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Do You Need An Attic Fan In Your Home

Written By: CopperSmith Gutter | Minnesota Seamless Gutters, Minneapolis Copper Gutters Contractor | Published On: 6th September 2009

Some homes in Minnesota have attic fans and some don’t. If you don’t have one, you may have a very hot attic in the summer. If you do have one, then you may notice that there is some air circulating in your attic. Even if you don’t spend time in your attic, you may want to consider an attic fan. Some individuals think that because they don’t spend time in their attic, it doesn’t need to be cooled. They are aware that it is very hot in that area, but do not realize the significance of that heat.

Believe it or not, the heat from the attic has a tendency to seep down into your home. This makes your home hotter and this heat results in increased cooling costs. In other words, the heat from the attic that isn’t really a second thought is costing homeowners in Minnesota more money than they need to pay.

What does an Attic Fan do?

If you’re not sure what an attic fan does, it is time to find out. An attic fan in Minnesota will blow out all of the heat that enters the attic. This means the heat doesn’t have to be trapped inside. Even when it is not that hot outside, the heat inside the attic can be quite hot. If you use your attic for storage, this cooling can be quite beneficial for when you have to go into the attic and also protects the items that you are storing. If you have family heirlooms and other precious items, you definitely don’t want them exposed to intense heat.

Furthermore, cooling your attic also cools your home and saves you money on your cooling costs. Some individuals are also talking to Minnesota roofing companies about installing solar powered attic fans because they do not require anything but the sun to work. This also conserves electricity. They are just as effective as the attic fans that you plug into an outlet and work incredibly well during the summer.

The Price

It is true that the price of an attic fan is not cheap. However, you can’t exactly look at the initial cost of the fan, but the overall savings. These fans last for many years and will make an incredible difference in the temperature of your home, in your electric bill, and gives added protection to the belongings in your attic. In the end, all of these factors save you so much money that the savings far exceeds the initial cost of the attic fan.

And yes, when you hire a Minnesota roofer to install your attic fan for you, you do have to pay installation costs. This is not a job that you want to take on by yourself since it is rather dangerous and handling of the fan and all of the components to install it does take experience. Safety is of utmost important and a Minnesota roofing contractor has the insurance and the credentials to perform the job.

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Minnesota Roof Care Tips In The Twin Cities

Written By: CopperSmith Gutter | Minnesota Seamless Gutters, Minneapolis Copper Gutters Contractor | Published On: 5th September 2009

The different seasons take their toll on your roof, which is why it is good for you to know how to take care of your roof throughout the seasons. You may think that you only need to maintain your roof once per year, but if you really want to get the most out of it, then you may want to rethink that.

There are certain care tips that you can use all year round to make sure your roof lasts as long as you paid for it to last.

In Twin Cities, the seasons are quite defined. When it is winter, you know it is winter. Here are some tips for each of the seasons:

  • You will first want to contact a Twin Cities roof inspector and have them inspect your roof in the late spring and/or the fall. The reason is because the winter can wreak havoc and the weather usually doesn’t start to warm up until later spring. The fall is a good time to inspect because the summer is quite aggressive on a roof and the harm that the summer can inflict is over by the fall. You can then prepare for the winter, just as a spring inspection allows you to prepare for the summer.
  • Make sure during the spring and the summer that you frequently clean your downspouts and your gutters to ensure they are flowing freely.
  • If your roof is over 10 years old, you can stand on the ground during a wind storm and see if there is any lift to your shingles. This is best to do during the spring and summer due to the increase in wind storms. If there is any lift, this means the adhesive strip on the shingles are not doing their job.
  • If you have moss on your roof in the spring and summer, you can sweep it off when it is wet or use a moss killer.
  • Also in the summer, you will want to have your roof checked after hail and wind storms to ensure no damage was done and to take care of any damage as soon as possible.
  • In the fall, you want to look for any cracking after a summer of the sun hitting your roofing full force. You’ve probably experienced Twin Cities hail storms and wind storms as well, so shingles with mineral granules missing, as well as shingles showing any kind of damage should be replaced.
  • You will want to frequently remove leaves and other debris from your gutters and downspouts. You may find that you do this more often in the fall because of the leaves falling from the trees.
  • Check skylights, vents, and any other hardware on your roof to ensure they are not cracked or broken. You can also have a Twin Cities roofing company take care of this for you so that you don’t have to.
  • In the winter, watch out for ice dams along your eaves, gutters, and your drains. If melting snow and ice can’t drain, it will find the easiest way out, which can be faulty areas on your roof.
  • When snow storms come with wind, make sure there is no shingle uplift after the snow melts.

And whatever you do, do not pressure wash your roof or try shoveling snow off of your roof because this can cause more damage than good. Any time you need assistance with cleaning or removing snow, talk to a Twin Cities roofer so the right steps can be taken.

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Minneapolis Leaky Roof Problem

Written By: CopperSmith Gutter | Minnesota Seamless Gutters, Minneapolis Copper Gutters Contractor | Published On: 5th September 2009

Are you experiencing leaking from your roof? Are you wondering why it is leaking? Or maybe you are not having leaking issues now, but you will in the future because your roof has damage that will get progressively worse over time and cause a leak. No matter what, it is good to know the reasons why roofs leak. Minnesota roofing contractors can definitely tell you the reasons because they are used to fixing leaks with a number of different causes.

But know that there are some things that you can look out for that tell you whether or not your roof is leaking or is about to leak. Those things include:

  • Brown patches on the dry walls of the ceiling
  • Rotting of the framing system, which is indicative of an already existing leak
  • A dampness in the attic that should not be there
  • Signs of water damage in the attic or you begin to see brown patches or wet spots in your ceiling

What you need to do is have an annual or biannual inspection by a Minnesota roof inspector. Many roofing companies in Minnesota provide such a service so that you can take care of any problems with your roof before any major damage occurs. The best time for you to have an inspection is during the late spring and the fall.

As for why roofs leak, here are some of the causes:

Some blame their asphalt shingles for the leaks on their roofs, but it is not always the shingles. Sometimes there are faults in the flashing that surrounds fans, vents, chimneys, and skylights. If the season is particularly rainy or windy, this can cause the caulking in the flashing to become dry. Throw the sun into the equation and you have caulking that starts to crack, leading to a seal that loosens up and allows water to come in.

Old age is another reason behind a leaky roof. When a roof has reached the end of its life, it will weaken. Shingles will crack and curl and this can cause tears. The mineral granules are disappearing. Many do over time, but they will start to fall away even faster. Depending on an individual’s budget, a complete roof replacement may be in order. However, unless there is more than one out of every 5 shingles damaged, a simple repair may suffice for a while.

If you have experienced bad storms in your area where the wind has whipped around quite a bit of debris, you may find that flying tree branches and other airborne items have hit your roof and caused damage. The roofing can become cracked, which will ultimately lead to a leak.

And, of course, there is ice that gathers on the eaves and creates an ice dam. Ice dams can bend the entire framing system and Minnesota ice dams are certainly no mystery to roofing contractors. This is why they have measures that they use to prevent ice dams and save you a lot of money in the future.

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Hiring the Right Minneapolis Roofer

Written By: CopperSmith Gutter | Minnesota Seamless Gutters, Minneapolis Copper Gutters Contractor | Published On: 5th September 2009

When you need your roof inspected or you need repairs to be done right away, you have to have the right roofing contractor working for you. Minneapolis roofers do stay rather busy all year round because of how the weather seems to treat roofs throughout the seasons. But what you want is the right roofer for you. The company that may have done well for someone else may not be the right one for you, so make sure you evaluate every angle of a company before you sign your name on the dotted line.

Tips to find the right Minneapolis roofer:

Look at qualifications – You do not want to hire a roofer without reviewing their qualifications. You want to make sure the contractor is licensed, but that may not be enough. Just because someone is licensed doesn’t mean they’ll do the job right. Look to see if they are a member of a trade association, if they have engaged in any continuing education, if they have a permanent business, confirm that they have insurance and how much (they should show you a certificate), and visit their business to see their employees and equipment.

Workmanship – Ask the roofer to provide you with their safety plan, information on their warranty, check for certification to install the product you have chosen since manufacturer warranties usually only cover the product if the installer was certified, and you should be able to receive concise information when you ask questions.

Customer service and past performance – Find out how long the contractor has been in the business. You may even ask for references so that you can speak with others and learn about their experiences. You can have a glimpse of what kind of work that the company will do for you. You also want to contact the Better Business Bureau to see if there have been any complaints.

Cost – Cost can be tricky for the fact that a lower cost may not mean better quality work. Someone can offer to do a job for thousands less, but the quality that they provide may not be comparable to someone who charges more. When you compare cost, you will need to compare other factors such as the jobs that have been completed in the past in order to see the quality of the work and talk to others about their experiences.

Testimonials – Take a look at any testimonials that they may have. If the roofing contractor has a website, you may wish to review those testimonials. However, don’t let the lack of a website be your first judgment point. Having a website can make an incredible impression, but that doesn’t say anything about the quality of the work. This is more about personal preference.

You may also have your own methods that you use to hire a company to do work on your home. Make sure you ask any questions that you may have so that you can receive answers that help you in your decision. When you make the right decision, you will feel good about your choice and your investment.

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Cost of Roof Repair vs. Roof Replacement In Twin Cities

Written By: CopperSmith Gutter | Minnesota Seamless Gutters, Minneapolis Copper Gutters Contractor | Published On: 5th September 2009

roofing contractorWhen damage has been done to your roof, you are faced with a tough decision. That decision is whether or not you should simply have your roof repaired or if you should have it replaced. In many cases the extent of the damage may help make this decision for you and in other cases cost will dictate your decision. Most of the time cost rules a person’s decision because they’re working with a tight budget.

So what is the difference in cost between roof repair and roof replacement in Minnesota? Obviously replacing an entire roof may be more costly than repairing because replacement involves replacing the entire roof…

Or could it be the other way around?

There are different techniques that may be used to fix your roof. For instance:

A “tear-off” may be more costly than re-roofing your home for the fact that this task involves removing the old shingles and the underlayment from your roof. The Minnesota roofer may also provide haul away and disposal services of the old roofing materials. The reason why a tear-off costs more is because the roof deck can be inspected thoroughly and the rotten parts replaced; those high risk areas such as eaves, outside rakes, valleys, and inside rakes can also be inspected and rebuilt from scratch if they need to be; and you receive brand new underlayment and a variety of other fixes to your roof that can make your roof last longer than ever.

A “re-roof means that new shingles are applied over the old shingles. Most Minnesota building codes will allow a re-roof if there is only one existing layer, but will not allow for a third layer because of the weight. Re-roofing means that the decks and valleys cannot be seen, no new underlayment is applied, more moisture may be held by a 2 layer roof, and any damage done to the existing shingles can bleed through to the new shingles over time.

Although some Minnesota roofing contractors will suggest that a tear-off be done rather than a re-roof, there is concern that you do what you can afford. Some individuals are suspicious when a roofer suggests a tear-off because of the higher cost, but a tear-off is better for the overall well-being of your roof and of your home. It is important to note that a tear-off is recognized and approved by the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) and by manufacturers.

Nevertheless, what you do is up to you. You can review the costs with your Minnesota roofing contractor and see what your options are. For some homes, a re-roof may be a valid option. Ranch style homes tend to be the best candidates for re-roofing because the valleys are small or they don’t exist at all. A re-roof can be risky for those homes with multiple or long valley assemblies.

As for the actual cost, the cost will depend on the roofing contractor you use, the size of your roof, and the extent of the job. And although using a licensed contractor will cost you more, you will receive a much higher quality of work that will last for years to come.

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