulation, please call Classic Gutter Co. at (708) 450-9666, your complete home improvements contractor.