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Gutter Guards And Snow

By rempferconstruction
Jan-30-2017
Damage Prevention, Gutter Guards, Gutters
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Gutter Guards And Snow. In this area of Virginia, we seem to get just a couple good snow storms and that’s it. There are more icy snows that roll through our area. We’ve talked A LOT about ice dams and icicles. We haven’t really dived into what to expect when you have gutter guards on your gutters. So when snow that’s icier or slowly melting becomes a icy slush this is where it’s going to drip; causing icicles and ice dams. When you mix this wintery weather with solid aluminum metal, it can create a sheet of ice. This makes it harder for your gutter guards to work properly ( or if you do not have gutter guards you can still run into this with just gutters). The melted water is going to roll over the ice sheet and drip onto your porch or walkway creating slick spots. Gutter guards that are more open mesh allow more water to seep in but this can make your gutter HEAVY. Leading to your gutters possibly becoming unattached from your home. This is one of the biggest complaints about gutter guards but think about the rest of the year and how they keep your gutters clean and free of clogs. There are some preventative measure you can take to avoid these ice sheets over your screen mesh gutter guards and hopefully keeping the majority of heavy ice out of your gutters. Snow rakes to pull sections of snow away from the eaves of your roof or heated gutter guards. Gutters & Guards, Inc does offer a heated gutter guard. Depending on the climate that you live in should always impact the type of gutter guards you need to install on your home. That and the type of debris you want to keep out. 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, Gutter Guard, Gutter Guards, Gutters, Gutters and Guards, Lynchburg Virginia, Materials and Supplies, Virginia, Water damage, winter

More About Removing Icicles From Your Gutters

By rempferconstruction
Jan-27-2017
Damage Prevention, Gutter Guards, Gutters
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Last week we discussed removing icicles from your gutters, learn more about removing icicles from your gutters. Check out last week’s article here. Insulation – Heat can escape into the attic from the interior of your home through a number of avenues. Lighting fixtures in your ceilings, poorly laid or insufficient insulation allow excess heat to enter your attic, but it’s the latter two that you need to inspect for and address, since you have to keep insulation away from the fixtures. R-Values have increased over the years so you might stop ice dams by simply rolling extra insulation over what you have installed now. Pay particular attention to the edges of your attic and any space between rafters that might have been missed or removed in the past. Circulation – Another cause of excess heat in the attic is poor circulation. Depending on the home, some attics may have a vent/fan installed in the wall of the attic to maintain a proper internal temperature in relation to the external temperature. If you home is lacking proper circulation, you can speak with a local builder about installing baffles. A baffle is a channel run from your attic through the insulation to the soffit on your roof eave. This allows the cold air from outside to enter the attic and maintain a proper temperature. This can also help to stop ice dams from building up. (source) If you notice that your gutters are pulling away from your home contact a professional ( Like Gutters & Guards) to tighten up your gutters to ensure that they won’t cause more damage to your home. 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, damage, gutter cleaning, Gutter Guard, Gutter Guards, Gutters, Gutters and Guards, ice, Lynchburg Virginia, winter

How To Prevent Slick Spots On Your Sidewalk

By rempferconstruction
Jan-24-2017
Damage Prevention, Gutter Guards, Gutters
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How To Prevent Slick Spots On Your Sidewalk. No matter how well the snow and ice are removed from sidewalks, parking lots and the surrounding streets, people will invariably encounter some slippery surfaces when walking outdoors in the winter. Many cold-weather injuries are the result of falls on ice-covered streets and sidewalks. Walking on snow or ice is especially treacherous. Getting around in icy conditions calls for planning, caution, and a little common sense: Dress warmly and wear boots with non-skid soles (avoid plastic and leather soles). When entering a building, remove as much snow and water from your boots as possible. Take notice that floors and stairs may be wet and slippery. Walk carefully. Be prepared to fall and try to avoid using your arms to break your fall. If you fall backward, make a conscious effort to tuck your chin so your head doesn’t strike the ground with full force. Streets and sidewalks that have been cleared of snow and ice should still be approached with caution. Look out for “black ice.” Dew, fog or water vapor can freeze on cold surfaces and form an extra-thin, nearly invisible layer of ice that can look like a wet spot on the pavement. It often shows up early in the morning or in areas that are shaded from the sun. Eliminating Snow and Ice Pay attention to weather predictions in your area. This will allow you to buy shovels or de-icers if you do not already have them. It will also help you predict whether you will be dealing with freezing rain or light, fluffy snow which require different techniques. Apply a de-icer early in an ice storm, or a storm with heavy wet snow. You can choose between sand, rock salt, potassium chloride and other products. Keep up with shoveling once the snow starts if possible. If it is only a powdery snow, you can just brush it away with a broom. If you cannot keep up with it, just shovel it all away at the end of the storm. For more information about protecting your gutters or 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: Gutter Guard, Gutter Guards, Gutters, Gutters and Guards, injury prevention, Lynchburg Virginia, Materials and Supplies, Virginia, winter

Removing Icicles From Gutters

By rempferconstruction
Jan-20-2017
Damage Prevention, Gutter Guards, Gutters
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Removing Icicles From Gutters. Icicles overhanging your roof may look like a scene from movie, but they can cause a lot of trouble. If left alone, the icicles may melt and refreeze into ice dams or may fall and cause injury to you, your family or guests. When a long-term warm-up is not in the forecast take steps to remove icicles yourself. We do not suggest you climb a ladder and bang them off your gutters with a hammer but rather take some preventative measures to ensure no heavy ice hang down. We have a few tips on preventing icicles and hopefully keeping your home from forming ice dams. Proper Exhaust – Many appliances and rooms in your home produce heat. The kitchen, laundry room, and bathrooms all produce excess heat, and if the exhaust from these areas aren’t properly insulated and caulked, heat can escape into the attic. Maintaining the ducts from these areas is crucial in the fight to stop ice dams and icicles. Roof Raking – One simple solution is to remove the snow from the roof yourself. Many hardware stores carry snow rakes, a telescoping tool to manually remove the snow from the roof before ice dams form. Keep in mind that these rakes should never be used while on a ladder, but are effective at freeing your roof of snow. Using a rake to remove snow right after a storm will stop ice dams before they every have a chance to form and keep you from trying to rake heavy, crusty snow which makes the job much harder to do. (Source) Check Out Part 2 of removing icicles from gutters on January 27th! 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, gutter cleaning, Gutter Guard, Gutter Guards, Gutters, Gutters and Guards, Home repair, ice, Lynchburg Virginia, winter

Gutter Maintenance Tip #43 – Tighten Loose Hangers

By rempferconstruction
Dec-30-2015
Damage Prevention, Gutters, Soffit & Fascia
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Tighten Loose Hangers Tighten Loose Hangers. Gutters attached to home by hangers. Hangers are tough pieces of your guttering system. They can hold heavy weights but this does cause strain on them. Make sure hangers tightly fit to ensure gutters hang properly. If your gutters are sagging this could be more than just tightening a few hangers. Your fascia board could need replacing. Consult with a professional. A gutters cleaning by a professional? Ask them if this includes an inspection and tighten any hangers or reslope gutters as needed. We offer this service in our long-term maintenance program! 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: clogged gutters, Construction and Maintenance, gutter check up, gutter cleaning, Gutter Guard, Gutter Guards, Gutters, Gutters and Guards, Lynchburg Virginia, Materials and Supplies, Virginia, winter

Gutter Maintenance Tip #42 – Roof Maintenance

By rempferconstruction
Dec-16-2015
Gutters, Roofing
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Roof Maintenance Roof Maintenance. Gutters are an extension of your roof. They work as a system to protect your home from leaks, and other mother nature related problems. So maintaining your roof is just as important as maintaining your gutters. 3 ways to keep your roof maintained is by removing loose debris from the shingles of your roof, such as leaves, twigs and branches. This helps protect and prolong the life of your roof and will help keep the bigger, gutter clogging debris out of your gutters! The biggest places to look at is valleys and where a wall and roof meet. Also keep an eye out for moss, milder and mold. A large tree or shade. Over time moss, mildew and mold build up. There are companies that specialize in mold, moss and mildew buildup. NEVER use a hard bristled brush or power washers. This can destroy your shingles and cause water leaks. The last way to maintain your roof is by unclogging and keeping your gutters and downspouts cleaned. Backed up gutters pushes water over the gutter onto your roof. Running down the fascia board. With it going against the grain of your roof, this can cause water leaks! That’s why we believe in keeping a clean and maintained gutter. 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: Construction and Maintenance, Debris, gutter check up, gutter cleaning, Gutter Guard, Gutters, Gutters and Guards, Lynchburg Virginia, Materials and Supplies, Roof, Virginia, winter

Gutter Guard Ice

By rempferconstruction
Dec-14-2015
Gutter Guards, Gutters
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Gutter Guard Ice Gutter Guard Ice . As the temperatures drop, we are reminded of the icicle and gutter guard issue. As a new gutter guard owner you may think to yourself, should you expect gutter guard icicles? The answer is a simple YES. That DOES NOT mean you will most certainly get icicles. It means that there is a possibility. You could get big icicles, small icicles or no icicles. It’s going to depend on a number of things and they are NOT caused by having gutter guards. Why Do I Have Icicles? Gutter guard icicles form because the metal or plastic used in the manufacturing process freezes just like everything else around it when the temperatures drop below freezing. Once the product is frozen it won’t thaw again naturally until temperatures rise above freezing. In the interim, if there is frost, rain or snow, the surface of the product will be inpenetrable, just like the frozen surface of a lake. When this happens, if the roof temperature heats up faster than the metal of the gutter (because the heat that you use to heat your home is escaping through your roof and not from your gutter, for example), water can run over the gutter guard and drip. These drips will cause gutter guard icicles to form. This can also happen without a gutter guard. Remember that most likely your gutter is made out of metal and will get VERY cold. Can It Be Avoided? There are certain products that you can use to keep your gutters/gutter guards heated and free to ice. Running heat tape or heating cables under the product will do this. Many heated systems are programmed to turn on once the weather drops below a certain point. It’s also VERY important to mention that heated products are expensive and should not be used just to keep icicles off your gutters. If you town is known to have huge snow build up or cold snaps lasting weeks, it may be a good investment. You can also use a snow rake to get the snow off your roof, this can prevent icicles from forming as well. If you think a few days with icicles will bother you more than having to clean your gutters, think carefully before purchasing any gutter guard. Are gutter guard icicles worth avoiding? We’d say yes if they impact any entrance way into your home. A $30 snow rake cost effective way to manage the problem in the first place. 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: Construction and Maintenance, gutter cleaning, Gutter Guard, Gutter Guards, Gutters, Gutters and Guards, ice, Lynchburg Virginia, MasterShield, Materials and Supplies, Virginia, winter

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

Winterizing The Outside Of Your Home

By rempferconstruction
Nov-16-2015
Gutter Guards, Gutters, Roofing
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Winterizing The Outside Of Your Home Winter is fast approaching. Time to make sure our homes are ready to handle the cold weather. There are a few steps you can take to winterize the outside of your home. Clean The Gutters We always like to stress the importance of cleaning your gutters at least twice a year, one of the most important times being in the fall. Once all the leaves have fallen ( which should be around this time) that is the perfect time to clean out your gutters. It ensure that they won’t be clogged during those winter months when wet snow is sitting and melting from the roof. You may also want to consider installing gutter guards to help keep your gutters debris free. Call a professional or DIY, just get it done. Finish Up All Yard Work And Store Equipment Most of the grass has stopped growing so that means it’s time to pack up the lawn mower, weedeater and other lawn work equipment. You may also want to consider storing your patio furniture as well. This will help prevent premature aging of your lawn furniture as well. Store And Close Your Outside Faucets Making sure that you properly store and winterize your outdoor faucets can be important to ensure that not damage happens to them during those cold winter months. Check And Repair Your Sidewalks And Driveway Survey your walkways and driveway for any cracks or inconsistency that could be hazardous or troublesome to your family or guests. 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, clogged gutters, Construction and Maintenance, damage, Debris, Downspout, gutter cleaning, Gutter Guard, Gutter Guards, Gutters, Gutters and Guards, holiday, Home repair, Materials and Supplies, Virginia, winter

5 Things To Add To Your Fall To Do List

By rempferconstruction
Nov-12-2015
Damage Prevention, Gutter Guards, Gutters
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5 Things To Add To Your Fall To Do List This fall comes with many different tasks to take care of before winter hits. Here are 5 more things to add to your fall to do list. Clean And Service Your Chimney Before you go and start up the fireplace. Make sure your chimney is free of all debris and birds nests. These can really be hazardous to your home. Install Gutter Guards Installing gutter guards is always a big help when you find yourself cleaning out gutters more than twice a year or if your are just not up for the task. Having a gutter guards does not mean that you never have to clean your gutters; it just means that you will have to do it only once a year and you’ll spend a lot less time doing it. Repair Your Driveway Inspect your driveway looking for cracks or other problem areas that could be hazardous to not only your family but guests. Wrap Indoor Pipes If your home has exposed indoor pipes, it would be best practice to wrap them during those cold winter months. This is help keep them from bursting. There are many different options to choose from. Visit your local hardware store and get an opinion from a professional if you are not sure which material will work best. Check Fire Detectors, Carbon Monoxide Detectors and Extinguishers This is always a must. We suggest that you do this every couple months to ensure that no batteries are dead or malfunctioning. Don’t forget to clean your gutters, which in our opinion is the most important task in the fall! It keeps your home in working order! 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, fall gutter cleaning, fall weather, gutter check up, gutter cleaning, Gutter Guard, Gutter Guards, Gutters, Gutters and Guards, Lynchburg Virginia, Rain gutter, Virginia, winter

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