Roof repair of rotten wood should be verified before you allow a roofer to charge you extra when he installs your new roof. Ask him for a cost breakdown and monitor his progress. You can also address the cost in the bidding stage.
Q&A /
Ice dams can form on any roof under cold weather and snowfall. When gutters turn to solid ice and the barrier creeps up onto your roof, thawing will cause a deluge of ice dam water to leak into your home. Protect your roof with an ice dam membrane.
Sizing decks or a patio is like fitting furniture inside your house. I'll bet you've seen a deck or patios that were cramped and overly crowded during a party. Size your deck or patio construction to assure ample space - or as you start to place furniture on them, they will shrink faster that a cheap cotton shirt in a clothes dryer.
Concrete slab cracks can be minimized by following several guidelines. Install concrete that is the correct strength for the job it is to provide. Make sure that the ground beneath it is compacted well. Control joints should be placed in concrete slabs. Reinforcing steel, or rebar, can be added to help stop shrinkage cracks.
Roof leaks can happen in the center of a roof, but they usually don't. Roof leaks happen where the roof touches up against non-roofing materials such as walls or chimneys. Metal flashings protect water from leaking into these intersections. Caulk is not a replacement for these flashings.
Thick blacktop finish is not the answer to crack prevention. Cracks can be stopped before blacktop is applied. You need a well compacted dirt base and the right amount of gravel.
A retaining wall can be built out of loose stones, concrete block, poured concrete, wood, etc. To know how to build a retaining wall, you must first consider its height, drainage and the slope behind it. Consult a qualified engineer for help.
Stucco allows water absorption. Water rots sheathing. Masonry stain or penetrating finish helps stop water entry and still allows vapor release to the outside.
Concrete driveways are susceptible to damage from deicing salts and freezing temperatures. Ice crystals form in the cement and need a place to expand. Your concrete should have an additive mixed in to create air pockets for these ice crystals.
Asphalt shingles are very common in the Midwest. What happens when they fail? Problems can be caused through the location of nails, the sealing compound beneath the shingles, installing shingles in the cold and not using felt paper.
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