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Frozen Downspouts

By rempferconstruction
Dec-10-2015
Damage Prevention, Gutters
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Frozen Downspouts Frozen Downspouts. Ice happens in the winter months. You cannot prevent mother nature for happening but you can prevent the amount of build up that is left to freeze. Frozen downspouts can happen and when they do, this is the best course of action to take. Frozen downspouts; Now what to do. Typically in this part of Virginia, a cold snap doesn’t last too long unless there is snow involved. Check the weather. If the temperatures are rising above freezing in a couple days, let it go. As long as your gutters are clean and free of debris you should be fine and the ice will melt and water will move away from your home, like normal. If the ice is building up at the bottom of your downspout, clear the snow away from it and this will give the ice/water room to move. If the weather seems like it will be at or below freezing for a while. Take some action. Heavy frozen ice can cause a lot of damage and put A LOT of weight on your gutters. As the weight increases the odds of your gutters or downspouts tearing away from your home go up. This can lead to bigger fixes such as water leaks or improper drainage. A good way to unthaw a downspout that has frozen at the bottom is by using VERY hot water to melt it. If it’s frozen throughout the downspout, you can climb a ladder and pour water into the top, which can unthaw mild ice buildup. If the inside doesn’t work, try the OUTSIDE of the downspout. Never use force because this can truly mess up your downspout. Also never climb a ladder in wet conditions. It’s too dangerous and never worth the risk. For a free estimate on gutter cleaning, repairs or adding gutter guards, call us today! Our experienced team will take the guess-work out of the process, and ensure that your home is protected. Connect with us for daily inspiration, updates and information: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Tags: Construction and Maintenance, damage, Debris, Downspout, ice, injury prevention, Lynchburg Virginia, Materials and Supplies, Mother Nature, Weather, winter

Gutter Maintenance Tip #39 – Preventing Gutter Overflow

By rempferconstruction
Nov-18-2015
Damage Prevention, Gutter Guards, Gutters
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Preventing Gutter Overflow Preventing gutter overflow by cleaning out your gutters at least twice a year or investing in some gutter guards for your home. This can not only cut back on the terrible overflow issues but it can save your foundation from costly damages. When you gutters overflow, it can cause issues with wood rot, foundation cracks, and soil erosion around your home. If you gutters are overflow every time it rains, you have a problem. Sometimes your gutters will overflow if the rainfall is great all at once, and your home can take that. When it becomes more frequent, it is an issue. It can be caused from clogged gutters or improperly pitched gutters or not enough downspout outlets. Call a professional to get your gutter assessed and fix the problem today! For a free estimate on gutter cleaning, repairs or adding gutter guards, call us today! Our experienced team will take the guess-work out of the process, and ensure that your home is protected. Connect with us for daily inspiration, updates and information: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Tags: clogged gutters, Construction and Maintenance, damage, Debris, Downspout, fall, fall gutter cleaning, fall weather, gutter check up, gutter cleaning, Gutter Guard, Gutter Guards, Gutters, Gutters and Guards, Lynchburg Virginia, Rain gutter, Virginia, Weather

Heating Solutions

By rempferconstruction
Oct-23-2015
Damage Prevention, Gutter Guards, Gutters
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Heating Solutionsfor your gutters. Heating Solutions. This time of year with the leaves falling, so does the temperature. As we kick on the heaters and bring out the extra blankets there are always ways to cut back on how much you spend keeping warm. There are a few myths that we are going to explore and help you find the best solution for you and your wallet. Myth: Turning the heat off during the day is the best way to conserve energy. This can be too risky due to the fact that completely turning off the heat will let the temperature drop and can leave your pipes more room to burst. Instead invest in a programmable thermostat. During the winter schedule your thermostat to drop to 68 degrees when you’re home or lower when you are sleeping or away. You can save money this way. Myth: Wood-Burning Fireplaces will reduce your heating bills. Fireplaces are meant to heat small intimate areas not large areas. There are fireplaces designed to heat but most of it comes from a central furnace. In most cases a heater is going to be the best choice from a thermal performance POV. If you do use your fireplace to heat a smaller area make sure to have it inspected once a year. Myth: Portable Space Heaters Hog Energy. If you live in a poorly insulated home, space heaters can be an energy-efficient option to heat a small area. Some older homes do not come with central heating and a portable space heater is the best solution for heating up a space that you are frequenting. Do some research to find the best heater for you. If you home already has central heating, an portable heater can help save money if you turn down the home’s main heating system. Use it in the family room at night if your family gathers in one room for a few hours, but remember to follow safety rules like the 3ft zone rule or never leaving the heater unattended. Don’t forget to use eletric heating blankets if Myth: Having cold feet is just part of enduring the winter. Cold feet may actually be a sign that your home isn’t weatherized properly. If you feel any drafts along the floor, try to weatherstrip, caulk or seal any cracks. Also make sure that the heating vents aren’t blocked by furniture or any other objects. Consider buying an air deflector. And don’t overlook the obvious: Wear socks and slippers around the house. If you have ceiling fans, remember to switch to winter mode. For help with draft windows, or doors, give our sister company Rempfer Construction a call. For a free estimate on gutter cleaning, repairs or adding gutter guards, call us today! Our experienced team will take the guess-work out of the process, and ensure that your home is protected. Connect with us for daily inspiration, updates and information: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Tags: Charlottesville Virginia, Construction and Maintenance, gutter cleaning, Gutter Guard, Gutter Guards, Gutters, Gutters and Guards, Lynchburg Virginia, Materials and Supplies, Virginia, Weather, winter

Hail Damaged Gutter : What To Do

By rempferconstruction
Jul-27-2015
Damage Prevention, Gutters
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Hail Damaged Gutter : What To Do Hail Damaged Gutter. This time of year hail with thunderstorms is common. Though we may not think that they are very dangerous, the amount of damage they can do is quite amazing. NOAA estimates that in the past 10 years property hail damage has ranged from $482.9 million to $2.96 Billion, and since hail lasts an average of 15 minutes that’s a hail of a lot of damage. Pardon our pun. Hail Storms can damage your roof, automobiles, and other property. The larger the hail the more damage it can cause but even the smallest hail can cause quite the damage. When the wind blows it, not only your roof can be damaged but your gutters as well. If you encounter this during a hail storm we have some steps you can take to get it fixed. Before Any Storm Take some pictures of your roof as it is now. You’ll want to plan ahead to be consistent about photographing the same 3 to 4 sections of your roof over time. Be sure to digitally date the photos and keep them printed out in your files and stored digitally on an external hard drive. Contact your insurance company and find out how many “impacts per square” constitutes hail damage under your homeowner policy. Generally, it’s between 5-10 impacts per square. Keep this information, along with the contact person’s details with your homeowner policy. After the storm blows over inspect your home and automobile. Look at your roofing shingle, look for dings and damage on your car and gutters (both are metal). For Non Visible Damage Take and date photos of the actual hail from that storm. Keep a file or an Excel spreadsheet that tracks rainfall afterward. Occasionally check your gutters (and photograph them) to stay on top of roof shingle grit deterioration, a key sign that there was damage from the hail storm. Start checking for signs of exposed asphalt in your roof (that used to be covered by shingle grit). If the signs of damage are there, you’ll likely notice them after 4-6 months. At this point, you may want to contact your insurance company. For Visible Damage If the damage is pronounced right at the time of the storm, again, take and date pictures of the actual hail from the event for your records. You may want to ask your insurance company to send out an adjuster to review the damage. Based upon the number of impacts, you may qualify to have your roof replaced under your homeowner policy. If you can show before pictures to the adjuster, you may help set a reference point, again furthering your claim. Hail storms can damage gutters and gutter guard systems too. Hail can come down with such tremendous force. It can punch a hole right through the gutter. Having to be replaced. If have to replace your gutter guard, it’s a great opportunity to look at the latest advancements and not just replace it with the same product you had in the past. You’ll likely find lots of debris in the gutter, choose a system that will keep out even the shingle grit going forward. For a free estimate on gutter cleaning, repairs or adding gutter guards, call us today! Gutters & Guards experienced team will take the guess-work out of the process, and ensure that your home is protected. Connect with us for daily inspiration, updates and information: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Tags: Charlottesville Virginia, Construction and Maintenance, damage, gutter cleaning, Gutter Guard, Gutter Guards, Gutters, Gutters and Guards, hail damage, Home repair, Lynchburg Virginia, Materials and Supplies, Rain gutter, repair, replace, Roof, Storm, summer, Virginia, Weather

Summer Gutter Maintenance

By rempferconstruction
May-28-2015
Gutter Guards, Gutters, Inspiration
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Summer Gutter Maintenance Summer is fast approaching and that means the hot weather and summer thunderstorms will be soaking your gutters and then allowing leaves and other debris to accumulate since the water will dry up faster (due to heat). This is why it’s important to already have your gutters cleaned out. Another important thing to do during the summer is if you are planning on it add gutter guards! Summer is the perfect time to invest in gutter guards on your home. It can prevent clogs from happening as well as making it an easier task when fall rolls around. For a free estimate on gutter cleaning, repairs or gutter leaf guards, call us today! Our experienced team will take the guess-work out of the process, and make sure that your home is protected. Connect with us for daily inspiration, updates and information: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Tags: Charlottesville Virginia, clogged gutters, Construction and Maintenance, gutter check up, gutter cleaning, Gutters, Gutters and Guards, Lynchburg Virginia, Materials and Supplies, Rain gutter, seamless gutters, spring, Spring cleaning, summer, Virginia, Weather

Gutter Maintenance Tips #8 – Gutter Overflow

By rempferconstruction
Apr-14-2015
Damage Prevention, Gutter Guards, Gutters
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Gutter Overflow April Showers Bring May Flowers. Gutter overflow can cause lots of problems from foundation damage to water damages on your home. There are a few solutions on what the fix could be and depending on how your gutters are handling it during the rain. If the water is overflowing at the bottom of a valley this is not because your gutters are not working right, there is just too much water running to one central point. Add a divertor to split the water sending it both ways easing the run of water to the point. If they are running over your gutter guards, this is usually a pitch problem. Have your local professional adjust this. If water is running behind your gutter this could mean that your gutters are loose from your fascia. Have a professional tighten these and check for fascia for rot. For a free estimate on gutter cleaning, repairs or gutter leaf guards, call us today! Our experienced team will take the guess-work out of the process, and make sure that your home is protected. Connect with us for daily inspiration, updates and information: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Tags: Charlottesville Virginia, Construction and Maintenance, gutter cleaning, Gutter Guard, Gutter Guards, Gutters, Gutters and Guards, Home repair, leak, Lynchburg Virginia, Materials and Supplies, Rain, Rain gutter, spring, Virginia, Water damage, Weather

Spring Yard Maintenance

By rempferconstruction
Apr-2-2015
Damage Prevention, Gutters, Inspiration
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Spring Yard Maintenance Spring is here and it’s time to get the outside of your home looking as great as the inside. This means a little Spring yard maintenance. We have a small checklist to get you on the right track. Clean Your Gutters This needs to be done before you do any other type of yard work, unless you have trees above your branches that could get debris in them. For more tips of DIY gutter cleaning please view our previous post on the subject,but if you are looking for a professional gutter cleaning service ( like gutters & guards, Inc.) please call today and get an appointment set up before the spring time rush hits. Prune Dead Or Damaged Branches from Trees and Bushes Taking care of dead or damaged trees/bush branches can not only promoting a fuller plant. It can protect your home from a dead branch from falling on your home. Use the proper trimming tool to trim up those bushes. If the trees around your home are too large, please hire a professional. Clean Debris From Flower Beds And Around Plants In the fall we rake our yard to clean up the leaves but it’s nearly impossible to rid your yard completely. Clean out your flowers beds and remove mulch if you have old mulch from last year. Compost ( If you want) Why not start a small composting bin to let nature do it thing. Rid your yard of all the debris. It’s also a great place to put the gutter debris after you clean your gutters! Prep Your Lawn For Seeding Spring is a great time to reseed your lawn in preparation of summer. Use a rake to loosen the problem areas and sprinkle with grass seeding of choice. Neaten Up Hardscape Your hardscape can take a real beating in the winter. With snow falling and melting moving the dirt around your hardscape stones. Brush off your stones and fill around as needed to keep that great hardscape look. For a free estimate on gutter cleaning, repairs or gutter leaf guards, call us today! Gutters & Guards experienced team will take the guess-work out of the process, and make sure that your home is protected. Connect with us for daily inspiration, updates and information: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Tags: Charlottesville Virginia, Construction and Maintenance, curb appeal, Debris, gutter cleaning, Gutter Guard, Gutter Guards, Gutters, Gutters and Guards, Lynchburg Virginia, Materials and Supplies, Rain gutter, spring, Spring cleaning, Virginia, Weather

Salt & Snow Removal

By rempferconstruction
Feb-3-2015
Damage Prevention
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Salt & Snow Removal This time of year snow removal is a common task for a homeowner. It can mean getting up early to clear the walkway and driveway to removing snow from your roof. Using salt to melt ice is a go to solution for most homeowners when it comes to melting ice from your porch, but using it on a regular basis during the winter months can cause pits in the cement used for walkways, steps and other concreted areas. It will eventually cause it to crack or cause potholes in the surface. If you get too much around the metal of your railing or patio furniture, it can cause corrosion to take place. Using too much salt for snow removal can also be harmful to the nearby streams and lakes. So it’s important to use salt sparingly. There are 3 easy steps to cut back on the amount of salt used when clearing walkways. Shovel the snow first to removal all of the light, fluffy snow. Then shovel again, using the shovel to break up chunks of ice. If there are still slippery spots that cannot be removed with simple shoveling, use salt to melt ice or another type of de-icer to remove ice. An important factor to remember is that salt stops working ( as a de-icer ) at 15 degrees (fahrenheit). So other methods will need to be used. Sand can be used to create traction on walkways. After all the snow has melted and dried up sweep up all of the excess salt to prevent it from going into the water ways and to use it again. It’s also important to clean the large amount of snow from your roof to prevent ice dams and too much strain on your roof. For more information about rooftop snow removal please view a previous post on the subject. For a free estimate on gutter installation, repairs or gutter leaf guards, call us today! Our experienced team will take the guess-work out of the process, and ensure that your home is protected. Connect with us for daily inspiration, updates and information: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Tags: Construction and Maintenance, Home repair, ice, injury prevention, Lynchburg Virginia, Materials and Supplies, Virginia, Weather, winter

Winter Curb Appeal

By rempferconstruction
Jan-16-2015
Damage Prevention, Gutters, Inspiration
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Winter Curb Appeal Winter-time is usually when you are not thinking about curb appeal and thinking more about how is my house handling this weather. We suggest that you think about both. You can do small little things to keep your home looking great when there is a foot of snow in your yard. Below is a few different suggestions to help you get your home looking great this winter. Keep Your Pathways & Walkways Clear Slipping can be a dangerous thing to happen in the winter. Making sure that you always have plenty of de-icer and a snow shovel handy is important for making this happen and keeping your walkways pedestrian safe. You can also see if your gutters are leaking. If you see a slick spot (or happen to find one) this will let you know that your gutters may have a problem that needs to be addressed when it’s warmer. Take a photo so you want to remember the spot when it gets warmer. It not only gives your home some great winter curb appeal; it keeps your family safe. Exterior Lighting This can be an important part of keeping around your home safe. Since the days are shorter and it gets darker earlier, it’s a pretty smart investment when it comes to safety around the home. There are lots of different ideas to choose from when it comes to exterior lighting. We really like this idea (link). It gives this home almost a fairy-tale look. If whimsical isn’t your style there are also some really great lighting hardware that can bring light to your home while keeping a more conservative look.We suggest something more modern and sleek, such as this (link) Whatever you choose you can rest knowing that your home is a little more safer when you can see where you’re going. Winter Decor Add a festive wreath to your entry door, or decorating your empty flower boxes with a seasonal flowers. Using evergreens and other fake plants would be easier to manage especially when the temperature drops down into those brisk/cold days. Though this is more of a holiday design it could last all year-long. (link) If that isn’t something you’d want to keep all winter long you can add a bird house or something else to keep your flower box full during the winter months (link). Don’t forget about a wreath. Wreaths are a fast and creative way to add curb appeal and charm to your home. We found a fantastic guide with over 35+ different wreath ideas that range from holiday to just winter themed. (link) To learn more about winter curb appeal please visit our pinterest board Outdoor Decor. For a free estimate on heated gutter guards, adding regular gutter guards or gutter repairs, call us today! Our experienced team will take the guess-work out of the process, and ensure that your home is protected. Connect with us for daily inspiration, updates and information: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Tags: Construction and Maintenance, curb appeal, Gutter Guard, Gutter Guards, Gutters, Gutters and Guards, ice, injury prevention, leak, Lynchburg Virginia, Materials and Supplies, Rain gutter, Virginia, Weather, winter

5 Reasons Aluminum Gutter Guards Are A Better Product

By rempferconstruction
Jan-14-2015
Gutter Guards, Gutters, MasterShield
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5 Reasons Aluminum Gutter Guards Are A Better Product Gutter leaf guards should be an investment on your home. They not only help you save money & time by cutting down on the amount of time and money you spend on cleaning them out; They protect your home from gutter clogs and can expand the lifetime of your gutters if you take care of them properly. This is why we believe that aluminum gutter guards are better for your home. Just take a minute and think about it. Plastic does not fair well when it comes to extreme weather. It gets too cold your plastic gutter guards will crack, and if it gets too warm your gutter guards will expand. Both will distort your guards and affect how they perform. If this isn’t enough to help you stray from plastic guards these 5 reasons should help. Durable Aluminum gutter guards are durable. Your gutters the shouldn’t crack or break, yes they can bend but only if there is enough force put upon them. Please DO NOT set your ladder against your gutters. A ladder should be set against your fascia, not your siding or gutters. Prevent damages from occurring and because fascia is flat. All of our gutter guards are made out of strong aluminum and stainless steel. This makes them a bit more indestructible than plastic or vinyl guards. Inexpensive Aluminum gutters guards are not as expensive as you may think. Yes they’ll cost more than plastic but we’re looking at the quality and longevity here. The warranties of the gutter guards we carry have 10 – lifetime warranties that come with them. They also range in price so no matter what your budget is you’ll be getting a quality product. Longer Lifetime As we stated above these gutter guards are meant to last a longer time than plastic gutter guards. All of the gutter guards we carry are made out of aluminum metal. The screen mesh gutter guards have stainless steel for the mesh and an aluminum frame to keep it strong and working great. Harder For Pests To Penetrate Our gutter guards cut down the problem of pests by being completely enclosed. Our screen mesh gutter guards have a filter to not only keep debris out but they keep pests out as well and our curved gutter guards are completely enclosed to ensure no birds or small pests can get in. Color Match This is the best part. Most of the plastic and vinyl gutter guards do not have more than a couple of options. Our gutter guards can be color matched to ensure that you won’t have an eye sore when it comes to owning a gutter guard system. Mastershield offers many colors ( view here ) where as Leafproof offers more than vinyl but less than mastershield. (view here) They both offer a copper color so whether you have aluminum or copper gutters you’ll have aluminum gutter guards to match in color. There are a lot of options when it comes to gutter and home protection. To learn more about our products or to see them in the flesh, give us a call today to learn more! For a free estimate on heated gutter guards, adding regular gutter guards or gutter repairs, call us today! Our experienced team will take the guess-work out of the process, and ensure that your home is protected. Connect with us for daily inspiration, updates and information: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Tags: Charlottesville Virginia, Construction and Maintenance, copper, Downspout, Gutter Guard, Gutter Guards, Gutters, Gutters and Guards, Lynchburg Virginia, Materials and Supplies, Rain gutter, Virginia, Weather, winter

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