Roof cleaning in the Midwest is almost unheard of. Many homeowners see black stains on their roof and they instantly believe their shingles are failing and it is time for a roof replacement. This is simply not true.

Slowly but surely, many homeowners are becoming educated about roof cleaning, and are understanding their roofs can be cleaned with very low pressure and the right roof cleaning chemicals and detergents.

For example, in St. Louis roof cleaning by our company was up by over 300% from 2006 to 2007. This was simply because homeowners in the area just don’t know for a fraction of the cost their roof can safely and gently be cleaned instead of costly replacement.

Our goal at Marler’s is to help educate the Midwest, with Missouri being our first state. If we can start educating people about roof cleaning in Missouri, then we will be on our way to saving the homeowners in the Midwest thousands of dollars, if not millions.

Roof stains are just a form of algae that is growing on your roof. The algae is feeding off of the ingredients the shingle manufacture put in the shingle. If left untreated, the algae will just grow, and grow, and grow. Not only is it a huge eyesore, but it can cause your roof to fail prematurely.

Remodelng a home is a good investment, but if done by an inexperienced contactor, it could cost you more than what you could gain from the improvements. That is why it is so important to hire a professional remodeling company to do the work.

A good company that has insurance to protect your property and the knowledge to do the work correctly so it will last for many years is more important than choosing one based on price alone. Just remember, no matter how cheap the cost may seem, if they use low grade material and don’t follow local and state building code requirements, you could end up having to pay to have the work done all over again and usually for a higher price.

If you live in Illinois and you are looking for a Chicago remodeling company that can do the job right and at an affordable price, you should contact Ultimate Home Builders, Inc. They are licenced and insured for any kind of mishaps that could happen in the construction industry.

As an professional Illinois remodeler, they provide services for all sorts of home improvements such as room additions, kitchen remodeling, bathroom remodeling and various exterior home improvements like vinyl siding installation and vinyl replacement windows.

For more info on their home remodeling company, visit them online and browse their services.

Power washing wood, aluminum or vinyl siding may seem like a safe, easy project but without the right knowledge and equipment you can hurt yourself, your home or your property. Following is a list of some of the most common mistakes made by homeowners that you should be aware of.

Using too much water pressure and spraying at too steep of an upward angle can force water behind the siding where it can cause mildew and water damage. Too much pressure sprayed at vinyl siding at an upward angle forces water under the lip of the siding and in through the weep holes of the siding. The weep holes are designed to drain moisture, not large amounts of water. Too much pressure can also leave unsightly wand marks on the siding by removing oxidation; too much water pressure can also crack the siding, knock it loose, or completely blow it off the house.

Using hot water on vinyl siding is also a mistake. Hot water can warp and distort vinyl siding causing it to loosen or pop out of place. Hot water is also very hard on plants and shrubbery and may even damage or kill them. The only benefit to hot water is it can speed up the cleaning process and cut down on the amount of cleaning solution used but the risk isn’t worth the reward. The same results are achievable when using cold water and the right cleaners but without the risk of damage to the siding or landscaping that hot water can cause.

Letting the cleaners dry on the house or using the wrong cleaners can cause streaks on the siding. Glass windows can also be damaged or etched by allowing chemicals to dry on them. Having a good knowledge of house washing cleaners is highly recommended. Some house cleaners can not only leave your property damaged but can also cause severe injury to you or others if handled improperly. Always wear the proper protective gear like a respirator, gloves and safety glasses.

Using a pressure washer from a ladder is very dangerous and is not recommended. Serious injury or death can occur. Without the proper equipment, some home owners are tempted to get up on a ladder and attempt to pressure wash their siding. Pulling the trigger on a pressure actuated pump always causes the spray wand to kick and could easily knock you off of a ladder or any elevated platform.

If you still plan on doing your own power washing project then follow some of these simple tips.

Make sure the machine you’re using puts out less than 1000 psi. Even most big box store bought machines will put out 2000-2500 psi which can easily damage vinyl siding, asphalt shingles and even wood decks. To achieve a lower pressure the tip or nozzle must be changed at the end of the gun to one with a larger orifice. The correct nozzle will still allow the maximum amount of water flow or gallons per minute, which is where your cleaning speed comes from, but will cut back the pressure as to not cause damage to the surface.

Be careful if you’re making your own house washing chemicals. For example, mixing bleach and ammonia can create a poisonous gas. We suggest that home owners buy a siding wash that’s available in most hardware stores and follow the manufactures guidelines for the product. Leave the stronger agents to the professionals or you may end up doing more damage than good.

Allow the cleaning solution to dwell on the siding for several minutes, then using low pressure, rinse the product from the siding. Make sure when you rinse that you start at the top and work your way down. Also start at one end and work your way across to the other end. Rinse in the direction opposite of the vinyl laps so you don’t force water behind the siding. Do not stop or vary your distance from the siding, or it will cause the surface to be cleaned unevenly. Be sure to rinse the siding and windows thoroughly and to rinse the landscaping before, during and again after the cleaning process to assure no soap is allowed to dry on them.

Following these guidelines and doing some more research can help to eliminate the risk of damage or injury. If you are still unsure of taking on your own pressure washing project, you can call a professional exterior cleaning contractor in your area and see what they can do for you.

Grids are a design that has usually a colonial style or squares as a decorative look. It is important to most homeowners to have this design in between the glass to eliminate the maintenance.

There would be no painting or grids falling off the glass with the older style of grids that had a pin to hole the grids in place. This is very common with the wood replacement windows, which has this type of system. The problem is the upkeep and homeowners are quite annoyed at the problem of the grids falling off the windows. Vinyl replacement windows have the grids in between the glass. This would eliminate this inconvenience.

There is another type of grid style for the replacement windows. This is the v-grooved or etched grid system. This option is as described as the grid design is etched into the glass. For example, the colonial grid or squared are cut into the insulated glass windows. This is a good idea for consumers that have a grid color concern and cannot select the standard white or other minimal colors. This look is very attractive and can also have a frosted or sandblasted accent to accentuate the appeal.

Replacement windows Lake Zurich have a lot of these grid concerns due to the homes averaging less than 20 years. They have these design concerns and are mostly selecting the internal grid system requiring no upkeep.

The average person driving down the street seeing sign after sign littering the telephone poles promoting $200 windows could only conclude that a new window cost $200. After seeing several signs of different colors and with different phone numbers, all new windows must cost $200. Let’s explore what a $200 window really cost.

A $200 window is a base model that is used to attract price shoppers in order to get a salesperson in their home. Generally the salesperson is honest enough to inform you that the window is a piece of garbage and that a good window will cost at least $400+.

Let’s assume that the sales person is not honest. When you add on Argon gas and a single layer of Low E to meet the energy codes the price jumps to a little over $300. When the sales person finds that your install is not a “basic install” your price will generally jump another $50-$75 which brings your total to a little under $400. So now we can conclude that a $200 vinyl window cost a little under $400.

At this point my article should end, I answered the question correct? Well not really, cheap windows are just cheap windows and are made by window companies that make cheap windows. Cheap “vinyl” windows are made of vinyl that is mixed with used plastic.

These windows will always began to fade and discolor, the surface begins to chalk like cheap plastic lawn chairs and the material falls apart. The glass is generally a single strength glass which cracks very easily letting cold air in and creating a hazard. The frames are never sturdy and they will sag due to the weight of the glass this prevents the frames from contacting the weather stripping properly.

The life span of a cheap window is around 3-5 years before they fail. But wait, the sales guy said that they have a lifetime warranty. A warranty is only as good as the company that stands behind the warranty. There are over 600 names brands of windows in the US today, how many can you name? Companies make a ton of money making cheap products and changing their names every few years in order to avoid warranty issues.

In case you have not put the pieces together yet, a $200 window is actually a $400 window and it will fail in a few years. Once you replace the $400 replacement windows you are at $800 per window.

The question now is how long do you want your windows to last before you need to replace them again? Hopefully you will only want to replace them once in your lifetime. So, how about asking the “$200 window company” for some really good windows?

Let’s take a look at the integrity of a company that sells crappy products. Their marketing is illegal in most areas, they litter telephone poles, place flyers under your windshield and call your home even if you are on the do not call list.

They offer prices that are low in order to pull a “bait and switch” once they get in your home. They generally have not been in business in one area long enough to answer any warranty complaints. Is this the type of company that you want to buy your product from?

You might need to reread this again to understand how a $200 window turned into an $800 window, it’s hard to stomach! If you are going to spend $800 on a window, please only spend it once in your life!

Standing seam metal roofs can be fabricated in a fabrication shop or on the jobsite in just a few days and last for the life of the home, which means no more worry about saving money for shingle replacements.

The natural properties of a metal roof are very impressive. Metal panels are durable and long lasting as well as virtually maintenance free. They offer tons of remodeling benefits like the ability to be installed over almost any type of existing roof system and the wide array of color options and styles that can be used to match any home style.

Standing seam metal roofs have become popular in parts of the country that present harsh weather conditions such as the Deep South, where conditions are hot and humid for many months of the year. They are also admired by northerners because of their ability to withstand heavy snow and wind loads.

Other benefits worth mention are the fire resistance ratings and the ability to blend in and match almost any style of home. Metal roofing offer what many believe to be the perfect styles for upscale homes as well as homes of lesser value, such as mobile homes. The most popular of any style is the standing seam metal roof, which has been used throughout the world on almost every type of home imaginable.

A standing seam roof is constructed of many interlocking panels that run vertically from the roof’s ridge (the top of the roof) to the eave. The interlocking seam where two panels join together is raised above the roof’s flat surface, allowing water to run off without seeping between panels.

Standing seam roofs come in many shapes and sizes. In some instances, the vertical panels are cut to length at a factory and delivered to the job site. Other types are shaped and cut right on the job site using portable equipment. Other options include standing seam “shingles” that arrive prepackaged (typically in three to five-foot lengths) and are installed in a staggered pattern for visual effect.

Two types of methods are commonly used to secure the panels to the roof sheathing. Hidden fasteners are secured to the raised portion of each panel, and subsequently covered by the next adjoining panel during installation. The second (and less costly) method utilizes exposed fasteners that are driven through each metal panel into the roof sheathing.

Now we can discuss how standing seam metal roofs are constructed. Let’s assume the metal roof panels are going to be formed on the jobsite instead of in a custom metal roofing fabricators shop or factory.

Each section of the metal roof is individually formed to the desired length. This reduces jobsite waste, as short and long panels can be cut to the appropriate length. The shaping machine, called a brake, is specifically designed to form the interlocking panels.

A sharp-toothed hydraulic shear cuts each panel to the appropriate length without damaging the panel ends. Although some hand trimming is involved, the panels are formed and cut to length and ready to install in just a few minutes.

Individual roof elements are installed in a specific sequence to create a watertight seal. First, roofing paper is installed over the roof sheathing. Next, the roof’s valleys (formed where two roof sections meet at an angle) are covered. A preformed ridge cap covers the roof’s peak. Each of the vertical roof sections will be attached to the ridge vent for a uniform appearance.

Each roof panel that runs from ridge to eave tucks neatly into the ridge vent. Clips secure each panel to the roof sheathing. Using hidden fasteners creates a more polished look once the job is completed. The next adjoining panel will cover the clips that secure each panel (left). The raised seams formed by the panel ends are crimped together to form a watertight seal.

Each adjacent roof panel is crimped together. Each panel hides the clips that secure the adjacent panel to the roof sheathing. By completely covering the fasteners, they are not exposed to the elements, reducing the possibility of water damaging the roof sheathing or the structural system below.

The final results: Ridge cap, valleys and vertical sections all come together to form a watertight seal against the elements. A properly installed metal roof can go many years with little or no maintenance.

Start your decorating in the most obvious place, the floor. Most people seem to overlook the benefits of adding decorations to their floor. Mainly because they see flooring as a fixed item and until it gets worn-out, it basically keeps the same look for years.

It is true that flooring is not easily replaced and can cost thousands of dollars. That is why adding decorations or eye candy to your floor is such a great idea. Adding color coordinated flooring accessories will accent a room and won’t get outdated for as long as the flooring stays in tact.

A perfect accessory to use that will add value and give an enchanting appeal to any room is decorative floor registers. They are called many things; floor registers, grates, air vents, grilles and so forth. But regardless of what you call them, they are built to serve the same purpose and add beauty.

Floor registers are available in hundreds of size and color combinations and can be matched to any type of flooring product and room scheme. The main consideration for proper selection is identifying the fixed items of the room where they are to be placed.

You should not try to get one style or finish and make it work for every room. Although some styles and finishes are very universal, the way to accent a room is to get a style and finish that matches the scheme of that room.

Another thing to consider is the type of flooring that is installed in each room. Rooms with carpeting will use a different floor register that a room that has wood floors such as typical dining room and kitchen areas. By choosing a decorative register to match that specific type of flooring, you will achieve the best overall look for the room.

If you have hardwood flooring in certain room of your home that have been stained with an unknown color, simply get an unfinished floor register and have someone match a stain to your floor. This is the best solution and will ensure that the register matches perfectly.

Now for matching other items in the room like cabinets, shelving and wall paper. This is a simple process if you have flooring that is either a neutral color or has been matched to the other items in the room. All you have to do is pick a matching color register with a style that goes with the scheme of the room.

For rooms that have mixed-matched items, things can be a little more complicated. The best thing to do is to decide which item you would replace with a different color at some time in the future. This way, the floor vents will compliment the fixed item with the longest expected life span. You want to have great looks, but without throwing money in the trash.

Make sure you take the scheme of the room into consideration as well. If the room has a Victorian look, get decorative floor registers that match that era. There are literally hundreds of different styles, types and colors to choose from, so there is no excuse for installing a generic register.

Also remember to buy the matching ceiling and wall grilles to blend with the rooms new look. It is not always necessary to match a ceiling grille to the floor registers. An example of this would be if you have mahogany hardwood flooring and slick finished ceilings coated with white paint. A mahogany ceiling grille would look extremely out of place.

Best practice is to use your own judgment and do not get overboard with trying to accomplish a unique look. In most cases, a straight forward design with blended accessories will give the most practical look that you and the rest of your family can live with for years to come.