Energy Master

Q: How much are gutters by the foot?

August 15, 2015
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Some companies try to shortcut the details of how they’re going to do your gutters by telling you a “per foot” price.  This misleads customers into thinking that a linear foot counts as a gutter foot.  Be wary of companies that offer the “by the foot” pricing. Here’s why: Marketing hype sometimes sucks people into…

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Energy Masters Wins Angie’s List Super Service Award

August 11, 2015
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It’s official — Angie’s List just came out with their “Best of the Best” contractor awards for the year 2014 and we won ! Thank you to our customers for nominating us and sending in those reviews.  It’s an honor we’re proud of. Visit Wisconsin Energy Masters homepage for more information

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Overflowing Gutters Cause Basement Problems

July 27, 2015
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Diagnosing gutter and water problems can be complex. Maryann from Cedarburg was at a loss; unable to figure out what was causing water to cascade over her gutter and come through her basement walls. THE CHALLENGE: Her challenges can be solved, but it’s going to take some changes and an understanding of why the problem…

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Understanding Hidden Layers of Roofing

July 16, 2015
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It’s unfortunate to have to say this, but sometimes home sellers and contractors will hide the amount of layers of shingles that are on a house with a special trim piece and sometimes you can’t tell until you start ripping the existing roof off.  This is more common on older homes (pre-1950). Wisconsin law requires that…

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Affordable Siding — Questions to ask

June 15, 2015
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There are multiple options for siding on the market today, with vinyl siding being one of the most affordable.  While traditional wood or some of the wood substitutes are costly, vinyl gives you multiple choices. The key to understanding how to do siding affordably, you have to first consider that your contractor has the fixed…

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Advice for Removing a Satellite Dish from a Roof

June 12, 2015
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Question: Jim, If I want to remove a satellite dish from my roof would it be a better idea to leave the sole plate in? I don’t plan on replacing the roof any time soon. Answer:  Yes, leave the plate on. If you take it off you will compromise the shingles (which can be sealed)…

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Roof Inspections — You get what you pay for

May 29, 2015
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Yesterday I saw the face of a new homeowner go ashen when I showed her what the price of replacing her roof would be.  She had a home inspection and the inspector didn’t tell inform her of the extent of her roof problems.  As part of his quickie-inspection he recommended in his report that she have a…

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Ridge Cap Shingles Important as the Rest of your Roof Parts

May 13, 2015
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Customers sometimes ask, “why is your quote higher than another contractor”?  The answer is simple — they’re not using the same quality materials or they’re shorting you on underlayments all together. I’ve gone to houses only to see that the roof would fail the inspection of any city inspector if they actually checked to see how…

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Rubber Roof Alternatives for Flat Roofs

May 12, 2015
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Flat roofs have created problems for many homeowners and business owners alike for as long as low slope roofs have been around, but the materials have changed and they’re changing again. The old mop, tar and pebble roofs gave way to rubber and TPO (the white membrane you see on many commercial buildings).  Elastomeric membranes,…

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What Causes Water To Spill Over Gutters?

April 15, 2015
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Q:   I noticed this morning, during the moderately heavy rain we had, that the rain was falling over the gutter (north side of the house, over my porch/sidewalk) in sheets. The ground below quickly became a little lake. What would cause that? Are there more “design issues” on the front that need to be attended to?…

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