To understand which is recommended, you have to first understand which each type of ventilation is. Active ventilation actively draws air our of the attic. There are several types of vents that can do this. Passive ventilation relies on convection. Heat rises, and if you have a balanced system where the intake is equal to…
Read MoreYet another gutter protection company called today with an offer to make me the exclusive dealer for their product. Companies that hawk metal gutter protection just don’t get it. It gets cold in Wisconsin. Metal gutter protection conducts cold and contributes to icicles. There are many different types of gutter protection out there and…
Read MoreYes, gutter protection works if you plan it well. Here’s a short list of what to consider before buying gutter protection. Tree types Tree species Roof Slope Climate Zone Sometimes a salesman will come into your house and show you one product that is supposed to work in all cases. The reality is that there…
Read MoreOne of the most often neglected parts of insulation are the rim joists — that cavity in basements where the floor meets the concrete wall. There are a couple options for insulating rim joists. Traditionally, homeowners pack them with batt insulation. Rock wool or fiberglass are the most common types of insulation used for these…
Read MoreNo. You should count yourself among the lucky ones. Here’s why: Your house needs to breathe, and more accurately, in the cases of soffit, your roof needs to breathe. A roof is supposed to breathe in from the soffit, and breathe out from the exhaust vents. The same air we breathe has dust in it.…
Read MoreYes. Vinyl siding, regardless of the quality, will expand and contract with temperatures. Darker colored siding will expand more, lighter colors will expand less. This is also why it is important to assess what time of year you are having your vinyl siding installed. Here’s some of the challenges that can occur in different seasons:…
Read MoreOf all of the ways that contractors can drive up their profits, skipping the drip edge flashing is unwise and is likely to hurt the homeowner down the road. Drip edge is a piece of flashing that goes on the gable ends (also known as rake ends) of a home. Sometimes fly by night contractors…
Read MoreA good professional company can often do a complete tear-off of a roof and put the new roof on in the same day, but there are limitations and you should know what they are going into your project. Factors that can take longer Factors that speed things up Simple rooflines — every roofer loves a…
Read MoreGlass block windows add light to a space and if done well, can improve the overall feel of a room. It is an affordable option, costing less than double or triple pane windows, while not requiring the framing. Eliminating the Framing, Improving the Light By eliminating the wood frame around the window the homeowner is…
Read MoreRoofs that have a slope toward a wall create problems regularly. When the rains come, we get the calls. Why, the homeowner wonders, am I getting water in my home. More often than not, the blame goes to the architect. Architecture or even the architectural drawings can be eye appealing and even stunning. When those…
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