Home Improvement articles & resources » Home Improvement Resources & Tips

Replacement windows | Replacement windows prices | Replacement window types

Mike — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:30:01 +0000

With rising heating and cooling costs for our homes and with no sign of relief in the future, it’s no wonder why many homeowners are always continuously looking for cost effective ways to reduce the energy efficiency of their homes. Now, having this in mind, one of the most cost effective and long-lasting ways to do this is by replacing your old drafty worn out windows, with new vinyl replacement windows. Having vinyl replacement windows installed in your home, will help considerably in producing the maximum benefit of reducing your homes heating and cooling bills. To

I know replacing your windows may sound costly, but it really isn’t! In fact, one of the biggest advantages to having vinyl replacement windows installed in your home is their low cost. A typical window installation here in Massachusetts, can run you between 300-550.00 installed, plus the cost of the window itself. Most of these windows can save you up to 40% in your homes heating and cooling bills. So for example, the average cost to replace windows for a typical home is roughly 7,000 to 8,500 including the cost of the windows with window installation. With these numbers in mind, let’s do some math..

8,500 x .40 =3,400.00 right? 3,400 dollars will be your savings in your heating and cooling bills over a period of time. So how long will it take to recoup the cost of replacing your windows? Let’s see, here in New England where we can have some crazy cold weather, our heating and cooling costs can range from 300 – 500 monthly, depending on the size of your home. So let’s take the amount of replacement windows savings and calculate the time it would take to recoup the replacement windows cost..

500.00 x .40 =200.00 right? 200.00 x12 =2,400 per year in savings, not too shabby huh? But, we want to know when we will recoup the final cost? So let’s take the 2,400 number in annual replacement windows savings and see what we come up with.

2,400 x 3.5 = 8,400 ! So you see, you can recoup the cost of replacing your windows in roughly three and half years. That doesn’t seem to long to wait! And in the mean time, you’ll see savings of 2,400 dollars per year! I know what I could do with an extra 2,400 bucks…

But how do you know that it’s time to replace your windows?

As a replacement window contractor in Massachusetts, I know many ways I can determine when it’s time to replace your windows, and what will give your home the best looking, and highest performance for a replacement window. There are many tell tale signs that are visible from the interior and exterior view of your windows frame. Many of which are:

Failed seals around your windows, creating a steamed look to your window, or a foggy look;
Lack of insulation around the window;
Caulking around the windows interior and exterior cracking and pulling apart;
Single pane glass, having single pane glass is a dead give away. If you have single pane glass windows, it’s time to replace them –enough said!

Take a look at this picture below, you can see the effects of a failed seal in a window can do! This was a past project we did this past August, we ended up replacing all of their windows. Forgive me for the poor quality of the photo.

Now that you can see how single pane glass can become a nightmare and will cost you money in the long-term –wouldn’t this be reason enough to replace your old windows for high quality energy efficient windows? As a home improvement contractor, I can tell you this, wood frame windows with caulking around the single pane glass is inefficient and will deteriorate over time, furthermore, reducing their ability to save you money and keep out air and moisture.

So what type of replacement window should I choose?

I realize that it can be hard trying to choose what type of replacement window to choose from, I’ll do my best to make your vinyl replacement choice an easy one. Replacement windows do come in a wide variety of colors and styles, as well as pricing, so take into consideration the style and decor of your home. Having a replacement window contractor install these windows for you can take away the daunting task of shopping around for a window. In most cases, your windows can be installed in a single day, in return you won’t have window installers at your home for weeks.
Below are a few top rated replacement window manufactures, because of their energy efficiency and ease of maintenance and durability. More and more homeowners are choosing these vinyl windows brands when it comes to comparing replacement windows in their homes. Vinyl replacement windows are proving to be the top choice in the window replacement market today – for clearly obvious reasons.

We will start off with Harvey replacement windows

Harvey Vinyl Replacement Windows

Harvey vinyl replacement windows are known for their high unsurpassed performance. Having Harvey windows installed in your home and like many that I’ve done in the past as a window contractor, have offered reliability, energy efficiency and beauty. Harvey’s windows feature quality window craftsmanship, multi-chamber construction, 100% virgin vinyl that will offer a true through and though everlasting white color, that if scratched, wouldn’t be visible. Harvey replacement windows also offers the top of the line block and tackle balances, that never need adjustment and the convenience of tilt-in sashes for easy cleaning and maintenance.

Classic Vinyl Double Hung Windows

The Harvey classic double hung windows offers the homeowner with a wide variety of colors, styles, options, and performance to choose from. The classic double hung window is what you see in many homes across New England, whether it’s a ranch, cottage, or a historical victorian home, a double hung window from Harvey is a great choice.

The classic double hung window comes with a sleek clean look with welded seems for superior window frame performance, with an unmatched air tight seal to keep wind and water where it belongs –outside!

Factory calibrated block & tackle sash balances never need adjustment or lubrication
Locking half screen with non-glare charcoal aluminum wire
Insulated double hung windows with 7/8″ PPG Intercept® warm edge spacer system provides 10% warmer indoor glass temperature
Interlock at meeting rail and double weather stripping for a triple seal
Ventilation limit latches keep top or bottom sash partially open
ENERGY STAR® qualified with optional Low-E/Argon glazing
Available in an acoustical double hung window to reduce unwanted noise

Marvin Replacement Windows
Marvin replacement windows makes an aluminum clad and wood interior window, that offers low-maintenance and high quality frame materials. Marvin replacement windows are made with strong and secure side rails and frames. They offer fair prices for their window lines in my opinion. They also carry the “ultimate double hung window” which is their new product line, and one of my favorites as well.
At (MBM) Construction, we recommend Marvin wood interiors for the following reasons:

Marvin windows are solid. Marvin windows are more stable and heavy duty than most other window manufactures. Their frames are built well to exceed most expectations and uses.
Marvin windows are sleek and attractive, They come with a sleek decorative bead molding that surrounds the glass, giving their profile a smooth and clean appearance.
The snap in grid system has a spring loaded pin that seats itself in the bead molding of the sashes. The snap in grids are reasonably priced and gives a sleek look to your window. Other options are divided lite mullins ( grids that give the appearance of divided panes of glass) they are available in many styles and variations to your liking.
The exterior of Marvin replacement windows also come in a unique variety of colors, 19 aluminum colors to be exact. The interior wood of the window, comes in a generous variety of wood species: Mahogany, Douglas fir, pine – primed or not primed.
Marvin now offers a hidden tilt feature that enhances usability from their previous model — I like this feature a lot. It comes available in half or full screen models.

Andersen 200 Series Replacement Windows
Andersen Windows Double Hung Windows are a great way to add value and visual appeal to your home. Andersen Windows Double Hung Windows are functional with great design to give you the best of both worlds. Andersen Windows Double Hung Windows are a great investment. You’ll want to make sure you are choosing the right replacement windows for your home and your budget.
Narroline Double Hung Window
Andersen Windows Narroline Double Hung Windows are a great way to add value and visual appeal to your home. We have provided you with a list of some of the benefits of Andersen Windows 200 Series Narroline Double Hung Windows.

Neat and trim line design.
Larger glass area lets in more light.
Andersen Windows Narroline Double Hung Windows feature natural wood interiors.
Attractive low maintenance Perma-Shield® exteriors.
Low-E or dual-pane insulating glass for optimum temperature control.
High-tech weather-stripping.
Wide range of sizes.
Variety of grilles & insect screen options.
Andersen Windows come with a renowned limited warranty.
One of the largest service networks in the industry.

Tilt Wash Double Hung Windows
Andersen Windows Tilt-Wash Double Hung Windows are functional with great design to give you the best of both worlds. We have provided you with a list of some of the benefits of Andersen Windows 200 Series Tilt-Wash Double Hung Windows.

Solid, dependable and efficient. Convenient tilt-in cleaning.
Andersen Windows Tilt-Wash Double Hung Windows feature natural wood interiors.
Attractive low maintenance Perma-Shield® exteriors.
Andersen Windows Tilt-Wash Double Hung Windows come with either low-e or dual-pane insulating glass for optimum temperature control.
High-tech weatherstripping.
Wide range of sizes.
Variety of grilles & insect screen options.
Andersen Windows come with a renowned limited warranty.
One of the largest service networks in the industry.

The federal tax credit of up to 1,500 in energy efficiency

All of these window manufacture’s listed above sell windows that meet and exceed the requirements to receive your federal tax credit rebate of up to 1,500.
To get your $1,500 tax credit, you need to shop smart. Many windows and doors out there don’t meet the new requirements—even some high-end brands you’ve heard of. A lot of companies haven’t processed or don’t even know about the new tax credit. There’s a lot of confusion about this right now—you don’t want to be left empty-handed.
Here’s what you need to do: Make sure that any replacement window or door you buy has a U-Factor and SHGC of .30 or less. If the window company won’t show you the NFRC sticker certifying the ratings, walk away. If you’re unsure or suspicious, visit the NFRC at www.nfrc.org. You can verify ratings in the product directory or contact them directly.

If you are looking for a professional Massachusetts replacement windows company, then please call us today at 781-856-2001 or complete our “>online request form.

How to Fix a Heaving Deck

Mike — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 02:27:02 +0000

How to Fix a Heaving Deck

A reader wrote in with questions about why her deck is heaving up and down though seasonal changes

Dear Mike,

Two years ago, my husband and his good friend built a above ground deck for our home. All has been good, except last winter we experienced our deck start to heave upwards quite noticeably. Then in the spring, my deck returns to normal. My husband has looked under the deck for damage, nothing out of the ordinary so far. So my question for you, what causes my deck to move up and down like that?

Laura,

Manchester, NH

Dear Laura,

Thank you for writing in with your concerns regarding your deck problem. Without having a set of your existing deck plans and concrete footer depths, I can only give you a broad answer. I’ll do my best to give you some examples and solutions of what should have been done to avoid your deck heave.

Main Causes:
The most common causes of deck heaves, are caused by not having your concrete footers set deep enough below the frost line. In order to know what depth you should set your concrete footers, you should first check with your local building department. Your building department will provide you with a table chart based on your exact location. Here in Massachusetts, we have to dig our footings to a depth of 48″ inches, to be below the frost line.
How can frost make a deck heave?
How can frost make a deck that is so heavy move upward? Most all types of soils contain water and when that water freezes, the water expands to 9% it volume. The result of this volume increase, can have the ability to exert up to 50,000 lbs of pressure per square inch –now that a lot of power!

Solution:

Laura, to accurately solve your problem, tell your husband he’s gonna have to get dirty – grab a shovel and start digging! Tell your husband to follow these steps below.

Visit your local building department and get a copy of your building code’s footer size, depth, frost line chart;
Set up temporary bracing to support the area in which you plan to excavate, to evaluate your existing footer depth;
If your existing footer is less than the required footer depth, you need to re-pour your concrete footers, so set up temporary bracing around your entire deck;
Go back to your building department and apply for a building permit to repair your footings. Why? Because a building inspector is trained to properly evaluate the depth and size of your footers, to ensure the job is correctly done to code before you pour new concrete – you don’t want to do this 3 times, do you?
Once you have removed and dug out all of your holes to the proper depth and width, compact the soil with a tamper, so the soil isn’t loose on the bottom;
Go ahead and shovel in a few scoops of crushed stone around the perimeter of the footer hole;
Next, install your new sonotubes but don’t place it completely on the bottom, allow enough room so the concrete when poured can mushroom out – picture having a mushroom upside down;
Don’t pour any concrete just yet! Have your building inspector come out and evaluate your size and depths of your footers, once you pass then you can pour concrete;
Start reassembling your deck posts with electrogalvanized post brackets and hardware;
That’s it, you’re done!

wood vs composite decks

Mike — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 10:40:27 +0000

Wood vs Composite decking – how do you choose?

As a home improvement contractor and a builder of decks in Massachusetts, I’m often asked “wood vs composite decking” what’s the best choice in decking material? Well, when you are doing your research on wood vs composite decking, you need to ask yourself what level of maintenance are you willing to do in order to maintain your deck. In my opinion, wood vs composite decking both have their advantages and disadvantages.

Composite Decking Material

Composite decking material also know as “plastic wood” is made from recycled wood and plastic as an environmentally friendly option that is growing in popularity. Benefits like durability, color and low-maintenance have increased the replacement of natural wood for your deck. Other benefits, composite decking doesn’t require painting and staining. The only maintenance that needs to be done is to wash it a couple of times a year. Composite decking will cost you about 25-35 % more depending on the chosen material over the cost of traditional pressure-treated wood decking. In the long run, the amount of money you save out weights the up front cost of composite decking.

Wood Decking Material

The most common building material for outdoor decks is still wood – mostly pressure treated decking and lumber (southern yellow pine). Pressure treated lumber is created by forcing chemicals into the wood under intense pressures – hence the name pressure-treated. These chemicals act as preservatives for the wood and help keep moisture out and prevent rotting, decay, and insect damage. Pressure treated wood is highly recommended in areas where the wood needs to come in contact with the ground, like in fences or posts, or concrete footings. Other popular woods for decking include redwood (which resists decay naturally), red cedar, and mahogany. Wood decks do take more work to maintain, so plan on a regular system of painting, sealing, and cleaning.

Once again, wood vs composite decking would be entirely up to your preference in deck maintenance. I never heard anyone say that a wood deck that isn’t properly maintained can’t last 20-40 years. So like I said, do a little research and evaluate your maintenance requirements.

For a Massachusetts deck contractor -or- NH deck builder

mahogany stain

Mike — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 10:39:32 +0000

Mahogany decking comes in a wide-range of species and color, supplied by many countries around the globe. However, not all mahogany decking are alike. The type of mahogany decking you’ll find most here in Massachusetts and in the rest of the country will refer to — American Mahogany. American Mahogany has a very deep rich reddish color that most have come to enjoy, especially in New England where I’ve constructed many of these decks. American mahogany decking comes from primarily Mexico, Central and South America

Generally, Mahogany decking has been viewed by many contractors and homeowners for its decking being a hard and highly durable. Since mahogany decking is a harder more dense wood, it has the tendency not to buckle, split or warp. Also, please note Mahogany decking will be a little more expensive than pressure-treated decking, however it’s well worth the investment and looks great to home-buyers and is durable.

Fastening materials for securing Mahogany decking

As a deck contractor here in Ma., I prefer using stainless steel screws for decking installations. Other types of fasteners may not penetrate to well or not hold up to well. However, pre-drilling holes is mandatory if not using a nail gun. Even with stainless steel nails, they will bend trying to simply nail them into the mahogany wood decking. I found with using stainless steel hex head screws, you’ll ensure the maximum bond between your decking and the frame.

When installing the mahogany wood decking, I found it aesthetically most attractive to create a picture-frame on the outside perimeter of the deck surface using long Mahogany decking boards.

Once the outer frame is installed, then the main Mahogany decking boards can be simply installed within this outer framework. The result is a cleaner line when viewed from a distance or standing on the deck itself.

Regarding the mahogany railing system, screws and bolts should be used exclusively as the material use in this part of the deck is typically thicker and requires more rigidity.

Staining or Sealing Mahogany Wood Decking

Mahogany wood decking takes paint and stain well, however I have preferred to apply a clear sealer. The clear sealer enables the natural red color of the Mahogany decking to shine through, while still providing a layer of protection from the environment. Typically I re-apply the clear sealer every year to continue to preserve the color. If you do not, the Mahogany will bleach out.

If you live in Massachusetts or Rhode Island and in need of a deck contractor, feel free to click on any highlighted link on this page, and you’ll be directed to my website.

Custom deck and porch contractor Massachusetts & Rhode IslandTechnorati Profile

Finish-carpentry-techniques

Mike — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 10:38:08 +0000

Custom built railings

Finish carpentry is one of many projects more and more home owners are doing on their own. A few reasons for this would be because of the economy and lack of money, or because of the amense availability of finish carpentry and home improvement information that is accessible. Sometimes even with all the information through books, videos, or the web people still have trouble figuring out and calculating tough angles and precision with finish carpentry. More reasons for this is because it is a type of craft that requires actually doing it and learning the different variables and problems involved with finish carpentry. For example, hanging doors, shimming, leveling, or just every time a stick of trim wood goes up and having to adjust complex angles. Some of the most common problems may include crooked framing, crooked floors, crooked walls, or maybe even something like extra wide jambs. Here I am going to give some advice and tips to help explain some of these variables and problems you might encounter while doing your own finish carpentry.
Trimming doors or windows
One common problem when installing the casing trim to the door or window, is the jamb does not come out flush to the sheetrock of the interior wall. This is particularly true in many older homes where horse-hair plaster can be found . One way to fix this problem, is by grabbing your hammer and hammering down the horse-hair plaster or sheet rock until it’s flush with the jamb. And another way is by adding furring strips to your door or window to increase the width of the jamb.
When Hanging Doors
I’ve found that instead of first hanging the door without trim, it’s best to install casing trim on one side makes installation much faster and easier in most cases. This of course does not hold true every time but for the most part it does. Be sure to case the side which goes to the inside of the room. To make it even quicker some times you can order or buy these doors precased on one side straight from the factory, store or lumber yard.

When trimming windows for the first time

Trimming out windows does take a little patients and practice so take your time with the miter cuts. Pay close attention to your reveals, you want the trim to be close to uniform as possible but, if you do need to adjust it a little bit to tighten up a miter that is okay as long as its just a small adjustment. The reveal is not as eye catching as seeing a wide open loose miter cut –so take your time. Have a look at some of your friends and families finish carpentry, you will see a wide variety and quality of work. However, some of the quality finish work looks really nice, and some is so bad you wonder how anyone in their right mind let it pass. I can almost be certain that your finish carpentry won’t be absolutely perfect every time so know your tolerances and what your expectations are that you will except from yourself. A good trimmer (finish carpenter) knows his tolerances well.
When Using hardwoods

When using hardwoods such as Maple or oak, try your best to stay away from the knots when nailing. If you shoot a nail close to the knot, you risk splitting the wood, and don’t nail directly into the knot otherwise good luck getting the nail out. Don’t fret if you happen to shoot a nail near a knot and the wood splits, in that case you can and in most cases fill it with wood filler.

Closely Match your Wood

For example, let’s say your working with oak. The color and wood grains in oak can vary quite a bit, so try to plan ahead of time by matching your wood to the project in hand to have a better finish look. For pieces of oak that don’t match quite well, try to use them in a less conspicuous place, such a closet or linen closet. This applies to any kind of project involving wood, not just oak.
When Taking Measurements

I find that in finish carpentry, it’s best to cut your piece of window or door trim to rough lengths, followed by marking with a pencil the area in which you intend to cut. In doing so, will give you precise and more accurate cut and having to less rely on the measuring tape.

I hope my tips on finish carpentry can help you along the way to completing your home improvement project. Just remember, take your time and dry fit everything to see how it fits before you nail it together.

For a finish carpenter in Massachusetts & Rhode Island – Hire us to do all of your finish carpentry needs

energy efficient replacement windows ma

Mike — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 10:36:25 +0000

Tips to Save Money This Year With Energy Efficient Doors

Exterior doors are the main focal point to your home when entering and existing your home. Therefore, purchasing a energy efficient door is a perfect place to start when trying to reduce your home heating/cooling costs. Down below I have some tips & tricks of the trades to give you more insight from a contractors point of view, and to better help you understand what to buy to recieve the 1,500 tax incentive.

Look For The Energy Star Label

Always, when buying a door, window, insulation, roofing and appliances, look for the Energy Star label. Energy Star is collaborative program between the U.S Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S Department of Energy, and their goal is to provide families and businesses across America with more energy efficient buildings. The doors and windows and other building supplies are put through a rigorous test to ensure their energy use, and only energy efficient doors and windows receive the label. So when your out looking for a new replacement windows and doors, look for the blue label.

What makes a door more energy efficient?

To receive the new tax rebate your door must meet certain requirments

In order to receive the newly updated tax rebate, your door or window must have a U-Factor of .30 or less to qualify. What is a U-Factor? U-Factor is a measure of the door or window’s overall energy-efficiency, many door and windows have U-Factors of .31 or .32 – those don’t qualify!

Furthermore, your energy-efficient door or window must also have a Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) OF .30 or less. Having a low SHGC will block the blistering heat that comes through the windows in the summer, reducing your the load on your air conditioning considerably- reducing cooling bills. Once again, .31 or .32 don’t qaulify! It has to be .30 or less!

Let’s look at other ways we can reduce our heating bills without buying a new door

With heating/cooling bill only on the rise, these helpful and cheaper tips will go a long-way in saving you $$$.

1. Test your existing door for air-leaks by inserting a dollar bill inbetween your door and close it. Next, try to see how easily it can be removed from the door. If the dollar bill removes easily, then you need to replace the weatherstripping around the inside of your door-jam.

Applying weatherstripping to your doors and windows, can reduce your heating/cooling bills by up to 10% – just with that home repair!

2. Check to see whether or not your door-sweep is working properly with the same dollar bill trick. If not, I think you already have the solution to that problem.. The door-sweep is located at the bottom of your door right above the threshold as you step in to your home.

3. Check your mail-slots to verify whether or not you need to apply weatherstripping to the back side of the mail-slot.

4. Look at the glazing on your windows, check to see if the sealant has worn out or not – if so, then repair it.

5. Step outside and have a look around your windows or door trim to see if there are any voids, holes, cracks, if there are any, seal them up with exterior caulking.

My final thoughts:

I hope these tips have been helpful in your goals to saving $$$ this year in energy efficiency savings. However, as a fully licensed & Insured contractor here in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, I can give you in home consultation and estimate for any of these home improvements described here – hassel free!

For energy efficient windows or energy efficient doors – click on any of the highlighted links provided free of charge!

MBM Construction

Mahogany decking

Mike — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 10:34:25 +0000

Fastening materials for securing Mahogany decking

When installing the mahogany wood decking, I found it aesthetically most attractive to create a picture-frame on the outside perimeter of the deck surface using long Mahogany decking boards.

Regarding the mahogany railing system, screws and bolts should be used exclusively as the material use in this part of the deck is typically thicker and requires more rigidity.

Staining or Sealing Mahogany Wood Decking

If you live in Massachusetts or Rhode Island and in need of a deck contractor, feel free to click on any highlighted link on this page, and you’ll be directed to my website.

Custom deck and porch contractor Massachusetts & Rhode IslandTechnorati Profile

How To Do a Roof Repair

Mike — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 10:32:52 +0000

There’s nothing more aggravating than coming home and finding a yellowish stain on your ceiling caused from a roof leak, or worse, having to place buckets under the roof leak. Having a roof leak is a problem you want to solve immediately, or risk further damages and higher costly roof repairs.
In this article, I will explain to you how to do simple repairs to your roof. I’ll show you what procedures to use and what tools you’ll need to properly fix your roof leak correctly and safely. The faster you address your roof leak, the less likely you’ll have to worry about having rot, mold growth, and also, having mushy wet parts of your ceiling falling down damaging your rug or floor.

Roof Evaluation

1. The first step you want to take in evaluation your roof leak, is to go up into your attic with a flash light, measuring tape and a notebook. This way here, you can write down exact locations of your roof leak.
2. The second step you want to make is, shine your flash light up and along the rafters of your roof. You want to look for stains on your sheathing/underlayment. If there isn’t any stains to be found, this might be the first leak, and you
might not have any mold or underlayment damage. Next, have a look around your roof rafters, the ridge of your roof for anything wet, or damp. Once you’ve located the problem, or haven’t located the problem, don’t stop there!
3. Step three, have a look at all of your mechanicals, I.e vents, ducts, bathroom vents, etc.. You never know, you might not have a roof leak at all – That beats climbing on top of a roof! Feel around your duct work, be sure there isn’t any holes or penetrations in the duct work that would cause a leak. Locate your bathroom vent, be sure there isn’t any water trapped in the vent lines, or holes that could be the cause of your leak.
Use Caution

Once you have finished evaluating your roof, mechanics, and roof leak location(s), proceed to follow my roof repair guide. Note: If you don’t have the proper tools or skillset to repair you roof, hire a professional roof repair contractor. A roofing contractor has the proper skills and balance to climb on your roof and repair safely and correctly. So use caution when attempting your roof repair, you don’t want to risk a serious injury, or become paralyzed.
Tools required to perform a roof repair

* Strong ladder, one that can extend past the gutter line safely and efficiently

* Roof jacks with strong wood planks to safely stand upon

* Roof flashing

* Roof cement

* Roofing nails

* Hammer

* Flat-bar

* Roofing shingles

How to repair your roof
Once you have properly set up your equipment and located the roof leak, proceed to do the following steps.
1. Grab your flat-bar and start to gently lift up your damaged roof shingle, use illustration below.
Once you have safely lifted up your damaged roof shingle, follow this step.
2. Final step, grab a piece of metal flashing to cover the damaged area, one that extends past both tabs of the roof shingle. Once you have inserted the metal flashing under your roof shingle, dab roof cement under the metal flashing and on top of the metal flashing, to correctly bond the shingles together. Have a look at the illustration below.

Once you’ve finished the steps to repairing your roof, test your repair the following day to feel reassured you correctly solve the roof leak by doing a water test with your garden hose. This step takes two people, so have one of your buddy’s stay up in the attic while you spray your roof with water. If it passes the test, pat yourself on the back for a job well done!

Once again, if your roof is too steep, or you feel your not up to the challenge, hire a professional roof repair contractor. And if you’re located in Massachusetts or Rhode Island, Hire us to do your roof repair MA, RI !

If your flat or low slope roof is leaking and needs to be fixed, hire a flat roof repair contractor specializing in rubber roofs, modified bitumen and rolled asphalt roof repairs, and servicing all of MA, CT and RI.

Bamboo Flooring

Mike — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 10:31:54 +0000

If your next home improvement project involves updating your floors with the environment on your mind, than look no further than “solid bamboo flooring.” Bamboo flooring has been recognized for its hardness, durability, and for being “eco-friendly” to the environment. This awareness for being environmentally friendly and its renewability is why bamboo flooring has been steadily growing in popularity.
What makes Bamboo Environmentally Friendly

Bamboo is actually a type of grass that can mature into a material that can rival many hardwood floors. Bamboo is a fast growing plant unlike most hardwood trees that are used for flooring, bamboo can be harvested for use within just five years of being planted; regular hardwood trees can only be harvested after they are about 40 to 60 years old. Bamboo is also incredibly resilient and once cut down will continue to grow year after year as long as the plant is taken care of. This is what makes bamboo such a renewable source of flooring material, and why it’s often associated with environmentally minded choices for flooring.

Carbonized and Natural Bamboo Flooring

Bamboo flooring is available and produced in two choices of colors – carbonized and natural flooring. The colors of bamboo flooring is determined by their manufacturing processes which involve boiling. Carbonized bamboo flooring has the appearence of a smokey, carmel color in which is the result of longer boiling processes. Natural bamboo appears to have the looks of a creamy blonde color give that look a feel of warmth and brightness to the interior of your home. If I had to choose between the two, I would choose the Natural bamboo. During the boiling process, Natural bamboo remains to be the harder bamboo flooring – 30% stronger over carbonized! Either way, both bamboo flooring styles can be as hard as natural maple or oak flooring.
Strand-Woven Bamboo Flooring

Strand-woven bamboo flooring is a manufacturing process that leaves very little wasted. The excess bamboo material left over from the filleting process which goes into making natural and carbonized bamboo flooring are compressed, intertwined and bound together to make Strand woven flooring. The binding process of strand woven flooring is a safe, UV resistant and scratch-resistant resin which also makes the bamboo even more resistant to moisture. The manufacturing process of compression results in a very hard, very durable type of bamboo flooring that has grain patterns that are more like those of a hardwood floor.

Once again, if your next home improvement involves updating your floors, and you have the environment on your mind – consider bamboo flooring as your way of saving the environment.

Deck flashing

Mike — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 10:30:35 +0000

Learn the correct way to properly install deck flashing before attaching the deck ledger board

When building a deck onto your home it is crucial to properly install deck flashing above, behind and below the deck ledger boards. As a home improvement contractor, I’ve personally seen what can happen to a deck that never had deck flashing or improperly installed deck flashing. Deck flashing protects water from seeping behind the deck ledger board and from becoming trapped in between your ledger board and home wall sheathing. If water becomes trapped between your deck ledger board and home sheathing, rot, mildew problems will quickly grow into a big problem in the future. I’ve seen decks that didn’t have flashing or improperly installed flashing begin to detach from the home — that’s not the kind of deck I want to have BBQ party on!

What is deck flashing?

Deck flashing is a thin piece of metal that comes in rolls of length, ranging from 8″ inches by 50′ feet and upto 24″ inches by 50′ feet. The most common types of deck flashing you will find at any local home center is Copper, Aluminum and Vinyl deck flashing.

What kind of deck flashing should you use?

I prefer to use Copper for any type of deck construction I do – you can a also use vinyl flashing. In recent times you could use Aluminum flashing until they changed the way they preserved pressure-treated lumber. The manufactures of pressure-treated decking and lumber used to infuse the wood with a chemical preservative called “chromated copper arsenate (CCA) for protecting the wood. They have since banned that procedure for a much more safer process of wood preserver alkaline copper quat ( ACQ ). Although the new pressure-treated lumber is much safer and less harmful to the environment, the chemicals in the pressure-treated lumber are more corrosive to the hardware.

When building a new deck using

pressure-treated lumber as your framing members and supports, be sure to install copper roll flashing behind the ledger, and also use hot dipped galvanized nails and hardware for your structural fasteners. Hot dipped galvanized joist hangers, nails, lagbolts and post brackets are resistant to the corrosion, and the chemical reaction caused from ACQ.

How to install deck flashing?

It’s actually quite simple to install deck flashing. For example, if you’re building a deck using 2×8 as your ledger board you will want to purchase a roll of copper flashing to the width of 12″ inches. Just follow the steps below.

If you’re building a deck to the width of 10′ feet, you want to cut the copper to the length 10′4″ this will allow plenty of room to run past each end of your deck ledger board.
Next, remove the first coarse of siding so you can install the deck flashing up and underneath the first coarse of siding.
Followed by tacking the roll of deck flashing up with staples or roofing nails, then proceed to install your deck ledger board. Have a look at my photo below for a better idea.

If you look closely, you’ll notice

how I like to take extra precaution when installing deck flashing behind the deck ledger board. You’ll notice how I will use grace ice and water shield protectant to run just below the top of the copper deck flashing. Or let me rephrase that, you’ll notice the copper deck flashing running up and behind the grace ice and water shield ( the black stuff above the copper flashing ).

Another view from the underside of the deck, to give a better idea of how the deck flashing should run smooth across the underside of your deck

Here is another picture view of how you want to run your deck flashing outwards away from the deck ledger board. This way here, no water can penetrate from the sides of your deck ledger board.

Here’s what the deck frame looked like as I was building it.

Here’s what the deck looked like with the pre-primed pine wrapped around the deck! I’ve been constructing all of these decks for this big sub-division, among other projects for this builder.

And finally, the composite deck construction using composite decking, wrapped in pine, with the proper deck flashing ledger board technique.