Ice Dam on Your Roof???
It’s February, Punxsutawney Phil didn’t see his shadow, which if you believe that a rodent can predict our weather patterns, it means that it will be an early Spring this year. But, there’s still more winter weather to come, there’s probably 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 Soffit and Fascia
What do new or clean soffit vents and fascia have to do with energy efficiency? After all, don’t soffits allow air to flow freely into a home’s attic? In the wintertime isn’t this counterproductive?
The answer is no, and it may surprise some as to why: keeping an attic cold is important, because when the attic’s cold, there’s less of a chance of an ice jam, and this constant circulation of air in from the soffit, in combination with the use of proper insulation, keeps these areas of the home well-vented, and circulating properly.
Heat trapped in the attic can cause a moisture buildup, or a warm pad on the underside of the roof where snow melts and refreezes, causing an ice dam. Also, in the summer, this free exchange of cold air allows the heat trapped within the house to vent out.
So soffit and fascia play a crucial part in the energy efficiency of any home, and also help keep the home from being damaged by mother nature. It’s a tie-in between the roof and the siding. Then why is it that soffits are so often overlooked as a vital component on a home?
Lynnrich Siding carries soffit and gutters which are entirely seamless, integrating into the design of the home. Older gutter systems rely on a spike and ferrule method to hang in place, and often this has in invasive look on a modern home’s design.
Lynnrich’s gutters are manufactured on site, meaning that they are built as custom as is possible. Also, the spike and ferrule method of hanging rain gutters, often leaves gutters looking sagged after a few years of use, but a seamless rain gutter is hung on the home with a much greater support, which virtually all but eliminates sagging.
This makes a soffit, fascia, & gutter system from Lynnrich all but maintenance free! Also, Lynrrich carries a full color assortment for both soffit and fascia and rain gutters to match any home’s exterior. If you have never noticed the sleek designs of our soffit-fascia-gutter systems, take a look at the photo gallery on our site for ideas.
Contact us today for all of your soffit, fascia & gutter needs.
5 Signs that You Need New Gutters
Gutters are extremely important to your home. Not only do they prevent water damage to your roof by directing rainwater to the ground, but they can keep water from seeping into your home’s foundation by directing it away from your home. Sadly, like all other structures, gutters do not last forever. They are susceptible to damage and need to be replaced over time. Here are some signs that will tell you when that time has come.
You See Any Kind of Cracks
Small cracks in your gutters may not seem like a big deal, but they can turn into larger cracks if they are left unchecked. The same goes for any split seams where the gutter sections fit together. In any case, these openings are signs that your gutters should be replaced, no matter how minor they may seem.
You See Peeling Paint or Signs of Rust
Reddish brown flakes on your gutters are signs of rust, which will turn even the sturdiest of structures into a corroded mess. If you don’t have metallic gutters, you might still notice paint peeling or flaking off if you look closely enough. Both of these are signs that your gutters are old and should be replaced before it is too late.
You Notice Pools of Water by Your Foundation
Gutters are meant to direct water away from your foundation; this is why they have spouts that extend several feet away from your house. If you notice pools of water or signs of mildew near your foundation, your gutters are not doing their job. There is most likely a leak somewhere, which will call for a replacement.
You Notice Water Damage Near or Underneath Your Gutters
Just like the pools of water that are not supposed to be near your home’s foundation, water damage directly underneath your gutters means that they are leaking. Replace your gutters before the damage gets any worse.
Your Gutters are Sagging
Finally, gutters that are sagging or pulling away from your house are definitely in poor shape. This is actually the easiest sign to look for since you will be able to notice it clearly from the ground. In any case, call a roofing professional to have a new gutter system installed when you notice this or any of these other signs.
If you have any questions about gutters for your home, call Lynnrich Siding today.
Summer Storms and Roof Damage
Was your house hit by the recent hail storm? If so, give us a call today so that we can inspect your roof and siding have damage.
Summer is upon us and while the warmer days and longer night make such an appealing daydream, it also means that dramatic hail storms, violent lightning storms, and even possible tornadoes are upon us. It may not be all that bad, unless you are someone who has had to struggle with an insurance company to cover your end of a replacement roof.
If you are concerned about damage to your roof from a storm, give Lynnrich a call to evaluate your roof for you, and Lynnrich can even help you to take the next steps with your insurance company to ensure that your home stays protected from the elements with a functional roof. Document, document, document… Document the damages to your roof , so that your insurance company can’t question the how or when damage happened.
Determine if your roof has been damaged
You should be able to check the majority of damage from the street or yard of your home. Obviously the best thing would be to walk the roof and check for damage up close. But the roof can be a dangerous place, and you may just want to call Lynnrich for an up close inspection. But, if you want to do the preliminary check on your own, head out to the street or backyard—if you’re in the street please be sure to check for cars—and inspect the roof.
With all of the hailstorms that we’ve encountered in the past few years, check to if the hail has taken out entire sections of asphalt shingles. Also, shingles will bruise or dent from hail, although these dents or bruises are not always visible. A set of binoculars to check the roof can be beneficial. Don’t forget to check the downspouts of gutter for grit that has been pelted from the shingles during the storm.
Even if you cannot see damage from the street, in the event that there is grit from the shingles either in the downspouts, on the ground at the base of downspouts, or in the gutters, it may be time to call a professional to check your roof. If you have spotted damage to your roof post-storm, make sure to document the damage, if possible, with photographs.
If your home or business suffered damage in any hail storm, please contact Lynnrich today!
Rain Gutters Care Tips
Rain gutters are one of the most overlooked and undervalued protections on your home. You don’t notice them, they work unfailingly (that is until you don’t maintain them and they fail), and they protect your home by carrying water away from the home’s foundation. Water that drains into the home’s foundation can cause damage. Water damage can be extremely expensive.
Rain gutters can become damaged when they are improperly installed, or when they are left unchecked and uncleaned for lengths of time. Oftentimes, rain gutters that are not cleared of leaves in the fall, can back up with un-drained water, and that water can freeze and refreeze in the winter months, damaging the gutter systems and sparking the potential for the devastating ice dam. Rain gutters should be installed with downspouts that progress to elbows which move the water out and away from the home.
If your home’s rain gutters are damaged, or have just survived one too many Montana winters to be effective, it may be time to consider a new gutter system at Lynnrich.
Lynnrich sells seamless rain gutters that seemingly blend into the home’s façade. These gutter systems carry water effectively from the home’s foundation, and maintain a home’s curb appeal in the process. Because the gutters are installed by professionals, and heavy duty hardware is used to attach the gutters to the home, there is little chance for sagging. Seamless gutters also use seamless hangers, so the old, more invasive and noticeable, method of hanging gutters is obsolete. Also, certain products such as gutter guards, which prevent leaves and grass from going into the gutters and clogging them, while, at the same time, allowing water through, make the gutters practically maintenance-free.
The gutters sold at Lynnrich come in numerous color choices to match or contrast with your home’s siding. Also, even though the gutters are seamless and maintenance free, gutters will still include elbows, downspouts, and miters that travel water away from the foundation.
If you have any questions about a new gutter system for your home, call Lynnrich Siding today.
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.
How to Protect Your Siding from Moisture
The siding of your home serves as the primary defense against all manner of weather, pests, wind, mold, and mildew – but moisture is something that can quickly compromise even high-quality siding. This means that you need to do everything possible to protect your siding from moisture, so that your siding can continue to protect you from all those other things.
Since your siding also acts as a kind of external skin to your house, you could very easily miss any damage which may have occurred beneath the skin. Here are some steps you can take to shield your siding from moisture damage, so it can continue to effectively perform its intended function.
Keep nearby shrubbery trimmed
While everyone can appreciate the aesthetic value that trees and shrubs bring to a home’s exterior, any of them which are planted too close to the house can potentially lead to moisture damage. Leaves and branches retain water, and when they brush up against the siding, they can drop that moisture off on your house, where it can seep in. Leaves also release water vapor into the air via tiny pores, and proximity to the house can cause that moisture to be released right into the siding.
Direct sprinkler heads away from the house
This might sound obvious, but you should be careful about the direction of sprinkler heads as they water the lawn or the flower bed. Make sure that even at its furthest point of projection, the sprinkler can’t reach the siding of your home, because if it does, that water will be absorbed into the siding and damage may occur.
Keep gutters clear
If your gutters become clogged with debris, they won’t be able to carry out their primary function, which is to direct water away from your house’s siding and foundation. Check for debris every couple months, and clean the gutters when any kind of debris begins accumulating. This is especially important in the fall, when trees begin to shed their leaves.
Don’t let snow or ice pile up
In the winter time, snow can accumulate into piles wherever it gets directed, and if that happens to be up against your house, some of it will melt and seep in. If snow piles up against the house itself, make sure to gently shovel it away, so no scraping or scoring occurs to the siding.
If you have any questions about a steel siding for your home, call Lynnrich Siding today.
Summer Storms and Roof Damage
Summer will be here in Billings before you know it, and while the warmer days and longer night make such an appealing daydream, it also means that dramatic hail storms, violent lightning storms, and even possible tornadoes are upon us. It may not be all that bad, unless you are someone who has had to struggle with an insurance company to cover your end of a replacement roof.
If you are concerned about damage to your roof from a storm, give Lynnrich a call to evaluate your roof for you, and Lynnrich can even help you to take the next steps with your insurance company to ensure that your home stays protected from the elements with a functional roof. Document, document, document… Document the damages to your roof , so that your insurance company can’t question the how or when damage happened.
Determine if your roof has been damaged
You should be able to check the majority of damage from the street or yard of your home. Obviously the best thing would be to walk the roof and check for damage up close. But the roof can be a dangerous place, and you may just want to call Lynnrich for an up close inspection. But, if you want to do the preliminary check on your own, head out to the street or backyard—if you’re in the street please be sure to check for cars—and inspect the roof.
With all of the hailstorms that we’ve encountered in the past few years, check to if the hail has taken out entire sections of asphalt shingles. Also, shingles will bruise or dent from hail, although these dents or bruises are not always visible. A set of binoculars to check the roof can be beneficial. Don’t forget to check the downspouts of gutter for grit that has been pelted from the shingles during the storm.
Even if you cannot see damage from the street, in the event that there is grit from the shingles either in the downspouts, on the ground at the base of downspouts, or in the gutters, it may be time to call a professional to check your roof. If you have spotted damage to your roof post-storm, make sure to document the damage, if possible, with photographs.
