Answers

Hey Michael,

Here's a quick guide to show your the pros and cons of having asphalt roof shingles applied over your existing roof: 

Hello Alex, 

We are one of the largest James Hardie Siding Elite Preferred contractors in Maryland and we have done numerous James Hardie installs. We have used this application before; it is called a compound miter. Due to the angle of the siding you will first need to determine the angle at which the siding sits on the house wall, which is typically between 10-15 degrees. The actual corner should be at a 45 degree angle. We have found the easiest way to do this is to begin at the bottom course using short pieces to determine the angle. If you need additional information please do not hesitate to contact us 301-355-4604.

Thank you!

Custom Concepts Construction, Inc.

We suggest Simonton Vinyl Replacement windows to all our customers. They are very energy efficient and work flawlessly. I will show a customer a lot of the times how I can open the window with ease with my pinky finger. It's hard to say how much you will save on your energy bill. There are a lot of factors involved. If you currently have a well insulated home and low energy bill you probably won't save that much. If your home isn't that well insulated and large energy bills it will show up more there. I use the example of my grandfather alot. He replaced his windows with Simonton about 10-15 years ago. They have a small 3 bedroom ranch and were having utility bills of $3-400 a month. They replaced the windows and the bill came down to $100 a month. If you are having a hard time keeping your rooms cool in the summer and warm in the winter, you will see a drastic difference in your comfort level along with the power bill. Another reason we offer Simonton is the affordability. We typically install a 5050 replacement window turnkey around $400 per window. Of course there are reasons this can go up, but typical install is on average this price. I would suggest going to simonton.com and searching for an experienced installer in your area. Hope this helps! Good luck with your search. 

Hello Terry,

What kind of roof do you have? Is it an asphalt roof? The average lifespan of asphalt composite roofs is 10-15 years. Depending on how extreme the weather is in your area, some roofs made with temporary roofing materials may start to fail as soon as eight years.  

The most common cause of this type of dark spots is a variety of blue/green algae called a  Gloeocapsa Magna. Ths stains often evolve to a moss buildup, as the algae increases moisture. That is not only an appearance problem, as algae proliferation may shorten your roof life and increase energy costs. (You mentioned you recently added more insulation to your attic. Not only that was probably not the cause, but potentially, even the need for the extra insulation is already a sign of an underperforming roof.) 

There are products on the market to clean it, but keep in mind the algae also reduces the composite integrity, so removing it may still keep your roof exposed.

It would be advised to call a professional inspector to do a roof and attic inspection. It can identify any other related issues and give you a timeframe of how much longer can your roof can hold. 

Also refer to your warranty, keeping in mind each manufacturer have a different levels of protection. 

When it's time to re-roof, you may want to consider other lifelong roofing materials (such as metal).  

Feel free to contact us if you have any other question.

Regards,

Carlos (social@interlockroofing.com)

GAVIGAN HOMES// Go 15 Seer minimum and check your duct work. Metal boxes instead of fiber board are huge mold mitigation upgrades. Get a blower door test 

GAVIGAN PLAN FOR SUCCESS

ANDY, YOUR CONCERNS ARE VALID AND ERIC & CHRIS are Spot on...   COMMUNICATE AND I WOULD ADD VALIDATE. Here in the Lowcountry concerns are the same for soem clients.

Protect your custom build by Video monitoring and third party inspections by actual inspectors. In the age of Video monitoring a simple data and power drop allows 24/7 video monitorings for the owner and Contractor. Most cable compabnies will run the data drops since you will use them after. (We provide this service free now for our owners out of market.)

- Validation of Lien Releases & Material Lien based on scopes and agreements, the pitfalls are in the contractual managament

- Notice of commencement filed at the County Gov't (Best 15-50 dollars an owner and GC can spend)

- video updataes weekly or pictures ( GOOGLE + | FACEBOOK | OR A MANAGEMENT SOFTWEAR )

You must haVe a good relationship, trust your builder, and Confirm

TRUST & CONFIRM

BILLY GAVIGAN, PRES GAVIGAN

CONGRATS ON THE CUSTOM HOME......

Decks are a very tricky item to finish properly.  There are so many variables that have to be considered prior to applying any kind of stain.  If I were staining your deck, I would start by asking a series of questions:

1.) Where are you located? What type of climate is the deck going to be subjected to?

2.) What type of wood is the deck made of?  This will limit what kind of products you can use or would be best suited for the type of material used.  Some woods will only allow you to use an oil based product, while others you can stain with newer waterborne products.

3.) How is the deck built? Is it close to the ground (1'-2' or high up 5'-12').

If the deck is close to the ground, using a one coat system with an oil based product is best.  Although the solid color stains hold up well on decks closer to the ground as well.  

The biggest enemy to any deck surface is moisture, so having good ventillation is a key factor.

4.) What type of finish would you like to apply? Do you want a solid color stain (looks like a paint) or do you want a translucent/transparent or semi-transparent stain (allows you to see the natural grain of the wood)?

We recommend an oil based finish for translucent and semi-transparent stains and we recommend a waterborne product for solid color stains.

5.) When was the deck built?

The wood doesn't necessarily have to weather prior to staining, it just has to be DRY (typically less than 15% moisture content).  Once a tree is cut down, the wood starts to decay as it is no longer connected to a living water source.  The sooner you can protect the wood from the elements of sun and water, the better off your deck will be.  When you let a deck "weather" you allow it to suck up moisture and then have it dried out by the sun (repeatedly).  The more this happens, the faster the wood of your deck will decay.  This is why unprotected wood turns gray; the gray is the dead wood fibers.  If you left your deck to weather, you will want to clean it and remove all the dead wood fiber.  If you use a powerwasher, don't get too close!  The power washer is only meant as a way to help rinse off the deck surfaces.  The tip of the powerwasher should not get any closer than 10-12" from any wood surface, otherwise you can damage the wood.  Use a deck scrub brush and a solution to help remove the dead wood fiber.  Benjamin Moore has some great how to videos on their website: www.benjaminmoore.com.

As soon as the deck is dry (if new), it has to be sanded with about 80 grit sand paper to remove mill glaze.  This "glaze" is what happens when the wood is cut in the saw mill.  The mill glaze will prevent a stain from penetrating the wood properly and cause premature failure of the finished surface.

If you had to powerwash and remove dead wood fiber from the surface, you will want to sand the wood surfaces to remove any "furring" which happens during the process of removing the dead wood fiber and cleaning the deck surfaces.  Once again, use about 80-100 grit sand paper. 

6.) Let's set expectations...

Deck surfaces are subjected to all kinds of elements, foot traffic and furniture.  A typical finish will last for about 24-36 months before showing signs of wear.  Some higher traffic areas may see signs of wear sooner than that.  Be aware that if you live in a climate that gets snow, be careful if you shovel off the deck and try not to throw salt on the deck surface.  This will definitely shorten the life of the stained surface.  

Gently clean your deck once or twice a season to keep debris and dirt from the deck surface.  Doing so can extend the life of the product applied.

7.)  There are more variables and conditions to think about, but this should cover some of the major areas.  The best advice, if it is possible, go to a paint store (Benjamin Moore retailer or Sherwin Williams, or similar) and provide them information about some of the questions above.  They will be able to ask a few more questions and recommend the best product for your situation.  If you don't want to do the project yourself, they can usually recommend a trusted professional.  Try to stay out of a big box store as they typically don't have the best knowledge or training.  

Pictured is a deck during the cleaning process, removing dead wood fiber. The lower portion of the photo has been cleaned and the upper section still has the dead wood fiber.

The second picture is during the staining process.  The deck was sanded after cleaning and allowing to dry.  Stain one board at a time and keep a wet edge to avoid lap marks. Staining in pairs with a helper if possible is best.

Hope that helps and good luck with your project!

Mike

Let's hear it for Elon Musk and his efforts to move the solar industry forward!  Solar shingles have lots of potential. Hopefully, Tesla and Solar City will get it right.  We used solar shingles about 15 years ago when installing a new roof and encountered some issues: 1) They were expensive! I would recommend getting a quote for both traditional PV panels versus the shingles and see what pencils out. The cost of PV has come down significantly in the last couple of years. Once you get the quote, be sure and compare the cost/efficiency/performance ratios of the two systems. 2) Maintenance can be an issue. There are more electrical connections with a roof shingle system vs a traditional PV system. More things to create potential problems. The shingles are typically installed in "strings" - where mulitple shingles work together in units.  If one shingle has a problem, the entire string "goes down". Check to see how Solar City addressses this issue: can you easily identify where the bad shingle is and be able to replace it easily?  Otherwise the efficiency of your system is compromised significantly.  Another maintenance issue is keeping all the shingles clean.  There is more work to wash down an entire roof periodically to remove dirt buildup than there is for a traditional PV system. 3) Availability: Is Tesla/Solar City providing the units in Atlanta?  It may take them some time to gear up their distribution and train people to install them properly.  Both important things to consider.

All that being said, it certainly makes sense to have your roof generate power for you!  Regardless of whether you go the traditional PV system or shingles route.  Best of luck!