17

Aug 2021

How to Choose the Right Gutter for Your Roof

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Roofing is an integral part of any home. It protects your house from the elements and also helps to regulate the temperature inside. One crucial section of the roof is the gutter. It’s a channel that collects water from your roof. A well-installed gutter system directs water off the roof, away from your foundation, and down a drainpipe where it can’t cause damage or leakage issues. Learning how to choose the right gutter might be daunting, but once you know what factors are involved in selecting a quality product, it’s not so hard! Here’s how to choose the perfect one for your needs.

Set a Budget

Before you even start thinking about gutters, worry about your budget first. The type of gutter you choose will often depend on the architectural style, size, and shape of your roof. For instance, if you have an oversized or oddly shaped top with many valleys, it will likely be more expensive than a standard rectangular house with corners.

Refer to Your Homeowner Association

If you live within a community, your homeowner’s association may have a set of guidelines for your roof. It will be essential to follow these guidelines to help prevent water damage for every house in the area. Don’t worry, though. Your HOA won’t probably go as far as to enforce a specific gutter color for your roof.

Understanding Sectional Vs. Seamless Gutters

Sectional gutters are the most common type of gutter system. They come in a range of shapes and colors, can be made from various materials, and are versatile enough for different kinds of roofs. They’re often cut into pieces and are linked together when installed. The appearance isn’t the greatest, but hey, it works! On the other hand, seamless gutters run along the shape of your roof with no gaps or seams between sections. This makes them more attractive than sectional models, but of course, they also come at a higher price.

Identify the Style of Your House

Different house types rock different roof features. Contemporary homes, for example, usually have flat roofs. Traditional homes typically have pitched, sloped, or flat roofs with gutters on all sides and are often made from wood, stone, or shingles. It’s important to know the style of your house so you can find a gutter that matches it.

Choose the Gutter Type

There are many different types of materials used in making gutter systems, so find out what type will work best for your project before installation begins.

  • Aluminum is one of the most common materials known for its durability.
  • Copper has its own benefits over aluminum, such as no maintenance needed or rust-proof, although it can be more expensive due to labor costs.
  • Steel gutters are a cheaper alternative with almost the same durability as the two above.
  • Vinyl also provides an inexpensive solution that requires little upkeep once installed if properly maintained every year or two.
  • Zinc rain gutters are pricey but offer more durability and longevity. Expect up to 50 years of solid use.

Choose Gutter Style

The way your gutter is installed is just as important as the type of material. Here are a few styles from a trusted gutter website for you to consider:

  • K-style Gutter: This one uses a solid, rectangular material that hangs down and attaches to the fascia board.
  • Half-round Gutter: This style used to be popular but not anymore since leaves, branches, and debris easily clog it.
  • Fascia Gutter: This style features smooth surfaces while hiding the rough edges of the gutter.

There are many other styles not mentioned on this list. It’s better if you can discuss this one with your contractor.

The Bottomline

Your gutter system is crucial to your home. It would be best not to skimp on it. That said, it’s best to leave the job of installation to the professionals if you don’t want problems later on. Find yourself a good contractor, determine your needs and budget, and rock a solid gutter system your precious home deserves.


3

Feb 2019

Strategies Professional Movers Use to Make Moving In Faster

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When you execute a move, moving into your new residence can be just as stressful and time-consuming as it was to pack all of your items to prepare for the move. With these clever strategies from this residential moving company, however, you can move into your new place faster, safer, and easier.

Move In Using Labels

Labeling your boxes is a quick and easy way to expedite your move-in process. When you label your boxes, you make it easier for you or your movers to delegate to which area of the house the boxes should be placed.

Boxes are not translucent, so figuring out which items are in each box will be an impossible task without labels. Labels are easy to add to your boxes. You can use a permanent marker to write on the box, or an adhesive label can be added to the box.

An adhesive label is also beneficial because you can remove it after the move is over, allowing you to reuse your boxes without the confusion of labels made from previous moves.

moving

Create Room For Heavy Furniture

Houses and apartments often have strange floor designs. These floor designs can prove to be a hindrance when it comes time to move in your large and clumsy furniture. Items like sectional sofas, china cabinets, recliners, and dining room tables are difficult to maneuver through the front doors of your new place of residence.

Since you may need a team of people to move the furniture in and angle it in such a way to get it through the doorway, it’s a wise idea to keep the area around the front door clear of obstructions. Move your smaller items, such as boxes, further into the home and away from the front door. This will allow you and your moving helpers to fit heavy and oddly-shaped furniture through the doorways without added complications.

Utilize the Tools of the Trade

Moving in heavy items using only the lifting power of you and your moving partners will not only slow the moving process down, but it will also put the physical health of you and your moving partners at great risk for injuries and accidents.

To make moving into your new residence faster and safer, you should consider utilizing the tools of the moving trade. A hand truck, or dolly, will assist you in moving heavy appliances and other pieces of furniture that will comfortably fit on a hand truck. A platform truck is simply a dolly that is on four wheels and has a long, wide platform on which to place piles of heavy boxes, heavy chairs, and other large items for quick and easy moving.

When you place your items on these hand trucks, be sure to use the attached straps to secure your items to the trucks to prevent damages due to falling.

moving-strategies

Install Temporary Ramps

When you want to move in quickly, stairs can be frustrating to navigate. This is especially true when you’re carrying heavy or clumsy items. Moving companies in Quincy, MA recommend taking a piece of durable plywood and rest the top of it on the front porch and place the bottom of the board on the ground. This will create a ramp that will allow you to move in your items quicker by giving you the option of bypassing the stairs completely.

Depending on how heavy the items are that you’re moving, two sheets of plywood may be necessary to support the excess weight.


31

Jan 2019

Thinking About Putting Your Home on Airbnb? Read This First

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Airbnb has gained immense popularity since it first became an option for homeowners. Nor does it offer unique accommodations for travelers, but it also allows homeowners flexible ways to generate revenue.

Over 2.5 million people currently have properties listed on the site and make an average of $20,000 a year depending on the location. (For example, vacation rentals in Florida, with its year-round warm weather, typically make more than this.) These numbers may have you wondering if you should utilize space you’re not using to generate some extra income. While it can be an attractive option, there are many considerations to make. Here are five things to consider before putting your house on Airbnb.

1. Legal Considerations

As a homeowner, you are responsible for ensuring you are not in breach of local laws through offering short term rentals. It is important to research local laws and speak to your homeowner’s association as well as your homeowner’s insurance agency to ensure you are not violating their policies. This is important because hosting short term rentals can often be seen as a liability.

2. Consider Long Term Expenses

Before you list your property as a short term rental, sit down and estimate what your long term expenses might be. Examples are rising utility bills, toiletries and cleaning supplies. You will go through these items quickly and will need to stay stocked up for incoming guests. Some homeowners charge a cleaning fee to offset these costs. The better idea you have of what running an Airbnb will cost, the more prepared you will be.

3. Do you have the time?

Operating an Airbnb requires more of a time commitment than many people initially think. For example, if an issue arises with a utility in the home, you will have to fix it before your next guest arrives. It is also important to stay close to your phone. You will need to be readily available to answer incoming inquiries and answer any questions that current guests have.

4. Evaluate your financial situation

Have you thought about refinancing your home in the future? If so, choosing to operate an Airbnb out of your home may have an impact on that. For example, a property that is rented out, even short term, can be classified as an investment property.

This often means a higher interest rate. It is also important to note that not all mortgage lenders will accept income that is generated by short term rentals on an application. This could mean that the money you have made through Airbnb may not count toward your total annual income.

5. What is your rental market like?

It is important to consider what the rental market is like in your area before using your home for short term rentals. By doing some research online, you can gather information about what comparable places are renting for. Looking at existing listings on Airbnb in your area is also a great way to gather information. This will help you decide if it is practical to host short term rentals in your area.

There are many factors to consider before putting your home on Airbnb. As a homeowner, it is your responsibility to ensure that you are following laws and regulations. When done correctly, Airbnb can be a great source of income for homeowners.


24

Jan 2019

The Top Six Boston Suburbs to Consider Moving To

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The city of Boston boasts an abundance of unique and vibrant neighborhoods. The region is a patchwork of personality, defined by its numerous distinct neighborhoods. When considering a move to Bean Town, be sure to take a look at these six great neighborhoods, each with their own vibe: BROOKLINE Although this neighborhood is conveniently located […]