HELP! I’ve Got an Ice Dam on The Roof

Winter is here, that means snow and ice have arrived and are causing havoc.  There’s more snow and more cold temps and that could mean ice dams on the roof of your home. It’s a common problem for a lot of homes in the winter. An ice dam is a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of the roof. This ice can damage the gutters and the roofing, and even though the icicles hanging down look beautiful, that ridge of ice also prevents the snow melt from draining off the roof. The melt backs up on the roof and leaks down into the home. That water could cause very serious damage.

 

Also, newer gutter systems help to prevent debris from accumulating and blocking down spouts. Blocked gutters can cause ice jams. If your gutters are old or clogged, clean them out. When the downspouts of the gutters plug, the melting snow just accumulates in the gutter and freezes, breaking the gutter, starting an ice dam, and possibly sending melting snow down into your home.

Ice dams begin by the heat collecting in the attic, warming the entire roof, except for the eaves. The snow that melts on the rest of the roof re-freezes at those colder eaves.

While there are methods in the winter time for dealing with ice dams—raking the roof, taking a box fan to the attic and blowing cold air at where it leaks. In the warmer months it may be time to better ventilate and, also, insulate your roof. Upgrading a poorly insulated roof is a good start. Adding vents around the inside of the roof will help to keep the warm air passing through and keep the entire roof cold. Also, soffit vents will help to keep the roof cold. If there are places in the home that may leak air, plug them up. That leaking air is rising, and leaving via the roof, melting the snow in the process. While ice dams are not entirely preventable, mother nature doles out what she chooses, you can do a lot of preventable maintenance around your home.

Energy Efficient Windows Billings MT

Energy Efficiency is becoming a popular topic. Energy efficiency within the home is delegated throughout the appliances, the siding, the roof, the insulation, etc. While everyone considers most of these areas of the home, many people forget how much energy is lost through a window. Most homes, even remodeled homes, have never had the windows replaced. Windows are often looked at like the studs in the walls, it’s always in place doing its job. But, it’s definitely an area within the home that can be improved upon. Lynnrich is a dealer for Infinity Windows, which will not only look beautiful as a replacement window, but will also be very energy efficient. Here’s a few ways in which a replacement window by Infinity Windows, might be the best option for you.

When your considering a remodel of an older home, your probably considering what details will enhance your homes beauty. Infinity Energy Efficient Windows come in all types of styles and sizes, even finishes, that will enhance the beauty of the home. These styles range from the simple single-paned awning window, to a large, bowed-front bay window.

Because you have to replace the windows in your old home—it’s expensive to have to worry about ever having to replace windows—Infinity windows are incredibly tough and dependable. These windows are rated for extreme temps both low and high, and they have a limited lifetime warranty—what’s not to like about that!

Also, the windows are very energy efficient, which not only means a substantial savings on your energy bills over older, more non-efficient windows.

Consider this: your windows are drafty and old, but the character of the casing and the frame evoke a certain charm, making it incredibly difficult to be rid of the beautiful windows, regardless of inherent problems. But, there’s a window out there, that can be trimmed out in a similar way to those beautiful windows, mimicking the same qualities that you’ve loved, but these new windows are more efficient and more dependable. If you think that you can part with those old windows, give the replacement windows from Infinity Windows a shot.

For all of your energy efficient windows needs, please contact Lynnrich Windows and Siding today!

Your Home’s Roof and Siding Take The Brunt of The Elements

Your home’s roof and siding take the brunt of the elements. And, because these components of the home are constantly battered by wind, rain, snow, and hail, you will need to replace them, or at least fix them. Roof replacement happens. Especially here in Billings, Montana where the summer storms can drop great quantities of large-sized hail onto our roofs, weakening it to the point of replacement. But how do you know if your roof needs to be replaced? There’s the obvious—call a roofing contractor post-storm for an inspection—but there’s a few things that you can do, on your own, to determine if your roof needs to be replaced.

For starters, any home with an asphalt shingled roof should have the shingles replaced after twenty years. If your roof is considerably younger, inspect it. There’s the option to go up onto the roof from a ladder to inspect the shingles, but this isn’t always safe nor practical. You can get the same idea of the condition of the roof, when you stand back from the home and look at the shingles through binoculars. You’re looking for anywhere that shingles are peeling-upward, maybe some have big fissure-like cracks through them, or maybe there’s complete sections of shingles missing—if this is the case, don’t hesitate to call a contractor, a leaky roof can cause a lot of damage if left unchecked.

Another area to check for roof-wear is in the attic. When the sun is bright, go up into the attic and turn off every light. Inspect the underside of the roof at the areas of the chimney stack or the stack vent—any place where there is flashing installed to seal out the elements under the shingles. If there’s light passing through anywhere near the flashing, even tiny, pin-holes, the flashing probably needs replacement and you’ll probably need a large-scale repair, or possibly even a replacement.

If you find that there’s significant damage to the roof, call your roofing contractor. Lynnrich carries quality products such as Highlander laminate shingles, which offer not only great protection, but also a uniquely dimensional appearance to the roof when installed.

Seamless Siding

Seamless siding is as beautiful as it is strong. Made of steel, with a natural look of wood grain, it’s still highly resistant to rust, hail and color fade. Seamless siding is virtually maintenance free, although, every once in a while, it will need to be cleaned.

For those with vinyl or wood siding, a power washer might be overkill; the highly pressurized spray of the washer could possibly dislodge panels of siding or damage the panel. Cleaning vinyl or wood siding may also require the use of chemicals. For seamless siding the power washer is the best tool that you can use. Just mix up a solution of soap and water to use with the pressure washer. If you have never actually used a pressure washer before, it may be wise to experiment with it on your sidewalk or driveway: the force of spray from the pressure washer can be explosive.

Before you clean the siding, make sure you disconnect the electricity at the breaker. You should always be careful when using water—especially a power washer!—near electrical outlets. Most every home’s exterior electrical outlets have some type of cover in place, and be sure that these covers are in use before you spray down the siding. Before you use the power washer, use a brush or a long handled broom to loosen the dirt from the siding; a bucket of water nearby to dip the brush into will help. Set your power washer to the lowest setting while you are spraying on the soap: you want the soap to cover the siding, if the washer is set to high it might blow the soap from the siding. After you have soaped up a section of the siding, use a garden hose to clear the soap. It’s easiest to work like this in sections, because you don’t want to allow the soap to dry to the siding—dried soap wont hurt the siding, it’s just counterproductive.

Seamless siding is built to last, and minor cleanings from time to time are all that it will take to ensure that the siding continues to look spectacular. If you are interested in seamless siding, please contact us today!

Selling Your Home? Remember To Update The Curb Appeal

You’re not going to be in the market for a new home, often. In fact, many people find that if they’ve built that perfect custom home, they want to live in it for years, maybe forever— good construction will withstand time. But, what many people don’t consider, when they’re purchasing a new home, is the land around the home—the lot. While landscape is much more easily changed then, say, the amount of square footage in the home, it’s still something that should be given consideration.

Selling Your Home? Remember To Update The Curb Appeal

Consider the curb-appeal of your home. Will a concrete driveway, leading up to a garage, suffice as the home’s only initial walkup, or would a path made of stone, or pavers, or stamped concrete that leads from the street to the front door compliment your personality and style? Is the front yard all grass, or are there decorative islands of stone and shrubbery?

Consider the backyard of the home. Many people today are building enormous food gardens, or kid-play-areas. If you’re an in-and-outdoors type of person, you’ll want your style and the area around the home to reflect your style.

Decks and porches are great places to spend time outside on your own property, enjoying the outdoors. Consider how the home will be built. If it’s just one level, maybe even a stamped concrete patio would suite your needs, although multi-levelled homes might be well-equipped with a multi-level deck. Three tiers of space on a deck leaves plenty of room for entertaining guests. A front porch, or a sun porch—places for reading, and enjoying your morning coffee while the warm rays of the sun creep up the walls. Front porches are great ways to enjoy a summer evening, enjoying someone’s company, or enjoying the serene quiet of your neighborhood.

Regardless what type of person you are, the outside of your home will play a part in your overall, customized home design. That’s why you buy a fully custom-built home from a reputable contractor, because your getting the entire package—everything you want—in one place.

If you are looking for roofing, siding, windows or doors to add to your home for curb appeal, please contact Lynnrich today!

Choosing The Right Roofing

Some things to know about your green-roofing options

If you want to reduce your impact on the earth and minimize the carbon-footprint that you leave behind, consider green-roofing options. Whether you are refurbishing or building, implement a roofing-material that is eco-friendly and energy-efficient whenever possible. These options will also provide a roof that can protect your home and function for many years to come.

Some things homeowners should know about green-roofing options include:

Living roofs. A living roof is an ideal way to replace the vegetation footprint absorbed by the area taken up by your home, and will provide vegetables, produce, and foliage to enjoy. These roofs are heavy, and most homeowners will find that they need to reinforce and add support to their home’s structure before implementing. These are a great prospect for large, flat-roofs.

Before choosing this option, make sure that you are aware of the following related to living roofs:

• Living roofs will attract wildlife; plan on the upkeep from these visitors to your property.
• You can’t plant it and forget it; living roofs require maintenance- just as a garden does.
• Consult with the experts to ensure the plants that you grow don’t have intricate root systems that can interfere or damage the home over time. For instance, trees are not ideal for living roofs.

Recycled roofing. Recycled materials are eco-friendly and cost-efficient. These might be found via the shingles that you use or the timbers that you salvage.

Tile roofs. Tile roofs reflect heat and maintain energy inside the home, which could result in seeing utility savings on monthly bills. Tiles are recyclable and will last for hundreds of years. Tile roofs are heavy, however, and typically involve professional handling and installation for best results.

Wooden roofing. Cedar and wood shakes are recyclable and eco-friendly. They reflect less heat, and due to the uneven surface, don’t necessarily maintain energy inside the home. To optimize their potential, paint the shingles white before installation. Since wood is not fire-resistant, it also makes sense to plan on treating wood roofing with some sort of fire-retardant, as recommended by roofing manufacturers and professionals.

Reduce the carbon-footprint left by your home with an eco-friendly, green roof. Talk to roofing contractors and professionals to find out the most viable solution for your distinct property, as well as to learn of other options that may be suited to your structure. Let these suggestions inspire you to find a way to utilize recyclable and living options that give back to the world around you.

Contact Lynnrich today for all of your roofing needs.

Hail Damage on The Roof

It’s a common thing in Billings, Montana, to experience hail damage to the roof of your home. It seems like every summer we experience storm damage. The storms can bring hailstones the size of softballs at times. How would you know if your roof has been damaged by hail?

Hail Damage on The Roof

You will need to check your roof for hail damage. Start by checking the gutters on the home. Stand outside of your house on a ladder to check the gutters. If you don’t want to stand on a ladder, you can look down through an upstairs window.

If your home is roofed with standard asphalt shingles, there could be debris that’s been scraped free from the roof in the gutters. Document the debris with photographs. You can give the photos to your insurance company for documentation of the damage and they can also prove that the damage is fresh. Check the roof for any obvious damages.

Do Not Walk On A Wet Roof

We do not recommend walking on the roof. The roof can be a slippery, dangerous place. Contact a professional for a roof inspection to asses damage. You can also spot damage to the roof with a pair of binoculars and a little distance.

If your home is in a subdivision, simply cross the street to the opposing sidewalk and inspect the roof with binoculars. Through binoculars note any damage to the shingles on the roof, like shingles are peeled upward or there are small white or faded areas where the hailstones have damaged the shingle.

Replace the standard asphalt shingles with beauty and strength

If you do need to have a roof replaced, consider a new roof with DECRA panels that have the strength of a steel roof. They classic look of a shingled roof, or a roof covered with shakes. These panels are built for strength and hold up well to the frenetic weather systems of our city. The panels can be purchased to look like shingles in four different color options.

Shake panels can be purchased in two different color options that have the look of real roof shakes. Contact us today for all of your roofing and siding needs.

Window Replacement Billings MT

Montana’s climate is unpredictable, with the possibility of temperatures varying between ninety degrees one day to just above freezing the next. And, while the nuances in the weather are one reason that many Montana residents love their home state, knowing that the weather is entirely unpredictable is a concern for the homeowner who is in the process of building a brand new home.

The windows throughout the home, for instance, are responsible for protecting and insulating the homeowner from the elements, and the homeowner involved in a new build has the opportunity to choose the windows that will work best for their lifestyle and the overall efficiency of the home.

While the look of the windows will represent the style of the homeowner and the volume of the windows throughout the home will contribute to the amount of light being allowed in the home, understanding the windows insulating capabilities is also a very important aspect when deciding which windows are appropriate for the Montana climate.

Window Replacement Billings MT

Windows are rated for their insulation capabilities by a value called the U-Factor. The U-factor is a number that represents the combined insulating factor of the window frame, the glaze on the glass panes, and the spacer that separates the glass panes. The lower the number of the U-Factor, the more efficient the windows.

For climates like Montana, windows should have a U-Factor of .30 and below, and many of today’s highly efficient double pane windows will perform to these standards. Some triple paned windows have a U-Factor of .15 and below, and are some of the most efficient windows ever built.

Also, widows have a number that determines the amount of solar heat gain, and this number is defined by the abbreviation SHGC. And, while the efficiency of the windows in the Montana climate should be at or below .30, the SHGC should be greater than 0.6 to maximize the possible solar heat gain on the colder wintry days. Also, it is important to consider where the windows are placed because the efficiency needs for the home are different in accordance with the daily angle of the sun.

Contact Lynnrich today for all of your window replacement needs!

 

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